Minimal Impact Camping Leave no trace The basic

Minimal Impact Camping Leave no trace The basic principle for minimal impact camping is to consider whether a party of visitors travelling several days behind you would notice the impacts you have made.

Walking & camping • Be aware of sensitive areas such as water catchments, alpine vegetation regions, ground lichens, coastal sand dunes • Walk on established tracks, even animal tracks are better than just “bushbashing’. Don’t mark your tracks as you move through an area • Do not disturb plants and animals. Once your camp is established minimise your movements • Use designated campsites. Do not remove plants or rocks to set up your tent. • In pristine/sensitive areas disperse: Avoid places where impacts are just beginning • Camp at least 20 metres from a water source, 100 metres is preferable • Minimise the length of your stay particularly in sensitive areas • Good campsites are found not made. • Obtain permission to enter private land

Water treatment • Always try to carry in your own water • Check with a Ranger or Land owner as to water availability • Giardia and Gastroenteritis are contaminated water borne diseases resulting in diarrhoea and vomiting. If contamination is suspected filter, boil (5 minutes) or sterilise (Iodine) the water • Do not underestimate the amount of water you will need

Sustainability Minimising the use of non-renewable resources • The more packaging that you bring in the more you will have to carry out, therefore bring products that require little packaging to none at all, or packaging that can be re-used Rubbish • Carry minimal rubbish producing material as possible. Careful planning will reduce your rubbish load considerably • Take out what you take in, use bins where provided • Rubbish materials includes items like banana, and orange peel, paper products, plastics, tins, foils, chewing gum and other food scraps. All food scraps regardless of size must be taken out. Animals will soon search out any buried scraps which could contain harmful ingredients, organisms • If you come across other peoples rubbish do the right thing and pick it up

References • Froude C & Polley S Outdoor Education: Foundations for tertiary and senior secondary education Impact Publishing 2008 • http: //www. leavenotrace. ca/programs/principals. html • Bushwalking and Mountain craft Leadership handbook Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism 2000 • http: //www. parks. tas. gov. au • Minimal Impact Camping Josh Mackie, Andrew Alderson tutorial presentation 2008 • Minimal impact Camping Paul Mills Tutorial presentation 2009