Let's talk about gray water

[CajunCamper]

I've been camping since I was a kid and over those years not only has our camping gear changed, but we've also become a lot more ecologically friendly in our camping practices.

That being said I have to admit that while dry camping, what I do with gray water may not sit well with some folks. Let me explain. When we go camping whether it be dry camping in a remote location or while camping in a site with all the hook ups, we always make sure to leave the campsite in as good if not better shape than when we found it.

When it comes to gray water, we try to create as little of that as possible. When it comes to showering while dry camping, we set up a shower tent away from our campsite and use biodegradable soap and shampoo. The water actually runs onto the ground. We are able to shower on less than a gallon of water per person. When we brush our teeth, we use Tom's biodegradable tooth paste and yes we just spit on the ground. While dry camping, we use paper plates to reduce the need to wash dishes and when we cook a meal  we grill our food over an open flame.

I honestly don't see anything wrong with this since the only water that hits the ground contains only biodegradable matter. Now that doesn't mean that someone here can't persuade me otherwise, as a matter of fact, I invite anyone that feels I need to change my ways to tell me so and to explain to me how my practices are harming the environment.

To me, collecting and disposing of the water elsewhere would be a pain in the @$$, but I would do it if I felt that by doing so would make a positive difference.

I really would love to hear your feedback on how I handle my gray water and how you handle yours.

CajunCamper

[bonscott]

I don't think you are doing anything wrong.  In fact, Michigan State Forest land "dispersed" camping regs even mention how to bury your black waste and how far from a water supply, how deep and so forth.  

So far with dry camping we have still brought our gray water tote but have actually considered not even bothering with it in the future.  But we do similar things by really limiting our dishes and so forth.

[wavery]

You're doing great...............now, if we could only get the wild animals and birds to pick up after themselves... :p

OH.........WAIT...........then the forests would die.......oh dear.........what to do.......

[AustinBoston]

When it comes to gray water, we try to create as little of that as possible.

Fine.

When it comes to showering while dry camping, we set up a shower tent away from our campsite and use biodegradable soap and shampoo. The water actually runs onto the ground. We are able to shower on less than a gallon of water per person. When we brush our teeth, we use Tom's biodegradable tooth paste and yes we just spit on the ground.

It depends on where you camp.  In places with very little rainfall, "biodegradeable" can mean 10 or more years to break down.  Some places consider shower water to be black water, not grey.

To me, collecting and disposing of the water elsewhere would be a pain in the @$$, but I would do it if I felt that by doing so would make a positive difference.

In remote areas, it can be a pain.  But it's never taken me more than 10 minutes to dispose of grey water in an established campground.

Austin

[flyfisherman]

This gray water subject always seems to run the course from the ridiculous to the sublime, with maybe reasonable practicality somewhere in the middle. This word "biodegradable" is one of those buzz words that has been grossly abused and exploited over the years by those who would like us to believe some absurd point of view or by profiteers.

Obviously there are campgrounds with strict rules about discarding gray water and if you want to stay there it would go well with your stay if you did so. Then there are places where the rules are not so stringent and there common courtesy ought to prevail. Who wants to camp close to someone who is simply letting the gray water run onto the ground right where they are set-up? But there are places in the national and state forest, not in campgrounds, but in some remote place where I have done just that when staying for the night. Mostly I use a 5/gal bucket for my gray water container, with two different lids, one lid with just a hole for the discharge hose to poke through and the other lid with a coupler that a section of hose can be fastened too (for those restrictive C/G's like those of the Corps of Engineers who want the container "sealed"). Now, the gray water from my camping is usually dish water; and the only time I do dishes inside the camper is during inclement weather. Otherwise the dishes are done outside on the camp picnic table and the dish water is discarded away from the campsite to the first "needy" looking tree or bush. Likewise, that's where the 5/gal gray water bucket is emptied, too. Here's a pic of my rig set-up along side a pristine trout stream, you can see the 5/gal bucket at the front side of the PU (and it's colored gray, too!) ~




Let me add, that I use only bar soap ... real soap, to do the dishes (or give myself one of those G.I. baths). And all real soap is biodegradable. It's made from natural ingredients and WILL NOT blend with additives such as phosphates. It is/was the synthetic "soaps" that blend so well with phosphates (the real culprit for not breaking down) ... better known as detergents, or more correctly, surfactants. The detergents today sold as "dishwashing liquid" by itself will not break down as readily as real soap. And the best real soap that I know of on the market is still Ivory bar hand soap and it is by far still the most reasonably priced.



Fly

[coach]

become a lot more ecologically friendly in our camping practices

What does this mean. Wouldn't not camping at all be more ecologically friendly (i.e. not driving/towing)?

