Zero-impact camping

By John

Outdoor hobbies like hiking, climbing, and canoeing instill a love and appreciation of the outdoors and teach respect for the natural environment. Getting out and experiencing nature reminds us of the value and importance of living sustainably and protecting the natural heritage of our planet. Whether exploring the rich variety of Canada or the majesty of the world at large, it’s important to keep preservation and protection at the top of your priority list.

The best feeling in the world is one of discovery – the heady buzz of feeling like the first set of eyes to behold the epic rock formations, noble trees, and crystal waters that span our backyard. Cherish that feeling, and ensure that others will be able to share your sense of wonder and amazement by embracing a zero-impact approach to wilderness adventures.

Zero-impact means intelligent planning and preparation are necessary for every trip. Proper planning is essential not only for safety, but to ensure that waste is minimized and that you will not negatively impact the environment through your action or inaction.

Be it an afternoon bike ride or a long portage trip, the basic principles remain the same.

Assess the feasability of your route, and pick your campsites or picnic sites accordingly. Rushing means sloppiness, and at no point should your route be so ambitious that time isn't available to reach your designated site and set up camp appropriately. Forging your own campsite is destructive and disrespectful.

Campsites are designed to comfortably hold a designated amount of people, and no more, and this needs to be factored into your planning. An overcrowded campsite disrupts wildlife and leads to bad practices such as over-harvesting of firewood, an abundance of waste, and necessarily accelerates site degradation.

If you take nothing else from this article, please remember this: if you pack it in, you must pack it out. All garbage needs to be repacked, carried out with you, and disposed of appropriately. Burning garbage is not an acceptable strategy. Waste management strategies need to be included in the planning stage of your trip.

Camp cooking is discussed elsewhere on the interweb in great detail, but I must say that I'm always surprised by the number of people drastically under-prepared to feed themselves adequately in the wilderness. Most outdoor activities are strenuous, and you need to plan your nutrition accordingly. Preparing your own food is an easy way to cut costs, eat healthier, and reduce the burden of carrying your garbage out. Plan meals, measure ingredients and package meals separately before the trip, combining ingredients in one bag and labeling for ease of storage and organization. This will also minimize waste. Purchasing prepared foods, particularly those marketed as backcountry meals, is ridiculously expensive and necessarily includes packaging. Invest in a camping cookbook, or search online for recipes for the pack. Dried foods are inexpensive and nutritious and very versatile. Many Indian, Mexican, and Middle Eastern dishes make delicious use of dried beans and lentils, grains, and potent aromatic spices. Preparing your own dried spice mixtures is easy and cheap. Granola bars, pemmican, and trail mix are expensive to buy but cheap and easy to make. A little DIY spirit means that all your favourite ingredients are included and you can be confident in the sourcing of your food without the absurd markup inherent in most prepared food.

Remember that fire is a luxury, and should never be viewed as a necessity. With that in mind, if you have a fire, keep your fire size modest and efficient. Large fires are not necessarily hotter, and are often dangerous and wasteful. Be mindful of the affect of smoke and heat on foliage, and pick a fire site accordingly. Do not plan to cook over a fire; fires are far less efficient than backcountry stoves for cooking, and unpredictable weather can lead to miserable hungry nights. Do not bring firewood from home, use fallen wood gathered from around your campsite or buy wood locally from your point of entry. Many damaging insects and plant diseases spread through firewood, like the Asian Longhorn Beetle, which attacks hardwood trees, and the Emerald Ash Borer, which attacks ash trees. When gathering firewood, use only fallen wood, do not cut from live trees, and be respectful of those who will use the site after you leave. Consider candles as an alternative to a campfire.

Use only biodegradable soap for cleanup. You can find biodegradable soap at any worthwhile outdoors store, and it usually doubles as soap and shampoo. Do not wash dishes or your body directly in a water source. Even though the soap is biodegradable, do all washing at least fifty meters from any water source to allow the soap to break down before entering the water. Dig a small pit for disposal of all greywater; this helps ensure that the soap will break down properly and also guards against curious animals investigating the smell.

Bring biodegradable toilet paper. This is self-explanatory. Catholes are the easiest way to manage feces, and should be dug 6-8 inches deep and at least 50 meters from any water source.

Don’t go bushwacking, stick to the trail. For one thing, it’s there for your safety. Bushwacking leads to disorientation and is a great way to get lost or injured. Beyond that, it’s destructive to the environment. On a related note, avoid the temptation to “improve” your campsite, and keep to areas of sparse vegetation. If you're planning to stay at one site for more than a night or two, move your tent. This will avoid compacting soil and destroying greenery.

Zero-impact also means keeping quiet. Don’t disturb wildlife or your fellow campers, and respect the tranquility of your surroundings.

Following these simple zero-impact principles will bring you closer to the natural environment and ensure that it remains unchanged for the enjoyment of generations to come.

For more information on zero-impact camping, please visit Leave No Trace