NO TRACE Techniques

These techniques were prepared specifically for the Southeast Region of the U.S., but contain good, general NO TRACE backpacking information.

The backcountry is a place to seek solitude away from crowds, noise and the daily pressures of urban life. More and more people are being drawn towards the magic of a backcountry experience. Though there are vast expanses to be explored in our national forests, national parks and wilderness areas, this trend is creating major problems. Many popular areas are already showing degradation from this new era of high usage. The backcountry experience should be accompanied by a commitment from the individual to protect and preserve these areas. NO TRACE ethics are techniques we can all use to help reduce impact on the backcountry and insure the preservation of these areas for future generations.

The NO TRACE use ethic encourages you to:

1. Increase your awareness of the environment and strive to live in harmony with it;
2. Be aware of your potential impact on the environment;
3. Learn and use backcountry travel and camping skills that reduce your impact upon the environment;
4. Respect the rights of those you meet along the way and those who follow you.

Because most of us do not live outdoors we unknowingly violate the NO TRACE

ethic by:

1. Traveling and camping in large groups.
2. Traveling off trails or roads, which tramples vegetation causing soil erosion.
3. Building campfires.
4. Leaving human waste and garbage at a campsite.
5. Making loud noises that disturb wildlife and other visitors.
6. Wearing brightly colored gear and clothes that make us visible to others in the area.

Understanding backcountry travel skills is essential to practicing successful NO TRACE techniques. Trails play a more vital role than just getting you from one place to another. They are specifically designed to drain off water to minimize soil erosion. Always stay on the trail no matter how or where you are traveling. Switchbacks are the most abused portion of the trail system. A switchback is a reversal in trail direction. Many people shortcut switchbacks creating new trails trying to save time and energy. In reality they are wasting energy and causing severe erosion. Do not shortcut switchbacks. If you are off the trail, avoid traveling through meadows and wet areas. They are extremely fragile and retain the impact of your passage much longer than forested areas. Do not mark or blaze your route.

The key to having a successful NO TRACE backcountry experience is thorough planning. Always obtain rules, regulations and current restrictions from the US Forest Service or Park Rangers for the region you are visiting. Keep your group size to 6 or less people who can be divided into hiking groups of 2 or 3. Hike only during the daylight hours. Small groups are easier to plan for and keep together and harmonize better with the environment during camp. To minimize impact avoid planning trips on holidays and weekends. Since many popular areas are always crowded, plan to visit lesser known regions. Plan your trips for the winter, spring and fall. Do not use brightly colored clothing and gear because they can be seen for long distances and contribute to a crowded feeling. Always use earth tones. Always use a camp stove, do not build a fire. Repackage your food to remove glass and aluminum and carry a trash bag. Bring a trowel or folding shovel for burying human waste.

We all like to imagine ourselves traveling through virgin country, and the sight of an obviously camped-out site destroys this vision. Your choice of a campsite and how you use it are important to the protection of the wilderness environment. A campsite can deteriorate quickly, but recovery takes a very long time.

When you select your campsite:

1. Use existing campsites that are in acceptable condition. On these sites, the

1. under story vegetation is worn away on some or most of the site, but humus, litter, leaves, or needles cover most of the ground. Bare soil may exist around the fire ring.
2. Avoid lightly impacted campsites. They are on the threshold of rapid deterioration. On these sites, the vegetation is worn away only around the fire ring or center of activity, and no bare ground is present.
3. Avoid camped-out sites. They need to rest. On these sites the entire area is bare ground with eroding soil, damaged trees, tree stumps and exposed roots.

While in camp you should minimize your impact:

1. Use a backpacking stove instead of a fire.
2. Avoid spreading out and expanding the area.
3. Avoid site engineering. Never flatten the site, trench a tent, or build rock or log furniture.
4. Be aware of trampling damage to vegetation and move accordingly.
5. Never cut standing trees and vegetation or pull up plants.
6. Vary your traffic patterns to avoid creating paths.
7. Wear lightweight, soft-soled shoes around camp.
8. Keep length of stay at one site short (1 to 2 nights).
9. Pack out all food scraps. Clean dishes and yourself at least 200 ft. from water sources and camp using small amounts of biodegradable soap or plan water.

When breaking camp:

1. Pack out all trash and garbage.
2. Leave the campsite cleaner and more natural than you found it.
3. Naturalize the site by scattering leaves and humus over bare areas.
4. Leave no evidence of your visit.

Camping off the beaten track requires special care and skill.

1. Avoid establishing a typical camp. Sleep and eat in different places to avoid

1. repeated use patterns that result in trampled vegetation.
2. Prepare and eat supper in one location.
3. Cleanup and travel farther to a good bed site.
4. In the morning, break camp and move on to a good breakfast site.
5. DO NOT build a campfire.
6. Select a sleeping area that is out of sight of a trail (at least 200 ft.) and other camping parties and away from water sources and beauty spots.
7. Clear the minimum debris necessary for a sleeping area and replace this debris when breaking camp.
8. Do not pull up or cut vegetation.

Proper disposal of human waste is critical and cannot be stressed enough. No one should venture into the backcountry without a means of burying waste and the knowledge of how and where to bury it. Use the following steps for the cat-hole method:

1. Locate the cat-hole at least 200 ft. from water sources and campsites.
2. Dig a hole 6 to 8 in. deep, removing the sod intact.
3. After use, fill the hole with the sod and tramp lightly back into place.
4. Spread a light layer of humus over the site after use.
5. Use biodegradable, unscented, unbleached toilet paper, or if you are real hard-core, use leaves or sticks. (Do not use Poison Ivy!)
6. It is still absolutely necessary to dig a cat-hole even if the ground is frozen or snow covered.
7. Scatter cat-holes. Do not put the cat-holes in one area.

The new scope of NO TRACE backpacking asks you to pack out your human waste instead of burying it. As disgusting as this sounds, with the amount of use our backcountry areas are receiving, it is an attitude we must all eventually adopt. New products are coming out on the market even as this software package is being developed that will make this an easier technique to use. Keep in mind that as we move into the 21st Century, this will become a necessity. We must all do everything we can to preserve our backcountry areas.

The desire for a classic, old-fashioned campfire is almost innate, but the NO TRACE ethic asks you to reconsider this practice. Campfires create the most adverse visual and ecological impacts of any backcountry camping practice. The fire ring reduces the naturalness of the area and mars its appearance with blackened rocks, piles of ash, charcoal and unburned wood. The ecological impacts of campfires include the trampling of vegetation associated with firewood collection; the removal of woody debris critical to a healthy forest ecosystem; the loss of vegetation and the compaction of soil around the fire ring; and the sterilization of the soil, which retards plant recovery. Campfires are currently banned in the Shining Rock and Middle Prong Wilderness Areas.

In years past, we spoke of wilderness survival as the ability of humanity to survive the land. Now we speak of wilderness survival as the land's capability of surviving humanity. The popularity of wilderness travel, combined with improper travel and camping techniques, is creating major human impact problems. If we are to retain the high quality of our backcountry experiences and the unrestricted freedom of wilderness, each individual must accept responsibility to minimize the impact of his or her visit. After you pass this way, will the wilderness be as it was? With your help, the wilderness resource can be managed to ensure that its unique character and values remain dominant.

NO TRACE ethics are very easy to practice. Just concentrate on making it hard for others to detect your presence or any trace of your visit.