Who doesn’t love a camping trip?
The sun is shining, there’s not a cloud in the sky. It’s the perfect time to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life and head to your perfect camping spot.
Getting back to basics on a camping trip is the best way to reset for many of us. And if you haven’t tried it – well you should 🙂. Love it or hate it, at least you’ll know.
My first memories of camping go back to when I was around 4 years old. My dad had an old army tent. The heavy canvas type with big wooden pegs. Every year, like clockwork, he’d give it a coat of waterproofing to get ready for the season ahead – don’t forget I’m from the UK. We’re never far away from a rain shower.
As kids, we loved the freedom of camping.
We lived in a town, so having the freedom to explore the countryside as much as we liked was a rare treat. Our favorite destination was South Devon, in particular, a beautiful little place known as Dawlish Warren.
I’m sure it’s changed a lot since those days. I’ll always remember exploring coves – they seemed magical to us. With my sister, I’d spend hours on the beach, in the sea, and charging around the campsite on some adventure or other.
Since then I’ve enjoyed many camping adventures as an adult and with my own family. And, I still think there’s nothing quite like spending a night out under the stars.
As I love camping and bamboo so much, I decided to see what bamboo items are available to make my future camping trips more sustainable. Let’s take a look at the eco-friendly bamboo camping gear I found.
Overview of Bamboo Camping Gear
You must have noticed how popular bamboo is becoming. Bamboo items are popping up in all areas of our lives and for good reason. This fast-growing grass is easy to source and can be used to make all sorts of cool stuff. There are bamboo alternatives to heaps of products, meaning can use less slower-growing resources, giving them time to replenish.
Want to find out why we love bamboo so much? Check out our reasons for why bamboo.
Camping Furniture
We know that bamboo is strong and sturdy and that it makes fabulous-looking furniture. But there’s another feature of bamboo that makes it the perfect material for camping furniture – it’s super lightweight. And with today’s technology, you can fold it down to fit snugly into the trunk of your car.
Bamboo Camping Chairs
After a hard day out adventuring, I definitely don’t want to sit on the floor.
Bamboo camping chairs are a chic accessory for your next camping trip. They fold up small and most have their own carry sack, making them perfect for picnics and festivals too.
Here are a couple we found online:
- Bamboo Folding Chair (H Series) by The Chiavari Chair Company
- Bamboo Chair Long by Snow Peak
Read our article about bamboo chairs in general.
Bamboo Camping Tables
Of course, if you’re going to have chairs, then a camping table is a must. Bamboo tables are known for being hard-wearing and resilient. With a little care and attention, they can last for years. A bamboo table top with aluminum legs makes the height easy to adjust. There are lots of options like this KingCamp 2-4 Person Folding Camping Table.
But it’s possible to find tables with bamboo legs too – even if it does take a little more searching.
I found this one from Life Under Canvas, that looks pretty neat…
Bamboo Table With Stainless Steel Joints
Make sure your bamboo table stays in good condition for years to come by cleaning it with soap and water and drying it well. Also, give your table a coat of natural oil at the end of each camping season to preserve the bamboo.
Cooking
I love cooking when I’m camping. There’s something about the simplicity of it that’s refreshing. Camping meals don’t have to be complicated to taste amazing. Being out in the fresh air makes everything taste so much better, don’t you think?
You might believe that there’s not much bamboo cooking equipment out there – and you’d be correct. But there are some simple pieces that are easy to carry and fun to use.
Bamboo Utensils
Bamboo cooking utensils are not only for camping, they’re perfect for use in the home too. Again, lightweight and durable, they are easy to pack into your camping kitchen. They’re heat-resistant and non-abrasive, meaning the surfaces of your pans won’t get scratched.
Bamboo is also naturally free from hazardous chemicals and is anti-microbial. Widely available, bamboo utensils are also pretty cheap.
I found these nice-looking bamboo utensils at Peace in the Wild.
Clean and dry your bamboo utensils well, after use, and they’ll last for years. You can use a light, food-grade oil, such as grapeseed on your bamboo utensils to keep them looking like new. But definitely DON’T put them in the dishwasher.
Bamboo Steamers
There are many benefits of steaming food, including preserving essential vitamins and minerals. If you love steaming food at home, then a bamboo steamer is an easy way to take your favorite cooking method to the outdoors. Use your bamboo steamers to cook all types of food including fish, meat, vegetables and rice. And if you’re feeling creative you could try making some Chinese dumplings!
This could be a little ambitious for a camp kitchen, but if you’re up for a challenge, we’d love to know how it goes.
Check out Joshua’s video on how to make steamed dumplings from scratch…
Eating
That’s the cooking part done, now on to the fun part. We weren’t kidding when we said bamboo was creeping in everywhere.
Bamboo Tableware
Bamboo tableware is fast becoming a popular replacement for more traditional melamine plates, bowls, and cups. Free from potentially hazardous BPA and phthalates, bamboo is perfect for camping, picnics, and outdoor entertaining.
Bamboo tableware is also compostable, meaning when it comes to the end of its useful life – unlike plastic – it doesn’t create more landfill.
Here are some lovely reusable bamboo picnic plates I found that also give a donation to the Woodland Trust.
Bamboo Cutlery
Since the start of the anti-plastic revolution, I’ve noticed that more and more fast-food outlets are stocking wooden cutlery. It’s a huge leap forward, but wouldn’t it be better if we weren’t throwing cutlery away at all?
When camping, especially backpacking, we’re very conscious of the weight and space of the items we pack. So imagine my delight when I stumbled upon bamboo cutlery sets!
Perfect for camping, but also for carrying with you to avoid using disposable cutlery…
Check out this handy set in a carry case from WildAndStoneHome to see what I mean.
As with bamboo utensils, make sure you clean and dry your bamboo cutlery after use to keep it in good condition.
Sleeping
Although bamboo products made specifically for sleeping in a tent seem pretty rare at the moment, it won’t be long before we start to see bamboo products creeping into this area too.
Why not consider taking your bamboo pillows, blankets, or sheets along to stay cozy in the meantime?
Conclusion
So there you have it – lots of ways you can incorporate eco-friendly bamboo camping gear into your next camping adventure!
We predict that bamboo is only going to get more popular in the future, so look out for more innovative camping accessories.
Are you packing bamboo items for your next camping trip? If so, let us know which ones and give them a review for us.
