Low Tox Traveling Swaps
One of my favorite things is traveling. Traveling with kids can be next level, but seeing their excited faces experiencing something for the first time is so worth the extra work. Often when leaving home, we leave all the comforts, products and rhythms behind. Each time we travel with the kids, I add more low toxic swaps to our camping rhythm and feel more comfortable being away from home as we use the brands and products we know and trust. Below I have outlined the swaps we have made from typical camping and traveling, learning more all the time. Since using low tox products is a conscience effort, I hope these ideas are a launch board for your next trip. These products can be incorporated into hotel traveling, camping or staying with relatives.
Highlights
Cookware and Kitchen Swaps
When we travel, I bring a few of my key tried and true kitchen items. A cast iron skillet is a must on any camping trip. Along with the cast iron skillet, I bring my normal oil to season it after washing (I use organic coconut oil for seasoning). I make sure to bring a stainless steel pot (or 2) for warming dish water and cooking. Keep an eye out for used stainless steel pots at second hand stores or garage sales. I used to bring my pots and pans from my kitchen each time, but now I have accumulated two pots designated for camping that can stay with our camping bin.
Here is a cast iron skillet I like https://amzn.to/4hW6qeS
Organic Coconut Oil is a great oil for seasoning your cast iron skillet. Since it’s saturated, it is stable and doesn’t oxidize easily like conventional oils. https://amzn.to/3CI1RWR
Plastic Swaps
Growing up, we used plastic everything when camping. Cups (hello 2001 Olive Garden kids cup), plates, cutting boards. Everything that could be was plastic…but the more research that comes out about the harm of plastic to our bodies (and our environment), the more I choose low tox swaps, even for camping. Corelle dishes are low profile, shatter resistant and work well for camping. I also love stainless steel cups and wood cutting boards when camping too.
Corelle dishes can be found at the thrift store or your Grandma’s cupboards, but if you’d like a new set, you can find one on amazon like this https://amzn.to/43hSlof
The stainless steel cups we use and love are found here https://amzn.to/4i1g7sx
Clean Coffee and Clean Water
The morning coffee ritual is also an area to consider when looking at lowering toxicity. First, I start by grinding my favorite beans at home to bring on the trip. I store in glass mason jars labeled and ready to go. When I buy coffee my non negotiable is organic. And for decaf coffee, I make sure it is Swiss Water Processed so it’s not decaffeinated using harsh chemicals. My favorite brand is Kicking Horse. My ideal method to make the coffee when on the road is the French press. And make sure to have a couple coffee cups on hand – we bring travel mugs from home or a couple coffee mugs rather than Styrofoam.
My favorite coffee https://amzn.to/3CRd0oe
My favorite Swiss Water Processed decaf coffee hhttps://amzn.to/3CQWfti
Stainless steel and glass French Press https://amzn.to/3X7NJwP
Another important swap is water. As I have continued in my crunchy journey, I have learned the importance of clean water. There are a few good options for water on the go, but my preferred method is RO (reverse osmosis) with minerals added back in. I fill jugs at home (or a water station I know and trust) and bring enough water for our trip. I plan for 1 gallon per person per day. Between drinking, brushing teeth, etc. this has been a good estimate and we’ve never run out.
We have used these watertight jugs for transporting drinking water. They are plastic, but have a built in spout that can be hidden inside for stacking jugs. https://amzn.to/42XLr7a
These glass water jugs are on my low tox swap list! https://amzn.to/4b5lkx2
Grocery Staples
Groceries are also important if trying to limit toxins on the road. I make a menu at home with a simple table in Microsoft Word. Filling in meals and snacks and making a grocery list from that. The more I can prep at home, the better. From chopping onion, cracking eggs into mason jars and cleaning veggies, to freezing meat in the correct quantity (doubles as a ice pack as it thaws), and mixing and labeling spice mixes, it all saves time and dishes on the road. If you have electricity on your trip, we have found great success with a small mini fridge in the back of our vehicle. We plug it in when we’re at the campsite and close the rear hatch on the cord. It gives us more freedom because we don’t need to buy ice!
Another good idea is stocking prepackaged snacks from brands you know and like. Great brands like EPIC meat sticks and dried beef are great for hikes and car rides. There are many flavors to choose from. Even stores like Aldi now carry organic dried beef and raw organic nuts and fruit which are great options when traveling. I have also put together my own trail mixes ahead of time, which avoids cheap ingredients and unnecessary additives like food dyes and seed oils. My favorites for a trail mix are Lily’s chocolate chips, organic coconut, nuts and dried fruit. Quick and easy!
EPIC dried meat sticks, like salmon, bison, venison and beef https://amzn.to/41kCiod
Lily’s Chocolate Chips https://amzn.to/4hRTMOg
Natural Fiber Bedding
One last area we have made steps to be more low tox is bedding. Rather than sleeping in polyester sleeping bags and sweating all night, we bring cotton sheets and our pillows from home. A good night’s sleep is so important, especially with kids along! Having natural fibers on our skin as we sleep is important. We also have a black out tent that we love. It helps us sleep better and helps our kids sleep to a normal time rather than waking up as the sun rises, which is much earlier in the summer. It also stays cooler in the tent during the day for naptimes and bedtime can be at a normal time in the evening even if it’s still bright out.
We love cotton sheets for sleep. Here is a link for good quality cotton sheets https://amzn.to/4i44jpz
We have the 10 person Coleman Dark Room Tent. It’s quick to set up and truly is so dark inside. Revolutionize your sleep while camping! https://amzn.to/3QnxZCa
Traveling is so worth it!
Traveling, although a lot of work, is so much fun and is a great family activity. There are so many areas of low tox living to explore as we learn more each day how the items we use daily affect the way our bodies function. These are just a few of the traveling swaps we have made and it truly helps me feel more relaxed as we travel knowing I’m not disrupting all the hard work towards health we strive for at home.
Pin this blog post to reference later! Happy travels!
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