Camping Essentials
Spending a weekend in the wilderness sounds like the ultimate eco adventure, right? Think again. Today’s camping can mean a whole bunch of extra chemicals and a pile of landfill left behind.
Take DEET, for example, which is in most insect repellant yet has been linked to neurological disorders, especially in children. Unfortunately, people as well as bugs seem to find the scent of the most common natural alternative, citronella, repellant. Thankfully there are some new sprays on the horizon, like JASON’s new Quit Bugging Me! which keeps bugs at bay for up to three hours with a mixture of soybean and geranium oil (who knew?) and is DEET, PABA and paraben-free.
Hiking around looking for tadpoles can mean a bad burn at the end of the day. You all know how we feel about chemical sunscreens; luckily it seems like everyone is getting the message on these icky chemicals and are formulating with safer minerals. Dr. Hauschka has a new SPF 15 that’s made with Titanium Dioxide and can be used on the face and body for babies on up.
No camping adventure would be the same without a few cuts and scrapes, but according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (scintillating board meetings, we’re guessing), between one and six percent of the population are allergic to latex, which is the stuff that most bandages are made out of (and gloves, and rubber bands, and balloons…). Apparently, this allergy is on the rise because everyone is over-exposed to the stuff. EcoGuard Bandages from All Terrain are latex-free, not tested on animals, and the kids’ pack is filled with all kind of cool designs that you should rock no matter what age you are. After all, a boo-boo’s a boo-boo.
If you can’t be bothered with the perpetual tub of sudsy tin dishes and cups, by all means try to reduce the footprint of your expedition by stocking up on compostable plates, recycled (and recyclable) napkins and cutlery like these we’ve loved from the beginning.
See you in the woods!
