After the time spent quarantining, people are up for getting in touch with nature like never before. There is a worldwide trend and it ain’t going away. While having more and more people visiting the outdoors is not a bad thing in itself, trashing the environment is. That’s why nature lovers have developed the ‘leave no trace principles’ to ensure increased human presence doesn’t disrupt the balance of nature. It’s not an easy task, but if we are responsible and everyone does their part – this is bound to work out.

In essence, these are guidelines regarding the human factor – you shouldn’t feed any wildlife, litter the place, or disturb forest ecosystems unless you have to. However, you can go a step further and make sure that even your own camping equipment doesn’t have any effects on the environment whatsoever. That being said, we will focus on some gadgets which can contribute to an optimal camping experience without leaving any footprint behind.

An LED Rechargeable Torch

Production cycle of goods includes extraction of raw materials from the Earth, processing (usually in a factory), distribution, use and disposal. The batteries we use to power our devices are not an exception to this rule. What is even more problematic for batteries, though, is the fact they are toxic after they get dumped in a waste. Some of the components contain heavy metals and their disposal leads to contamination of the soil and water.

Opting for rechargeable batteries whenever possible is a step towards reducing the effect disposable batteries have on the environment. And we use them a lot during camping. Take the LED flashlights we use for example. They manage to provide remarkable output in lumens. Some modes have extraordinary run times which will allow you to easily complete regular hiking and camping tasks at night. But LED torches eat up a lot of batteries. Luckily, you can purchase a LED torch rechargeable model and eliminate the issue of producing toxic waste.

That being said, you may want to focus your attention of some of the most reliable brands that produce rechargeable torches, like for instance Olight. Olight rechargeable flashlights come in every type you can imagine: searchlight, long range, tactical, and even pocket sized. The typical power configuration on these models includes 3000mAh 18650 lithium battery. Most often than not, such rechargeable torch batteries are customised to fit the specific model they are meant for. Being conducive to recharging via an USB charging cable, on the other hand, is common for all of them.

Rechargeable LED flashlights are more expensive, however when you factor in the long service life, you are actually spending less dollars per use. On top of all that, you contribute in diminishing the waste generated at the end of the product cycle for batteries in general. Along those lines, it’s worth to look for an Olight LED rechargeable unit which packs many useful modes into one single device.

A Biolite Campstove

Power is on everybody’s mind even in the Outback. Some trips call for taking portable solar power on the go, particularly if you can use a 4WD or a campervan to get to the site. But how do you keep your devices charged when you hike with a backpack? Given the detrimental effect of batteries we’ve already talked about, you should find another way to get that extra juice. You can take a portable charger to power your gadgets, however this goes against the tendency to make your trip as simple as possible.

There’s another innovative piece of technology designed to deliver power to you devices while you are cooking a hot meal. Known under the trade name of Biolite campstove, this gadget helps convert the waste heat from cooking into electricity. That way you can warm your bones, eat something other then energy bars and keep your ecological footprint at minimum. The size on this thing is also pretty neat – it packs at only 13 x 20 cm. Handy for one member of your group to tuck it into their backpack.

Hiking and setting up camp requires a lot of stamina. Even if you have it, there is no point in wasting it on digging up a fire pit, starting a fire and waiting to cool enough so you can cook your meal. You won’t worry about any of that when you purchase the compact Biolite campstove. It runs entirely on kindling and small tinder, so you will not scar the camp site with your need for fire wood.

It’s easy to start in a second, providing you instant heat whenever you need it. The special thermoelectric element it contains turns the excessive heat into power supply you can tap into via a USB port. You can use the same port to charge up your LED torch rechargeable battery. Not a lot of gadgets will allow you to boil 1 litter of water in 5 minutes by using tiny pieces of renewable biomass (pinecones, twigs) while generating electricity. It certainly ticks off a lot of my boxes!

Green Toiletries

We are used to having a wide range of toiletries at our disposal in the urban home. Shampoos, conditioners, scents, essential oils, lotions, deodorant towelettes – we simply can’t take all of them with us. You can take a an essential oil bug repellent to stay bite-free since you’re going to be around all sorts of creepy crawlies, but that’s about it. However, one must think of the ecological impact when the other products are concerned.

The primary multipurpose green toiletry supply for camping is your soap. You can easily find varieties made from organic ingredients which do not release any bad chemicals into the environment when used. They are totally harmless to plant life, especially if you are careful enough to drain your soapy water onto a reed or a bamboo tree.

There are countless other gadgets to make your stay in nature more bearable for the Earth. You can’t go wrong if you follow a bit of ancient wisdom: “Take nothing but memories, leave nothing but footprints, kill nothing but time, feed nothing but your soul.”