Eco-camping seems like adventuring sustainably; This article is the ultimate guide or overview of eco camping along with its importance, impacts, benefits, and some cool tips on how to achieve this carbon-free camping?
In an age where the use of vacationing and backpacking runs rampant in the modern-day traveler, the concept of camping might seem outdated. But surprisingly more and more people are taking up camping and setting up tents in forests to spend some time with the wilderness.
But with increasing concerns over biodiversity loss and accidental forest fires, not to mention greenhouse gas emissions, is camping sustainable?
This is why conservationists and tourists alike have come up with the idea of eco camping or sustainable camping.
But with so many to things to let go- is it worth it?
What do you have to know for your first green camping trip?
Let’s dig deeper into the field of sustainable camping- and take a peek at all the tips, tricks, and concepts. With the world moving towards protecting the environment and decreasing the adverse effects of human activities, it’s time you did your part by indulging in the eco friendly way to do a leisure activity such as camping.

 

What is Eco camping, and how it works?

With the upsurge of adventure movies and fiction, youngsters have taken up camping and hiking to clubbing. And with the entirety of the new world heading towards everything green, eco camping now the next big thing. 

Eco camping is camping with little to no influence on the environment. Even at some point in the building section of the campsite, we do the maximum quantity as feasible by hand to avoid using machinery that not handiest burns fossil fuels; however, reasons more damage to the land. 

You’re making plans a camping experience, so we’re going to take a wild soar of faith right here and anticipate which you like nature at least a touch bit. 

And, as you most possibly like nature, you’re going to be interested in making sure you protect and hold the planet as an awful lot as feasible throughout your experience away. 

A little bit of planning, some issues, and some ethical alternatives can go a long way – it’ll all become second-nature after one sustainable adventure. Let’s delve right into the depth of this eco-friendly activity and find out just how fun it is and how we play a part through this in safeguarding the environment.

Why Eco Camping Instead of General Camping: 5 solid Reason to go for eco camping:

There are a good number of reasons why you should consider eco camping over general camping. Such as:

1. Eco camping is more environment friendly than camping.
2. It saves money compared to regular camping.
3. You can practice a healthier life in eco camping by harnessing gifts of nature.
4. Eco camping is more sustainable and uses far less energy.
5. It can save you from extra trouble of carrying too much equipment.

It may change your habit of luxury products, which may save you money and effort.

Some trendy types of camping that are closely related to eco Camping:

• Green camping
• Sustainable camping
• Budget Camping
• Camping with “Leave No Trace.”

What is “Green Camping” stand for: 

Green camping is very similar to eco camping. It’s a green camping philosophy that advocated the camper to restrict camping activity in an environmentally friendly way. 

Green camping is the way to reduce the impacts of camping on the environment and the reasons why camping can impact the environment through your camping activities.  

What is Sustainable Camping?

Sustainable camping is Enjoying life in a sustainable and climate-friendly way. An environmentally friendly lifestyle is increasingly essential for more and more people. 

It’s great you love camping because your CO2 emissions are much lower with a camping holiday than, for instance, an all-inclusive holiday with flights.

What is Budget Camping means?

As far as holiday celebrations go, camping offers one of the best chances for fun and cost-effective trip-taking. With no late hotel fees, smaller travel nightly costs, and zero restaurant bills, you can have a great time without spending the bank account just by enjoying the great outdoors. For the super savers out there, learning how to set a certain camping allotment can save even more money – giving you a chance for guilt-free, leisure time away, and this is what budget camping means.

What is the “Leave No Traces” method?

In recent years, in light of environmental awareness and biodiversity conservation, many campers have taken up the policy of “Leaving No Traces.” What is Leave no Trace and its principles? Let’s find out.

Leave No Trace is a set of outdoor ethics promoting conservation in outdoors. After noticing increased impacts on trails, the United States Forest Service developed the Seven Principles of Leave No Trace in the 1960s. The concept backing the ideas is to leave nature as unchanged through our presence as possible so that future generations can enjoy it too. In essence, the reason of Leave No Trace is to preserve the wild and natural habitats.

The seven principles behind “Leave No Trace” are:

1. Plan and prepare
2. Travel and camp on durable surfaces
3. Use waste management rules to dispose of waste properly
4. Leave what you find
5. Minimize campfire impacts
6. Respect wildlife
7. Be considerate of other visitors.

 

Importance of Eco Camping: 5 benefits of eco camping you can get :

Eco camping is essential for its nature of purpose. Camping is a fun activity to spend your leisure and vacation. So, why not even make it healthier and better for the environment! Eco camping allows us to contribute to the preserver of our world. 

