If there’s ever a good time to be extra conscious of your consumer choices it’s when investing in eco-friendly camping gear. With SO much new outdoor and camping gear coming on the market every season it sure can be tempting to upgrade that two year old tent or try out the latest cooking stove to see if it’s more efficient than your current one. But the impact of all those new purchase can be hugely damaging to the environment that we spend all our spare time enjoying.
Camping gear breaks and wears out — there’s no getting away from it. But buying the first cheapest option you can get hold of isn’t a sustainable solution. If you can’t fix or repair it, then try looking for a second-hand replacement. And if that’s not a viable option, and if you are able to spend a little extra, then our list of eco-friendly camping gear might have just what you’re looking for when the time comes to replace your worn out gear.
18 items of eco-friendly camping gear
Klean Kanteen Camp Mug
Some bold changes, on the sustainability front, feature in Klean Kanteen’s 2022 range. Not only have they released a recycled stainless steel range, but they also pledge that by 2023, 95% of their products will be made from recycled steel. Already in circulation from this range is this 12oz Camp Mug which is constructed using 90% post-consumer recycled 18/8 stainless steel. And for its existence we are very thankful!
It’s an absolute delight to drink from, thanks to the nicely rounded lip on the inside and the thin and delicate edge to stop your drink from dribbling down the outside! The matt coating is also rather decadent to hold and it’s a highly effective insulator.
Additionally, the production of the Camp Mug contributes to the reduction of Klean Kanteen’s greenhouse gas emissions by using recycled steel that has a reduced carbon footprint of 40%. Klean Kanteen is also Climate Neutral and B-Corp Certified.
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Klean Kanteen | REI
The North Face Eco Trail Synthetic 20 Sleeping Bag
This synthetic mummy-style sleeping bag is ideal for 3 season camping trips. It is highly compressible, for a synthetic sleeping bag, making it a great option for backpacking adventures on the trail, too. With a temperature rating of 20ºF / -6ºC, you could even manage to get out year round, depending on your location! But the best bit? It is not only filled with 100% recycled polyester insulation, it also has a recycled shell and lining. Yep, aside from the zipper teeth, this eco-friendly sleeping bag is made of 100% recycled materials. Add it to your eco-wishlist now!
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REI
Mountain Equipment Earthrise 600 sleeping bag
Since the launch of Down Cycle in 2017, Mountain Equipment have filled their entire Earthrise range of clothing with 100% recycled down. And now they’ve expanded this range to sleeping bags. The Mountain Equipment Earthrise 600 sleeping bag is one such sleeping bag which, along with TNF Eco Trail above, is another superb option if you’re looking for an eco-friendly sleeping bag. Unlike the Eco Trail, however, this 3 season sleeping bag is filled with 582g of recycled down with a minimum fill power of 700. This means it’s more compressible and much warmer for its weight. At 1070g / 38oz and with a comfort warmth rating of -8°C/18°F, the Earthrise 600 is lightweight enough for carrying on multi-day hiking trips and warm enough to do so right through moderate winters. Plus, the inner lining and outer shell are made from 100% recycled fabrics.
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Mountain Equipment
Eukarya Origin Headlamp
It’s rechargeable, the aluminium frame is recycled and uniquely, the Origin Headlamp by Eukarya has a wooden housing making it one of the most eco-friendly headlamps we’ve come across. But this camping essential is not just all about good looks and sustainability. It also lives up to its expectations on the practicality front, too. With 300 lumens, high, low and strobe modes, adjustable strap and a tilting lamp position, the stylish headlamp boasts all the usual properties of a high quality light that will step up to whatever camp tasks are required of it.
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Eukarya
Nemo Equipment Dagger Osomo 2
Crawl into the exceptionally well designed and lightweight Dagger Osomo Tent for the ultimate eco-friendly camping experience. This 3 season tent houses 2 eco-warriors, guaranteed a sound sleep safe in the knowledge that the 100% Global Recycled Standard (GRS)–certified yarns will protect them from the elements. Along with the PFC- and PFAS-free fabrics that aren’t treated with fire-retardant chemicals, you’ll struggle to find a more environmentally friendly tent out there. And if you really want to polish up that conscience, you’ll be happy to learn that the pole bag is made from 100% recycled REPREVE which replaces disposable packaging as part of the NEMO 100K Polybag Elimination Project.
