Reduce Waste on Hikes

As I find myself off exploring and hiking more and more, I notice how much waste is created during my treks.

As a way to limit how much waste I bring in, and to work towards a zero-waste lifestyle, here are some of the solutions I found to fight the waste produced on the trail.

1. Prep meals/Reusable bags

One of the biggest things that cause waste is all the wrappers and trash after a meal or snack has been eaten. And while it might be hard to fully eliminate the waste, unless you decide to hit up zero-waste shops or make everything from scratch, it is a lot easier to limit carrying in all that soon to be made trash. And this trick also helps to eliminate the need for trash bags. And that is reusable “ziplock” bags.

I use mine for any freeze dried meals I bring, simple sandwiches for day hikes, coffee grounds, oatmeal for breakfast, or even to store the wrappers that my granola bars make.

You can pick them up on Amazon or REI, personally I like the Stasher bags, but there are other brands out there. Just make sure whatever you use it is something that can withstand boiling water, if you intend to doing any cooking in it.

2. Bottles, Mugs, and Bladders

Another simple things you can get rid of is plastic bottles, cans, or even wine bottles.

While for water, I personally recommend a water bladder, collapsible/soft bottles, and than a small filter, to carry your water. Even just switching to a reusable water bottle is a great option for bringing in your water and not having to pack out all the plastic bottles produced. Though the water bladder do add convince when it comes to distributing weight and east access.

But not only thinking of water bottles, but if you are someone who wants to have a glass of wine on the trail, you can get a reusable wine soft “bottle”. That way you don’t to stress about how to bring wine with you, without having to carry the entire bottle. And when you’re finished, you can always reuse the bottle for water or whatever you see fit.

As for cans, it can be a bit harder, especially considering there is liquid in most canned items. For these you can either put them in sealed reusable Tupperware or bring a thermo if you really desire some warm soup to heat you up. There is also the option to get double locked collapsable bottles, so your can put thing like beer if you truly desire (though might not be the coldest when you get to your destination).

3. Portable Bidet/Kula Cloth

The last major thing that you find on trails, sadly, is toilet paper scattered throughout.

While it is compostable, leaving this behind not only looks bad, but also can lead to animals coming closer to campsites and interacting with humans.

What I have found as a great solution, both not having to stress to carry used tp back out with me, and a way to stay “clean” on the trail, is using a portable biget and a Kula Cloth.

Simple to use, the biget just requires water. It is a great way to clean your bum after any use. And once you nice and clean, I use a the Kula cloth, an antimicrobial cloth, to dry off.

While I know that is something many will read and either laugh at or question, I swear it works! It doesn’t only reduce waste but leaves you feeling clean when your out on the trail!

And these are just a few tricks and brands out there.

So the next time your starting to pack and prep for your trip, consider trying one of these out as an alternative to producing waste and having to stress about bringing your used garage back with you after your hike.