LNT Fifth Principle: Minimize Campfire Impacts

In recent decades, the number and size of wildfires has been steadily increasing. While several factors can start a fire, you can avoid becoming one of those factors by following the fifth principle of LNT: minimize campfire impacts. Not only can you avoid starting a wildfire, but you can also protect the environment from impact and invasive species.

The first thing you think of is preventing wildfires.

It's hard not to with this principle with all the recent major wildfires. So we'll start here.

The first thing you need to consider is, should you even build a fire? Check the fire risk before you head out and find out if there are any burn bans. You might be able to get by with just a camp stove as a safer option.

When building a fire, try to use an existing fire ring. Mound fires or fire pans are also options for containing your fire. Burn everything to white ash, soak with water, and scatter. Feel the ashes to make sure they're cool before you leave them; on many hiking forums I see multiple pictures each year from people who discovered smoldering ashes left behind and had to scramble to put them out before a large fire started.

This principle is about more than fire prevention.

Remember, LNT is all about minimizing our impact overall, so we have a few other things to consider.

If you're in the backcountry, make sure you aren't building your fire over delicate flora. Harvest firewood in a dispersed manner to minimize your impact, and if you're in a high alpine or a desert environment be mindful if there's sustainable firewood available for harvest. Once your fire is out completely, disperse your impact so the next person wandering through won't be able to tell there was ever a fire there. If there are established fire rings, use them instead of building your own.

Don't move firewood.

Many states have laws that prevent bringing firewood across state lines. This is to prevent the spread of invasive species that might be hitching a ride in the firewood. A pest that would likely be limited to a small area can travel hundreds of miles via firewood, causing a fresh outbreak.

If you buy sealed firewood with a USDA APHIS heat treatment seal, you're generally good to transport it as long as it stays sealed until you get to your destination (important note: this is not the same as a "kiln-dried" label). Otherwise, look to either forage your own or purchase firewood locally, preferably within 10 miles of your intended campfire when possible.

LNT Fourth Principle: Leave what you find

Every year, the headquarters of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is flooded with mail containing sand, rocks, and other artifacts tourists collected from the park. The volcanic rocks are interesting and tempting to take, but according to the mythology of "Pele's Curse", bad luck will befall anyone who removes objects from the island. Hapless tourists have been hit with strings of bad luck after chancing removing a rock, and many try to break the curse by returning what they took via the US mail system.

Not every place has a curse, but it's important to always keep in mind Leave No Trace's fourth principle: Leave what you find. The scope of this principle is interesting and isn't exactly what you think, so let's take a closer look.

What are we finding and leaving?

There is a certain about of judgement we need to use with this principle. What we want to do is leave the natural environment more or less how we found it. This means no digging trenches around tent sites, no hammering nails into trees to hang your hammock, no picking delicate trillium flowers, etc.

However, it also means we need to leave some impacts. A fire ring at a dispersed campsite is not a natural phenomenon, but if we dismantle it, it will just be rebuilt, so it's better to use it and leave it. Cairns should not be randomly built just for the glee of it, but we also should be leaving pre-established trailmarker cairns so other hikers can locate and stay on the trail.

Cultural artifacts also should be left alone. The Archaeological Resources and Protection Act protect these artifacts and removing items like pot shards or arrowheads is actually illegal. Plus, if you take them then other visitors won't be able to enjoy them.

We don't want to add anything either.

I was recently in Lave River Cave near Bend, OR, and I had to plan my outfit carefully to avoid introducing a fungus that causes White-Noise Syndrome to the local bat population. Everything I wore into that cave could not have been used in another cave, and now I can never take that gear into a different cave again, as the fungus has a 100% mortality rate.

Part of leaving the environment the way you found it means not introducing any invasive species or pests. Make sure you regularly clean your hiking boots to avoid spreading seeds, be very aware of caves and what gear you're bringing into which cave, and don't move firewood beyond local regions are all methods to avoid adding unwanted contaminants to wild areas.