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Trekitt | REI
GSI Outdoors Glacier Base Camper Cookset
One of the best things you can do as a consumer is buy things that last a lifetime. Better still, buy things that stand the test of time so well that they can be passed onto future generations. Opting for this super sturdy and durable stainless steel cookset is a sound investment, both environmentally and practically. The set features two lidded pots, and one frying pan with a folding handle. The pots are ideal for camping over campfires. Plus the stainless steel is highly thermally efficient and can be recycled at the end of its life. Time for a good old campfire meal!
For more information read our full review of the GSI Outdoors Glacier Base Camper Cookset.
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REI
Coalatree Puffy Kachula Adventure Blanket
There are a couple of very cool things to note about this eco-friendly blanket. Firstly, and most importantly, it’s made from recycled materials with an outer made from 100% bluesign ripstop nylon. It also has a DWR coating for use in damp conditions. But what makes this funky patterned, functional blanket really stand out is that actually, it’s a poncho disguised as a blanket! The reinforced snaps connect together to create a cosy outdoor cape that will keep you warm and protected, whatever adventures you undertake.
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Coalatree
Vaude Tour 3.8 M Sleeping Mat
Vaude are one of the leading brands in eco-friendly camping gear and clothing. And this self-inflating mattress is another excellent offering from them. Its high R-value of 4 provides comfort in temperatures as low as -11.6°C (11.1°F), and it’s weight and pack down size make it suitable for multi-day hiking trips as well car camping. From an eco-friendly point of view, the Tour 3.8 comes with Vaude’s Green Shape label. To gain this label, the sleeping mattress will have met a tough set of ethical and environmental guidelines that covers its entire lifecycle.
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Vaude
BioLite CampStove 2 Wood Burning and USB Charging Camping Stove
Gas canister stoves may score top marks for convenient camp cooking, but they don’t tick many boxes when it comes to their kindness to the environment. An excellent alternative is cooking on a wood burning stove. Assuming you don’t go hacking down the nearest living tree you can get your hands on, burning wood is one of the more sustainable sources of fuel. Burn it on a stove like the BioLite CampStove 2, and you get a double-whammy of converting the excess energy created by the fire into power to re-charge your electricals!
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Biolite | Wildbounds | REI
Solo Stove Lite Wood Burning Stove
Another excellent biomass burning stove option, and a superbchoice for eco-backpackers, is the Solo Stove Lite. Though it doesn’t have the charging capabilities of the BioLite, it more than makes up for it with its low weight (only 255g / 9oz) and tiny pack size (about the size of a regular 460ml gas canister). It’s simple, burns wood, twigs and other biomass with exceptional efficiency thanks to its clever double wall combustion chamber, and it cooks proper food with surprising finesse and control. Plus, it’s compatible with a small alcohol burner for the times with there’s nothing to burn or the wood is far too wet!
For more information read our review of the Solo Stove Lite Wood Burning Stove.
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Solo Stove | REI
To-Go Ware Bamboo Travel Utensils
A portable cutlery set will most certainly be the piece of eco-friendly camping gear that you will use the most. It’s lightweight enough for backpacking, yet useful enough for car camping. And it it’s not just on camping trips that it will see some action. Keep a set in your handbag for lunches on the go to avoid needing single-use alternatives. Or pack it on park picnics. Either way, your food will taste even better knowing that the case is made of recycled bottles and the bamboo utensils are sustainable and biodegradable. The ideal gift for eco-friendly campers and al fresco diners everywhere.
