PLANNING MY ECO-ADVENTURE

I am about to go on my first eco-inspired holiday.  As I have grown older, I have realised that there must be a balance struck between economic growth, human well-being and environmental health and eco-travel can play its part this balance.

This raises a number of thoughts for me so I can make sure I am truly an eco-traveller….

Why am I going?

·      I have done lots of staycations and know my own country very well

·      I want to be immersed in another culture

·      I want to learn local habits for re-using/re-cycling so I can adopt them at home

·      I want to be involved with the local community such that I give to the community rather than taking from it

How am I getting there?

·      Flight – I’m not keen as the carbon footprint is huge and I don’t think we are there yet with carbon offsetting

·      Drive – I love driving, and it is more efficient than flying, but as I am travelling alone I don’t think I can justify it

·      Walk – This is something I’ll do when I get there!

·      Train – this seems the most sensible, although I will have to look at where I can go in a reasonable time. The train will balance what I am carrying with the large number of passengers being carried.

·      A compromise might be a short to medium flight, a train connection and local transport – something like a UK to Munich flight, the train from Munich to Garmishe and then a walking holiday in the Bavarian Alps or in the winter a cross-country ski holiday in the same location.

What am I going to take?

Clothes

·      Reduce!  I know that the less I carry the less of a burden I am on any transport so my carbon footprint is reduced.

·      Review.  I need to work out what I might need for my holiday and lay it out.  I then need to review what I have and reduce it – probably by half – or do the cut twice.

·      Double-Up.  Can I make some clothes double-up for different things – can I use trousers with zip-off legs so they double as shorts?

·      Re-Cycle.  Can I get what I need from a charity or re-cycling shop.  This will help the environment and put money into a worthy charity.

·      Re-Cycle.  Can I sue clothes and equipment made from re-cycled products – a fleece made from plastic bottles for instance?

·      Fair-Trade.  Is what I am taking made by people who are paid a living wage and living in reasonable conditions?

Accessories

·      Single Use.  I need to adopt a re-use policy so I will be taking reusable items such as wooden/bamboo cutlery (I might even just take a spork – a single item combo of a knife, fork and spoon – less weight as well!), a re-cycled material water bottle (I won’t use bottled water wherever possible) and possibly a bamboo drinking straw.

·      Bag.  Needs to be durable (for many re-uses), easy to handle, be easy to pack and be where possible re-cyclable.  I guess a rucksack fits my needs as it allows me to do my walking without need for a backup vehicle to take my kit between accommodation.

·      Wash Bag.  The contents need to be of sufficient size that they will last for my trip, but re-useable so I can refill them for the next trip.  I will need to minimise the amount of shampoo etc that I use on each wash.  A manual and re-cyclable toothbrush would also fit the bill.

·      Sun.  A straw sun hat and environmentally friendly sun cream will go in my wash bag.  Some countries are now banning sun cream which is bad for coral reefs – so I need to read up on this.

On the Holiday

·      I’m going to take it slow – immerse myself in the area and culture and seek out the stuff off the beaten tourist trail.

·      If I can, I want to meet and engage with local people – understand their attitude to their environment and how they use the land, their environment and how they protect it.

·      If I join a group tour I want to be part of a small group as these tend to have a lesser environmental impact.  I will also look for one that use local transport where necessary.

·      I want to have as little impact as possible on the environment so I’m going to use existing trails/roads and footpaths.  Going off these can harm fragile eco-systems.

·      I will visit national parks and protected areas so that I pay back into that conservation drive and I keep away from damaging other, less protected areas.

·      I will look to understand the conservation efforts in the area so that I can educate friends and family when I get home.

·      I will look for local accommodation, restaurants etc run by locals so that I put money back into the local economy.  I’ll also try to make sure they are environmentally friendly wherever possible – using wind, solar or hydro-electric power, re-useable plates/cups etc.

·      I intend to drink only locally produced food and drink – not only will it help me immerse myself in the local culture; local produce has a smaller transport footprint too.

Walking the Bavarian Alps – on the road less travelled - sounds fantastic.  I can take the train from/to London all the way through to/from Garmishe-Patenkirschen.  A walking holiday from here mixing a few nights in each local accommodation with circular walks each day, local food and drinks at night and then local buses to the next stop-off point.  All lightweight and local.  Can’t wait!