Exploring a cave, but being mindful of the health of the bats while doing it

Are we really not allowed to take anything at all?

"But what about people who forage for berries?" you might be protesting. "What about the mushroomers?" Be cool, man. There are cases where we can forage on public lands. These include foraging for berries, mushrooms, rockhounding, and even firewood or Christmas trees. Typically, it's illegal in national parks and wilderness areas but allowed on BLM or national forest lands. Often, there are foraging limits and/or special permits needed, so check with the land manager before you head out.

The most important thing is to consider the impact you are having, and make sure that while foraging you are minimizing your impact and only taking what you need. Will you have to trample delicate alpine grasses to get to that huckleberry patch, or is there another more accessible patch you can forage from with less impact? Foraging is fine as long as you're responsible and conscientious about it!

LNT Third Principle: Dispose of Waste Properly

Don't litter. Pack it in, pack it out. Take only pictures and leave only footprints. That's probably the first thing people think of when they consider "Leave No Trace." We're taught before we even start school that littering is wrong, and how to use a trash can. However, some people still seem to struggle with this concept. I often pick up at least one piece of waste each time I head out. When I went to Boulder Cave, it was mere days after opening and I ran into trash everywhere...I packed out a whole bag and could have packed out more if I had room.

Pack it in smart to pack it all out

The best way to avoid littering is to avoid bringing in waste to begin with. Look at your food packaging. Is there a way you can reduce it? The less you load your pack with, the less you have to pack out.

We live in a world of water bladders and collapsible water bottles, so consider those options instead of a disposable plastic bottle. Also, consider having a dedicated space in your pack for waste. I try to compress all my trash together to both save space in my pack and to make it easier to clean out later.

If you get to the trailhead and the trash is full? You get to pack it all the way home! Don't cram your junk in an overstuffed trailhead trash bin. This should be common sense, but it's a problem I see all the time. Just take it home and throw it in your own trash bin. Or hit up a rest stop on the way and chuck it in their bin, whatever. Just make sure it ends up securely in the trash and off the trails.

Let's talk about dog poop

I've written about this before, but it serves a brief mention again. Pick up after your dog. Dog poop doesn't decompose the same as wildlife scat, so it needs to come out with you. On a recent hike on Cowiche Mountain, I noticed several piles of hard, dried dog poop trailside that definitely wasn't decomposing quickly. So make a plan to pack it out. I have a dedicated outer pocket on my pack for used dog bags.

Also, can we please stop with the bagging of dog poop and leaving it behind? You're just adding dog feces and plastic litter. It's worse than not bagging it up at all. I don't understand why people do this, and it needs to stop.

Let's talk about human poop

"Dispose of Waste Properly" means all waste, not just bits of paper and plastic litter, so let's talk about it. I've been fortunate enough to not encounter used TP and human feces trailside, but it seems to be a common issue in some areas based on the complaints I read in various hiking forums, so we need to learn how to shit in the woods (that link leads to some suggested reading).

Typically, you can dig a cathole and bury your shit. You'll want to find a space 200' from any water source, and 100' off the trail, and you'll want to dig your hole at least 6 inches deep. Make sure you also stay away from any poisonous plants...you should be staying away anyway but when exposed ass is at stake you want to be extra careful!

You can bury your shit, but you must pack out the TP! Same goes for tampons. A ziplock bag will do; you can double it up for extra peace of mind.

If you're on snow, rocks, in a narrow river canyon, etc., then you'll need to pack your shit out too. Most ranger stations for alpine areas offer "blue bags" to pack it out. You can find "wag" bag systems with absorbent gelling powder to help with sanitation, and it's usually a double-bag set-up. When done properly, you should be able to pack it out without contaminating the rest of your pack.

Whatever you do, don't just leave your shit lying around. No one wants to see your shit. Figure your shit out.

LNT Second Principle: Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces

Do you know what's under your feet? It might be more fragile than you think. In alpine meadows, tiny grasses and plants are prone to trampling and can take a long time to heal. In desert environments, cryptobiotic crust aka "living soil" is crucial for containing moisture and is easily damaged by boot prints. Paying attention to what you're hiking or camping on is important to protect maintained trails and the surrounding environment.

