Leave No Trace: How Can We Apply It?

We have all heard it before Pack in – Pack out (PIPO) or Leave No Trace (LNT), but what does it really mean?

What I feel is a common misconception, is that these rules do NOT only apply to camping, or backpacking. If you ever have, or plan to spend time in the great outdoors (or, anywhere for that matter), you can use these methods to help make our world a cleaner better place.

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So let’s start with the basics…

What does PIPO: Pack in – Pack out or LNT: Leave No Trace mean?

It really isn’t any harder than it sounds. If you go somewhere for any activity, when you leave, there should be no evidence that you made your visit. Except for maybe some footprints left behind from your favorite pair of boots.

Far too often have I been hiking through primitive trails, spending the night at off-grid campsites, or even participating in outdoor recreation at a local/state park, and the beauty of it all is interrupted by someone’s litter. I’m sure you have had a similar experience yourself.

Imagine this…

You see pictures in your favorite magazine or on your television, and this beautiful place you are staring at, it really tickles your neuro receptors. So what do you do next? Plan your trip, obviously. Whether you make it a weekend excursion, or a full-blown vacation doesn’t matter, what matters is the experience.

You did it! You found that this place hits you in a different way. It means something to you for making it here, but you wouldn’t really be able bring it to words if someone were to ask. Be it a city, historic structures, or a National Park, you are now seeing it with your naked eye.

But what is different? Something is off. Well, that photo you saw, it did a fantastic job at avoiding or editing out the litter left behind. Pretty upsetting, huh?

I can’t even begin to count the amount of times I have been traveling and came across a bucket-list location, only to be disappointed by how it appears to have been treated.

Trash left behind. Vandalism. Evidence of visitation.

is that a pile of poo? I hope it’s an animal’s…

We aren’t all perfect, sometimes things happen. But a conscious effort goes a long way.

For me, leave no trace is something I think about pretty often. And really, I don’t find it to be inhibiting, or even something I have to go out of my way to achieve. It’s actually quite simple. I normally carry around my backpack with my daily needs (snacks, water, electronics, etc), there is no reason for me to come back with anything less (of course minus the water I drank and the food I inhaled) than what I left with.

After so long, it just becomes second nature. Doesn’t even alter the experience in any way.

Most of us think about trash when we hear “leave no trace”. That is a fantastic starting point, and something I genuinely believe we can each improve upon with each passing experience. But, leave no trace is not just about trash. It’s about having respect for the shared space, and the others occupying that shared space. Animals included.

The Leave No Trace Seven Principles:

(© 1999 by the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics: www.LNT.org )

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1. Plan Ahead & Prepare

2. Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces

3. Dispose of Waste Properly

4. Minimize Campfire Impacts

5. Leave What You Find

6. Respect Wildlife

7. Be Considerate of Other Visitors

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For someone who spends a lot of time in the outdoors, these may seem like a no-brainer. But even after countless years of outdoor recreation and travel, I find a nice refresher from reviewing these principles, and reevaluating my time spent.

As I said in the beginning of this post, leave no trace does not only apply to camping and backpacking. Even from home, we can make small changes, and put forth efforts to reduce human impact. Eliminate single-use plastics, recycle, reuse what you can. Are you getting the bigger picture? Ever think about food waste?

Take the steps outlined below, and fit them into your lifestyle. We aren’t all the same people, with the same interests. So I know these won’t directly apply to EVERYONE’S way of life. But I’d be willing to bet that all 7 principles can shed some light on your impact in one way or another. Use that knowledge to reduce that impact and leave no trace.

Plan Ahead and Prepare

This isn’t just about picking the right time of year, or choosing what trail you are about to hike. Planning ahead and preparing is giving all scenarios a thought, so no irrational decisions are made in a stressful situation.

Believe me, I am huge fan on spontaneity. I love being spontaneous. Planning ahead and preparing does not have to be some giant undertaking. Just use your noodle. We only ask that you leave no trace, not map out mission impossible.

This includes gaining some background about your destination. Weather, regulations, and preparing what you may need for the experience ahead (food, water, etc). A little preparation goes a long way. And believe me, as much as I am a believer that unexpected weather can really make the story that much better, extreme weather can also really break that story; so peep the weather. It’s a gamechanger. There are more sensitive times for things like this, so do your research beforehand!

