LNT How far do you go?

[chrisoc]

Where do you draw the line when it comes to Leave no trace. Is it Okay to spit out the shells of sunflower seeds as you walk? What about peanut shells? Egg shells?

Just how strict/lax are you?

[jesse]

I throw apple cores into the woods. I pack out orange and banana peels.
I leave poop in a shallow hole, pack out TP.

Spit out the sunflower seeds. Peanut hulls either toss off the trail or pack out. Do you really bring eggs?

[couscous]

My simple LNT goal is to neither alter the behavior of animals nor detract from the experience of others, so I take sunflower seeds and peanuts already shelled and leave the eggs at home.

[Penguin]

I think it takes about two to three years for the sunflower seeds and other shells to deteriorate, same as cigarette butts, so if you feel comfy spitting them out, you fall into the same category as people who toss their cigarette butts on the trail. Congrats on packing out the toilet paper. Go all the way with the LNT. There seem to be a ton of people on the AT might as well leave it as you found it for them. I do admit to hucking apple cores in the past, but now I only eat about 1 a year so I just would choose not to eat one instead of dealing with the trash.

The worst things of course are fire rings. There are a ton of them out there already. People who build new ones should be flogged. I don't even get the point of a fire unless there is some kind of big all late night party going on outside. Otherwise if it's cold just hop in the sleeping bag. Fire rings never go away when you build them and encourage people to make fires which is a dangerous practice in the woods.

[Rockhound]

When I smoked I switched to Bugler because they had no filters. A tiny piece of paper and tobacco that would not be seen and biodegrade quickly. It's 2 weeks now without smoke but I have had a great deal of incentive to quit. Aside from that I will burn my paper trash only and T.P. is burried or left in privies. Everything else is packed out and sometimes I find myself cleaning up after litterbugs if I am not too far from a proper place in which to dispose of it.
I never burn plastic or foil wrappers. Even the small Poptart or granola bar wrappers which I have heard others claim is perfectly OK to do as there is no evidence left behind. I disagree.

[P1nkPanther]

I used a protein bar wrapper as a glove to pick up someone else's toilet paper (left straight on the ground) this morning.

I think that answers your question.

[Rockhound]

As for peanut shells, sunflower seeds. I would not be packing the shells to begin with. Orange peels get packed out. Hard boiled egg shells get packed out. My rule of thumb is anything edible gets packed out as it could attract wildlife

[Rockhound]

I used a protein bar wrapper as a glove to pick up someone else's toilet paper (left straight on the ground) this morning.

I think that answers your question.

That goes way too far for me. I do not like looking at it either but I would quickly move on rather than risk illness and passing it along to other hikers. Remind me never to share gorp with you.

[P1nkPanther]

That goes way too far for me. I do not like looking at it either but I would quickly move on rather than risk illness and passing it along to other hikers. Remind me never to share gorp with you.

HA! Well, I did sanitize right after. But I'll make sure to keep my gorp to myself.

It wasn't on the trail, but at the camp site. I worry about someone else coming in, seeing trash on the ground, and feeling OK to add to it.

I go way overboard with lots of eco-scentric things. I don't expect others to follow suit, or even always appreciate that I do. Except my husband, so perhaps some kind thoughts for WalkinTom for putting up with me?

[innermountain]

A "trace" is a trace if it affects natural flora, fauna, or is seen by people. So sunflower seeds on the trail is definitely not in alignment with LNT. Apple cores and other fruit and vegetable pieces deep in the woods is ok in my book.

[Pedaling Fool]

I don't do LNT, just pack out trash, but leave the foodstuff. Doesn't hurt a damn thing.

[Lone Wolf]

Where do you draw the line when it comes to Leave no trace. Is it Okay to spit out the shells of sunflower seeds as you walk? What about peanut shells? Egg shells?

Just how strict/lax are you?

yes to all of the above

[Pedaling Fool]

What I don't understand is people pack out TP when using a cathole, but leave it when using the privy --- W-T-F people

[trailangelbronco]

I have switched to UL synthetic TP and am very impressed.

[Trailbender]

I never pack out TP, I consider it safer to leave behind than create a potential biohazard in my pack. For the fire thing, I will build one in an established ring, and I use a minimal amount of wood. I usually do this in nice weather to save on stove fuel, I can build a fire in bad weather, but it takes awhile to get it going. I pack out my garbage. Overall, I consider LNT to be guidelines rather than unbreakable rules.

[Tipi Walter]

The worst things of course are fire rings. There are a ton of them out there already. People who build new ones should be flogged. I don't even get the point of a fire unless there is some kind of big all late night party going on outside. Otherwise if it's cold just hop in the sleeping bag. Fire rings never go away when you build them and encourage people to make fires which is a dangerous practice in the woods.

Totally agree on this one. What gets me going is getting to a campsite and finding a new firepit built 10 or 15 feet from the old one. What, the old one's not good enough? I've scattered firepit rocks over the years, and cleared out camps of their rings, but most campers insist on having a fire, and usually a big butt fire, and usually will build one in high winds or not. They are a peculiar bunch.

Coupled with the Fire Madness is the need to bring in alcohol to ingest around an all-night bonfire. This is a real peeve, as then you get to endure long chortling yells, screams, and shouts late into the night by the loud, inbred drunks. One LNT principle is Shut The Heck Up and keep quiet! Campsite fires encourage high noise levels and induce alcohol retardation, a disease common in the Southeast woods where I live.

[JAK]

It depends on the location.
If other people might see it, I will leave no visible trace.
If it is a sensitive ecosystem, I will try and leave minimal impact.
If it is a typical robust ecosystem, I will use biomass, and leave biodegradeables.

[mweinstone]

i think when you leave food traces you atract bears.
you ruin the purity of the visual exsperience if your trash is seen
to feel like a jerk tossing shells and butts and seed husks and cores around.
it just aint your compost pile or trash can or personal property to trash
chicks dig dudes with big trash bags
matthewski hunts litterbugs with mantrakkerlike success rates returning their trash free

[Lone Wolf]

i usta bury tuna cans. now i just burn the foil packs that it comes in

[general]

a wise man once said "if you hold flame to anything, long enough, eventually, it will burn".