Moose are bashful animals that usually run away when you encounter them. But they can also be quite surly and hard to read when you encounter them on foot during hikes and backpacking trips. Moose have very bad eyesight and may approach …
Read More »Leave No Trace
Biodegradable Soap in the Backcountry: The Campsuds Myth
A lot of people I meet on backpacking and camping trips think that it’s ok to pour soapy water into streams and rivers if they use biodegradable Campsuds, Sea-to-Summit Wilderness Wash, or Dr. Bronner’s Castille Soap to wash their hands, shampoo their …
Read More »Stealth Camping on the AT and the PCT
What stealth camping actually is and why it’s practiced by thru-hikers and others on the Appalachian Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail isn’t always clear. In an attempt to better understand the motives behind why thru-hikers do what they do, to demystify …
Read More »How to Dig A Cathole
If you need to take a poop on a hike and you’re not near a composting privy or toilet, it is recommended that you bury your poop in a cathole so that it can biodegrade, animals won’t dig it up, and it …
Read More »How to Shit in the Woods: Mentor Others!
Spring is full on—even here in the Rockies, the snow melting, wildflowers popping, bees buzzing—and it’s a gorgeous season to venture into the outback. Which means . . . hmmm . . . it’s also time to brush up on wilderness toilet …
Read More »Appalachian Trail Sign Defacements: Help Us Stop Them
The Appalachian Trail would not exist if were not for the tireless efforts of volunteer trail maintainers and local clubs that maintain the trail from Georgia to Maine. Whenever I meet trail crews, volunteer trail maintainers, shelter caretakers, ridge runners, and trash …
Read More »How to Change a Flat Tire with a Leave No Trace Trowel
Have you ever tried to use the cheap jack that comes with your car to change a flat tire? If it won’t raise your car high enough to get your tire off, try digging a hole under it with your LNT trowel. …
Read More »Impact Monster Skit – A Leave No Trace Lesson Plan
The most effective way to teach Leave No Trace principles is experiential, by having participants demonstrate the principles to their peers in the context of a hiking, canoeing, or outdoor trip. However, if you need to teach LNT as part of an …
Read More »How to Educate Other Hikers Respectfully When They Harm the Backcountry
Have you ever seen someone trampling rare lichens above treeline by hiking outside designated trails? Camping illegally on an open summit? Cutting down Krumholz to fuel a fire? Carving their initials into a shelter? Building a new fire ring? Washing their dishes …
Read More »Leave No Trace Toothbrushing
Maintaining dental hygiene is just as important when backpacking and camping as it is at home. But the question arises, what’s the best way to practice leave no trace toothbrushing and rinse out the toothpaste in your mouth after your brush? My …
Read More »Has Leave No Trace Failed?
Click for Video of the Crying Indian: Keep America Beautiful I hate to say it, but I have a nagging feeling that the entire Leave No Trace movement is dead. DOA. No one except the Boy Scouts of America seems to teach …
Read More »Bear Bag Rant: It’s Not About Protecting Your Food
I am always astonished when backpackers tell me that they can outsmart bears by sleeping with their food at night or by camping in spots not frequented by other campers. Let’s suppose it’s true that they can outwit an animal that can …
Read More »Leave No Trace Camping
One of my facebook readers left a comment yesterday, questioning why anyone would bury the ash generated by a wood stove (see my Solo Wood Stove Review) when it would naturally dissipate on its own. Burying my ashes is one of the …
Read More »Alpine Stewardesses of the White Mountains
If you’ve climbed any of the more popular peaks in the White Mountains, you’ve probably seen or spoken to an Alpine Steward or Stewardess. Their job is to educate visitors about the rare plants and grasses found high up on mountains, above …
Read More »