Top Suggestions for a Waste-Free Backpacking Trip
Camping with zero waste is difficult. In fact, living life plastic-free and waste-free is a challenge for many of us. A typical camping trip generates a significant amount of plastic garbage due to equipment, food, and water requirements. Because of this, being zero-waste or low-waste could take a lot of planning and discipline, but it is possible.
Now, it’s time to incorporate waste-free backpacking into your sustainability puzzle. Indeed, this will call for many necessary changes, so be ready. Thankfully, good changes become good habits, especially for the benefit of Mother Nature.
Read on as we discuss sustainable backpacking tips you can practice on your next trip.
Dehydrate Food-to-Go
Drying or dehydrating your own food is one of the best ways to be sustainable during a backpacking or camping trip. It is also a wonderful way to create a travel meal plan.
Dehydration is a time-consuming process. Each session can run anywhere between six and twelve hours. Thus, you should plan how many meals and snacks you can take for your next hike.
Use Environment-Friendly Food Packaging
The packing of the dried food should be easy with reusable containers or nothing made of single-use plastic. The container must be light and capable of sealing hot water in order to rehydrate the meal.
You can, for one, go for resealable silicone bags. Because silicone is heat-resistant, you can pour hot water immediately inside to rehydrate the meal. The benefit of utilizing silicone bags is that they can be reused and stored indefinitely. They also don’t weigh much.
Depending on the nature of your trip, you may be able to put your food in canvas or paper produce bags. Then, in a pot with a lid, rehydrate.
Bulk Up in Snacks and Meals
You can eliminate a substantial amount of plastic by purchasing your snacks in bulk and storing it in beeswax food wrappers or just plain brown paper bags. Here, you can bring with you pretzels, trail mix, some dried fruit and whatnot.
Use a Bamboo Toothbrush
Using a bamboo toothbrush instead of a plastic toothbrush is much better for the environment. They are not only made with natural materials, but they are also gentle on your gums while still cleaning your teeth thoroughly.
Today, they are widely available and may come in recycled variants. You may find all kinds of bamboo toothbrushes in physical stores or online.
Use Matches Instead
To be environmentally friendly, use wooden matches that are wrapped in cardboard. They are biodegradable and safe for the environment. In contrast, lighters litter beaches, are made of non-biodegradable plastic materials, and often pollute landfills (and any place, really).
Birds, especially albatrosses, mistake them for food and die as a result. This is also a simple change. The biggest issue with using matches is keeping them waterproof, which is easily solved. Another alternative is a refillable Zippo. Put an end to using plastic lighters!
Conclusion
The best thing about practising living waste-free outdoors is being able to apply these sustainable practices where you go. You can even introduce this lifestyle at home as well as introduce it to friends and family. This way, you save Mother Nature more while enriching the lives of those around you.
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