1. Plan Ahead & Prepare

Why it’s important:

• By planning and preparing in advance, you can mitigate the majority of potential breaches of the following 6 principles before evening getting on trail. Understanding local regulations/requirements and designing your personal backcountry systems are key to successful planning.

How to employ it:

• Research local fire regulations, camping restrictions, and wildlife. Always check the local land agency’s website (BLM, Forest Service, Park Service, etc.), and contact them if you need clarification. 
• Create a system for waste management (trash and recycling bags or jars, wag-bags, etc.  -see principle 3: Dispose of Waste Properly)

Kenna: Note that this principle is not an excuse to ridicule folks who are less experienced in the outdoors than you are, or have less access to planning tools. We are all constantly learning, and the best thing you can do for the community and the environment is to support everyone in that learning. 

2. Travel & Camp on Durable Surfaces

Why it’s important:

• Being intentional with where we hike, break, and camp helps protect fragile ecosystems and limits usage to specific areas. This is particularly important on high-use trails, but hikers should always be aware of where they are walking and camping.

How to employ it:

• Stay on trail (and keep any animal companions on trail as well).
• Do not use shortcuts at switchbacks. They cause erosion and save little time. 
• Avoid hiking or camping on moss, flowers, lake edges, areas with flora, open alpine zones or other generally sensitive ecosystems.
• Find surfaces that will not be damaged by your shelter and body weight, such as exposed and compacted soil, small rocks, or sand. Ideally, use established campsites.

Kenna: With the rise of social media, this principle has been increasingly compromised for the sake of photographs (i.e. camping at lakes edges to get sunrise shots, or leaving the trail to get a better view). Be mindful of what you are damaging for a photograph.

5. Minimize Campfire Impacts

Why it’s important:

• 85% of wildland fires are human caused; the importance of minimizing your campfire impact cannot be overstated. Having fires can deplete ecological resources (e.g. cutting down trees, or taking deadfall that is important to cultivating flora & fauna) and emits considerable amounts of carbon into the atmosphere.

How to employ it:

• Know the current fire regulations in the area that you are hiking.
• Keep your fires small and manageable — be mindful of the space you are using. Use established rings with buffer zones to flammable vegetation.
• Do not burn trash in fires, pack it out. 
• Dead and down! (Do not harvest firewood from living trees, or from dead trees that are still standing).
• Collect firewood away from established campsites.

Dahn: I never make campfires because I think of fire as a pet or a newborn, it’s something you need to constantly monitor and manipulate. Additionally the constant depletion of resources can alter (visually and ecologically) the space around your campfire. It’s actually very difficult to have a responsible fire as you need to make sure it’s fully out, and responsibly build and source, which requires a lot of work, time, and resources.

7. Be Considerate of Other Visitors

Why it’s important:

• Ultimately, this principle is intended to allow every hiker and other trail-user to enjoy their experience. Much of this is dependent on your actions with the previous six principles.

How to employ it:

• Avoid playing loud music or yelling. 
• Avoid shooting guns. 
• Keep pets on leash (or equivalent) or under strong voice command.
• Uphill hikers have right-of-way. Hikers generally yield to equestrians (horses), and bikers generally yield to equestrians and hikers. 
• Be active in providing a safe, inclusive environment to all users. Being welcoming and inclusive to BIPOC, LGBTQA+ folks, and womxn includes, but is not limited to, speaking out against disrespectful remarks, and stepping in when unsafe situations arise.

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