It’s not a secret that camping really brings out the part of us that just wants to relax and not have to deal with anything.
After all, this is why we escaped the city if even for a day or two and headed someplace quiet and peaceful like a camp site in the first place. We don’t go away from our own responsibilities only to land in another place that also has responsibilities for us to deal with, right?
Certainly, we don’t want to have more on our plate, however, this does not mean that we can simply just forego human decency altogether. Besides, it really doesn’t take long to make sure that you’re not hurting the environment in any shape or form. Most of it is common sense and making sure you’re handling the things you’re bringing with your properly.
Why should I care?
It might seem like that plopping a tent down, making a fire, and relaxing all day with your barbecues doesn’t do much, but when you get right down to it, there are a lot of factors that affect the environment even when you don’t realize it.
For instance, unplanned placement of tents are, quite literally, destroying the meadows, grass, and other foliage that are under it. Do you think that grass just grows out of nowhere? Of course not, they need adequate space to breathe, and grow. If you place a tent on top of the grass, they lose these valuable things to survive and wilt and die. What you will be left with eventually once you finally remove that tent is nothing but a dirt patch where grass used to grow. To make things worse, all it takes is the impact of a tent or two to ruin the grass or a meadow for years or even decades to come, as destruction is instantaneous, but restoration is considerably slow.
And that’s just scratching the surface. We do many things that we may not even consider as actually hurting the environment, but actually have a severe impact in the long run, which is why we must be aware of such actions and what we can do about it.
What should I do?
We’re not telling you to stop camping. By all means, continue doing so. Camping is a wonderful activity that is healthy for the mind and the body, and you are encouraged to continue doing so.
However, while you’re out there, make sure to also watch what you’re doing to make sure that you’re not harming the environment. If you’re not sure what you should do, then we can help you with that, which is why this article is here. Here are the things you should do to help the environment while still having a good camping trip in the process.
Mind where you place your tent
As mentioned earlier, paying attention to where you place your tent is very important. Plopping down a tent on a single place for an extended period of time only ensures that whatever is underneath is crushed and dies out in a week or so.
When placing your tent, the best surfaces are ones that are durable, such as fine gravel or compacted soil that is at least 200 feet away from a water source.
If the camp site you are in permits you to place your tent on the fields, then you may do so. However, out of consideration for nature, consider moving the tent a good 50 or so yards away from your previous spot for every day that you spend, to ensure that you minimize the damage the plants feel under.
Don’t chop off branches if not allowed
Chopping tree branches may seem like an easy thing to do because the tree will regrow them back, but doing so even when the signs say no is not good etiquette. You will also be leaving the tree vulnerable to things like pests and disease, because they are actually considered “injured” like that.
Consider picking up fallen deadwood scattered about instead of chopping them from trees that need their branches.
Keep the campsite clean from litter
This one’s a no brainer. Don’t just leave your trash wherever. Trash like plastic can take 450-1000 years to completely decompose, and all you’re doing is polluting the wild with manmade waste products. Just don’t.
Keep the environment clean, clean up after your camp and after you’re done eating, and make sure that trash is disposed of properly.
Don’t pluck flowers from the wild
Flowers seen from the wild can be tempting to pick up. After all, they look quite pretty, and they aren’t flowers that you might usually see back at home. But please, leave them alone.
If you pluck them out of their spots, that’s it. They’re as good as dead and will start shriveling up in as little as a few hours, eventually wilting, a shadow of the beautiful thing it once was.
It might seem like getting a single flower isn’t much, but if everyone does it, it really adds up to the destruction of the plant life.
Keep an eye out on the campfire
Being vigilant while the fire is burning is important. The fire is an open flame, and therefore, a potential fire hazard. One strong gust of wind can potentially cause a forest fire, which is the last thing you or anyone camping would want.
It would be a massive health hazard, and it would potentially destroy the fields, meadows, and forests, displacing all the wildlife along the way.