PDA

View Full Version : Do you discard food on the trail?



Pencil Pusher
06-29-2004, 02:48
Do you chuck those banana or orange peels while on the trail? How about watermelon rinds or sunflower seed shells? Or just food in general? Do you figure the insects, animals and weather will make short work of it?

Jaybird
06-29-2004, 05:11
PencilPusher:

I've done both...discarded the peels & rinds & shells...but, lately..have packed it out.


If you're gonna live by the LNT rules...pack it out! :D

Mr. Clean
06-29-2004, 07:16
I have thrown rinds, peels, etc way off trail out of sight, but I agree with Jaybird and now pack most everything out.

SGT Rock
06-29-2004, 07:24
I bury them under the duff.

Alligator
06-29-2004, 09:33
Interesting question, does anyone even pack bananas or watermelon? Bananas-too squishy. Watermelon, well you would be trail angel of the month if you hauled that out to a shelter. I have always wanted to dehydrate one though. But to your question, the only thing I don't pack out are pistachio shells. These are thrown into the fire. No fire and I pack them out too. I don't typically pack any fresh fruit, except maybe an orange or avocado (Hass, not those big smooth Fl ones). Sometimes a tomato. Oranges are sturdy, and the others i put inside my sierra cup for protection. Otherwise dried fruit keeps better, such as apricots or pineapple.

Kerosene
06-29-2004, 12:21
If I carry it in, I carry it out (although I might burn paper if I'm confident that there is not aluminum in there and a fire is handy). Now that I think about, I don't carry out my bodily "outputs", even though you could say I packed some of that in.

Connie
06-29-2004, 13:15
I am considering taking dog-poop containers, for my poop !

I think orange peels, and such, are not what I want to see in nature.

I carry a trash compacter bag, for packing out my own trash and the trash other people leave behind. There are places my trash bag just isn't big enough.

Tim Rich
06-29-2004, 13:34
I haul out everything except the sunflower shells, although I'm quite accurate with them and only spit them in leki holes... :)

In fact, I founded S.H.E.L.L.S. - Sunflower Husks Enhancing Leki-Loosened Soil. Yep, founded it just now...

smokymtnsteve
06-29-2004, 17:12
I haul out everything except the sunflower shells, although I'm quite accurate with them and only spit them in leki holes... :)

In fact, I founded S.H.E.L.L.S. - Sunflower Husks Enhancing Leki-Loosened Soil. Yep, founded it just now...

You are my HERO!

steve hiker
06-29-2004, 21:03
I rarely throw away any food while hiking, but not because of LNT or environmental concerns. At least not in the East, where the moisture and animals (large and microscopic) will make short work of it.

As a practical matter, I do not throw away any food while hiking -- I eat it! However last winter someone left a large sausage at a shelter, and I carried it a half mile away then threw it as far as I could from the trail, into the snow. Didn't want to encourage varmints to come around the shelter looking for food.

SalParadise
07-06-2004, 14:09
Cleaning your cookpot and chucking the wash-water is tossing food. But fruit rinds I'll definitely chuck. I'll throw it far from a shelter or wouldn't just drop it on the Trail of course, but since when is compost bad for the environment?

NotYet
07-06-2004, 15:55
Basic outdoor skills...If I pack it in, I pack it out.

I have come across an apple tree along the trail, plucked an apple and tossed its core (if I didn't feel like eating that, too). But, I have yet to come across any orange trees in these parts! Therefore, I believe that their peels are not a positive addition to these woods and should definitely be carried out.

P.S. I can't imagine that peanut and sunflower shells weigh so much that people can't carry them out...they weighed more when they were full!

Pencil Pusher
07-08-2004, 23:28
P.S. I can't imagine that... sunflower shells weigh so much that people can't carry them out...they weighed more when they were full!
It just makes life simpler to stick a bunch in your mouth and spit each shell out as you walk along.

NotYet
07-09-2004, 14:41
I take "de-shelled" nuts & seeds in the woods with me because it's less hassle...but I do remember that I used to just eat the shells as a kid. It added that thrilling crunch I always loved so much!

saimyoji
12-14-2004, 01:14
An interesting idea has been raised here. The seeds from the various fruit/foods we carry on the trail have the potential to take root and grow and cause problems. I'm not suggesting that banana or orange trees will become a problem high up on the ridge, or that tomato plants will begin sprouting all around, but the point remains valid. Anything we bring in has potential to screw with the ecosystem. That includes seeds in feces.

RITBlake
12-14-2004, 01:24
I once humped a whole cantelope 7 miles from salisbury CT up to the next shelter. But, I admit.... I threw the scrap off in to the woods.

Now I know better.

