Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces

After you've done your planning, made your calls to find out rules and regulations and actually made your way to the trail, there are some specific things you can do to make sure you Leave No Trace as you travel.

To be clear, you can practice these principles in the front country as well as the back country. You can be a responsible car camper just as easily as a responsible trekker. The principles of LNT have no borders and can be practices abroad, in hostels, national parks, even in your own backyard. It's a mentality that we leave a place better than we found it...that's not a bad idea to get behind, right?

Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces

What is a "durable" surface?
     - Established trails and campsites
     - Rock
     - Gravel
     - Dry Grasses
     - Pine needles
     - Snow
(leafy vegetation, mosses and areas without a trail are NOT durable and should therefore be avoided)
* The idea here is that every step you make leaves a mark on the environment. Our footsteps can kill vegetation, destroy habitat, cause erosion and bisect previously untouched areas. We should look for ways to travel that will avoid these negative impacts and make it impossible for others to see where we've been.

I am durable 

Good campsites are found, not made
* While we were on our LNT trip, we disassembled numerous fire rings that had been built in previously pristine areas (the ones with all of the aluminum foil scraps were the worst!). Most wilderness areas will have established campsites and if they're available, you should use an area that's already been impacted than create a new impacted space. There's generally no reason to build new sites if you plan ahead but if you have to, find a site that offers the previously mentioned durable surfaces rather than meadow grasses.

 

I am NOT durable

Camp at least 200 feet away from water sources
* It can be terribly alluring to set up your tent on a riverbank but your presence will drive away wildlife as well as potentially contaminate waterways. It becomes extremely tempting to just wash that one dish in the lake or wash your hair in the creek (don't do either of these things by the way, even if you have biodegradable soaps). In addition, banks of waterways are fragile ecosystems and are easily eroded. As a short cut, 200 feet is about 70 adult steps. This is still quite close to the water you were hoping to enjoy but enough space to minimize your presence. In the event that a designated campsite has already been established by a park/nature area, it is better to use it than to create a new campsite but be particularly careful of your impact on the water.

 

A durable trail system

In Popular Areas:
- Make sure you use existing trails and campsites
- Walk in a single-file line and in the middle of the trail to reduce impact

     (Don't walk around muddy areas. Plan ahead, wear your boots and gaiters and plow right through them. If everyone walks around the mud hole, it creates a 10' trail where there need only be a 1' path.)

- Keep campsites small and concentrate your activity where impact already exists and where vegetation does not.

 

I am durable

In Pristine Areas:

- Disperse your group to avoid creating a trail.

     If everyone walks next to one another rather than single file, you will be able to look behind you and see no trace of your paths.

- Avoid places where impact is new

 

I am durable as sand but WAY too close to the water and therefore NOT durable 

In summary, let me acknowledge that choosing to be a steward of our wild places means committing to altering your experience. We all want to stay in the most beautiful places and experience the feeling of being the first one to see or touch a place, particularly as our wilderness areas become fewer and farther between. It's time we all commit to the greater good here in keeping those places wild so that we can enjoy them for a very long time. It will never ruin your experience to camp at an established site, just change it a bit. Take a hike to a pristine area rather than camping in one...it will be worth it in the long run.

Plan Ahead and Prepare

 I'm not reinventing the wheel here. Over the next week or so, I'm going to put up some information on how you...yes, YOU...can be an awesome back country steward. As you should know, if you've been following the last few posts, I recently returned from taking my Leave No Trace Master Educator course with NOLS and the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics. What would be the point of taking such a great course and learning so much, if I didn't share it?!

For more information please visit: www.lnt.org

All of the principles to follow are designed to equip all of us to be responsible outdoors men and women. We've all had at least one outdoor experience that could have been improved if the person before us had picked up their trash (I've found whole loaves of bread and entire onions left on stumps) or the ones at the campsite next door would quiet down. So, without further adieu, I give you:

Principle 1: Plan Ahead and Prepare

 I don't think I could argue that any one principle is more important that another but if you don't plan ahead, you could find yourself in a position to reduce the quality of an area, just because you didn't think to ask the questions.
 A few specific suggestions:

* Know the regulations and special concerns for the area you'll visit
     - On a raft trip, you can pee in the water. In the woods, you should use the soil rather than a stream. Many rules cannot be considered blanket rules. There are just too many variables. Call ahead and find out the rules for the area you'll be in. Not only will you be taking better care of our wild lands but you might save yourself a ticket too.

* Prepare for extreme weather, hazards and emergencies

     - As my mother said, "It's better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it." An example here might be the forethought to pack your trowel (or lady supplies) for a day hike so you don't just poop...or worse... randomly in the woods (EW. seriously, people- don't do this. Bury it). Also, having good gear really can reduce our impact on the environment. Think camp stove vs camp fire- a huge difference in impact.

* Schedule your trip to avoid times of high use
     -Give areas a chance to recover from high use seasons rather than contributing to beating them into oblivion. It'll be better anyway when you don't see anyone for days.

* Visit in small groups. Split larger parties into groups of 4-6

     - Some places, like the Boundary Waters, require this. Others don't but it's still a good practice. Again, this avoids too much use on an area at one time. It's also (in my opinion) a better way to get to know you hiking companions when the group is small. You can plan to meet up for meals or breaks as you backpack but walk in smaller groups. You will also give yourself a better shot at seeing wildlife without so much chatting (right, chicks?). ha. Here's a pic of our small hiking group in the Flat Tops.

* Repackage food to minimize waste
     - Ditch the cardboard and bulk bags. Carefully measure out how much food you need for your trip and repackage it into 1-2 lb portions. It's easier to divide weight this way. Repackaging means less weight to carry and less mess (we've all seen wet cardboard...it's tempting to ditch it...get rid of it in advance instead)

* Use a map and compass to eliminate the use of rock cairns, flagging, or marking paint
     - Again, this is called Leave NO Trace. Even marking your path with sticks is altering an area and it's better to leave what you find, the way you find it. More on that later.