Low Impact Camping
HOW LOW ARE YOU?
It is no secret that the environment needs some pretty significant TLC. Right?
Visitors to our parks and wildlands have a much greater respect today for the fragility of trails, water and wildlife than ever before. But, on the other hand, there are also significantly more visitors than ever before.
Every visitor - camper, hiker or paddler alike - share the responsibility of helping to protect our parks. Part of the answer is to adopt low impact practices whenever you can.
Low impact camping doesn't mean tiptoeing through the forest and not bathing
for weeks and weeks. It does, however, involve treading lightly, showing respect for both the surroundings
and your fellow enthusiasts, and most important, using common sense.
Try out this short quiz to get an idea about how how well you might
do:
QUESTION: You come upon an idyllic meadow after hours of hiking through the woods. You
should make camp:
- In the middle of the meadow, where the open space will prevent you from damaging
trees.
- Well into the trees on the meadow's edge.
- Wherever the ground looks softest.
- Close to the nearest trail, to avoid beating any new, unnecessary paths.
ANSWER: b. The natural litter of the forest floor can withstand much more than the
fragile vegetation of meadows and tundra. And besides, the considerate thing is to stay
out of the picture: Others don't want to see or hear you.
QUESTION: You settle and make camp. Fortunately, your tent is:
- Brightly colored in case a lost hiker needs help.
- Blue, to blunt the fury of the sun.
- An earth tone, to blend subtly into the surrounding.
- Rainbow-colored in festive celebration of the great outdoors.
ANSWER: c. Again, it's best to blend in with the surroundings and stick out as little as possible.
QUESTION: You're hiking after recent rains and encounter a gooey mud bog across the
trail. The wise thing would be to:
- Sit down, eat a banana, and wait for the mud to harden.
- Edge around it, walking gingerly to avoid breaking branches or stepping on exposed
roots.
- Plow right through it.
- Look for an established shortcut through the woods.
ANSWER: c. What are you, a wimp? If you don't want to get dirty, wear gaiters, but you
should stay on the trail to avoid damaging vegetation and root systems. If you answered
b., give yourself points--at least you were looking out for the flora.
QUESTION: It's time to cook dinner, and your chosen campsite has an existing fire ring,
about five feet in diameter and surrounded with large stones. You should:
- Build a fire there to keep from scarring another area.
- Dismantle the ring by scattering the stones, pulverizing the used charcoal, and
sprinkling it about the campsite, and then use your camp stove.
- Fill the ring with hot coals and indulge in a soul-cleansing fire walk.
- Ignore the ring completely and use your camp stove.
ANSWER: b. Use a camp stove whenever possible, and dismantle any fire rings that you
come across. Build a fire only when absolutely necessary--i.e., when you run out of fuel
or if your stove malfunctions--and only if the area you're in allows it (be sure to stop
by the ranger station to check regulations and permit requirements before heading out).
Give yourself points for a., but only if you clean up the ring when you finish. Properly,
a fire should be built in a small hole that extends through the layers of leaves and duff
to the mineral soil. When you're done, plug the hole and carefully replace any vegetation.
QUESTION: When collecting firewood, always:
- Grab enough to leave a courtesy pile for the next group.
- Gather inside the boundaries of your camp.
- Gather outside the boundaries of your camp.
- Choose logs at least half a foot thick.
ANSWER: c. Collect wood across a broad area so you don't deplete the resource in any
one spot. Gather pieces smaller than two inches in diameter, and never collect more than
you need.
QUESTION: You've just scarfed an orange and are left with the peel. You should:
- Pack it out.
- Toss it--since it's biodegradable--but do so well away from the trail.
- Shave it into thin strips and sprinkle them over salads.
- Burn it.
ANSWER: a. As a rule, pack out everything. Despite their biodegradability, peels are
still an eyesore for others. Give yourself points for d., although burning leftovers
completely requires high heat and generally wastes fuel.
QUESTION: When nature calls, you and your fellow campmates should:
- Hold it until you get to a ranger station.
- Dig individual cat holes, six inches wide and eight inches deep, and fill when done.
- Dig a latrine at least three feet deep and fill it when you break camp.
- Dig a trench one foot wide and 14 inches deep and cover as you go.