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Amazon
Light My Fire MealKit BIO
This 8-piece Light My Fire MealKit BIO is the ideal meal caddy for picnics, day hikes and camping. Complete with a collapsible cup, spork, chopping board and two lidded small containers, the whole thing fits inside a box, that also doubles as a plate and bowl, and is tightly held together with an elasticated harness. It’s a complete package for on the go feasting. But this versatile and tough little meal kit also delivers on the sustainability front. Though it feels and performs like regular plastic (microwave and dishwasher safe), it’s actually made from corn, sugarcane and wood fiber based bioplastics. As well as causing lower environmental impact through the production process, it also means that at the end of its life the meal kit is compostable, if exposed to the right conditions.
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Amazon | REI | Light My Fire
Bamboo Fiber Dinnerware Set
This simple and stylish set of bamboo dinnerware is ideal for a guilt-free camping weekend away, picnic at the river or dinner in the garden. Like the travel utensils, this non-toxic two-person set is an excellent eco-friendly alternative to traditional plastic camping dinnerware. The set includes two small plates, two large plates, two bowls and two cups — everything you need for a romantic meal (feast) for two. And if one of them gets broken or damaged you can just sling it in the compost to biodegrade. No landfill for these little guys!
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Amazon
LifeStraw Universal Water Filter Bottle Adapter Kit
This portable water filter is a game-changer for travelers and campers with limited access to clean water. It reduces the amount of chemical matter in the water, removes 99.9999% of all bacteria and 99.9% of all protozoa. And because the adapter kit fits on almost all reusable water bottles, it means no more buying bottled water in areas of questionable water quality. To top it off, 2018 saw even more environmental advances for LifeStraw when they started only using recycled plastic in the manufacturing of their filters. Cheers to that!
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Wildbounds | REI
Dr. Bronner’s Pure-Castile Liquid Soap
This multi-purpose, certified organic and biodegradable soap is so gentle on the environment that it can also be used as mouthwash! Made with organic oils and all-natural ingredients Dr. Bronner’s Pure-Castile Liquid Soap can be used to clean your clothes, your body and your hair. Its use is especially important when camping in the backcountry, or in small campsites that don’t have proper drainage systems. And seeing as all our water ends up back where it came from eventually, why not use it in everyday life, too? Let’s clean up our act fellow eco-warriors!
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Amazon | REI
Luminaid PackLite Max 2-in-1 Phone Charger and Solar Lantern
Every campsite needs some illumination to keep the party going after dark. And although that campfire glow is most certainly the most atmospheric, it doesn’t do much to provide useful light to cook, read or play games by. Grab yourself a couple of LuminAid lanterns, however, and the festivities can last all night, if you like. Yep, the lightweight solar panels recharge the battery to last up to 50 hours of shine time. And the 5V USB output port can recharge your device or phone in 2-4hrs! They are also fully waterproof, collapsible for easy storage and transportation, and are tough enough to last many years of electric-free eco-friendly camping partays!
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Amazon | REI | Backcountry
UCO Sweetfire Strikable Fire Starters
Igniting your grill coals with chemical-filled, toxic fire starters has to be the best way to ruin the taste (and nutrient value) of your BBQ food. Use a Sweetfire Strikable Fire Starter, however, and not only are you promoting the burning of renewable biomass, but you’re also adding some sweet sugarcane flavours to your food (maybe!). Either way, using chemical free starters means that the impact of a backcountry campfire will be much less significant, and your food will be non-toxic. Bonus!
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Amazon | REI
Yukon Outfitters Somnismart Hammock
If you really want to minimise your environmental impact on your next camping trip then try hanging out in the Yukon Outfitters Somnismart Hammock. Every hammock is made of 30 plastic bottles — recycled into a tough and durable repreve fabric and made into a hammock. So no need for a tent and all its plastic-based fabrics. You don’t even need a sleeping pad, if the temperature is warm enough. Just you, your sleeping bag and your hammock gently rocking your way to an eco-friendly nirvana.
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Yukon Outfitters
Buying sustainable camping gear is just one way of doing your bit for the environment when camping. For more ideas on how to be an eco-friendly camper read our guide to green camping. And to get ahead of the game when it comes to your outdoor wardrobe, you may want to take a look at our guide to eco-friendly outdoor clothing.
