On October 23rd, 2019 I started measuring everything I use and consume in a series of spreadsheets, and now one month has passed, so I thought I’d publish some of the data, and try to draw some conclusions on what I have been using and how I can use less. Here are the stats:

As far as food is concerned, I have a pretty healthy but sizeable diet that mostly consists of rice and beans, fruits and veggies, and a decent amount of bread and cheese. A few times this month, I splurge on almonds or milk and cereal, and there were isolated occasions where I would have fish, chicken, eggs, pizza, pasta, kombucha, beer, liquor, or sweets/candy.… Read more

Be Considerate of Other Visitors

In the Backcountry

Whether you’re going car camping, paddling, hunting, fishing, skiing, horseback riding, trail running, mountain biking, rock climbing, paragliding, 4x4ing, or hiking for a day or for 5 months, we all go into the backcountry with a specific experience in mind. We may be looking forward to the meditative peace and quiet, or balls-to-the-wall shredding the gnar, having some “me” time or connecting with friends and family, observing wildlife for personal or professional study, or simply to wonder and be awed by all of nature’s spectacles; but when we go into the backcountry, we do so to enjoy or at least learn from the experience.… Read more

Respect Wildlife

In the Backcountry

We are visitors to the wilderness when we enter backcountry areas. And as visitors, we should take heed to understand and respect the propriety of the plants and animals who have resided there long before we ever showed up. The law of the land is such that responsible visitation looks like passive observation, and not active participation. Like every other facet of Leave No Trace, extensive prior knowledge serves as an exceptionally useful tool for keeping our interactions with wildlife passive and uninterruptive. To know the ways and means, the preferences, the daily rituals, and the usual distribution of local flora and fauna is what allows us to to be considerate of their wants and needs and to actively put ourselves in a position of unobtrusiveness, just like we would like to be unobtrusive when first entering the home of a newfound friend.… Read more

Minimize Campfire Impacts

In the Backcountry

The use of campfires is, for most people today and throughout history, part of sleeping outside. It’s how we warm up on a cold night, a source of light and a way to occupy ourselves at camp (call it “Caveman TV”), and because we all have a vested interest in staying warm, campfires create an inherently social atmosphere. But strictly speaking, because of modern conveniences like ultralight insulated clothing, headlamps, and especially camp stoves, we usually don’t NEED to have a fire while we’re camping. So the question is, when is it appropriate to have a campfire at camp, and how can we do so in a Leave No Trace kind of way?… Read more

Leave What You Find

In the Backcountry

This is one is fairly self-explanatory: “Take only pictures, leave only footprints”. Not only does this methodology maintains the integrity of our natural areas, it also maintains the experience of exploring that particular backcountry area for others to enjoy just as we have. Some things to consider:

• Good campsites are found, not made. Rather than “improving” a site with tables, seats, lean-tos, fire rings, or by clearing out the surface debris, find a site that already has these improvements, bring the necessary gear to enjoy these backcountry luxuries Leave-No-Trace style, or learn to find the simple enjoyment of not needing them
• Avoid damage to trees, vegetation, and rock surfaces.