Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces

In the Backcountry

Traveling and camping on durable surfaces while in the backcountry limits damage to surface vegetation, preventing excessive surface erosion and the development of unnecessary and redundant trails. Trails are in and of themselves an impact, but they are a necessary response to our perpensity for travel in backcountry areas. It’s better to have one well-maintained trail corridor than a web of poorly chosen paths. To maintain the value and integrity of established trails:

• Don’t shortcut trail switchbacks
• Choose durable surfaces just off the trail when taking breaks
• Allow enough time at the end of the day to choose a responsible campsite rather than settling for something less than ideal just because the weather is bad or you’re tired
• Choose high-use campsites first, preferably away from water sources and the trail
• Confine your use to the areas that are already developed to avoid growing the area of impact
• When along a river corridor, choose developed campsites, beaches, or sandbars below the high-water line.

Plan Ahead and Prepare

In the Backcountry

Prior knowledge about the conditions within your area of travel will help inform you about what kind of gear will be necessary and what to expect:

• Local Climate
• Daylight Hours
• Terrain
• Vegetation
• Wildlife
• Insects
• Water Availability
• Remoteness
• Natural hazards

Andrew Skurka wrote a great post on this a few years ago called “Be Prepared? Absolutely. But Against What?” that really informed how I planned and prepared for my trip on the Pacific Crest Trail.

Big Picture

Applying Leave No Trace principals to our everyday lives requires prior knowledge about how we create, distribute, and consume natural resources that use every day.… Read more