In this blog post I am going to share with you some eco-friendly camping essentials that can also save you money.

Hessian sacks

Plastic is definitely out and eco-friendly alternatives are in.  I’m sure you’ve all seen the buzz about reducing single-use plastic. Some people have even been cutting out plastic altogether in their beauty routines or weekly food shops.  It’s definitely admirable and anything we can do to reduce our reliance on single-use plastics and choose replacements is a step in the right direction to saving our planet.

So think twice before you pack those plastic carriers or plastic bin liners and opt for a reusable natural alternative instead.  You can easily carry your essentials or food with hessian bags, as well as using them to carry any recycling you create or even as a laundry bag.  The possibilities are endless and you’ll be reducing plastic and can use the sacks over and over again.

Solar phone chargers

A solar charger for USB devices means you can charge your phone up with the power of the sun whilst you are camping.  There are some solar chargers that are as small as DVD case so they’re super portable in a backpack and perfect for charging your phone each day.  Others are much larger and suitable for charging larger devices or even multiple devices at once.  It’s definitely the most sustainable way to charge your devices whilst camping and perhaps the only possible way!  And of course, after the outlay for the solar device the solar power will be free.

Drinks flasks

Reusable flasks and reusable water bottles will stop the landfill waste of single-use plastic cups and plastic water bottles.  Simply fill your flasks up from your kettle at the start of the day for warm drinks that last for hours.  They’ll also stop you buying drinks when out and about as you’ll already have your own.

Reusable cutlery and tableware

Whilst it may be convenient for us to buy throwaway plates and forks, it’s not convenient for the rest of the planet.  It makes much more sense money-wise to invest in some reusable bamboo, metal or even reusable plastic camping crockery that can be washed and used again on future camping escapades.

A high quality tent

Buy cheap, buy twice.  As the saying goes, it’s much more cost-effective to buy quality gear that will stand the test of time.  It’s also very wasteful to buy a tent that will only last one or two trips and then needs throwing away.  It’s much better to invest in a high quality tent or even to search for repurposed or second-hand gear before buying new.  If it breaks then see if you can fix it before automatically binning it.  In order to be more eco-friendly we need to lose our wasteful mind-sets.

Biodegradable cleaning and beauty products

It’s tempting to buy miniatures when travelling and camping, but these cause more plastic waste and are often more expensive per litre.  Just take your regular products and follow these tips to make sure you are eco-conscious too:

• If you’re taking washing up liquid then make sure it is plant-based and biodegradable.  There are plenty of options out there nowadays so there’s no need to buy chemical laden varieties that will pollute the water, wildlife and surrounding land. 
• The same goes for your shower gels and shampoos.  Use bars of soap and shampoo bars when possible to reduce plastic, but also choose those with natural based ingredients. This will prevent you washing anything harmful down the drain. 

Eco-friendly grill

Throwaway metal BBQs are often on multi-buys everywhere during the summer season, but they are often not biodegradable and end up in landfill.  For the sake of the environment it is worth spending a little more if you need a disposable BBQ on an eco-friendly and biodegradable grill that is made from natural lava rocks, cardboard and bamboo.  Alternatively, a more cost-effective method is to invest in a reusable stove such as a wood-burning version to ensure you’re using a renewable energy source to heat your food.

Conclusion

As you can begin to see there are lots of eco-friendly camping essentials that will not only help you to make your camping trips more environmentally friendly, but many of them can be used numerous times helping you to save money in the long run.