On a link from a link from a link, I came across this great resource on packing lists and other sites. The site is actually one I hadn’t heard of but plan to catch up on. Called Go Green Travel Green, the site seems to offer a good round up of information on making your travels a little more sustainable. Sure ‘green’ is battered about a these days and it seems everyone wants to get on the bandwagon and there is some understood confusion over what ‘green’ actually is. They have a post on their site to try to help explain what green travel is about. I’m not completely satisfied with that definition. To me green travel is simple an extension of how you live, and it need not have a label (although more people are comfortable with a label).
For us, and I realize I’m rambling my way further and further from the packing topic, it means thinking about some of the little things before we travel. Such as water. Water is easy enough to get anywhere in bottles and in third world countries you are far better off using the bottled water. However, Kim noted on her last trip to Nepal what a mess all the bottles make. And when taking a 21 day trek, you really start thinking about trash, as it all has to be hauled out.
And thus we start packing less things that are in their own packaging we’ll have to dispose of later. Even if it’s a plane trip back to Pennsylvania. We also pack things in things that can be used later, such as Ziploc bags that can then be used to collect trash. It’s not always possible to cut out the trash produced, but it is easy to lessen it. And this starts with the purchasing process. Buying in bulk when possible is a great idea especially if you utilize some form of reusable non-plastic container at home (a lot of the longer term plastic storage containers can’t be recycled as easily as soda pop bottles). Plastic ziplock bags that are now empty after finishing a course of trail mix also make a great place to store underwear that needs to be laundered. Ok, I think I need some sleep.
