School’s Out: How To Have a Green Summer, Part 1

Published by Vanessa Brunner under Travel

Part 1: Roughing It

Camping is one of those quintessential summer vacations. Since the beginning of organized civilization, people have been taking respites from the chaos of the city and experiencing the quiet tranquility of the wilderness. Today, people sill find something romantic and refreshing about heading off into the woods to tackle nature.

Camping can be the simplest and best way to get away.

But, here we are, in 2009, where Nature is starting to get sick of being tackled, and is starting to fight back. Gone are the days of wastefulness in the name of convenience. There are a lot of really simple ways to go camping, have fun, and still leave the site exactly as you found it.

Here are a few quick tips (some a little obvious, some a little more complex) for you beginner Green Campers out there:

1. Use reusable dishes, cups, and utensils. Styrofoam may make life easier in the short run, but in the long run…?

Bamboo cutlery is a great green choice, since bamboo grows quickly and easily

2. Stick with sleeping bags and tents rather than a motor home and a tent trailer. Go camping to experience the outdoors! It’ll have less of an impact on your wallet, and a smaller energy price tag to boot.

Concept for a Solar Tent that produces Wi-Fi

3. Try to make your camping trip completely gadget free: no portable PS2s, iPod Touches, mini DVD players, computers, or any of the millions of handheld devices we love so much.

4. Make foods that require little or no cooking: Salads, Sandwiches, fresh fruits and vegetables and many other dishes. Check out this site for more ideas

5. Recycle on your trip! Keep paper bags or bins around to divide up recycling. You can dispose of them appropriately once you leave your site.

An example of a reusable and portable recycling bin

6. Bring your own firewood to the site. Getting timber from around the campground might seem like a good idea, but it ends up taking away from the nutrients that these branches provide after decomposition. But, make sure to buy your firewood locally, to avoid introducing any new species!

7. Stay within the boundaries of the campsite, and marked trails and paths. Wandering around too much in the forest creates openings for others to follow, and widens trampled areas.

8. Don’t burn plastic, metals, or woods that have been chemically treated.

9. Invest in crankable/solar powered flashlights, rechargeable batteries, or LED lights wherever possible.

Crankable flashlight, available through Green By Design

10. Don’t put soap into the water when washing dishes. Bring water to your site, and dump the dirty water in designated areas. Make sure to use biodegradable soap!

All of Mrs. Meyer's cleaning products are biodegradable

No matter what part of the country you live in, camping is often the go-to summer vacation of choice. It’s quick, it’s easy, it’s inexpensive, and if you do it right, it can be your greenest summer vacation yet.

Some products to start packing up the car with:

Big Agnes Big House 4 Person Tent

The Big Agnes Big House 4 from Big Agnes is a fine example of a tent that can serve many purposes. It sleeps 4 and it is possible to use on a backpacking trip, large enough for campgrounds, perfect for family canoe trips or even as a central basecamp the Big House 4 can do it all. It has 2 doors for ease of entry or exit. It has a lot of mesh for great ventilation or stargazing possibilities.
It has a rugged floor and aluminum poles for strength and durability construction is easy with a combination of clips and sleeves and takes very little time. The rainfly completely covers the tent for maximum protection but leaves the doors hooded for ventilation even in rain and don’t forget the built-in welcome mat, that reminds kids to leave muddy boots at the door.