The essential benefits of eco camping are:

• Helping the environment
• Save money
• Give Freedom
• Its help you to rethink or recall your life
• Enjoying to watch wildlife:

Helping the environment by reducing carbon emission

Possibly, the most crucial factor in eco camping comes in the form of satisfaction it does to the surrounding environment compared to more traditional approaches. 

In 2015 alone, with a lurching almost 15.4 million camping and caravan camping holidays taking place in the UK, the natural landscape is becoming somewhat altered. 

This persistent rush of bodies, not to mention the ridiculous amount of litter being left behind, has caused in need to show more assiduity and take more exceptional care of the environment. 

There are some procedures you can do this, with some methods including picking up every piece of rubbish you drop, using solar-powered gadgets, using eco-friendly toiletries, leaving the campsite as you found it, etc.

It’s slightly less costly. Thus you can be Saving money:

We all like to try and grip every little penny we can from our life. By selecting to head off on a green camping destination holiday, you give yourself a fantastic chance of saving some cash. 

Relaxing in the wilderness is going to be considerably cheaper than paying excessive prices for a hotel room every night. 

As well as this, you’ll also save money on things like fuel and food – with there being no need for costly ways of enjoying.

Liberty and inner peace:

We all have that inner confusion, which makes us want to fight “the man” and escape from things for a little while. An eco-camping holiday serves you with the authentic chance to do just that. Whereas even traditional camping expeditions still see you rely on commercial products, a greener experience cheers you to seize the bull by the horns and become solely dependent on yourself. 

Even if it just extends a week, this break from the chains of consumerism is a pretty well reminder of how you are, in fact, able to enjoy living independently of commercial needs.

Its help you to rethink:

In the comparatively external world of camping, there’s a good chance you’ll be able to find some much-needed alone time to think and inspect life. It’s been tested spending time alone is healthier for you from a mental perspective, hence use your green camping experience to not only making the world a better place but also reinforce and refresh your mind.

Now its time to discuss some severe type of Impact of eco camping. Let’s dive in right now!

Impacts of Eco Camping:

We can look at the impacts of eco camping from two perceptions, environmental and economic. Let us lay eyes on some significant implications.

• Environmental Impacts
• Economic Impacts
• Social Impact

Environmental Impacts of eco camping:

First of all, eco camping is mainly known for its ethical impacts on nature. Traditional camping methods are not very friendly with the environment. Most of the time, campers pose a threat to the environment by dumping plastics and other non-disposable materials. But eco camping forbids that. The purpose is the same but in a more environment-friendly way. So here are some ways eco camping minimize impacts on the environment:

• Pack food and other items firmly away, both for transportation grounds and storage while you are camping.
• Avoid making a campfire. Use existing fire rings, camping stoves, and grills to minimize the Impact.
• Use water to dilute urine for reducing the chances of attracting wildlife or harming the environment. Try to bury human feces, if no bathroom, outhouse, or port-a-potty is nearby.
• Be careful about your waste management. When you love, none should be left. 
• Bring reusable & washable supplies, not one-use items. Drip bags and camping mess kits are a simple, so far effective way to give everyone their cup, plate, utensils, etc.
• Be careful about the wildlife it can harm the eco-system specially the threaten or vulnerable species. Sometimes noise pollution and others environmentally irresponsible camping activity directly involve to disrupt the biodiversity. Notice that your activities can’t hamper the wildlife. 
• To avoid contaminating existing water sources, wash dishes, and other necessary used items at least 200 feet away from a river or stream.

Economic Impacts of eco camping

• Eco Camping discourages the usage of fabricated products, which are often expensive. Instead, it promotes natural and eco-friendly products. In this way, but it also can reduce expenses. Not only that, but it also encourages an outlook that provokes a relation between nature, life, and the economy. As a result, a different world view helps to give up the hedonistic lifestyle. 
• It encourages a kind of holistic approach towards our everyday living and nature. The present-day economy based on harsh consumerism. This way promotes an outlook of looting nature at an alarming scale. Eco Camping can bring an alternative way of being. 
• Eco Camping encourages the reduction of expensive products. Again, it helps to be nearer to nature by changing one’s outlook. Thus, one can get rid of the sense of economic class concept in many respects. 
• It can bring simplicity in daily economic behavior. Thus differences based on the economy can be humanized.

Social Impact of eco camping

• Today’s societies are promoting ‘othernesses’ on a vast scale. This otherness made us disconnected from each other. But popular beliefs can’t change reality. Humankind has come to this stage by helping each other. Gradually, wealth distribution changed our outlook on nature. The present social system is dependent on the limitless collection of natural products. 
• Eco camping can bring a social harmony along with a holistic way. 
• It can allow people to understand their artificial position in society made by inequality based on looting the nature limitless.

