Backpacking and Camping Tips


The Seven Keys to No-Trace Camping



1. Pretrip plans
  • Take dark colored gear
  • Package food in burnable or pack-out containers
  • Take trash bags
  • Plan 12 or fewer in your party
  • Select an area few people visit
  • 2. Travel
  • Stay on the trail
  • Avoid cutting across switchbacks
  • Let muddy trails dry
  • Select hard ground for cross-country travel
  • 3. Campsites
  • Select a spot free from succulent plants
  • Camp out of sight of trains, streams, and lakes
  • Avoid tent ditching
  • Limit stay in one place to four days
  • 4. Fires
  • Make shure you are allowed to build fires
  • Use a lightweight gas stove
  • Use an old fire circle in heavily used areas
  • Burn small wood gathered from the ground
  • Make shure your fire is out
  • In little used areas, cover the fire scars with twigs
  • 5. Sanitation
  • Wash away from streams and lakes
  • Pour wash and disk water in a hole
  • Dig laterines 200 feet or more from camp and water
  • Cover water holes and laterines
  • Pack out trash and litter, even if its not yours
  • 6. Horses
  • Keep number to a minimum
  • Tie to sturdy trees or rope hitch rail
  • Hobble or picket in open areas
  • Scatter manure
  • Tie away from water source
  • 7. Courtesy
  • Hikers step off trail when horses pass
  • Control pets, if allowed
  • Leave wild flowers
  • Avoid making loud noise

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