Leave No Trace for Sustainable Campout

Camping is a great way to appreciate nature while unplugging and taking a break from staring at a phone, television or computer screen for multiple hours a day. But while you may love the forest, the forest probably doesn’t love your trash — or other aspects of your impact.

It’s important to tread lightly in the wilderness, to keep it pristine for its natural inhabitants as well as other visitors.

There’s a common set of principles for doing so-called Leave No Trace, which “encourages responsible, non-motorized outdoor activities with minimal impact on public recreational areas.” The organization created a set of seven guidelines that every person visiting the wilderness should understand and be prepared to follow.

These include general preparedness and awareness, camping on durable surfaces, proper disposal of waste (otherwise known as “pack it in, pack it out”), leave what you find rather than taking souvenirs or building structures, keeping small fires or using only a camp stove, respecting wildlife (including never feeding animals, on purpose or by accident by leaving food accessible) and being considerate of other visitors.

To learn more about the seven Leave No Trace principles, visit the program’s official site.