Responsible Camping - Sustainable Camping

Lars Dahlberg: President of the F.I.C.C

We campers are recognizing the significance of an unspoiled environment as a precondition for our activity. We know, that clean and fresh nature is essential for an enjoyable camping - it is the place where we spend our free time, relax with our friends and collect strength for our coming duties.

When camping we are placing a burden on the environment but responsible camping does not endanger the environment. Responsible camping will allow us to enjoy the environment without taking this privilege out from future generations. Showing our responsibility means that we have to adopt to our camping activity only sustainable operating models. When our goal is to adapt camping to meet the requirements of environmental protection and to steer our activity in a direction which protects the nature and the environment, we can talk about sustainable camping.

Developing sustainable camping requires cooperation between us campers, authorities, campsite owners and also local population. However, we campers, we play a central role in adopting environmentally friendly practices. Whether or not sustainable measures are carried out depends more than anything else on us ourselves.

The following is a brief summary of the basics of sustainable camping:

In campsite planning environmental viewpoints should be taken into consideration from the beginning.
When determining the campsite location alternatives which place the least possible burden on the environment should be studied.
Local traditions should be taken into account in construction. Architecture should be in harmony with the environment and landscape. Construction materials and technical solutions should be environmentally friendly.
Attention should be paid to preserve traditional landscapes and the diversity of nature. Asphalted surfaces should be avoided and space should be saved for plants.
Traffic noise and other problems caused by traffic should be reduced as much as possible.
Campsite operators and users should make use of local products and services as far as possible.
Campsite operators and users should act in every aspect in accordance with the principles of sustainable camping.
Sustainable camping includes the use of public transport as far as possible.
Hiking and biking are examples of environmentally friendly exercise.
In nature we campers should stick to trails. Nature programs should be designed so that they use existing trails and routes. The goal of guided nature trips should be to improve our knowledge of the environment and awareness of the nature.
We should regulate our water consumption as well as the use of lighting and heating energy. Use of electric hand dryers etc. should be avoided.
Use of environmentally harmful products as disposable plates, mug, toilet articles, etc. should be avoided. Also we should avoid of use of canned drinks and drinks in plastic bottles in favor of glass bottles.
Also we campers should take care of sorting the waste. Lubricants and other problem waste should be sent to enterprises qualified to dispose of them. Organic waste should became composted and all waste should be removed from the nature.

March 1997 (Asia-Pacific News No.2)