Earth Conscious Camping 101

Phoebe Cox is one of the founders of The Seek Society, and an accredited environmentalist. Being earth conscious in the great outdoors, quite simply put, is her passion. There are some basic fundamentals that seem obvious when camping, but perhaps they aren’t so obvious…

We stopped work and sat down over a coffee to talk with Phoebe about some practical tips she could share which will help you be more earth conscious whilst on the road.

This includes rubbish, food scraps, bottles and cans. Many environments are sensitive to external foreign waste. Dispose of these in nominated disposal areas and recycling bins in the next major town, or compost site.

Water containing harmful chemicals from soaps absorbs into your surrounding environment and places toxins into the soil that are then absorbed by the surrounding habitat and ingested by wildlife, so be conscious of the products you use. One of my favourites is Dr. Bronners, this is one soap that is organic and free trade and multi purpose: wash your veggies in it, utilise when you shower, wash your clothes and clean your dishes, it does it all. Having a multi purpose product that is earth friendly is key. You can get the dilutions cheat sheet here which I love, I use this soap for everything.

Preferably bring your own fire wood into your camp site. Quite often dead wood creates habitat for animals and other plants. Little species hiding out in dead wood are often a very important part of the local eco system.

Often tracks are put in place by relevant environmental bodies to ensure you are not damaging the local eco system and bush land. As much as you may be a swinger of birches stick to the path, if there is one.

Eating seasonal local produce from the areas you visit will not only support the local growers but will also ensure you consume less tinned and pre- manufactured goods (which often include a significant amount of packaging) meaning less packaging in landfill along your journey. Reducing your use of pre manufactured items is a great notion to adopt in your everyday life too.

Be respectful of the land you’re visiting and tread lightly with the least disturbance possible to your surrounding. If you are visiting Indigenous titled land be sure you are in fact permitted to be there, respect earth and nature and it will give back to you, and ensure its longevity for future generations to enjoy.

Please purchase responsibly when looking for your camp gear, buy good quality items, that are multi purpose. When considering a tent, ensure you are considering a quality tent that will keep you sheltered for years to come. Our superior quality bell tents will keep you going for many years to come and a truly worthwhile investment. Remember inferior, cheap plastic, disposable tents aren’t “gone” once they are broken and in the dumpster.