As for regulations, nothing stinks more than coming back from an epic backpacking trip over a long weekend, to find a ticket on your windshield for not having proper permits. This goes for all activities. Might as well pay the minimal fees up front and take a look at area the regulations, instead of going through the trouble of dealing with tickets, or sometimes worse.

And finally, pack preparation. This can be the all inclusive one. You need the right gear, the right comfort, and whatever else you deem necessary. Just be sure have it ready, and have it organized. No one wants to be fiddling around opening packages, emptying out your entire pack looking for a memory card, or having to deal with multiple food packages. It’s simple, stay organized. Prepare your food before-hand. And carry water!

I’m a big fan of Nalgene water bottles. They’re virtually indestructible, lightweight, and fantastic for water storage (obviously), and even food storage. I just get rid of the wrappers at whatever home base I am leaving from, and put my snacks into one of my many Nalgene water Bottles (think trail mix poured into bottle from larger, 1lb bag).

Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces

It really isn’t as complicated as it sounds here, folks. Stay on established trails, and use established campgrounds. Of course, we all do a little off trail exploration, but just be aware of your approach. Don’t clear your own areas or trails just for your own personal enjoyment. Nature was there first. Many popular areas have established, good campsites that are ready-to-use, so let’s use them! There is not always a need for creation of campsites.

Realistically, like most of the concept of leave no trace, you want to leave as little impact as possible. Avoid the soft ground and the living vegetation. Concentrate use to as little as possible. I promise that your experience won’t be that much better because you decided to shortcut a couple switchbacks.

There are some ‘exceptions’. These include bathroom locations, off trail camping, etc… If you find yourself in one of these situations, just do your best to minimize impact and avoid hazards. Keep it (campsite, lunch spot, bathroom break) small, and at least 200 feet away from any water source. Starting to understand the concept of leave no trace?

Keeping things a part of their intended use is really the main goal here. You saw my picture up above. Those foot prints in the sand. Places like Great Sand Dunes National Park or White Sands National Park are expected to have those impacts. Remaining conscious of how great the impact you are making is the point. It isn’t a beach party at these places. You won’t see me out there playing bocce and chugging white claws. But yeah, sometimes there are situations where a small impact is left behind.

Dispose of Waste Properly

“But I don’t Want to Carry Around a Smelly Food Wrapper”

Funny you should say that. I don’t think anyone really wants to carry around something like that; food wrappers, leftover food, orange peels, or apple cores. But your choice was made (see above: Plan Ahead and Prepare). You decided that that trail bar was entering your pack, and how it’s entering, when you left. Besides, if you’re like me, I find keeping a small trash bag (something that seals) in my backpack one of the most convenient things I have ever decided to do. Even better, go reusable. Even after spills and odors, it’s so easy to just wash my bag and air dry it before the next time I need it.

Avoid spills, slime, odors, crumbs, whatever!

Now obviously, if I were to pass a trash bin along the way, I don’t avoid it. That would be an acceptable place to put your trash and food scraps. Just do the world a favor.. If that trash or recycling bin is filled to the top, or even over-flowing (sadly seen all too often), don’t be a stacker. Take what you have home, and dispose of it properly.

PS: You ever get a surprise visit from bathroom buddy #2? After following the unspoken rules of everything listed above, you may have an idea of how to handle the situation. Simply digging “catholes” (a small hole about 4in wide and 6-8in deep) 200ft (or ~70 steps) from any trails or water sources, and taking care of business. When you’re done, cover that solid human waste back up with the diggings, and carry on. Please just remember to bring your hygiene products (ew!).
But maybe you don’t have nature-safe TP.. I repeat, trash bags that seal are a total gamechanger. And yes, disposing of human waste properly is part of it all!

Leave What You Find

We all want that piece of whatever as a momento of our favorite times, but it’s the 21^st century, everyone and their mother has a camera somewhere on their body. You have heard it before, “take only photos, leave only footprints”. Leave that rock alone, that plant too. Don’t disturb the wildlife or the natural objects around them, you are in their home. Would like it if a raccoon stood in your bedroom doorway and started throwing sticks at you? Probably not.