ANSWER: b. Digging a deep latrine can retard the bacterial breakdown process. If you
picked d., give yourself points. This approach is appropriate for large groups camping in
one spot for a long period. Packing out all solid waste is always appropriate, and
management agencies at high-use rivers, rocky or snow-covered areas usually require this process.
QUESTION: You get stuck doing the dishes after a meal. Remember to:
- Use natural debris like pinecones, sand, or gravel to scour with.
- Use a dishwashing detergent that's free of phosphates.
- Use scouring pads without chemical additives.
- Leave them out for raccoons to lick clean.
ANSWER: a. This and a little hot water should do the trick. Even plain pads can become
breeding grounds for bacteria. Despite the "no soap" policy of some experts,
give yourself points for b., but use only a tiny bit. The same rules hold for bathing, and
remember that all cleansing (and camping, for that matter) should take place at least 200
feet (about 70 adult steps) from your water source.
QUESTION: You've finished the dishes and have a quart of messy dishwater in your pot.
Be prepared to:
- Dump it on the forest floor, where decomposing duff will filter it.
- Pour it through a strainer and then sprinkle it over a broad area.
- Drench obnoxious camp neighbors.
- Drink it.
ANSWER: b. The goal is to minimize your impact. Although some hard-core types advocate
consuming such swill, if you answered d., deduct points for choosing extremist dogma over
common sense. (See Camp Hygiene Advice)
SUGGESTED READING:
- Walking Softly in the Wilderness
WALKING / HIKING
Select footwear that is appropriate for comfort, safety, and the terrain. Heavy, lug-soled
boots have an adverse impact on fragile terrain, so stay on the trail, and use light
footwear in camp. On rest breaks, select a hardened area to absorb your impact. Use
established trails when possible. Cutting switchbacks will trample vegetation and lead to
erosion. Impact is not always visible until the following year when plant life doesn't
come back. When traveling cross country, select rocky ground or forested areas where your
tracks will not be seen. Large groups should spread out to avoid creating a trail.
CAMP SITES
Locate your site at least 100 feet away from natural water sources. Select a level area
with adequate water runoff, and use plastic under your tent to stay dry without ditching.
Select an area that is inconspicuous and has already been used. This will confine your
impact to places that already show use, eliminate further expansion of the camp, and
preserve the atmosphere of solitude, even in popular areas.
FOOD
20% of your average groceries is packaging, so buy food in bulk and repack using ziplock
bags. (Freezer ziplocks will last through many trips.) Beware of convenience packaging
like tea bags, juice boxes etc. Carry out uneaten food. Do not bury it since wild animals
will inevitably sniff it out and dig it up.
SANITATION
Use established latrines if they are provided. Toilet paper may either be burned, in areas
where the fire hazard is low, or packed out in a zipper baggy depending on local
requirements. If you pack it out, toss in a tiny piece of ammonia-soaked sponge to kill
bacteria and odor.
LAND MANAGEMENT
Land managers have established rules and regulations governing group size, fires, cans and
bottles, mechanized vehicles, and basic conduct to help protect the land and the quality
of experience for users. Please follow their guidelines.
WATER
Do everything you can to protect water sources from contamination. Even when
biodegradable, soap is a stress on the environment so keep it away from water sources.
Boil, chemically treat, or filter your drinking water any time you are not sure of water
purity. Consider most backcountry water to be potentially contaminated even though it
appears clean and may be running rapidly.
FIRE
Best is no campfire, but if you must have one (and it's allowed), keep it small, and make
sure ashes are cold to the touch when you leave. Collect only dead wood, up to as big as
your arm in circumference. Leave axes at home. When using a stove, try not to spill fuel.
Clear the ground of duff to avoid wildfires. Smoke only where it is safe; around a fire or
in a cleared area. Make sure your ashes are cool, then scatter them. Carry out all your
cigarette filters.
GARBAGE
Carry it out! Scour your campsite thoroughly before you leave because even the smallest
bit of human debris adds up. Pick up litter as you encounter it. If local land managers
give you the go-ahead, consider cleaning up a trashy area and caching the garbage for
later removal by a ranger.
RULES OF THE TRAIL:
- Carry out all garbage.
- Hike on marked trails, not across fragile alpine growth.
- Use existing campsites or sites away from water and trails.
- Respect and protect the wilderness.
- Tread lightly and only carry home photographs and memories.
