Green Transportation Options –
Offsetting Your Carbon Footprint

In order to minimize your impact on the environment, we recommend staying at a campsite for a month or two at a time and only driving that big rig when you’re headed to a new destination 6-12 times a year. Once you arrive at your destination and want to enjoy the surrounding area, do so using modes of transportation that have the least impact. Perhaps all you want to do is hike the nearby nature trails; if so, that’s great!  However, if you want to explore a larger surrounding area, choose some earth-friendly options rather than drive your vehicle. 

Ride a bike please!

Bicycles are considered the most efficient means of human travel, up to 5 times more efficient than walking. One hundred percent fueled by food, just 100 calories can fuel a bicyclist for 3 miles! When choosing your next campsite, consider reviewing how “bicycle-friendly” the area is. Bike League has a great interactive map that ranks bicycle friendliness of states and communities based on having safe and convenient places to ride and park, as well as other factors.

Types of bikes:

Where will you be riding and how far? Some bikes are more comfortable than others for long treks, and some are more suited for short trips. There are on-road or off-road bikes, and hybrids that are meant to handle some of both. We use hybrid bicycles, which are suitable for pavement or some off-road surfaces such as gravel or grass, and have larger, more comfortable seats as well as more upright handlebars so you don’t have to hunch over as far while riding.

Road bikes: As the name implies, these are bikes designed to ridden on the pavement. The tires are narrow in order to reduce resistance and increase speed on the road. They are not the most comfortable ride, with narrower seats and drop handlebars. A road bike is a good option if you only ride on paved areas.

Adventure Road Bikes (or Gravel Bikes): Constructed to handle more surfaces, these work well on gravel and dirt as well as pavement. These offer a bit more stability and a slightly more upright position for riding than a regular road bike. They have disc brakes, which offer better stopping performance in less than ideal conditions. Adventure or gravel bikes have drop handlebars.

Touring Bikes: Built to ride for many miles, with heavy duty frames able to carry lots of gear. These offer more of an upright position while riding, making them more comfortable for long rides. If you like day-long or even multi-day rides, this is the best choice.

Don’t like the drop handlebars?

Fitness bikes: A lightweight, high performance bike designed for riding on paved surfaces only. These are basically road bikes, but have flat handlebars instead of drop handlebars, and also have a more upright position. If you want the speed and performance of a road bike and only like to ride on pavement, but want more comfort, then this is a good choice.

Hybrid Bikes: This is what we have! These give the versatility of on road or trails, grass, gravel. Not as fast as bikes designed for roads, and not appropriate for mountain biking, these bikes fall somewhere in between. Hybrid bikes have larger seats and usually have flat handlebars that are more upright for a comfortable ride. We like the versatility of this option, and we typically don’t do all-day rides so we didn’t need touring bikes.

Cruiser Bikes: These bikes are a little more comfortable and upright than regular hybrid bikes. Most cruisers are single- or 3-speed. With tires a little bit wider than hybrid bikes, you will give a little bit of speed, but if you need a durable, comfortable bike for both errands and some leisure riding, this is a great choice.

Comfort Bikes: Also a cruiser bike, these have pedals that are placed forward of the seat, so you can ride lower and place your feet on the ground when you are stopped. These are great for pavement-only, city riding where you may need to stop often.

Recumbent Bikes: If you find upright bicycles too uncomfortable, consider a recumbent bike. Recumbents have a full-size seat that allows the rider to recline. There is less risk of injury from falling, due to the lower position of the seat. Recumbents have an aerodynamic advantage – again, due to the lower, reclined position of the rider; however, it is more difficult to pedal up hills. Prices are higher for recumbents than upright bikes.

Adult Tricycles: If you have major issues with balance, consider an adult trike. These also have more room for cargo, and some models come with a basket. However, portability may be an issue unless you opt for a foldable variety.

Need some assistance biking longer distances?

Electric Bikes

An electric bike (or E-bike) includes a small pedal-assist motor to help you with hills or keep you going once you get tired. A typical E-bike can go 30 – 50 miles on a single charge, depending on how much you use the pedal assist. I’ve seen some that claim 80 miles as the maximum per charge; it will really depend on the quality of the bike you choose – i.e., how much you want to spend. E-bikes are available in every style – road, mountain, cruiser, etc. If you don’t want to spend too much, there are also kits available to convert a regular bike to an E-bike. Compare some conversion kits at Byways.org.

Other Electric Transportation Options

Have good balance and want something a bit more challenging? We haven’t used any of the following, but I have seen people using these and they do look pretty fun – and I WILL be trying them ! Just make sure you have all of the personal protective equipment – helmet, knee pads, elbow and wrist pads.

Hoverboards

Electric Skateboards

OneWheel

Walk / Run

Well, this one is obvious! This is my favorite, as it requires no special equipment or investment! Maybe just a good pair of shoes. TrailLink has a search option on their website for finding great walking trails by state.

Take the Bus

If you’ve got a longer distance to cover, a bus is the most eco-friendly choice. You will reduce your carbon footprint by at least 50%, even when compared to driving a hybrid vehicle.

Take a Train

Especially in the Northeast, where Amtrak has electric trains. The Northeast also has the most developed railway system, so you have plenty of options. If you are not near a railway station, Amtrak’s ThruWay bus service connects most cities to railway stations. (Source: Union of Concerned Scientists)
Link to USC data here about longer trips https://www.ucsusa.org/sites/default/files/2019-10/greentravel_report.pdf