The summer is just around the corner, and for those of us in Australia, that means it’s time to dust off our camping gear and start planning a trip. For many people, camping is an excellent way to get back to nature and experience some peace & serenity away from the hustle-bustle of everyday life.
The great thing about camping is you don’t have to be wealthy or even particularly well equipped. In a world where you can hire a tent, live off portable solar panels, and have access to some of the most pristine environments in the world, there’s no reason not to consider an adventure in the backyard.
There are some caveats to consider, sustainability is becoming more of a hot button topic, and rightly so. There are a few ways to ensure that your camping experience is sustainable and beautiful, all at the same time. Whether you hire a tent, plant trees in your stead, or simply use bio-degradable products, there is no shortage of ways to maintain a sustainable future.
1) Hire A Tent
One of the best ways to make sure you’re being considerate of the environment is to hire a tent. This takes care of your shelter while also allowing others in Australia to practice sustainable camping, or even just have access to affordable accommodation – without harming nature. Not only is it sustainable to hire a tent, but it’s also cost-effective.
You can hire a tent, as well as a range of camping items from many different websites online – try googling ‘hire a tent’ or ‘pitching services’ in order to find what you’re looking for quickly and easily.
Renting is definitely one way of ensuring that sustainable practices are adopted by individuals with limited funds, and oftentimes, the place in which you hire a tent will give sage advice on the surrounding regions, allowing you to pick and choose the right spot for you.
Not only are you saving money when you hire a tent, you’re saving plastic wastage.
2) Cleaning Up After Yourself
When camping, it can be all well and good to hire a tent and have recycled materials, but there is credence in the clean up as well. Make sure that you are cleaning up after yourself and bringing recycling materials with you when heading out into the wilderness.
This includes packing away your equipment, making sure food is properly disposed of in bins, and avoiding leaving behind waste by taking it along on your trip too. Ultimately this contributes to a more sustainable camping scenario for everyone else around as well.
It’s also important to avoid littering while camping because it can have negative impacts on animals, plants, even water supplies if they ingest bits of plastic or eat food which has been left lying about.
3) Conserve Water Wherever Possible
We are a drought-laden country in almost every way. As such, water should always be a priority when going camping. It’s important to avoid leaving taps running while you are doing your dishes (if it is right next to the water supply, go for a bucket-load of soapy water instead) and try not to wash yourself in large puddles. A lot of places that allow you to hire a tent, will also have adequate water filtration systems as well, which may come in handy.
In terms of activities like fishing or swimming that will lead to evaporation or other forms of waste: be practical about how much time you spend on these things and only do what feels necessary. Again, this means less waste left behind afterwards which should make everyone happy in the long run.