Be Responsible When Camping in the Wilderness

Dave Collins, from CleverHiker.com, shares the importance of camping responsibly in the wilderness.

One of the greatest feelings about camping is finding that perfect spot. It’s just one of those spots that makes you feel as if you were the first to set foot on that piece of land. As you look out across the valley, you notice a pair of eagles soaring high above the tree line. There is the sweet sound of songbirds singing in the background. And just along the edge of the trees, you see a family of raccoons. You walk over to see what the raccoons have found. Then you smell it.

So apparently, you aren’t the first to stand and look over this valley. Not the first, the second, or even the third. You are one of hundreds that have found that same spot, and they have left their mess for the next to find it, or in some cases, smell it.

As campers, we have one major responsibility, and that is to leave the land better than we found it. Too many people have found it much easier to burn, bury or even just throw their trash under a bush rather than to take it with them. Though this is the easy way out, it does nothing to help or even improve our environment.

We must remember that camping safety is an important part of having a fun and enjoyable camping trip. If we leave our trash behind, we also leave behind rot, decay, disease and too many other bad things to list. In addition to humans, this impacts the animals, plant life and water, which will at some point make it back to the place you live.

The next time you take a camping trip, take a few minutes to walk the area that you have been in and take your trash with you. Camping can be a fun and relaxing time. Let’s not ruin it for the next person. If we all remember to “tread lightly” the next time we are out in nature, nature will reward us with all she has to offer.

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