Leave-no-trace camping is an increasingly popular, and necessary, approach to travel in wilderness areas.
As the term suggests, the goal is for the camper to have as little
impact as possible on the location they are visiting. One of its
mottos is "Take nothing but pictures. Leave nothing but footprints."
The principles of "Leave No Trace" were developed in response to
concerns that the increasing number of human visitors to previously
uninhabited (or lightly inhabited) wilderness areas would destroy the
very characteristics that make them attractive, and irreparably harm
native species. While each individual visitor might have an
insignificant impact, the cumulative effect of thousands, and even
millions of visitors to a site over the years would be profound.
Rather than removing humanity altogether from these environments,
leave-no-trace camping seeks to minimize the changes we make just by
visiting. It's also a courtesy to the people who'll be visiting the
same place the next day, or the next year, giving them a chance to
experience the area the same way you did.
Here's a great list of 29 Leave No Trace principles to keep in mind.
Because I do so much backcountry camping, and like to go cross-country (where there are no established trails) the approach is almost the opposite. Rather than trying to concentrate your impact (such as on a single trail) the idea is to disperse it as much as possible. Try to avoid following trails others have left, because that tends to make them larger and more damaging. Several people walking single-file etches your shared trail more deeply, but each member of your party can instead tread more lightly on their own path. Walk on the most durable ground you can: rock instead of dirt, dead grasses instead of live plants, dry soil instead of muddy.
Once you start practicing Leave No Trace, you'll wonder why it took you so long to get the hang of it. Wilderness is a rare and precious thing, and it's up to us to be its stewards. Unfortunately, many people are still clueless about these principles. So why not help out and take it a step further?
Negative Trace is about actually removing trash or undoing damage that others have caused. It can be as easy as bending over and picking up a stray trail bar wrapper. Some people also refer to this ethic as "Erase The Trace". Those of us that get so much enjoyment from spending time in nature should take time to give back. Land managers are often short on trail maintainers and wilderness rangers, so why not help maintain your favorite areas? A little preventative maintenance can make a big difference.
The principles of "Leave No Trace" were developed in response to
concerns that the increasing number of human visitors to previously
uninhabited (or lightly inhabited) wilderness areas would destroy the
very characteristics that make them attractive, and irreparably harm
native species. While each individual visitor might have an
insignificant impact, the cumulative effect of thousands, and even
millions of visitors to a site over the years would be profound.
Rather than removing humanity altogether from these environments,
leave-no-trace camping seeks to minimize the changes we make just by
visiting. It's also a courtesy to the people who'll be visiting the
same place the next day, or the next year, giving them a chance to
experience the area the same way you did. Here's a great list of 29 Leave No Trace principles to keep in mind.
Because I do so much backcountry camping, and like to go cross-country (where there are no established trails) the approach is almost the opposite. Rather than trying to concentrate your impact (such as on a single trail) the idea is to disperse it as much as possible. Try to avoid following trails others have left, because that tends to make them larger and more damaging. Several people walking single-file etches your shared trail more deeply, but each member of your party can instead tread more lightly on their own path. Walk on the most durable ground you can: rock instead of dirt, dead grasses instead of live plants, dry soil instead of muddy.
Once you start practicing Leave No Trace, you'll wonder why it took you so long to get the hang of it. Wilderness is a rare and precious thing, and it's up to us to be its stewards. Unfortunately, many people are still clueless about these principles. So why not help out and take it a step further?
Negative Trace is about actually removing trash or undoing damage that others have caused. It can be as easy as bending over and picking up a stray trail bar wrapper. Some people also refer to this ethic as "Erase The Trace". Those of us that get so much enjoyment from spending time in nature should take time to give back. Land managers are often short on trail maintainers and wilderness rangers, so why not help maintain your favorite areas? A little preventative maintenance can make a big difference.
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