6 Ways to Follow the “Leave No Trace” Camping Etiquette
“Leave No Trace” is a set of outdoor ethics and camping etiquette promoting the conservation of nature and its beauty. There are seven principles of Leave No Trace, including:
1. Plan ahead and prepare
2. Travel and camp on durable surfaces
3. Dispose of waste properly
4. Leave what you find
5. Minimize campfire impacts
6. Respect wildlife
7. Be considerate of others
We would love to talk about all seven of these, but in this post, we’re going to focus on cleanliness. So, you could say this post relates to 1, 3, and 7. Here are six easy ways to abide by Leave No Trace and leave your campsite better than how you found it!
1. Bring the Right Cleaning Supplies
Cleaning supplies tend to be the forgotten items in many novice camping trips – unfortunately. There is perhaps no greater sin you can commit when camping than to leave your site a disaster for the next person! Believe us, we’ve been the “next people” to use a trashed campsite.
The first step to following Leave No Trace while camping is stocking up on cleaning supplies. These include:
- Trash bags
- Biodegradable hand soap
- Biodegradable dish soap
- Reusable shop towels
- Wet wipes
This is the basic starter kit for the cleaning supplies you’ll need.
2. Don’t Rely on Disposable Kitchen Items
When you throw away a food item in the wild – like a used paper plate - you’re going to attract all sorts of bugs and critters.
For this reason, camping etiquette is to use reusable kitchenware – bowls, plates, utensils, cups, containers, etc. In addition to attracting wildlife, disposable kitchen items are super wasteful. High quality kitchenware is a key component in camping rental packages.
3. Use a Table Cloth and/or Ground Cloth
A table and ground cloth are HUGE helpers in keeping your campsite clean. As you could imagine, you generate most of your waste around mealtimes. Leaving food debris on your table and all over the ground will certainly attract bugs and wildlife.
There (more than likely) won’t be a cleaning crew to come freshen up your area after you leave. The next inhabitants of the campsite don’t want to find a gross sticky mess on their table and all over the ground!
Consider investing in a canvas cloth for the table and a tarp for the ground. If you elect for camping rentals, these items will be included in the kitchenware.
4. Be Considerate with Wastewater
Proper disposal of camping wastewater is a key aspect of camping etiquette that many tend to forget. Any wastewater you accumulate should be disposed of a healthy distance away from the site.
For starters, you’ll need to strain it to avoid dumping chunks of food or debris on the ground – as these will attract animals. Once you strain the wastewater, dispose of the debris with the rest of your trash.
Slowly dump the strained wastewater into a sink or toilet. If that’s not an option, your next bet is to dump the water in several places (far away from any creeks, rivers, ponds, lakes, etc.) to minimize the impact.
5. Dispose of Fats and Greases Properly
That leftover bacon fat from breakfast is a goldmine for critters in the area. Any fats or greases from your food need to be disposed of very diligently.
Just like you should never put meat grease down your sink drain at home, you shouldn’t put it in your camping wastewater. Flushing greasy wastewater can cause problems for the plumbing in the area – and dumping it on the ground will attract all kinds of wildlife.
Proper camping etiquette for oils and greases is to thoroughly wipe your kitchenware and store any excess in a sealed container. At the end of your camping trip, be sure the grease makes it into a bear-safe trash can/dumpster. If that isn’t available, take it with you and dispose of it at home.
6. Lose the “Not My Mess, Not My Problem” Mentality
Truth be told, there’s always going to be campers out there who don’t know/follow camping etiquette. Fortunately, you do! Just because you aren’t part of the problem doesn’t mean you can’t be part of the solution.
Now, you don’t have to spend hours of your precious camping trip cleaning up after other people. But if you see some trash or debris on the ground, throw it away. Try to adopt the mindset of leaving the area slightly better than how you found it.
As campers, we all want the same thing: gorgeous, unscathed scenery.
Leave No Trace is a team effort. Trust us, karma will come back around to you!
Over to You
Staying in-tune with the Leave No Trace camping etiquette is super easy. As with most outdoor adventures, it’s all in the prep!
If you choose to use camping rentals – instead of buying your own equipment – the package you use will be designed to abide by Leave No Trace principles. You’ll have all the means and know-how to leave your campsite cleaner than how you found it!
Now that we got all the Debbie-downer information on camping etiquette out of the way – go enjoy your time in the outdoors!