This can expand to so many different things; like not harming or removing live plants or trees, carving your name into a piece of nature, picking a flower or a colorful rock, or a bone of your favorite animal (yes, this is particular to nationally protected areas). The list goes on. Look at it like this… If you found a flower you really liked, and it changed your experience for whatever reason, what if the previous visitor decided they liked that flower too, but picked it to take home. You wouldn’t have that same experience anymore, so let’s not ruin the quality of their experience either.

Just as you love the concept of all the self discoveries that happen along your explorations, the other explorers out there enjoy those moments too. Just leave things the way you saw them. Besides, a lot of places, like National Parks for example, it is illegal and punishable by law for removal on anything from the park.

Don’t go and misconstrue these rules and recommendations… If you show up somewhere and notice trash, or something that someone clearly didn’t do their part in managing, don’t just leave it. The point of all of this is to keep things preserved and conserved for future use.

Another PS: You ever see those stacks of rocks while hiking on a trail or through a park? Pretty neat, right? Leave them alone! They are called rock cairns, and are used as trail guides for people participating in the area’s outdoor recreation. Just a trail marker that gets used instead of continuous sign placement. You might think it is harmless to build your own, and knock one over, but how would you feel as that hiker, coming to a point with no guidance. Not so great now, huh?

Minimize Campfire Impacts

This isn’t your back yard. I think you’d be surprised by the impacts that having a camp fire has (even the small ones), I know I was.

“What is camping without a fire?”

I am by no means saying to nix the fire, it’s a timeless piece. I’d say ~75% of the time, I have a fire myself. Be it for heat, light, cooking, or even just for the camp nostalgia associated with sitting around a fire and watching the embers float away into the night sky.

What I am saying… Be conscious of the impact your fire is having. See a trend here?

We know the basic rules: keep it small, make sure it’s out before leaving, keep it contained. But did you know that the fire itself, can have a huge impact on the environment (think wildfires), is not all that you need to be thinking about. A true leave no trace campfire would have zero evidence of ever being burned when you leave your site.

Pay attention when you collect your firewood. Unless you’re in a true survival situation, there is no need to cut down anything that is living. Source the wood from what you find around your site. So many environments are affected by invasive diseases and pests. Give the Emerald Ash Borer a quick google search. You’d be impressed by their destructive power.

Having a fire shouldn’t be stressful. Let’s break it down. Have your fire in a pre-made location (fire pit, fire rings, mound fires, etc), use locally-sourced wood, make sure it’s out before leaving (actually out, not only smothered. This means cool ashes as well!), and clean-up after yourselves before taking off. Yes, that includes scattering your unused firewood. The goal here is to keep it looking as natural as possible after your exit.

Respect Wildlife

I think I speak for most of us when I say that wildlife is one of the greatest things to witness. Some of us even travel for the purpose of seeing wildlife. Heck, I even encourage people getting out of the house to go see it. There is something so tranquil about seeing wildlife in its natural habitat.

But let’s remember one important word here…

WILD

Our non-humanoid friends out there are wild animals. We, as humans, come as a threat to these creatures.

“So how do we avoid that?”

Respect. Just like we all want our space respected, so do animals. Stay mindful of what you’re doing. So, how do you know if you are at a safe, respectful distance from said wildlife?

Try this next time: Stick out your arm, straight in front of you, and give a thumbs-up. Now, get something in your line-of-sight. A distance between you and said wildlife can be considered safe if what you are viewing can be covered completely by your thumb when closing one eye.

Or, pay attention to animal behavior. If you notice that the wildlife changes its natural behavior because of your encroachment (lifts its head in search of a noise you created), you have already intruded. Would you want someone to interrupt your mating routine? I didn’t think so. Don’t interrupt animals’ either.

Most of us probably know that, most of the time, wild animals are more afraid of us than we are of them. So more often than not, outside of our direct views, these pieces of nature are continuing their normal lives, and avoiding our loud mouths.

But respect for wildlife goes beyond their viewing. Remember that trash we spoke of earlier? That can directly impact wildlife as well. Even improper food storage. There is a reason that food storage containers exist, specifically designed for camping or travel.

Not sure if you need one? Use one. Better safe than sorry. Especially since an impact like this may not be first-hand noticeable. What I mean is, when you feed a raccoon, that raccoon now thinks humans will feed it, and relies on that. Moving forward, that raccoon starts to get more comfortable around humans, and searches for food around people that aren’t willing to put up with it. Or worse yet, after so long of getting fed, this raccoon loses its ability to gather food for itself. And one day, humans stop feeding this raccoon. Now what? Well, being that this raccoon no longer remembers how to get food for itself, more likely than not, the result is starvation, or putting itself into big danger in an attempt to get something to eat.

