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Guest writer: Linda Vismer
Camping life is full of sustainable dilemmas to ponder. Opportunities to make conscious choices from situations that don't even require thought or that actually deserve to be talked about.
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ShareSustainable motorhome dilemmas
When travelling, we are often faced with different situations where there are only more or less bad options or where there is a way that feels convenient even if it is not the best for the world. I'm a big fan of the phrase "easy to make the right choice" but sometimes the reality is far from simple.
Sustainable dilemmas don't have to be negative, even if dilemmas don't feel like such a positive word. I see dilemmas as a situation that provides an opportunity to reflect and take a hard look at how you want to live your life and how you want to contribute to sustainability.
These are three, possibly slightly exaggerated, scenarios that you may face when travelling by motorhome, or camping in general. It's possible that you don't think these situations are tricky at all, but my advice is to take a closer look. Is it easy because it's a well thought out decision that you're happy with or a decision that feels easy because it's mostly been that way.
Staying long in one place or moving on?
This is a relatively new way of thinking for me but a very interesting one for those who want to contribute to sustainability in a conscious way.
SituationIf you are planning your next holiday, will you stay in one place for a long time or will you move around?
If you stay longer, you'll put less strain on the climate, benefit the local community in more ways by experiencing more than the typical/classic things nearby. If you go further, you spread your holiday money across more destinations, campsites and local entrepreneurs.
This example may be the closest to doing the right thing regardless of the choice, but the question is - do you make a conscious choice based on who your holiday will benefit or do you just pick and choose based on your own taste?
How far can you drive to sort your waste?
I have long naively believed that every sensible person in this country sorts their rubbish. Until one day when I met just one sensible person (in my judgement) who didn't. If you are a person who does not sort waste at home, then I guess this sustainable dilemma is not so difficult.
Situation: You are staying at a campsite with almost no waste separation, what do you do?
Do you throw everything in the same bin or are you prepared to collect your rubbish and sort it at another time, perhaps at the next campsite if you are travelling around or "down in the village" if you live somewhere a little longer? Are there things you would even consider taking with you all the way home if necessary? Tin cans, glass, batteries?
But who is driving?
This scenario is based on an ambition to be an equal relationship - that is, in this example, everyone contributes equally and feels that their tasks are equally valued and (un)stimulating. (Yes, I have deliberately made gender-based assumptions in this text).
Situation: It's time to move on, who does what before and during the journey?
Do you have divided roles so that one person always packs up the awning, rigs the caravan/camper for departure and gets behind the wheel? Does the other person do the packing inside the caravan/camper, entertain any children, wipe the sink and make sure things don't move during the trip?
The way you divided it up, has it just happened or is it a discussion you had? Are you both happy with your assigned roles? Or do you alternate tasks so that everyone is equally good at and comfortable with everything?
I will admit that my motorhome experience is limited, although I do have three weeks in a hatchback in Europe and two weeks in New Zealand in a campervan. These are some of the sustainable motorhome dilemmas I've faced myself, and I'd love to hear what examples you can paint that you've faced, or that you see others struggling with.
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Linda Vismer
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Monica says:
Thankfully, we are all different and base our choices - the big life choices as well as the small everyday ones - on our different experiences and core values, of course. I will therefore admit straight away that thinking in terms of "sustainability" when it comes to motorhome living is not a priority for me. If you have chosen that option for your recreation, you should not at the same time be burdened with a lot of "shame" about fossil fuel emissions or whether or not you "wear out the environment" depending on how long you stay in one place or travel further. Who drives and who wipes the sink are also complete non-issues in this context, and God forbid you should have your holiday ruined by this type of equality issue. And no, I would never in my life fidget around looking for a waste sorting point. Most campsites and caravan parks have fully functioning waste management systems and that's fine with me as long as I don't contribute to general littering.
So keeping these kinds of thoughts in mind and thus organising your motorhome life according to them is not one of my priorities. Our many years of motorhome life, in Sweden and in Europe, have been based on joy and discovery, not on taking batteries home. We have alternately planned our routes in detail, alternately driven completely unplanned, but never in our lives have we given a thought to whether you have more impact on the environment (however you measure it) if you stop or drive on. Who drives, unfolds the awning or stows away before departure is entirely dependent on the current situation, physical capacity or best ability - not on equality considerations. For me, motorhome life is primarily intended for pleasure, recreation, experiences and relaxation - of course in solidarity and responsibility for various destinations - but otherwise I leave all other thoughts at home. And I'm not ashamed of it for a second!
26 October 2022 - 9:15
Linda Vismer, Travelling Consciously says:
Hi Monica! How exciting with your reflections and how interesting that the topic seems to provoke. If you felt that I was ashamed, it has never been my intention and something I absolutely do not want to contribute. However, I would like to create a reason to examine yourself and reflect, and if you have done so, that's good. Everyone makes their own choices, my point is that it should be conscious choices and not made at random, but of course it is just like everything else up to each one. Some people are triggered by thinking about how to live and travel more sustainably, others are not interested and that's fine.
07 November 2022 - 19:57
Veiken says:
No matter how I travel (cruises excluded), I like to go to a place and then make excursions in the area I am. Sometimes quite far from my "base"
I sort waste where possible, otherwise I adapt to how things are done at the destination! Of course I do not litter!
26 October 2022 - 10:54
Helena says:
Linda, interesting! I can also reflect a bit ...
First question: The whole point of the motorhome is (for us) to be able to move around and be mobile, so we probably can't imagine standing still for very long. However, you don't have to travel so far every time, and we like to favour local businesses.
Next question: Hmm, I think most campsites have waste sorting, at least in Sweden, but the challenge is to sort inside the motorhome, because you don't really have the space for it. We try as best we can. I would definitely take batteries with me, I want to throw them in the right place. Large rubbish bags, on the other hand, are no fun to travel around with.
Last question: We do different things, partly because Peter is the only one with a driving licence. I have been questioned (in a sharp and somewhat unpleasant way) by people with feminist views about why I don't have a driving licence, which actually annoyed me. I don't like driving (have tried it) and would like to avoid it. However, sharing the workload in an appropriate way is important! We are probably a bit classic, but we help each other!
Thanks for good and interesting questions! 🙂
26 October 2022 - 18:39
Linda Vismer, Travelling Consciously says:
Thank you for reflecting Helena, this is exactly what I want to achieve so thank you for sharing your views. Perhaps the questions have made you think out loud with someone else about this, such as Peter, and then all my profit is achieved!
07 November 2022 - 19:59
BP says:
I don't have a caravan or a motorhome, but one of the charms of a motorhome is to visit many places to see as much of a country as possible. And this at a cheap price. Well, it's not that cheap anymore given the price of petrol/diesel. But the prices at campsites, especially in Portugal and Spain, are so low. Many are even free of charge but still offer "full" service.
26 October 2022 - 19:24
Ditte says:
Now I am not a motorhome owner but have tried a couple of times; Camper in the USA, when we crossed the country and motorhome in New Zealand for 10 days. The point of a motorhome was to see and experience a lot and in different places. If that had not been the goal, we would have taken a train, bus or plane and just stayed in one place.
Have had a sailboat and sailed a lot and there is no direct environmental impact in terms of emissions. As for rubbish, we have taken it in the boat and sorted it as we went along.
Sustainability applies to everyday life:;Car in the city? What we eat? Consumption etc.
26 October 2022 - 20:58