Eartheasy Camping Solutions

For a lot of people, summer means spending as much time outdoors as possible doing the things they love. For my family, that means camping, hiking, and canoeing in our favorite recreational areas. Some are close to home; others are throughout North America or abroad. Preparing for these trips requires packing light, but taking all your essentials, especially if you’re backpacking. Here’s where Eartheasy comes in.

The first rule is to pack wisely and take a few pieces of clothing that you wash and wear over and over. My husband and I have taken a few hiking and backpacking tours in Europe, so to make our load light, we took only 4 of each article of clothing. That meant regular washing. When we reached a town or village, we had to locate the local laundromat. They are not self-serve as they are here in North America. You leave your clothes with the staff, and someone washes, dries and folds them for you. And, it costs a fortune! I know what you are thinking, why not wash in a sink? When you’re hiking or backpacking, the facilities are used by thousands of travelers that wash their hands, brush their teeth, and even sponge bathe. What’s left behind is a resin of bacteria; it’s not a hygienic place to wash clothes. There is a solution though. An easy and economical solution at that, it’s called the Scrubba. So, where do you find this product?

Eartheasy is an online site that offers solutions for sustainable living, and I naturally resonated with them. I love that they care about the earth and present products that reduce energy, toxins, and waste while showing healthy and natural alternatives. Whether indoors or outdoors, they offer a solution. They carry lots of products that make outdoor activities fun without causing any impact on our environment. One of those products is the Scrubba, which is a portable wash bag.

The Scrubba wash bag is the world’s first pocket-sized washing machine. Using no electricity and minimal water, the Scrubba wash bag is the best way to wash clothes on the go. It’s perfect for vacationers, business travelers, campers, sailers, college students or people who live in small city apartments.

The Scrubba is incredibly lightweight and will fit into any backpack or tag along with any camping or hiking gear. First, I’d like to mention the color, it’s bright, and you can spot it easily without having to dig or unpack your gear to find it. It’s made from a durable microbial and hydrolysis resistant polyether TPU so it will last a long time.

There are written instructions on the packaging, and the Scrubba itself has universal illustrations that are self-explanatory. Even if you didn’t read English, you could still use this product successfully.

To use, open the bag and put in your laundry, soap is you have it, and water up to the fill line. There are two fill lines, one for a small load and one for a larger load. We washed a pair of short, a top, and socks, and filled the water up to the larger load level.

Then you roll the top part down about 4 or 5 times and clip it together. Next step is to deflate the bag by opening the valve; press down lightly and the air slowly releases. The inside of the bag has a soft textured and flexible scrub board that you rub your clothing against while washing. Knead for 30 seconds for a quick wash or 3 – 5 minutes for a thorough wash, then rinse.

There’s a transparent window so you can see your clothing suds up while washing. Special care is required if washing articles with zippers, buckles or hard features. You’ll need to tuck these parts into the clothing during washing, so no damage is inflicted on the Scrubba.

The reverse side of the scrub board offers a tough surface that’s designed to tackle rough terrain. It can tolerate some abuse, but it’s advised that you avoid twigs, sharp stones and other surfaces that can deface the Scrubba.

When you’re finished washing, you’ll next rinse, wring out, and hang to dry. Then you’ll need to turn the Scrubba inside out to dry. The whole process takes about 9 – 10 minutes. I was a little surprised at how dirty the water was; it really works. I can only imagine how invaluable this product would be while traveling. It will save you time and money and all you need is clean water and fairly smooth surface to scrub. The Scrubba will be coming with us on our next backpacking trip.

It uses an advanced hollow fiber technology to filter the water, so no chemicals are required. You simply pour water into the bottle from your water source, be it pond, stream, lake or river. The hollow fiber membrane traps pathogens inside, so only clean water can escape.  The mouthpiece is made of flexible food grade silicone which prevents any chipping and cracking, plus it’s comfortable to use. The LifeStraw saving a lot of plastic waste. You just need to replace the filter after every 1000 liters. This product is a must-have for all your travels regardless of location.

Another awesome product that will come in handy is the LuminAid Solar Light.

The LuminAid is a solar-powered light that’s rechargeable and can provide up to 16 hours of LED light. It’s also waterproof and can turn into an inflatable light source. It requires approximately 7 hrs of direct sunlight to recharge, so it will have to be outside for the duration. I tried to recharge in my home via indirect sunlight, but it wasn’t as effective.

Having a safe and renewable light source while camping is so important, especially with little children around. We don’t like using any products that require flame or electricity, and the LuminAid is a fabulous replacement. It’s great for reading, play games, or taking an evening stroll to the washrooms. Just hang it in the sun to recharge during the day and you’re supplied with a healthy and bright light source in the evening. It’s another product that we will always take with us on our future camping and hiking trips.

All of these products teach us how to travel smarter, safer and healthier. There are so many products on the market that have inflated attributes, but these three walk the walk, they live up to their high standards. If you’re big on outdoor trips, then you’ll want to invest in these renewable items to make your experience that much better! Check out Eartheasy for all their other life-enhancing products.

Disclaimer: I received product to facilitate a review. All opinions are my own, yours may differ.