By / March 3, 2025

Eco Camping: A Guide for Sustainable Camping

Eco camping is connected to the principles of “Leave No Trace”, which is a set of guidelines to help people minimize their impact on the environment when they go camping, hiking or spend any length of time outside.

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In short, Eco Camping helps you have an wonderful outdoor experience, while also respecting the delicate balance of nature.

What is Eco Camping?

Eco camping, also known as sustainable camping, refers to ecologically responsible camping. This includes where you go, what you do, and how you leave the campsite when you are finished.

Eco camping is also referred to as ‘zero waste camping’ or ‘wild camping’. At its heart, is a deep respect for the natural world and a commitment to saving it for future generations.

Eco camping includes a range of sustainable practices that work to minimize our carbon footprint, reduce waste, and support the conservation of natural habitats and wildlife.

Eco Camping

Eco camping trends of eco-friendly campgrounds

Eco-friendly campgrounds reduce their impact on the environment by promoting sustainable practices.

Here are some common sustainability trends you may find at eco-friendly campgrounds:

  1. Generate electricity from solar and wind power
  2. Conserve water with low-flow showers and faucets, composting toilets, rainwater harvesting of non-potable water and grey water for landscaping.
  3. Manage waste with recycling, composting organic materials and requiring campers to pack out all of their trash when they leave.
  4. Build eco-friendly infrastructure with locally sourced or recycled materials and natural landscaping that nurtures local flora instead of invasive plant species.

Eco-friendly camping gear and equipment

1. Tents & Shelters

2. Camp Kitchen

Reusable Cookware made with chemical free, non-toxic materials

Reusable Cutlery

Wood-Burning Portable Stoves

3. Sleeping Bags

4. Sleeping Pads

5. Lighting and Power

  • Portable Solar Panels
  • Solar Lanterns

6. Toiletries

  • Soap
  • Shampoo
  • Toothpaste
  • Plastic-Free Toothpaste Tablets

7. Water

  • Klean Kanteen stainless steel water bottles
  • Glass Water Bottles
  • Portable Water Filters

8. Backpacks

  • Recycled nylon or polyester
  • PFC-Free waterproofing

9. Clothing and Footwear

  • Merino Wool
  • Organic Hemp
  • Recycled Polyester
  • Organic Cotton

10. Fire starters

  • Natural Fire Starters
  • Flint and Steel

Leave no trace principles for eco camping

1. Prepare and Plan Your Trip Ahead of Time

  • Trip planning and preparation enables a camper to have a safe and enjoyable vacation, while reducing their impact on the environment.
  • Learn about the area you want to visit by talking to land managers, looking at maps, and reading about the campground where you plan to pitch your ground tent or rooftop tent.
  • Plan what you eat in advance. Well planned meals and light snacks take less time to pack and prepare, makes loads lighter, and cuts down on trash.

2. Camp and Travel on Sturdy Surfaces

The purpose of outdoor travel is for the camper to traverse through natural regions without causing harm to the land or waterways. Damage happens when flora or creatures are trampled beyond their ability to recover.

  • Camp and cook on rock, sand, gravel, ice or snow surfaces.
  • You should only camp on vegetation in designated campsites.
  • Travel on established paths to prevent new pathways from developing and scarring the terrain. It’s best to have one well-designed route instead of several badly planned ones.
  • Say within the trail’s width and avoid cutting switchbacks that c hilly slopes.
  • Avoid walking on living soil, desert puddles, undisturbed vegetation and mud holes.

3. Leave What You Find in Nature As-Is

One of the main principles of Leave No Trace is to avoid disturbing natural elements in the campground. There should be no sign of your camping activity after you leave the area.

  • Leave artifacts, plants, rocks, trees and other interesting things on your campground where you find them.
  • Do not dig holes for tents or build lean-tos, tables, chairs, or anything else.
  • If you move rocks, sticks, or pine cones from the surface of an area, put them back before you leave.

4. Minimize Campfire Impacts

If you want to build a fire, camp in a place with approved fire pits and lots of wood already gathered in piles on the ground.

  • A fire ring is the best spot to start a fire.
  • It is preferable to use gear like a camping stove or fire pan as alternatives to a traditional campfire. These devices are safer, can be easily controlled and will leave zero trace.
  • Don’t start a campfire in places where there isn’t a fire pit or readily available wood. Also avoid starting campfires in the desert or at higher elevations where there aren’t many trees.
  • There should be minimal or zero signs that a fire was built after you leave the campsite.

5. Respect Wildlife

Large groups often cause more damage to the environment and can disturb wildlife so keep your group small.

  • Do not disturb wildlife or plants.
  • Travel quietly and do not pursue, feed or startle the animals.
  • Observe wildlife from a distance so they are not scared or forced to flee.
  • If you have a larger group, divide into smaller groups if possible to minimize the impact of you and your guests.

6. Be Considerate

Respect for Mother Nature and your fellow campers is one of the most important parts of being outdoors.

  • Excessive noise, unruly dogs, litter, and other disruptions to the natural environment detract from the beauty of the outdoors.
  • Pets must be kept under control at all times, and dog excrement should be picked up from campsites and pathways.

7. Properly Dispose of Waste

  • TRASH: Pack up and carry out all trash before leaving your campsite. Check the entire area for trash or food that may have been dropped. Dispose of all the garbage and trash in designated trash cans, or bring them with you to throw away later.
  • HUMAN WASTE: Carry out excrement in an EPA-approved, commercially produced pack-out system or bury it in a properly constructed cat hole or latrine.
  • CAT HOLES: Human waste is often disposed of in cat holes. Cat holes should be 200 feet from water, footpaths, and camp. Choose a spot where others won’t stroll or camp. Dig a 6-8-inch-deep, 4-6-inch-wide hole using a trowel. Finish covering the cat hole with natural materials.
  • LATRINES: When camping with young children or when staying in one camp for more than a few nights, latrines may be a better choice than cat holes. Use the same criteria to choose a spot for a latrine as you did for a cat hole.
  • TOILET PAPER: Use toilet paper sparingly and only brands that are plain, white, and unscented. Toilet paper must be discarded by burying it deeply in a cat hole or putting it in plastic bags to be thrown away.

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