Tips for Being Greener on Your Thru-Hike
As the countdown to your hike ticks closer, keep a few of these environmentally friendly suggestions in mind, as you go on your shakedown hike or repack your bag for the 100th time. Youll be spending an intense and extended time out in the wilderness connecting with nature and observing your surroundings, it just makes sense that you would want to act in accordance with keeping it beautiful and healthy. On the trail its easy to let go of some of our destructing habits we pick up in our conveniently disposable culture, so heres some help to get you thinking.
Reduce Plastic Use
Grocery bags: Just say no when the cashier is bagging your peanut butter and tortillas. Use your food bag, pack, or carry your items rather than getting a disposable plastic bag that will most likely end up in a tree or a fence after being discarded. This goes for your produce bags as well. Once you get into the mindset of passing on the plastic, it becomes a natural habit.
Straws: Skip the plastic straw in your fizzy drink while in town scarfing down your one-pound burger. This is actually becoming more of a widespread initiative, as plastic straws are one of the most high-volume types of trash found in our oceans.
Ziploc bags: Found in pretty much every hiker box you come across. I know, this one is hard to reduce especially if you are prepping your own mail drops with portion sizes all in plastic baggies. So if you have to use the bags at least try to reuse them over and over again rather than discarding them after one use. And just repeat after me until it sinks in, single use plastics are evil.
Water bottles: The thru-hiker look includes the SmartWater bottle strapped to the outside of a pack, often topped with a Sawyer Squeeze. But if youre not going to use that same bottle for 2,000 miles think about getting a water bladder and making the Sawyer in-line. Just because the plastic bottle is convenient to toss and buy a new one doesnt mean it wont end up in the North Atlantic garbage patch.
Eliminate Packaging Waste
Look for foods with little to no packaging. Produce is an easy way out here plus itll help you not get scurvy. Bulk foods are also great; use one of your existing Ziploc bags or get creative with your cooking pot and stock up. Trust me, you will eat all of those chocolate covered pretzels in the bulk containers.
Lessen Electricity Use
This one is a bit easier since you wont find an outlet at your nightly shelter. Just keep in mind when youre staying in your hostel or hotel room that you dont need to keep the lights and TV on all night.
Conserve Water
This is another tip specific to trail towns. I know its nice to take a 15-minute hot shower when you havent bathed in a week and you like to watch your dirt trail slide down the drain, but try to contain it to a five-minute water deluge. Also be aware of all the water that goes into washing your dishes and clothes and flushing your toilets. That also goes for eating out. Everything that you use will be cleaned so keep it down to one plate, utensil, and cup; maybe even bring your own.
Buy Green Products
Look for gear that is responsibly made and whose company has a strong sustainability mission. Patagonia is a leader in this arena and whose founder also started 1% for the planet. When looking for toiletry items look for products made with organic and sustainably sourced materials.
Just for the ladies
Consider using a menstrual cup like the diva cup to eliminate tampons and pads from the landfills (dont bury or throw them in the compostable privy). Plus its cheaper in the long run. Another option is to go for a birth control that stops your period altogether; I can attest that it makes life on the trail so much easier.
I hope these tips start you thinking about your impact on the planet and help you to minimize it. And always, practice Leave No Trace.
If youve got any more tips leave them in the comments!
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Comments 9
Hear hear.
I think some of the same arguments can be made for single-serving plastic tuna packets, single-serving PB cups/packets, “borrowing” condiments, TP and trashbags from trail towns, buying disposable gear, and using places like REI as a rental service.
Long distance hikers have an opportunity to set an example as lean, mean, low-impact machines. The phrase “hiker trash” should be an honorary.
Yes, all good points!
Seems inappropriate to to be recommending hormonal drug treatment to readers. You are not a medical professional.
Thanks for your comment. I’m not telling people what to do just throwing different options out there, then people can decide for themselves. Plus, I am sharing what I did so if someone is curious they can ask me directly about it.
Birth control is not a green thing for anyone to take (and then urinate into soils and waterways) whether they are hiking or using flushing toilets. Go the cup! Or, reuseable pads if you don’t mind sun drying them on the outside of your pack in full view!
Its not as if they can run out and pickup birth control from REI. Theyll obviously have a discussion with their health care provider.
All good ideas. To add to the female tips: A dollar store douche bottle. Replace the cap with a squirt top and you have a great bidet and it lasts forever. A quick drying Handy Wipe connected to a carbiner (rinse every night) and there ya have it. You can reuse the Handy Wipes many times. Better than TP.
Great article! I encourage hikers to rethink their food strategy to include more whole foods and items from bulk bins for this very reason (less packaged foods=less waste=better health for us and the planet). The less we support destructive mega-corporations, the better the outcome for our personal and planetary health. As outdoors enthusiasts we have an awesome opportunity to protect the places we love through thoughtful actions 🙂
Consider a travel size water bottle with a squeeze top for a backwoods bidet. Bonus: you dont have to pack or the dirty TP.