How I stay Green when travelling

Tonight I am typing to you from my caravan currently sitting along side the Murray River in a town called Walwa in rural Vic.  We are camped here ready and raring to go for the Bush Market in Corryong tomorrow and Saturday as part of the Man From Snowy River Bush Festival.

It’s a few days past the Easter long weekend and I realise I really should have written this post at the start of last month, or even 2 weeks ago.  It would have been much more helpful BEFORE the Easter long weekend, when so many of us head bush.  But I was busy getting ready for my own Easter road trip, so now is the time I have to write it.  Sorry about that…

I digress.  The purpose of this blog is to tell you how I keep things Green in the bush and which products I have in my caravan to help me do that.

First of all, if we are heading somewhere we have to take our own water, the tank in the caravan isn’t always big enough.  I have about 4 of the Coles 10L water containers.  You can unscrew the lid and refill them and the lid has a tap on it for easy access.  I fill these up from the tap and bring them along.  I always have my reusable water bottles and I fill these out of the 10L bottles.  Easy peasy and no single use plastic required.

I always carry a roll of WGAC TP (Who Gives A Crap Toilet Paper) and Paper Towel in the cupboard for emergencies.  I am comfy in the knowledge that, worst case scenario, it all breaks down quickly and contains no bleaches or eco contaminants.  Plus profits go to build toilets in 3rd world countries so #winning!

I have an entire set of collapsible tupperware containers and bowls I keep in the cupboard for leftovers.  I don’t know about you but I always over cater, no matter how carefully I plan.  Maybe because the number of kids travelling with us can change anytime up until 3 minutes before we leave and I am getting really good at the fishes and loaves trick.

I can’t stand wasting food (and therefore money).  Since feeding human food to wildlife can make them very sick, and also since most places beg you not to do it and make unbearable pests of some animals, into the containers it goes and into the fridge/esky.  Leftovers make great lunches and a nice variation on sandwiches or wraps in our camp.

Another handy Tupperware item I love to keep in my van is the TupperChef (I think the smaller version may be called the TurboChef?  I’m not great with the names).  Anyway, this thing is like a food processor but it uses a pull cord instead of electricity so it’s people powered and you get a free workout at the same time (which is worth at least one glass of wine I reckon).  No need for packet food.  This gadget is absolutely perfect for quickly and easily chopping onions and garlic but also for mincing veggies for “hidden veg” dishes.  And it takes nary more than a rinse to clean it up.  It’s a ripper (get it?  Ripper…Rip cord….sorry…it’s late).

And speaking of cleaning up, of course I have some Tri Nature products in residence.  Chamomile Dishwashing Liquid is a given for the dishes.  It doesn’t dry my hands but it does a terrific job on the dishes in hot or cold water and it won’t hurt the earth when it runs out the drainpipe of the caravan onto the grass below.

A spray bottle of Supre Multipurpose Cleaner is always on hand in the caravan as well.  This is good for cleaning the stove and fridge but also getting scuff marks and general mess of walls and cupboards.  It can also be great for getting bug guts off the caravan outside and off the car headlights and windscreen at a pinch.

Next is my spray bottle of Enhance Pre Wash Stain Remover Spray.  Most pre wash sprays contain up to 80% kerosene.  This is why you can’t leave them on the clothes for too long before they start to eat the fabric and stain your clothes beyond repair.  Not so with enhance.  No petrochemicals at all or anything else toxic or harmful.  So if we’re away for 4 or 5 days, or even 2 weeks, and I don’t want to do any laundry on my holiday, Enhance saves me time when we get home.

I spray any stains on the clothes before they get thrown into the washing bag.  Stains that I know can be tough if not dealt with upfront (like hot chocolate or pasta sauce), I rub the Enhance in roughly.  90 to 95% of stains either disappear before my very eyes or they are gone before we get home and I have to actually launder the clothes.  This little trick has saved me mountains of time and even bigger mountains of sanity.  It doesn’t have to be just when camping either.  I absolutely use this trick at home as well.

Next up is the air freshener.  This is vital when travelling with young kids, teenagers or men.  At the moment I have the Baby Air Freshener going.  I like the smaller bottle (250ml size) and it doubles as a bit of a disinfectant because it has tea tree and lavender oils in it.  You could also use Sphagnum Moss or Sanazone (original or Lemon Myrtle) as perfectly good substitutes.

I use this to get rid of BO/fart/general-smelly-children smells but it’s also handy if you have a musty old caravan or tent that needs de-odorising.  I use the spray on fabrics as well as in the air.  And if you are using shared toilets, this is an essential item for cleaning the seat before you have to use it.  If you have a loo in your caravan, air freshener is always going to be in demand.

If you do have a caravan with a toilet, you can also use Sphagnum Moss disinfectant concentrate in the bowl instead of whatever they tell you to buy to break down the contents.  It’s the travelling and slooshing around that does all the breaking down, you just need a good disinfectant to help it along and cover up the stench.  At least with Sphag Moss you know you aren’t polluting the earth with products when you dump your waste.

I always have a bottle of hand wash or body wash in the van.  I use these interchangeably for washing my hands and my body.  If we are somewhere with bathroom facilities, bonus.  If not, we are usually by a river.  So I get wet and then get out.  I soap myself up and then use a bucket to rinse off, but not near the water source.  I don’t want to upset the drinking supply for anyone downstream.  As I am using Tri Nature body wash or hand wash, I know I won’t harm the grass or plants by rinsing on them.  This makes me happy.

I always travel with my essential oil first aid kit as well.

I hope that this list is helpful for you all on your next adventure!

What do you do to stay green in the bush?  Let me know in the comments below 🙂