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The weather is beautiful—it’s time to get outside. You’ve got your hiking boots, windbreaker, and even a neat new firepit, but do you have a camping trash can? Recreating responsibly means leaving no trace when you head back to civilization, so it’s important to plan how you’ll pack out any waste you generate during your outing.
“Everything you bring into the outdoors—even your bootprints—leaves an impact,” Maggie Peikon, manager of communications at the American Hiking Society, tells SELF. “Waste, in particular, can cause serious harm. Tossing food scraps, pouring out drinks, or leaving behind non-biodegradable trash introduces foreign and potentially dangerous substances into the soil, water, and wildlife habitats.”
Luckily, there’s a plethora of packable trash containers to add to your gear collection, including ones designed to prevent bear break-ins and to mask odors. Check out our top picks below, then read on for more expert tips on managing your waste in the great outdoors.
Our top picks
Onwrd Trasher Trash Can, $65Sea to Summit Trash Dry Sack, $40Bearvault BV500 Journey Bear Canister, $84Smelly Proof Heavy Duty Reusable Stand-Up Ziplock Bags (5-Pack), $13Best camping trash cans
A more structured trash can, one that you don’t have to worry about carrying around with you, is a good pick if you’ll be staying at one campsite or camping out of your car. Look for one with some type of closure, Heather Kubiszewski, REI product specialist with REI Co-Op’s digital team, tells SELF: “That way, if it does get breezy, you’re not chasing down loose debris.” Plus, there’s less of a chance of birds and small critters getting into it.
Camp Chef’s collapsible trash can is a large capacity option that works as well for picnics as for casual camping trips. One SELF tester loved how lightweight it felt, noting it was impressively straightforward to use: “Sometimes these things require you to really wrestle with them to collapse and latch, but it does so pretty easily. It’s made of a tarp-like material that feels pretty durable and the lid zippers, which is nice to contain smells.”
Camp Chef
Collapsible Camp Trash Can
For additional security on car camping trips, you can use a receptacle that attaches directly to your car. This type of trash bin is less likely to blow over in the wind or get overlooked when you’re packing up to leave (just remember to close and unmount it before you drive off). Kubiszewski likes Kelty’s Trash Pak, which is water- and UV-resistant and spacious enough for a weekend’s worth of trash. She also recommends Onwrd’s 13-liter Trasher Trash Can, a leakproof container with a magnetic lid that’s designed to mount easily to most vehicles. If you do have access to a car while camping, Peikon says to store your trash inside your car when it’s not in use.
Pro tip, no matter what garbage can you use: Make sure there’s room in your car for it when it’s full, Kubiszewski says.
Best camping trash bags
If you’re short on space or need a way to keep your trash on you, Peikon likes dry bags for their lightweight and packable design. Kubiszewski recommends the following models from Sea to Summit and Kelty. Unlike a regular old garbage bag, these are leakproof and durable (and thus much harder for a squirrel to rip into, if given the chance).
Sea to Summit
Trash Dry Sack
Sea to Summit’s Trash Dry Sack is especially useful for hiking: Its exterior daisy chain makes it easy to clip onto the outside of your pack, and it weighs less than four ounces. The brand recommends lining the sack with a traditional trash bag for easier mess management—there’s one included with the sack, but it’s never a bad idea to pack extras.
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