COLUMNS on the trails
18 caravanworld.com.au
BELOW There are many products to help deal
with body waste at camp, including Poo Powder.A
re you using sustainable camping
methodologies? Have you ever pulled
into a dedicated camping site, you
know, like one in a national park
where there’s a limited amount of real
estate only to find a big puddle in the least
convenient spot? It’s not so bad for general
bush camping, as you can just move on. But
where there’s a limited amount of space and
only one or two orientation options, it can
be a big deal!
In most cases, this pool of water hasn’t
fallen from the sky, but rather from another
RV. It could have been the shower spot
or discharge from the washing machine.
Whatever the source, it’s poor form to dump
a volume of water onto the ground.
Sustainable camping is all about
consideration of the broader camping
community. Just as we’ve been educated
about toilet responsibilities, we need to
start thinking about how we dispose of
grey water.
It all starts at the humble washing sink.
This might be where you brush your teeth
in the morning or wash your face before you
go to bed at night. Where does that water
go? Through a discharge hose to splatter
on the ground, or maybe it drains to a grey
water tank. Worst case, it could drop into a
bucket for disposal outside the campsite. For
these types of activities, the volume of water
would be small.
Then there are activities such as
showering or operating the washing
machine which of course involves larger
volumes of water.
Sure, we live in a sunburnt country where
half the surrounding landscape is in drought
and begging for a little drink, be it soapy
water or not. What’s the big deal about
dispersing some grey water around? It’s
probably not such a big deal in the general
scheme of things, especially if you’re away
from waterways and using biodegradable
detergents. Importantly, it’s on your radar
and is something you’re thinking aboutbefore your thoughts turn to action. So, you
wouldn’t do it in a dedicated camping site, as
it’s likely to impact other campers, right?
Unfortunately, not all people think this
way. Some seem to think it’s OK to drop a
Richard the Third, unburied, just a few steps
from the campsite or let their kids do the
same. Same with the confetti toilet paper
that follows.
Others bury their waste in a shallow pit,
shallow enough for animals to easily dig
up yielding a similar result — confetti toilet
paper pinned to a fence or other obstruction,
left flapping in the breeze.
Most commentators suggest a location
well away from the main campsite or the
presence of water. Dig a hole of around 30cm
deep, which is sufficiently deep to prevent
animals from digging it up. And burn your
toilet paper.
If you’ve ever camped around Arkaroola,
SA or similar areas, digging a hole just isn’t
an option; the ground is just too hard. Most
campers without an onboard loo will have
a privacy tent and a seated device of sorts.
Most onboard loos are chemical toilets
which are only useful for on-road adventures
where there are RV-friendly towns and
plenty of dump stations. Step onto the dirt
and these facilities quickly disappear.
Here’s a question for you: Have you ever
dumped your holding tank into a long
drop bush toilet? These toilets use natural
bacteria to break down waste. Your chemical
toilet will kill that natural bacteria, resulting
in an expensive clean-out and temporary
closure of that facility. Long story short,
don’t do it! It may be convenient for you, but
it will inconvenience a far greater number
of other people who rely on these facilitiesSTOP AND THINK
Be a considerate traveller and maintain
sustainable camping etiquette
With
anita AND
MIKE PAVEYwhen they go camping.
For those with outside showers, consider
purchasing a large silicone shower bucket
rather than a showering mat. And consider
what you use and how you dump your
toilet waste. There are many easy-dispose
toilet options available these days, such
as Poo Powder. Google that one! It takes a
bit of a rethink to be doing your business
in a bag with a sprinkle of powder, but the
convenience of disposing it with normal
rubbish can’t be ignored. No digging holes
in hard ground; no worries about toilet
paper confetti; and no need to visit those
disgusting dump points. That’s my kind of
camping! Easy.
See you on the trails.“Some seem to think it’s OK to drop a
Richard the Third, unburied, just a few
steps from the campsite”