What Scouting’s Leave No Trace taught me about being a hippie

Posted by dtpennington in Blog, Fresh, Life | 0 comments

For close to 15 years, I was a registered member of the Boy Scouts of America. Most athletes don’t even have careers that long. Hell, in this economy, a career is lucky to span a decade. As a The other day I came across a pack tag that outlined the principles of Leave No Trace. It was carried with me during my camping, hiking, and backpacking days to serve as a reminder of what I was obligated to do while existing in the backcountry, among the wildlife, and in the undeveloped land.

During my time as a Philmont Ranger the importance of Leave No Trace very clear. Philmont is roughly 140,000 acres. During the summer something to the tune of 30,000 people come to the area to camp, hike, learn and Scout. At any given point, upwards of 4,000 people were somewhere in the backcountry. That’s a lot of traffic for a fairly small area. The only reason Philmont has been able to maintain this traffic for the past several decades is due to the conscious observance of Leave No Trace.

If it works for the great outdoors, then why can’t it work for everywhere else? Could the principles of Leave No Trace be applied to  your day to day life? The ideas behind LNT are to reduce one’s impact on the environment they inhabit and to then eliminate all evidence of their presence after they leave.

Plan ahead and prepare. The Boy Scout motto is to Be Prepared for whatever situation may arise. Sometimes, preparing doesn’t have anything to do with bringing the right equipment, but by taking an extra five minutes to plan. If the forecast says rain, bring an umbrella. If you’re going to be out of the house all day, think for five minutes about everything you think you will need that will keep you from having to make extra trips home. Clothes for the gym, a sack lunch, your own coffee mug – five minutes can save you quite a bit of time and waste down the road.

Camp on durable surfaces. Some places just make for bad campsites. Rocky, unlevel terrain. Harsh winds. Setting up camp in the middle of a meadow will leave you exposed to the elements, and it will all but destroy the ground you sleep upon. Not everywhere is designed to sustain people, no matter how much technology and engineering we apply to it. New home developments may seem like a good idea right up until we think about how to water those homes and deliver power and the stress those homes will put on local traffic.

Just because a house can be built doesn’t mean we should be living there. How much energy is required to make your home livable? Maybe it’s not the campsite that needs to be more durable. Maybe we need to be more durable.

 Dispose of Waste Properly. You’re responsible for every piece of trash you generate. From food packaging to meal leftovers and everything else you come up with, all of it leaves the backcountry with you. Failing to do so just puts the burden on someone else. It also leaves a bad impression and an even worse example for hikers who come after you.

The dumpster isn’t always the best way to dispose of your trash. Think about what you’re throwing away, what will become of it after it leaves you? At home, recycle. Consider composting. The best way to reduce the amount of waste you end up throwing away? Don’t even invite it into your home to begin with.

Leave What You Find. Take only photographs, leave only footprints. Doing anything else would assume that you are somehow superior to the natural world (you aren’t) and you are robbing something for all those who come next. I can only wonder what I missed out on because the generation ahead of me didn’t leave what they found.

Everything you use today is one less thing that someone else can’t appreciate. Be mindful of your consumption.

Respect Wildlife. When hiking, it’s easy to come across wildlife. A squirrel, a deer, maybe something bigger or more obtrusive. Somehow, we’re OK with seeing the wildlife in the wilderness. But when a bear or a mountain lion comes traipsing into the suburbs, we feel violated. Where is the line between what is wilderness and what is not?

Furthermore, how can we expect an animal to understand this boundary. In the end, who is really being the nuisance? The animals? Or us?

Minimize Campfire Impact. To ensure a campfire is completely extinguished, it is advised that the ashes are spread by hand and the fire pit is deconstructed. When building a fire, smaller is better. Smaller fires are better to cook on, easier to control, and more comfortable to be around.

Smaller fires got the job done while burning less wood. Overall, the less used the better.

 

If the Scouts didn’t practice Leave No Trace, there would be nothing left of Philmont today. My time spent at Philmont, with the Scouts, and with the principles of Leave No Trace have no doubt formed a lot of these “hippie” opinions I carry with me today. Is it possible to live a less impacted lifestyle while so far from the wilderness?

Absolutely. It is just more of a challenge.

Can you leave no trace?