You don’t have to carry a tent dozens of kilometres into the backcountry to enjoy the great outdoors. Car camping, also called front-country camping, is fun, too! It can be more accessible, great for families, and allows you to bring more comfort items from home.
Unfortunately, irresponsible car camping damages the environment, leaving behind trash, chopping down trees, and putting wildlife and ecosystems at risk. Practicing sustainable car camping ensures these beautiful parks and places will be protected and preserved for everyone to enjoy.
1. Avoid single-use disposable plastic
Reducing waste is one of the best things you can do to make your car camping adventure more sustainable. Single-use plastics, in particular, are terrible for the planet. Plastic water bottles take 450 years to decompose, while other types of single-use plastic (like forks and containers) can last up to 1000 years. Even when these types of plastic do break down, they’re never gone entirely. Rather, they degrade into smaller and smaller pieces of microplastics, which find their way into our waterways and even our bodies.
Plastics aren’t the only problem. Disposable dishes, like paper plates and cups, are also harmful. Though paper can be recycled, most products contain plastic coatings, making them harder to recycle and compost. Using paper causes more deforestation, which means loss of habitat and biodiversity, and contributes to more landfill waste.
So, what are some tactics for eliminating single-use disposables from your camping trips? Switch to reusable whenever possible. Use reusable dishes, food containers, cutlery, and water bottles. Don’t be afraid to do a little dishwashing at the campsite or once you get home.
Upcycling household items rather than purchasing new, camping-exclusive items can also help with sustainable car camping. By giving things you already own a second life, you’re keeping them out of landfill. Blankets, old sweaters, retired dishes, storage containers and forgotten coffee makers are great places to start. Read more about sustainable and responsible travel.
2. Don’t transport firewood
Campfires are one of the joys of camping… just be careful where you get your firewood! Firewood is full of living organisms, like wood-boring beetles, tiny insect eggs, and microscopic fungi spores. Even the healthiest looking wood can be full of these little critters, which is how oblivious campers can unknowingly transport pests and diseases to new locations.
Those organisms cannot travel far on their own, however, they certainly can with your car. For this reason, you should never move firewood. Always burn firewood where you buy it and buy it where you intend to burn it. Don’t take it home with you at the end of your trip. Instead, leave a nice gift for the next camper!
Also, don’t cut down trees or branches or drag deadfall out of the forest for firewood near your campsite. While this may be local, it’s also damaging to the environment. Deadfall plays an important role in the forest’s ecosystem, so leave it where it is.
3. Keep your campsite bear-safe
You still need to be mindful (and respectful) of bears, even when car camping. Keeping your car campsite bear safe is vital to avoid unfortunate animal encounters and protect our local wildlife. When bears get accustomed to human food, they will keep looking for it. Problem bears that keep coming into campgrounds can be dangerous and will have to be relocated or tragically euthanized.
First and foremost, keep your campsite clean. Don’t leave food outside unattended, whether it’s in a cooler or on a picnic table. Be diligent about collecting trash throughout the day. Store all your smellables, including trash, in sealed containers and keep them in your car. When you go to bed, lock the doors of your car. Bears can almost always smell what’s inside and can be very talented at opening car doors.
It’s not just bears you have to worry about! Other critters would love to pick through your food and garbage. Food and garbage attract rodents, scavengers and ravens have no problem with stealing your unattended lunch right off the picnic table.
In national and provincial parks in Canada, campers who violate ‘bear safe’ and clean campsite rules can be fined and asked to leave.
4. Follow “Leave No Trace” Principles
If any of these tips sound a little familiar, it’s because they’re based on the 7 Leave No Trace Principles. “Leave No Trace” means leaving the campsite and the wild places you explore the same or better than you found them. These principles encompass everything we’ve already discussed in this article.
Put all your garbage and recycling in designated bins at the campsite. If you’re on a hike, pack out everything you pack in. Do not disturb the natural environment around you, and leave behind natural things like flowers and seashells so all visitors can enjoy them. Do not feed wildlife, and if you see them, observe them from a (large) respectable distance.
Even though you’re in a campground, you must be conscious of your environmental impact. Use designated campsites when available, and if you’re camping on public land, don’t park on sensitive or fragile ground to avoid damaging natural vegetation. Leave the environment as you found it.
Lastly, be considerate of other campers if they’re in the area. Don’t play loud music, especially during the campground’s designated quiet hours. Be conscious of light pollution and, in general, try to be a good neighbour.
About Aislin Fall
Aislin Fall is a writer, photographer, traveler, and an avid outdoorsperson. She grew up in BC’s coastal mountains and interior Cariboo region, camping in the forests and road tripping along the Pacific coast. As an adult, she fell in love with hiking, backpacking, and vanlife in the Canadian Rocky Mountains.
Her passion for mountains and the outdoors has taken her all over the world, including the Dolomites, Julian Alps, and the Southern Alps. Ever the storyteller, Aislin documents her globetrotting and summit chasing adventures (and, sometimes, misadventures).
