Sustainable hiking

A natural experience or the destruction of Nature?

For some time now, hiking has been ultra-trendy. It is of course a wonderful experience, usually enjoyed with friends or family, however, it can also leave ugly scars behind in our environment. Waste left behind or haphazardly and carelessly thrown away is only one aspect of the problem. But hiking can be completely different. The magic word is: sustainable hiking! If you use our tips, you can protect the environment and Nature sustainably:

1. Eco-friendly journey

To get to your hiking destination, it is best to go by train, or bus. I you don’t want to leave your car behind, carpool with other keen hikers. This definitely cuts down on C02 emissions. „Bike and Hike “ is another trend. Your warm-up starts when you cycle to your hiking destination.

2. A question of (sustainable) clothing

Sports shops, advertising, the social media – they all send us the same message, we should „buy, buy, buy“. But is it really necessary to buy completely new hiking gear? What do we really need? What can we borrow? Maybe we don’t need the latest rucksack, the trendiest rain jacket, thermal shirt or hiking pants. You can hire equipment like trekking sticks at a small price. Of course you should look out for high-quality products (e.g. rucksack and shoes), since these can be very durable, last many years and be perfectly suited to resist the wind and bad weather. The quality and material are of prime importance. In the past, mainly synthetic materials were used in outdoor-fashion and a multitude of chemicals. Today, there are lots of outdoor brands which do better: they use more sustainable materials and recycled raw materials.

3. A hearty cold snack – provisions without any packaging waste

Anyone who does a lot of hiking, has to take care to drink and eat enough.
As an eco-friendly alternative to a plastic or glass bottle, you can quite simply take a bottle along with you which can be refilled. But please do not use aluminium, or plastic containing the toxic bisphenol A (BPA) which is harmful to Nature and to our health. Instead you should take pollutant-free and durable (thermos) bottles, for example, of stainless steel.

When it comes to provisions, you should also beware of packaging waste. Healthy snacks like apples, carrots, or pears do not need any packaging material at all. Just put them in a lunch box made of metal, wood or glass or, if needed, simply wrap the sandwich in sandwich paper. Off course, regional products and sustainable cutlery (e.g. made of bamboo material) would be exemplary.

4. Walk In Trash Out: waste collection and disposing - It’s plogging time!

Hiking sustainably means leaving as little trace as possible of your presence behind in Nature and taking all of your waste home with you. Do not leave any food packaging, tissues or toilet paper behind in Nature. Even if it is natural waste like banana peel or apple skins – fruits decompose often only slowly. A small waste bag should be part and parcel of any standard rucksack equipment belonging to eco-friendly hikers. If you find waste from other hikers, take that with you.

„Walk In Trash Out“, also known under the term of Plogging has now become one of the most common practices – if not even movements.

5. Pay respect to Nature and animals!

Respect Nature & the animal world and stay on the designated hiking trails, otherwise you could trample on protected plants and disturb young animals. Avoid noise and do not pick any flowers or break off any branches. Treat Nature with the respect and harmony it deserves – after all hikers are only guests of Nature and should behave accordingly.

Our tips are simple to follow and still have a great impact on nature and therefore on our future hiking experiences. It's In Our Hands: whether we want to hike sustainably and thus contribute to Mother Nature - we just have to do it!