Or, in a non-food case, lets say you find a baby rabbit. Everyone likes a cute bunny. You decided this bunny is going to live with you for the duration of your camping trip, so you pick it up. Well, when you release that bunny, the chances of it returning home are slim to none. By interacting with wildlife in a hands-on manner, you are actually spreading your human scent. A good majority of wildlife will abandon a member of their own family, if that member returns with an unknown scent. It’s viewed as a predatorial bait.

Just leave our co-inhabitants alone. Stay mindful of what is around you, and how you are interacting. And for Pete’s sake, don’t go screaming into the wilderness, because even myself (who most would say is not a wild animal… I think), would do everything in my power to shut you up so I can enjoy my peace and quiet.

Why are we always worried about Pete’s sake? Really must be a stand-up fella. I bet he leaves no trace. Regardless..

Be Considerate of Other Visitors

This one is pretty self-explanatory. Like I mentioned above, nobody wants to have a camper or hiker within earshot, screaming their head off like an amped up baboon.

Keep your distance, and stay respectful of other peoples’ space. Animals are visitors too..

We all like to get into nature and soak in its natural beauty. This includes listening to nature’s sounds, and embracing its solitude. Keep those loud voices to a minimum, the entire world doesn’t care what Karen said about Chad. The last thing we want is your unleashed pet coming over to sniff our rear-end as a “hello” in the middle of a deep moment of self-reflection, so please, control pets too.

Courtesy goes a long way when outdoors. This includes having respect on trails; move over, and make room for other trail users. If others are around, this means remaining single file, and not hiking directly in the middle of the trail.
The general rule is to allow any trail user that is ascending to stay on the gravel (or whatever trail surface), and thus, if you are descending, you are to yield. And, before passing, have the courtesy to announce your presence. Nobody wants to change their shorts after a startle because someone else came straight out of nowhere!
Avoid larger groups, they only create more raucous; Break off into smaller groups and carry on. And lastly, respect privacy. Like I mentioned, respect peoples’ space. If you see campers in, or near, where you planned to camp; Just maintain a respectful distance, as not to disturb their experience, and in return, they will not be able to disturb yours.
I love avoiding times of high use, and getting out when I can immerse myself fully into nature. *Hello sunrises!

“That sure is a lot to take into consideration”

While it is a lot to think about, it all boils down to our key word: impact. It is what you leave behind, the noises you create, how you maintain yourself when outside. We all want to keep these places nice for ourselves, and others to continue to enjoy for years to come. By staying wary of our personal impacts, we can help protect our favorite places.

Who knows… maybe if we all start to do our part, we can see new growth in our world. We may see reversal of some of the major impacts that we, as humans, have had on the world. Wouldn’t it be cool to explore the lush rainforests? Or maybe dive through some coral reef? I think so too. But those may not be options without putting forth a conscious effort.

“Well, I can Leave No Trace. If not for me, for the environment!”

This is all really only scratching the surface of worldwide human impact, but a fantastic place to start. Especially for those of us who spend a good chunk of their time enjoying the outdoors.

The bigger picture: Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.

Everything I have mentioned in this post can be directly related to those three R’s. We have to maintain our outdoor ethics as much as possible. There is meaning behind my recommendations of reusable products..

Stay classy.

Cheers!

Still reading? Well, thank you. There is a small piece of information I’d like to add as an extra to this topic. This more so pertains to those of us who use social media. I am sure you are familiar with the term geotagging. It’s a neat way to share with others where you are in the world, and even to explore destinations when choosing your next experience.

But the reality is, geotagging is creating somewhat of a mess in our environment. Over-crowding places that were once our secret places of solitude (another reason small groups are appreciated). Attracting the wrong kind of users, who won’t respect other users, or the space. The list goes on…

I am all for sharing, and think it is a wonderful way to, perhaps, persuade others to get outside. But I do believe that using non-specific geotags is more beneficial. Someone who is curious for more, can reach out to you directly for location if truly that interested.

Thanks for reading!

Let me know in the comments what changes you have made to reduce your impact!