Every travel enthusiast should enjoy an epic road trip from time to time. It’s often a more affordable vacation that puts you in full control of every aspect. And for anyone who wants to protect the environment, it can be very accommodating for greener habits too.
The fact that you’re not jetting off halfway around the world instantly builds a platform for a greener adventurer. However, your commitment to responsible travel shouldn’t end there. Here are seven simple steps you can take to ensure that your trip is better for the environment.
The Sustainable Road Trip Guide: Planning Your Next Adventure with Confidence
1. Start With The Vehicle
When taking a road trip, the drive itself will contribute to your carbon emissions. So, even though it’s not going to damage the environment like a Boeing airliner, you should take care with your choices. The harsh reality is that your EV probably won’t have the range to satisfy your road trip needs, which makes it a very impractical choice. But you can still be responsible.
If you are traveling as a small group, it’s better to limit yourself to one vehicle. An ambulance camper could be the perfect solution if you plan to take multiple road trips over the coming years. You save the vehicle from destruction while it can be fairly economical for transporting a small group of road trippers. Of course, updating the cabin builds excitement too.
A camper also gives you the opportunity to save emissions as it can serve as a place to sleep, cook, or complete other tasks. Even when you pack tents and other road trip accessories, a few days of modest living significantly reduces carbon emissions.
Choosing a suitable vehicle for your upcoming road trip(s) is a great starting point. However, you must also complete basic maintenance like filling the tires and topping off the oil. In addition to improving the efficiency of the drive, you should find that your comfort improves too.
2. Plan Your Route & Itinerary
Selecting and preparing your vehicle is a great starting point. However, the volume of miles traveled during your adventure can be equally influential. So, choosing your destination is an important first step. There’s nothing wrong with visiting the nation’s top attractions to complete your bucket list. But if you simply want some time in the great outdoors, stay relatively local.
Regardless of whether you travel 100 miles or 10,000 miles over the course of your road trip, the route will be vital. Taking the quickest route doesn’t only allow you to cut down on emissions. It also leaves you with more time to actively enjoy the places you’re visiting. Sadly, getting lost will increase time spent on the road while also increasing your stress levels. So, pack a GPS.
When planning the route for a more efficient drive, you also need to plan the order in which you’ll visit each place. Going from A to B to C rather than A to C to B could save time, money, and emissions. Therefore, planning your itinerary is crucial.
By planning your itinerary, you can also factor in issues like overnight motel stays and fuel stops. For even greater results, plan the time of day that you’ll complete each journey to avoid heavy traffic and related problems.
3. Save Energy On The Road
Preparing your camper and plotting your route is a great starting point if you want to cause fewer emissions on the road. However, the way you drive can have a telling impact on fuel consumption too. Keeping your speed below 60 mph boosts efficiency while cruise control features can be used on long roads for added benefits.
Aggressive acceleration and braking will quickly waste energy too, thus adding to emissions. If driving a manual vehicle, it pays to slow gradually using the brake rather than shifting through multiple gears. Driving more responsibly boosts the eco-friendliness of your journey and the smoothness of the ride. Perfect.
In addition to addressing your driving style, you can save energy by opening windows rather than running the A/C. If you have an RV or adapted camper that includes utilities, using them conservatively can reduce your impact on the environment too.
The weight of the vehicle is another key factor. It should be filled with people, not possessions. As already mentioned, traveling in fear vehicles is great. But the rewards are reduced if your vehicle is packed with unnecessary heavy possessions.
4. Spend Extended Time In A Location
One of the great things about road trips is that they give you the opportunity to visit multiple locations within one adventure. Nevertheless, cramming in too many destinations translates to more time spent on the road. The result is reduced enjoyment and increased emissions. So, take the time to actually enjoy the place you’re visiting.
Perhaps the best way is to visit one main destination and make this your temporary home. From there, you can use your camper to enjoy some day trip excursions to local attractions. Or you could schedule a few days at a secondary location on the way back from the first. This also breaks the journey up, which can be highly beneficial for the designated driver(s).
Besides, it is hard to truly see what a place has to offer if you only spend a day or two there. If you have spent hours driving there, you should take the time to gain an authentic look. Exploring local attractions, shops, and restaurants while meeting people will enrich the trip.
Or if it’s an outdoor adventure like camping, extended time in the location lets you try all activities. Fishing, hiking, geocaching, and cycling are just some of the activities for your agenda. By spending more time in the area, you can do them all while still having time to relax.
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5. Choose Eco-Friendly Activities
Completing the driving aspects of the road trip in a greener fashion is the foundation for success. Still, you need to be mindful of your actions while you’re on vacation too. If camping, for example, using sustainable heating sources like wood is advised. Similarly, any fishing activities should be conducted with sustainable practices.
Sustainable and non-toxic camping materials help ensure that emissions are kept to a minimum. You will inevitably use electronics while you’re away. However, getting away from screens is one of the key selling points of an outdoors adventure. Embracing this will enhance the experience while ensuring that you use less energy. Even so, solar-powered battery chargers help.
When exploring local areas during the road trip, cycling or public transport like trains will help support green living. Walking tours are an ideal way to learn about attractions and points of interest. Eating local produce is another useful step.
Days at the beach, sustainable farms, and other activities that let you enjoy nature can all fit into your plans too. As well as reducing your emissions, you must respect all animals and wildlife regardless of which activities you choose.
6. Reduce Waste While You’re Away
The goal isn’t to avoid any emissions. It’s to be mindful and responsible as a tourist and a lover of the environment. So, while it’s fine to use energy and resources, you must try to limit your waste. For starters, reusable metal water bottles are far better than single-use plastic. Not least because you need to stay hydrated when covering more steps than usual.
Waste reduction should extend to smart decisions on food, water consumption, and climate control. If camping, collecting rainwater for cleaning with this advice can be another useful tip. Meanwhile, any packaging items that can be recycled should be sent to the appropriate recycling center. Not least if there is an on-site collection point.
When cleaning items like cookware, you should also opt for eco-friendly materials. In other words, you shouldn’t abandon the eco-friendly habits you use at home simply because you’re in new surroundings. At the very least, you must turn off items that aren’t in use.
Reducing your waste may even include sharing products with other road tripping groups. It seems wasteful and expensive to buy two sets of items if you will each only use half. Besides, this can be a simple way to break the ice and form friendships with fellow road trippers.
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7. Support Sustainable Businesses
Finally, it is imperative to look beyond your personal actions. Carbon emissions caused by businesses easily outweigh those of a family. While it’s important to implement the steps above to stay green on your travels, supporting the right companies is equally vital. Aside from the direct benefits, it supports the ongoing movement that forces other businesses to step up.
This is another incentive to plan your road trip as it is a chance to research businesses. This guide to determining whether a company is eco-friendly or not should help. You can use this when booking accommodation, campsites, places to eat, or activities. If nothing else, it allows you to enjoy your vacation with true peace of mind.
In truth, the commitment to supporting sustainable businesses begins long before you set out on the journey. Sustainable fashion, outdoors cooking equipment, and travel accessories all aid the cause. Similarly, making the decision to hire items like fishing poles may be ideal.
It reduces the weight of your vehicle and ensures that resources are reused rather than spending years in your garage. Through calculated choices and using sustainable companies, greener road tripping is assured. Happy travels!