What's a durable surface?

Generally, you want to stay on the maintained trail. Trails are designed with the environment in mind including drainage, local flora and fauna, and erosion. Cutting a switchback can lead to erosion and damage not only the environment but the trail itself. Heading into a seasonally closed trail can disturb the wildlife. Stick to open listed trails as much as possible.

When camping, look for surfaces with dirt, rocks, sand, gravel, or snow. Avoid crushing flora, especially in sensitive alpine regions. Most areas prohibit camping near water as human presence can cut off wildlife from their water source, so you want to stay at least 100' away from lakes and streams (LNT.org suggests 200' is even better). If you can use an established backcountry campsite, even better as this is already impacted so you aren't really exacerbating anything.

When you can't avoid vegetation when camping in a pristine site, make sure you try and "fluff" it back when you're all done. Your campsite should look as it did before your arrived; no one should be able to tell you were there!

Car-camping at a developed campground is always a safe bet

What are the exceptions?

Sometimes, you just have to leave the trail, such as when nature calls. When this happens, try to disperse your impact. If you see an area where impacts are forming, avoid it. Walk on solid ground as much as possible, and try to find the path of least impact.

When might you need to head off-trail?

• To find privacy to relieve yourself
• To forage for firewood or camping resources
• To go hunting

If you're with a group, spread out to minimize and disperse your impact in the area.

What are not exceptions?

Come on, don't do it for the 'Gram. Unless you're really, really far in the backcountry, consider what impact that pic is going to have. If everyone else crowds in and takes the same off-trail path, it's going to become eroded and damaged. Promote good trail stewardship on IG and other social media. Let's use some common sense here, please?

LNT First Principle: Plan Ahead & Prepare

On September 2nd, 2017, a group of boys playing with fireworks started a fire near Eagle Creek in Oregon along a popular hiking trail. Cut off from the trailhead, 153 hikers found themselves trapped. Most of these hikers were visiting a popular swimming hole at the popular Punchbowl Falls, and many were equipped with little more than flip-flops and swimsuits. They were forced 6 miles upstream where they had to camp on bare ground, huddling together for warmth. Forest Service rangers reached them with  limited emergency supplies and in the morning led them several more miles the next day to safety.

The Eagle Creek Fire scenario is a fortunately unlikely occurrence, but it highlights how things can go terribly wrong even on a seemingly easy and simple hike, and how it pays to be prepared. The hikers were lucky they were able to stay together and all of them got out without serious injury, but it could have ended much worse.

The first principle of Leave No Trace is to Plan Ahead and Prepare.

What does Plan Ahead mean?

Know where you're going, and what regulations are in place. Find out who the land manager(s) are for where your are hiking and understand the rules before you go.

Questions you should be asking (not a complete list):

• Do I need any permits for my car or person?
• Is this a wilderness area?
• (For dog owners) Is my dog allowed?
• What is the weather forecast?
• Is it a hunting area and are there hunting seasons I need to know about?
• Is this trail going to be completely packed and busy when I plan to go?

What does Prepare mean?

If you head out unprepared or underprepared, you are risking not only your own safety but the safety of the Search & Rescue folks who would have to go out and save your butt.

The first thing you should do is tell someone where you are going, when you plan to return, and who to contact if you don't check-in at the pre-appointed time. I'm a solo-hiker, so I always tell someone where I'm going. Often, the location is meaningless to them, but at least they know which ranger station to call and forward my info to in case of emergency, and that info will mean something to the right people should the need arise.

There are multiple lists of "The 10 Essentials", "The 11 Essentials", etc. What you need to pack depends on what sort of hike you are planning on. When choosing what to pack, I always think "what is the worst case scenario that could happen to me?" Usually that's eaten by a bear, so then I think "what's the second worst case scenario?" That often involves getting lost or injured, so I like to pack enough I could overnight at least a night in an emergency. If I'm going into an area where there's lots of people I'm not as concerned, but if I think I might be the only hiker out there I want to have enough to survive for 48 hours. What that looks like will vary depending on where I'm hiking.