Gray water while camping is minimal. One should consider grey water reuse/recycling at home - there is a lot more to reuse!

Grey water Central

Lower fresh water use
Less strain on failing septic tank or treatment plant
Grey water treatment in topsoil is highly effective
Ability to build in areas unsuitable for conventional treatment
Less energy and chemical use
Groundwater recharge
Plant growth
Reclamation of otherwise wasted nutrients

[CajunCamper]

What does this mean. Wouldn't not camping at all be more ecologically friendly (i.e. not driving/towing)?

Seems pretty clear what I meant Coach. Over the years we have become more ecologically friendly in our camping practices. Sure I quess if we wanted to be rediculous about it we could stop camping all together and that would be more ecologically friendly, but you know what? I'm not gonna stop camping, I'm just going to try and camp smarter. If you want to stop camping then be my guest.

CajunCamper

[Old Goat]

During last year's drought here in the southeast, some campgrounds were telling campers to dump their grey water around trees and shrubs...

[coach]

During last year's drought here in the southeast, some campgrounds were telling campers to dump their grey water around trees and shrubs...

Now that's ecologically friendly, so is reducing how much grey/soap one creates/uses (not showering, etc.).
I'm not sure that using paper plates or having an open fire are ecologically friendly.
I question what others consider ecologically friendly (debateable what is) and often they can't or won't explain!

I regret asking!

[CajunCamper]

I question what others consider ecologically friendly (debateable what is) and often they can't or won't explain!

I regret asking!

I'm assume you're talking about me so let me try to explain to you what I meant by " becoming more ecologically friendly in our camping practices."

First of all, when I first started camping we would discard any of our unused food we had cooked by just dumping it in the bushes. We don't do that anymore.

We used to trample the ground without any regard to how it affected the plant life. We don't do that anymore.

We used to wash dishes in the lake or stream with a scrub pad and dishwashing detergent. We don't do that anymore.

When we camped we never left our mess for someone else to deal with, but we sure didn't make any attempt to clean up anyone elses mess. Now we clean up after others.

We used to drive nails in the sides of trees to hang our lanterns and such on while camping. We don't do that anymore.

We've always had a campfire when we camped, but we used to throw anything in that fire including plastic and styrofoam. We don't do that anymore.

This is just a few examples of how ignorant I was about our impact on the environment when I started camping some 40 years ago. Hell we were all ignorant to some degree about many of the things we did and the impact it had on the enviromment.

This is what I meant by "becoming more ecologically friendly." And we learn more everyday about how we can be get better at protecting our environment. That being said, there are some things we just aren't going to stop doing.

To stop camping altogether as you suggested just isn't going to happen at least not for me. To stop driving my tow vehicle and pulling my camper as you also suggested is not going to happen either. I'm also going to have a campfire when permitted when I go camping as well, but we only buren organic matter such as the tons of wood we have left over from Hurricane Gustav. That being said, our camping practices have changed over the years and now make less of an impact on the environment than in the past, and we will continue to learn and get better as the years pass.

I will continue to camp and enjoy the outdoors for the rest of my life while doing so in a responsible manner, but we humans are part of nature too and to try and take us out of the equation is just not natural.

I hope that clears things up for you Coach.

CajunCamper

[denbert]

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Couldn't have said it better myself.

[coach]

Thanks for clarifying.

I never did any of those things (it wasn't allowed), I was taught differently.
Camping has always meant something special to me and I guess by the folks that taught me how to camp. I've always considered camping a way to share and teach others, respecting nature was given.
Policing the area of others mess is part of it. Dad would line us up and went back and forth covering the whole area.
I'd have to say I'm less ecological today since I buy more over packaged items and throw away stuff than prior generations (Styrofoam, paper, plastic ...)

In Texas, I can 'dump' 400 gallons a day of grey water on my property without a permit. In a TX state park, any grey water dumping is prohibited. This has nothing to do with ecology. It is a misuderstood health issue.

[spicyville1]

Heck, I am just happy to get to go camping! We take along enough cleaning supplies and trash bags with us and we try to use as little water as possible.My popup has the shower and toilet combo and both are used only as a last resort. I have 2 small daughters so waking up in the middle of the night to let them potty is the norm. If we shower, we use it to basically rinse off and that is it. I dispose all grey water used at the cleanout station b4 leaving the park. I think that all practices that are displayed on this thread are indeed helpful on lowering our "footprints".  There will always be the ones that do not take Mother Nature serious enough and do not properly clean up after themselves. That is why there are people like us to help take care of her. Just my 2 cents.. wo wait a minute, I forgot about the economy. So that is my penny's worth.