It is a privilege for hikers to have access to different wild environments. Hiking places can be an awesome getaway option for the hikers to take a break from the hustle-bustle of a city life. While walking or hiking, one must not leave any traces behind to protect the ecosystem of the environment. You must have noticed a signboard in the areas managed by the government authorities that states, “Take nothing but pictures, Leave nothing but footprints”. These signboards are the reminder of the fact that you should not interfere with the local ecology and beware of the environmental effects of your trip. In this blog, we have listed some helpful tips you can follow while hiking or walking and how to leave the place without any traces.

Do Not Leave the Fire Burning

It doesn’t matter if you are travelling with family or a group of hikers, the first thing everyone will tell you is to never leave a trace of fire burning before you leave. You might leave the fire burning or the debris from the fire gets swept away by the wind into the forest that can cause a wildfire. Leaving campfires unattended after the trip or litter from the cigarettes in dry areas have been the leading cause of the wildfires. The idea is simple, if you start fire, you should take the responsibility and eliminate it completely before leaving your campsite.

Leave No Litter Behind

In every training class for camping, you will be taught, not to leave any litter behind. Act like a responsible hiker and take back everything you took along. Even organic litter takes some time to get decomposed, so ensure you don’t even leave the organic waste behind. This might not be good for the ecosystem as the amount of litter is huge nowadays considering there are too many people going for a hike and it may change the quality of the local soil.

 

Camp Away from the Water

Camping away from water is a standard norm to provide easy access to wild animals without causing any disturbance. Some wild animals could be dangerous as they have a high sense of smell and this type of camping would be the best way to stay protected. That way, you also eliminate the chances of leaving litter or any residual behind that might get mixed with water and pollute the water body. It is also considered better to move your tent on a regular basis to allow the environment to restore. Try hiking on the surface where you don’t leave any footprints, or the better idea should be to stick to the trail, avoiding disturbance of the plants or vegetation along the way.

So, these were the 3 basic steps you can follow and leave the camping area without any traces. Also, remember that sand, rock and gravel are durable enough to walk on compared to snow and ice when you go off-trail. When you are in nature, the temptation to take a souvenir before leaving is quite natural. However, you should resist this temptation and leave the place undisturbed. While on a getaway, remember that you are an outsider and so, you should try to leave the system as it was before.