In the next segment, I will give some cool tips for eco camping.

Some actionable Tips for Eco Camping: How Can you achieve it?

Here i provide you some new & fresh tips you can use in your eco camping trip.

1. You can start your eco-friendly efforts before you even embark on your adventure into the great outdoors by buying food for your organic trip, you are already giving the environment a break.
2. Say no to plastic bottles; instead, use disposable materials or water bags.
3. Look for organic natural products such as body lotions, soap, shampoo, etc.
4. Use one-time disposable dishes or reusable dishes.
5. Try not to bring extra stuff with you while camping.
6. Bring a bicycle rather than your car.
7. You can adopt renewable energy such as solar energy, for example, solar camping lantern/light, solar tent, solar cooker, solar generator, solar charger for your mobile, and so on. This type of renewable energy is thoroughly clean energy, which doesn’t produce any carbon emission.
8. Try to bring used gears or rent.
9. Pack your bags as lightly as possible.
10. Camp only in designated areas.
11. Always carry fire safety tools.
12. Never forget to recycle your trash, or at least dispose of it properly.
13. Make sure your mosquito repellents are non-toxic.
14. Look for bathing systems with fewer power requirements as possible.
15. Bring a portable stove.
16. Last but not least, you always try to follow the 3R rules.

After giving some cool tips for eco camping, its time to avail of the more important question; is it worth going for eco camping? And how it can save our money? Let’s find the answer in the following section.

Can eco-camping save the money?

We all like to try and squeeze every penny we can from life. By choosing to head off on an eco camping vacation, you deliver yourself a terrific opportunity of saving some cash. 

Bunking within the wilderness goes a long way to be considerably cheaper than paying extortionate fees for an average hotel room every night. Add to that; you’ll also keep funds on things like gas and food – with there being no want to get around or eat at high-priced restaurants. While nothing in existence comes free (you might have to pay some charges for the usage of the land), all costs might be considerably less when camping in general.

The concept of throwing away your paper plates after dinner in preference to doing the dishes sounds so lovely — in particular, while you’re on vacation.

However, the little little bit of extra attempt you placed in by way of washing the reusable dishes as opposed to tossing away paper or plastic ones is going an extended manner with the environment. You’ll also find that you save a bit of cash by using the same dishes time and again in preference to having to shop for new plates and cutlery for each hike.

Here are some ways you can save money on your eco camping trip.

• Choose a local park or campground: The less inter space you travel, the more fuel you’ll save, and, of course, a shorter trip in the car also means more time to kick back and enjoy the main event. Search for a National Park near you using the National Parks Conservation Association’s website with park listings by region.
• Rent or borrow your camping gear: There’s no need to waste money and resources on new equipment when you can easily borrow great stuff from your camp-enthusiast family, friends, and neighbors! You can also select clemently used items from a second-hand store or rent center. Depending on how far you’re going and the time length, all you may need is a borrowed tent and a cooler. It should be remembered that very few things are many when camping is going on.
• Follow those trail markers: Drifting from the trail on your hike can be alluring, especially when you’re seeking a perfect camera shot or a glance of wildlife. Yet, traveling without planning can harm the wilderness. Be sure to withstand the desire to pull out plant life or brush from the trail you’re visiting, too.
• Keep the fire controlled: If you decide to build a fire, make sure to use only particular places. Keep your fire to a manageable size and always have water on hand to put out the flames when you’re finished. And while it may seem obvious, don’t burn any plastics, food packaging, or metals; those need to go home with you for proper disposal. Check out the Smokey Bear guide to building and extinguishing perfect campfires.
• Brighten the nights with Renewable energy options: Solar flashlights and lanterns are a great green camping choice since they require fewer powers and last longer than non-LED lights. 
• Skip prepackaged meals: Several prepackaged meals are expensive, and they’re not always tasty. Prepare your own food while camping out needs some extra effort, but it can be a great way to save money. Another cost-saving measure? In place of buying a portable cooker, bring food that you can cook over a campfire. You need a little aluminum foil.
• Pack recyclable dishes: You can pick these up at your local second-hand shop. If you’re an ardent camper, it’s a good idea to have a set of camping dishes as well as a washbasin and biodegradable soap for cleaning up. Wash dishes at least 100 feet from streams, ponds, and other bodies of water. 
• Reusable plates can both be a money-saving and eco-friendly; 
• Give up makeup for a few days: Personal care and beauty products can be pretty toxic to the environment. So skip the makeup and perfume for a few days as you take in the sweet sights and smells of your surroundings. Also, keep in mind that if your only bathing option is a natural body of water, it’s best to leave ALL soap and products behind. But don’t skip the sunscreen.
• Leave your campsite better than you initiate it: Any scout will tell you that this is the golden rule of camping! Keep a reclaimable bag with you throughout your trip to pick up any trash or debris you find along the way. Recycle what you can and properly dispose of the rest. You’ll find fantastic guidance on the principles of “Leave No Trace” from our friends at Leave No Trace, the Center for Outdoor Ethics.

