Caravanning Around Australia - Minimising Water Usage
If you're one of the lucky one's who have hit the road for The Big Lap of Australia, congrats to you! You'll know all about water minimising and how precious it is. But the newbies won't yet. It took us by surprise just how much water we consumed in our set up to learn all about saving water whenever possible.
If you don’t have the ability to collect rainwater or pump from a natural body of water, supplies will run short. Trust me, it can be fast! And it’s usually a bit of a job going and collecting more. So, with this in mind, we've collated some recommendations that every caravan novice should keep in mind. Most off-grid caravanners will find a lot of this information intuitive, but if you're just getting started and still learning, this may be helpful!
Saving water when cleaning
*Make up a 1 litre spray bottle with 30ml dishwashing liquid and top with water. Wipe dirty plates with paper towel after use, then spray and wipe with spray bottle.
*Only wash dishes once a day
*Use disposable plates, cups etc. This can become costly though
*Instead of using lots of cups for drinking water, use drink bottles
*If you normally rinse your dishes before washing them, just use a tissue or paper towel and scrape them down first
*Use a bowl smaller than the sink and place inside the sink for washing dishes. You would be surprised how much water those little caravan sinks hold
*If you do have access to a natural water source, fill up a bucket and use a bit each time to wash dishes instead of your tank water
*Make the most of ‘one pan’ meals, these save a lot of time and water in cleaning pots and pans
*Wash fruit and vegetables at home before you leave
*Use paper towel and a spray wipe to clean up spills
*Use wipes to clean benches rather than wetting a cloth
Flushing the toilet: a couple of ways you can go about this
*Use one cup of shower water caught in a bucket to flush
*Fill a 1 litre spray bottle with one part vinegar and 9 parts water and use this to spray toilet bowl instead of holding flush button down
*Use any rinse water for flushing the toilet, providing it isn’t too dirty
Doing the laundry
*Have enough clothes on hand to last one week
*Do the laundry once a week
*If your trip is only for a few days, save washing clothes until you get home
*When using a washing machine, select the quickest cycle to avoid the machine filling with water more than once
*Only run the washing machine when you have a full load
Personal hygiene
*Learn the ‘Navy’ shower. When having a shower, turn the water on, wet yourself down and turn water off. Lather up with soap, then turn water back on to rinse off
*Collect all the wasted cold water into a bucket while waiting for the shower water to turn warm. Empty the bucket back into your water tank or use for washing dishes or hands etc
*Don’t shower every day
*Get yourself used to using dry shampoo if you normally wash your hair daily
*For long hair, wearing it up in a bun or ponytail can keep your hair a lot cleaner than having it dangle around every day
*Use a bucket to wash hands, then sanitise afterward
*Boil some water in a saucepan, add enough cold water to make luke warm water and use a flannel to wash your body instead of having a shower
*Every other day wipe over body with baby wipes
*If luck is on your side and you are close to a natural and relatively clean body of water, wash yourself in that instead of your on-board shower
*Use hand sanitiser instead of water to wash hands
*Wear a hat that covers your hair for any days that might be windy and dusty, minimising the need to wash your hair
*Use baby wipes to wash hands instead of water
*When brushing teeth, first use mouthwash to rinse mouth, then brush teeth with toothpaste, next swish mouth with water to rinse out toothpaste, then rinse of toothbrush
*If you have access to public amenities, use those rather than the ones you have onboard
*Check your set up for any water leaks
Where to get the water
*Use a pump and filter set up to collect from a natural water source, providing you have access and permission to do so
See how we pumped water from a local river while off grid camping
*Take a water bladder or water cans with you when you are travelling and fill up where water is available. Either grey water bladder or fresh water bladder will suit
*Use a rain saver system to collect any rainwater
*If you plan to stay at a caravan park here and there, save as many chores that require water until you pull into your site at the park, and be sure to fill your tanks before leaving if your next stop is off grid
Being off-grid does mean you will need to tweak a few things in your lifestyle, but it isn’t difficult to do. At the end of the day, changing these few things around a little will contribute to keeping you travelling longer. Keep in mind the choices you have, head back home to the daily grind, or live it up somewhere that makes you happy. I know what I choose…
Ever wondered if your budget allows for travelling full time? This expenses and income spreadsheet will help you to keep track of your costs and earnings by the month on your road trip.
A month per page calculator system with a year-to-date end page which will calculate every dollar you spend, all your income and give you a projected overview on your personal circumstances based on the figures you input. This will give you the best insight into your monthly income, monthly expenses and yearly cashflow overview.
What you will receive:
*A comprehensive 12 month budget calculator - simply input your income and your expenses and it will automatically calculate your figures
*Calculator for -
- Fuel expenses
- Accommodation expenses
- Grocery expenses
- Travel expenses
- Expenses at home
- Pet expenses
And more! It also allows you to enter various types of income while you're on the road including (but not limited to)
*Remote working
*Government benefits
*Casual work you may find along the way
*Savings
*Investments
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