The weather is finally warming up and stunning spring flowers are everywhere! That's our cue to start preparing for an adventure reveling in the natural world around us. Before we set off, let’s reflect on how to make camping trips a positive experience — not just for us, but for the nature we visit as well. To kick off the discussion, here are our favorite eco-friendly camping supplies to make your time outdoors more sustainable!

Tents

What better way to enjoy the great outdoors than to spend a night under the stars? But before you buy any old tent at your local sporting goods store, note that many are made of PVC, a plastic material that can be harmful to you and mother nature. Luckily, Vaude is a carbon-neutral company offering some of the best camping gear around. They’ve swapped the PVC in their tents for sustainable, waterproof fabrics coated with safe silicone instead of fire retardants — so you can pitch something you’re proud of.

Sleeping Bags

If you’re spending the night outdoors, you’re sure to need sleeping bags that you can feel good about snuggling up in! Exped’s MegaSleep is at the top of our list. It features OEKO-TEX® certified materials and is PFC-free. Plus, all fabrics next to the skin are treatment-free to reduce contact with allergens and chemicals. It’s sleek, easy to carry, and comes in two temperature ratings. Even better, it’s carbon offset with myclimate.

Stay Lit

Great lighting is essential to help you navigate the dark and keep your kids feeling safe. For parents, the Silva Terra Scout Hybrid headlamp is a true winner. Made of hemp and recycled plastics, it offers up to 90% lower CO2 footprint than standard plastics. Plus, it comes with a rechargeable battery and can also be used with AAA batteries in a pinch. When it comes to your kids’ camping gear, we love Goal Zero’s Crush Light Chroma. These lanterns can be recharged with any USB port or with the built in solar panel. They glow in six fun colors, a multi-color fade, or a candle flicker mode. Plus, they can be easily collapsed to fit inside even the most jam packed rucksacks.

Tackling Trash

Instead of polluting the natural world on vacation, we recommend bringing along your favorite washable and reusable bags to stash your trash and pick up lost items along the way. EcoBag has some of our favorites — all made with environmentally and socially responsible fibers. For your food scraps, you can’t go wrong with HoldOn’s compostable bags made of plant-based materials and free of BPA and PFAs.

Biodegradable Toiletries

It’s time to ditch the dirty soaps and the toxins that come along with them. We love Dr. Bronner’s All-One soaps because they really do it all — even your laundry and dishes! This conscious company offers bar soaps with plastic-free packaging and liquid soaps in recyclable FSC-certified paper cartons with minimal plastic & aluminum lining. Plus, these eco-friendly products are made of biodegradable and organic ingredients!

Multi-Purpose Stove

When it’s time to get your snack on, you’re going to need a device that has your back and the planet’s too. Our clear winner is the BioLite CampStove 2+. This incredible product forgets fuel containers, allowing you to use natural materials like sticks and twigs to create smokeless flames instead. Even better, that heat energy is converted to charge a battery so you can power up your devices too. Not to mention, the climate neutral-certified company’s ethical practices are absolutely outstanding!

Food and Drink Storage

Keeping your food and drinks safely stored is crucial for responsible camping, but finding sustainable options can be tough. Luckily, every item in the Pura Stainless lineup is made entirely of stainless steel and medical grade silicone — including the only 100% plastic free water bottles on the market. The ten interchangeable tops allow bottles to grow with each member of the family and be enjoyed for countless camping trips to come!

At Pura Stainless, our mission is to help parents and their children live a healthier, more sustainable life. We hope these eco-friendly camping supplies inspire you to get outside in a safe and responsible way. To get started, visit our website to shop our 100% plastic-free water bottles, sustainable baby bottles, and food storage containers. We can’t wait to see you and your Pura out in the wild!