Camping
Camping is one of the easiest ways to cut loose from technology. You can make this as simple as grabbing a pillow and sleeping back to sleep out under the stars on a nice night. Sure, you won’t be calling up the travel agent for travel insurance, but you can do this with no planning.

You can also make camping an excursion of epic proportions. You don’t need GPS and phones though. Work with travel guides to plan a weeklong trip through the heart of Alaska. Most likely your boss wouldn’t be calling you out there. Make sure you got some travel insurance though. You may find it just as much work getting into the heart of Alaska as it is getting across town in rush hour traffic.

Mountain climbing
Some people just want to push themselves. What better way than climbing a mountain. This one activity can be as simple as climbing a hill and enjoying the view. You can take it to the extreme and plan a trip to the top of Mount Everest.

No matter what way you go, you can easily leave the laptops and phones in the car. You might want a camera for all the splendid views you will be partaking though.

Backpacking
Time to load up a backpack and go for a walk. Considering you will have to lug all of your clothing, shelter, and food with you, you most likely will not want the added weight of electronics like a laptop. Backpacking is a great way to get outdoors for a day, weekend, week, month, or even longer. Pack some good walking boots with that travel insurance.

Considerations for no tech vacations
People sometimes get anxious over cutting the electronic umbilical cord. You can reduce this anxiousness by letting a few people know how to contact you in times of extreme emergencies. Maybe your trail guide will have a phone.

You should never do extreme vacations alone. If you are going to hike the Appalachian Trail by yourself, be sure people know all your checkpoints. They can have messages waiting for you. Even better, people will be able to know you are still alive.

If you really have to carry a phone, keep it turned off. Use of your phone should be limited to emergencies like leeches sucking blood from in between your toes. This will give you a way to contact help in an emergency. It will also give you a way to call your travel agent in the event you need to claim some of that travel insurance.

No technology vacations can be fun and enjoyable. You will be surprised at how much you really don’t need to keep in contact with work. People got by just fine years ago without all this constant connectedness. It is about time for you take time for yourself. Just be sure to keep that whole trip protected with a bit of travel insurance.

Photo via ewige

A flight from New York to Anchorage for an Alaskan cruise will emit 2,632 pounds of carbon dioxide per person, To put it into perspective, this is just under half of the emissions created by a small car in a year’s time. If you already calculate your carbon dioxide emissions, you know this one flight can totally offset all the good you do year-round.

Lighter Living

The travel industry is doing what it can to try to reduce the impact on the environment. There are linen reuse programs at hotels, for example, where you can choose to use the same towels or sheets for multiple days.  People are taking advantage of these opportunities, with around 90% of multi-day guests participating. That’s no small number, and shows just how today’s travelers are committed to having less of an environmental impact.

Packing lighter when you fly adds up, too. If you can pack everything you need into your carry-on, you’ll not only save the extra expense of checking a suitcase, but you’ll use less fuel for the plane. This makes even more of a difference as airplane manufacturers work to make more fuel efficient jets, too.

Using Less Energy

In most cases, it’s more environmentally friendly to use any other type of travel rather than air travel. If you can get the time off work, take an extra couple of days and drive to your destination. A bus or train is even a more conscientious way to travel. Unless you’re traveling alone by car, flying is still going to be the dirtiest way to travel.

Another way to use less energy is to make fewer trips, but ones that last longer. Take two weeks’ vacation at a time, rather than a week now and a week later. Once you get to your destination, don’t rent a car. Use public transportation, which can save you money and give you the opportunity to meet more locals.

Changing Habits

Like with most green initiatives, traveling green is in many ways all about changing habits. Get educated about what travel options you have, and then make the change. Just because you’ve always flown to Florida for spring break doesn’t mean you shouldn’t consider a bus this year, for example.