Leave No Trace: A Practical Guide to the New Wilderness Ethic

The old ways are out. No longer is it acceptable to build fire rings, dig trenches around tents, cut tree boughs for sleeping mats and firewood, or nail pegs in trees as lantern hooks. Today's overused wilderness areas require much gentler treatment with methods that will ensure the next visitor, indeed the next generation, will find them as we found them. Using a straightforward, practical approach, author McGivney offers simple LNT techniques for hikers, mountain bikers, horseback riders, climbers, paddlers, and skiers, demonstrating how easy it really is to take care of our outdoor resources. With tips on everything from choosing a campsite to food and garbage handling to personal hygiene, this is the definitive guide on the subject for all outdoor enthusiasts.

After a long day on the trail, the last thing you want to do is pick up another's trash, find an illegal fire ring, or even worse, step in the remains of someone's personal bathroom. Everyone who heads into the wilderness can benefit from and practice the "leave no trace" ethic. Developed by the National Outdoor Leadership School, this outdoor recreation philosophy emphasizes moving through the land gently so that your trace disappears as quickly as you do. To this end, Annette McGivney offers helpful techniques for low-impact hiking, paddling, camping, and cooking that will enlighten first-time trail users and refresh the minds of seasoned outdoors enthusiasts. Easy-to-follow instructions cover general skills like finding the perfect camp site, building and maintaining a clean fire, and creating a wilderness bathroom. McGivney also details more specific endeavors like traveling through delicate desert and tundra environments.

Studies show that more people than ever before are venturing into the wilderness, making it crucial that the "leave no trace" ethic is practiced for the benefit of all. Citing hostilities between outdoor user groups, McGivney reminds readers to consider others while enjoying outdoor recreation:

The real danger that comes from this ill will between the many different people visiting the backcountry for different reasons is that it undermines environmental protection for our public lands. While larger threats loom--like irresponsible logging of our national forests and commercial development in and around parks--land managers are distracted by never-ending conflicts between hikers, horseback riders, and mountain bikers.

All should heed the wise tenets of Leave No Trace so future generations can experience the call of the wild. --Jenny Burritt