Pros and Cons of Eco Camping

The following are advantages of eco camping:

• Eco-camping is an opportunity to preserve the ecosystem and biodiversity. It also is a probability to generate proceeds to support the research effort.
• It can save a lot of money than conventional camping.
• It provides help you practice a green lifestyle.
• Eco-camping provides an option for the local people to escape from the cycle of poverty and by sharing their knowledge of their terrain and ecology with visitors to develop a strong sense of community pride.
• Eco-camping can create jobs in remote areas that have benefited less from economic development programs that are implemented in more populated areas
• Preserved areas and nature safety usually provide many benefits to the society, including conservation of biodiversity and maintenance of watershed
• Eco-camping helps to conserve threatened wildlife and ensure that robust animal population remain in that way
• Eco-camping provides a market to local products such as carvings, local arts, and so on.

The following are Disadvantages of eco camping:

• It may be threatening for indigenous culture
• It may cause displacement of several local residents.
• Can be a little troublesome to deal with unfamiliar eco-friendly equipment.
• Eco-camping is susceptible to catastrophic downfalls such as those that could come from worldwide economic instability.

Is Eco-camping or Sustainable Camping & Budget Camping Same?

Eco camping or sustainable camping and budget camping are not the same. Although there are similarities between them. Such as:

• Both eco camping and budget camping helps reducing camping cost.
• Both of them may suggest you not to make your camping experience too glamorous, rather as simple as possible.
• Both of them are aimed to provide expertise at a feasible cost.

But the differentiated that separate the two camping procedure are:

• Eco camping mainly focuses on camping experience while doing minimum possible damage to the environment. But budget camping may not always follow the same principle. Instead, its main focus is just to minimize the cost.
• Budget camping may not still allow you to have some gears essential for eco camping because some can be costly and alternative options can be found cheaper but may not be as much eco-friendly. Such as eco-friendly soaps, biodegradable dishes, etc.
• While enjoying your camping, budget camping may not restrict you with strict rules, but there are some strict rules in eco camping that are designed to serve nature best while you enjoy it.

The relation between Leave no traces vs. Eco-camping:

Leave no traces, and eco camping has a close relationship. Eco camping is meant to serve best for the environment and “leave no traces” also has the same principle, but may always not be as eco-friendly as eco camping. Leave no traces focuses not omitting any traces you left while camping, such as wastes, campfire, or any other traces. Eco camping supports this because removing your traces may serve as environment-friendly action. But leave no traces may always not follow eco camping thought such as not to use plastic, use as less water as possible, etc. So there are similarities, but these two concepts are not the same.

Here Some FAQ’s About Eco Camping:

Some frequently asked questions and their answers

Q: What are the principles of Leave no traces?

A: Leave no traces has 7 principles. They are:

1. Plan Ahead and Prepare
2. Be Considerate of Others
3. Respect Farm Animals and Wildlife
4. Travel and Camp on Durable Ground
5. Leave What You Find
6. Dispose of Waste Properly
7. Minimize the Effects of Fire

Q: Are there agencies that provide eco-camping packages?

A: Yes, many agencies provide suitable eco camping packages. Although they are not as big as eco-tourism companies, you can always find some agencies in your locality.

Q: Can eco-friendly materials used in eco camping be made at home?

A: Some materials can be made at home, such as eco-friendly soap, toothbrush, dustbin, etc. But you may have some necessary equipment like dishes and other kinds of stuff.

Final verdict:

Eco camping is a relatively newer concept of camping, but as the days go, it is gaining popularity as the eco-friendly movements are stretching; it is pretty similar to the concept of green living.

Apart from Glamping, eco camping provides all the ingredients that general camping offers. The exclusive benefit is that it comes with ways to help our mother nature. 

We have only one earth, and as we take care of our houses, we have to take care of our planet. In doing so, no step is too small, and every bit counts as a contribution. Here we always try to provoke you to choose a life earth-friendly way. 

As several natural threats are starting to arise, it is high time we take measurements. Eco camping represents that even when we enjoy this beautiful earth, we can save her even if it is an inch.

In recent days Political connections and corporate environmental responsibility hugely arise, lot of politician and leading corporate company working together to minimize the carbon emission. Its a perfect time to adopt earth friendly practices in your lifestyle for making a carbon free world.

Also, as everything is going greener for the betterment of our future generations, why not the old camping experience can come with greener thoughts!