Hiking in nature offers the perfect balance to an otherwise stressful everyday life. But the more people are out and about, the greater the traces we leave in nature. For this very reason, we have put together a few tips for you on how you can make your stay in the mountains as sustainable as possible.

Environmentally conscious travel

Of course, not everyone has the luxury of living in the mountains and long journeys are often necessary to get there. Therefore, whenever possible, you should use public transport such as trains or buses to reduce your CO2 emissions. If the hiking area is difficult to reach by bus or train, you should carpool to travel as environmentally friendly as possible.

Plastic-free Snacks

Plastic does not simply disappear, but remains as microplastics and can even end up in our groundwater. In everyday life it is often difficult to do without plastic packaging, but with the right preparation we can be plastic-free, at least on the mountain.

Instead of a disposable plastic bottle, you can use a reusable stainless steel bottle. This is not only more environmentally friendly, but also keeps your drink cool for longer in high temperatures. The same applies to snacks, which are best wrapped in a lunch box or beeswax cloth. You can also avoid plastic packaging for energy bars if you simply make them yourself.

Take your rubbish with you

Sometimes it is still unavoidable to take something wrapped in plastic with you, and other waste such as tissues or fruit peels also take longer to decompose than expected. That's why the rule applies here: always leave the piles cleaner than you found them.

So you should never just throw your rubbish away and it is best to take any other rubbish you find along the way with you.

Stay on marked paths and do not change nature

This is particularly important in summer, so as not to disturb the flora and fauna. You should therefore avoid taking shortcuts through the meadow or forest if possible. You should also refrain from picking flowers, breaking off branches or taking stones as souvenirs, as this is also an unnecessary intervention in nature that can cause lasting damage.

Sustainable equipment

A lot of resources are often used up, especially in the production of textile products. Basically, the less new things you buy, the better. But since you still need something now and then, you should make sure to buy from sustainable brands. We at NAKED Optics also use sustainable materials. Our latest sports glasses, the BLADE , for example, are made of 50% of the sustainable plastic mixture CO2RE®.

Living sustainably doesn't have to be complicated and with these 5 tips you too can do your small part to protect our nature and environment in the long term.