Sustainable Festy tips from @whiskeypondlnt !
https://instagram.com/whiskeypondlnt?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=We’ve been lucky enough to make friends with so many Cleanest Campsite Challenge winners, and we won in 2019! It’s been a long time coming to use those prize tickets, and we’re stoked to see your sustainable selves soon ❤️
In the spirit of Leave No Trace, we present our best fest tips with the 7 LNT principles:
https://lnt.org/why/7-principles/Plan ahead and Prepare
This one is big for us. Sure, we start planning for the following year somewhere around Saturday afternoon of the fest, but you can get started now, too. Check the recommended packing list to see what folks bring.
Shop reclaimed and second hand for gear, borrow when available, and use what you have. We learned the hard way that a cheap camp chair is just that, and it’ll break soon and have to be tossed. When possible, pick durable repairable equipment and keep it functioning.
Repair your busted stuff - there’s likely still life in it, and delaying replacement saves resources. Someone in your campground probably knows how to fix it, too - there are a ton of ingenious folk all around. The number of engineers and duct tape wizards continues to surprise me. (Broken tent pole? Bring a beer + said pole to Whiskey Pond and the Frogs will show you our beer-tent-fix.)
Pack your supplies to minimize waste - sure PB had done a phenomenal job of building a sustainable fest, but it’s important to consider doing the most with less - so theres less waste for the Sustainable Festivation folk have fewer dumpsters to haul out. Take stuff out of the box that you’re gonna toss when you get there, don’t overpack food that’s gonna go to waste, coordinate with your group to bring unduplicated supplies, and plan to carry your stuff back home with you.
Pack reusable dishes and wash up daily instead of using throwaway plates/cups/bowls/forks/spoons.
Carpool! PB + Mountainsmith even have a prize for carpool camps - it’s so easy, you might as well enter:
https://www.facebook.com/planetbluegrass/photos/a.95448836539/10158231015136540/?type=3. There’s limited parking, you’re not gonna drive around during the fest anyway, and holy mackerel gas is so expensive.
Invariably we forget something. The first place we shop? The free box in town. This box is legendary for giving goddess walk dresses, work briefcases, mountain biking shoes, boatin shorts, vintage Patagonia polypro, spare tent walls, kitchen organizers, gifts for the baby shower you skipped to festivate… but also be sure that you’re NOT planning to ditch all your single use bigbox gear there on your way out. Real people have to maintain the box and it’s a lot of work to clear out unwanted “donations”.
Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
PB has a lot of this in the bag already - we’re limiting impact in Zone 1 and there’s revegetation happening, too. Respect the reveg areas and don’t trample plants.
When hanging your hammocks/awnings/camp signage, take care to hang from established trees, and consider padding your anchors and bike locks and whatnot if they’re going to rub thin bark.
When traipsing around camp, stick to the established paths!
Consider a kitchen floor in your camp family room - less dust, and less scuffing the grass means it will bounce back faster.
Dispose of Waste Properly
There will be trash, recycling, and compost bins throughout campsites and the festival, and the Susty Festy peeps are great at helping you figure out what goes where. This is easy. On your end, just keep your trash, recycling, and compost sorted and buttoned down in your camp - so it doesn’t blow away or get invaded by critters.
Some stuff isn’t recyclable in our local MRF (materials recovery facility, aka recycling plant BUT it is reclaimable material.
Camp Trailer Smash (LNT Campsite winners in 2018!), for example, is collecting ice bags and plastic film. The MRF doesn’t like it because the bags get wrapped around the equipment, causing frequent shutdowns, but the material IS recyclable!
Whiskey Pond and Trailer Smash will be hosting a number of Terracycle bins for hard to recycle materials, likely including batteries, earplugs, bottle caps, corks, snack/bar wrappers and more. Look for details on the corner by the waterfall and also on @whiskeypondlnt on Instagram.
Come chat recycling / sustainability / LNT nerd stuff with us when you see us!
This also means pee and poop in the portapotties (or the real porcelain when you get a chance). Don’t put trash in the portapotties.
Wash your dishes in the designated area for your campsite.
Leave What You Find
You’re in the most incredible box canyon for 4-20 days, and there are suddenly loads of people all together. Know that impacts multiply quickly, and leave your campsite, trails, and exploration areas as undisturbed as possible.
Minimize Campfire Impacts
PB has this one buttoned up, too. No campfires in the campsites, but (unless there are fire bans) propane fire bowls are allowed when attended by an adult. Be super careful with these for both the safety of campers around you and also the health of the nature we’re camping in.
Respect Wildlife
Not only does this mean “don’t pet the big game” if you encounter a critter, but also keep your kitchen tidy so as not to attract hungry nature. Close your snacks, put stuff back in your kitchen bins and coolers, and keep the squirrels from drinking all your booze.
Be Considerate of Others
We’re all here to have a good time, and this is a community that’s super good at looking out for each other. This one I know y’all got figured out already. xoxo whiskeypondlnt
Listening to:
The Duhks, Down to the River
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