Instead of 10 essentials, when packing I like to think food, water, shelter, first aid, and navigation/signalling.

• Food isn't just my lunch I'm packing; it's granola bars and jerky that are extra in case I need them. (I also have a compact "survival pack" with a fishing hook and line, but I doubt I'm skilled enough to successfully catch anything...hopefully I never have to find out). 
• Water is dependent on where I'm hiking; if I know I'll have lots of opportunities for refills I won't pack as much. Water purification tablets are good for refills, and I also pack a Lifestraw just in case. The general rule is 2 cups of water for every hour of hiking, but it's good to pack extra if you can afford the weight just in case.
• Shelter for me is extra clothing, rain gear, and overnight survival. I have emergency ponchos and those silver emergency blankets in my pack along with any extra jackets or layers I deem appropriate as necessary. Hats, sunscreen, bug spray, and other protections from the environment I clump in this category.
• First aid is a first aid kit with gauze, bandaids, tweezers, and other little essentials. You never plan on getting hurt, but one misstep and a tumble can cut you up or worse. 
• Navigation/signalling are for finding your way and helping others find you. GPS is nice, but having a map and compass are a good backup for when batteries die. A flashlight (and batteries!) is essential for night travel. Whistles and hi-vis gear will help you be found (a whistle can carry farther than your voice).  A fire-starter of some sort is also helpful, whether it be a lighter or waterproof matches (I've tried to get my sparker to go, but have yet to successfully get a fire going on a test run...if you have that skill then kudos to you).
• The other miscellaneous things I pack are a multi-tool and a knife, because they're lightweight and you just never know when you might need them. (Just a few weeks ago I packed a sandwich with particularly difficulty packaging and required the multitool to get it open.)

Preparing for car camping trip...getting my essentials together!

Exceptions to the rule

No, there are no exceptions to this principle. Be prepared. Safety should always be you number one priority! No exceptions!

Leave No Trace - The 7 Principles

So last year I made a pledge to myself to do more to promote "Leave No Trace" principles in my social media posts. Considering I haven't updated this blog in over a year...yeah I kind of fell off the wagon. My life spiraled into a bi of chaos, a bit of laziness, and I just haven't been writing. I'm going to try and fix that.

"Pic for attention" LOL

I've still been hiking, but I've been having difficulty motivating myself to actually write any trip reports or guides, so I'm going to take a dive instead into Leave No Trace principles. Some stuff is research backed and I'll cite my sources, some of it is my opinion, but I'm going to look at each of the seven principles over the next few posts.

What are they, anyway?

According to the Center for Outdoor Ethics, there are seven LNT principles:

• Plan ahead and prepare
• Travel and camp on durable surfaces
• Dispose of waste properly
• Leave what you find
• Minimize campfire impacts
• Respect wildlife
• Be considerate of other visitors

They're pretty straightforward, and can typically be summed as "use common sense" and "don't be a dick", but in my hiking forums there's a lot of contentious points about some of the LNT principles, especially that last one. You would think that basic principles to help balance preservation with recreation would not cause such an issue, but the various Facebook groups I am in would beg to differ. Those poor admins have locked commenting on countless threads over petty stuff.

So here we go. Over the next few weeks, look ahead as I dive deeper into each one and outline what I believe is acceptable behavior, what is definitely not, and how you can be a good outdoor steward while still getting that awesome Instagram shot. Let's dive down this rabbit hole (but not literally, as we want to respect the wildlife).

PS: I do plan to eventually get back to hiking guides. My life is still a crazy tumultuous tumbleweed right now. I'm using that stress to get these posts churned out, but the light at the end of the tunnel is clearly a glowing neon sign reading "Burnout" so bear with me if I go silent again while I try to bring order to the chaos.