The cantelope was great!

Youngblood
12-14-2004, 09:41
I once humped a whole cantelope 7 miles from salisbury CT up to the next shelter. But, I admit.... I threw the scrap off in to the woods.

Now I know better.

The cantelope was great!

Say what? There are some things I'd rather not know about. :banana

PKH
12-14-2004, 10:05
You humped a cantelope? Until there were only scraps left? Oh God, that is too sick for me.

Cheers,

PKH

HikeLite
12-14-2004, 10:14
New movie coming out called American Cantelope.

peter_pan
12-14-2004, 10:15
Banannas work... :banana ...but carry the peels out....I was proud of KIWI GA-ME 03 for his LNT dedication to fresh fruit and the environment.

Talking pot rinse water....Leave the detergent out....rinse, reduce residue to floatsam and drink it..... you need the calories.... the shelter habitat does not need any one anyone feeding the critters!!!!

If this thought bothers you...put in water, heat it some (makes it a more effective rinse anyway) and drink the "thin warm soup".

RITBlake
12-14-2004, 14:39
Say what? There are some things I'd rather not know about. :banana

Oh man. I didn't even reread what I wrote until now. My face just turned bright red. That is really, really funny.

Any marine can give some kind of defintion for "Hump': A forced march carrying a heavy load. Often in hot or inclimate weather.

Sgt. Rock where are you!! help me!

SGT Rock
12-14-2004, 14:46
Yes, Hump to me normally means to shlep a heavy pack somewhere.

Bloodroot
12-14-2004, 14:49
Oh man. I didn't even reread what I wrote until now. My face just turned bright red. That is really, really funny.

Any marine can give some kind of defintion for "Hump': A forced march carrying a heavy load. Often in hot or inclimate weather.

Sgt. Rock where are you!! help me!
I knew what you meant man, but not a jarhead here. Really though, why did you decide on a cantelope? Give an apple pie a shot, seemed to work well on "American Pie"

Kerosene
12-14-2004, 14:51
Yes, Hump to me normally means to shlep a heavy pack somewhere.Unless of course the said marine is on shore leave. :banana

Lone Wolf
12-14-2004, 14:53
Y'all need to be capitalizing Marine. :cool:

Bloodroot
12-14-2004, 15:09
Y'all need to be capitalizing Marine. :cool:
Uh oh! Didn't know there was a jarh...I mean former Semper Fi in the house.:D

Lone Wolf
12-14-2004, 15:13
Yup. The Few, The Proud...

Bloodroot
12-14-2004, 15:29
Yup. The Few, The Proud...
Well I must apologize then for the jarhead comment...I'm used to reading all the lines in the porta-shi**er that the branches poetically express about each other. ;)

Lone Wolf
12-14-2004, 15:30
Jarhead is a term of endearment. :)

Youngblood
12-14-2004, 15:31
Oh man. I didn't even reread what I wrote until now. My face just turned bright red. That is really, really funny.

Any marine can give some kind of defintion for "Hump': A forced march carrying a heavy load. Often in hot or inclimate weather.

Sgt. Rock where are you!! help me!

There was no problem in what you meant, everybody knew. I couldn't help myself when I read it... the devil make me do it. :) I hoped that it would get a laugh without any harm being done. We sometimes seem to need a few lighter moments around here.

Youngblood

sherrill
12-14-2004, 15:40
L. Wolf, did you ever serve at Camp Lejune? Grew up near there knew a lot of Marines.

Lone Wolf
12-14-2004, 15:44
Sure did. Was at Camp Johnson for school and French Creek which is at LeJeune, with 8th Engineer Support Batallion.

sherrill
12-14-2004, 15:48
Cool. Grew up on Topsail in the 70's. Used to sneak into Jazzland on Court Street in J'ville when I got wheels. Dem's were the days. :D

RITBlake
12-14-2004, 16:40
Officer Candidate School here.

Finish up PLC next summer.

SF

The Solemates
12-14-2004, 18:15
Oh man the canteloupe comments had me rolling....

:jump :banana :clap :D

SGT Rock
12-14-2004, 22:32
A Marine humping a melon :-?

One Leg
12-14-2004, 22:47
A Marine humping a melon :-? Not to fear, the intelligence of the offspring wouldn't be affected whatsoever.<teasing, no offense to any literate Marines in our midst>

RITBlake
12-15-2004, 00:21
A Marine humping a melon :-?


on top of a 50 lb pack in 100 degree weather.

but like I was always say

The hump justifies the means

Mountain Dew
12-15-2004, 04:13
orange peels take 6 months to degrade in the woods.

Jack Tarlin
12-15-2004, 19:45
As compared to the cleancut, upright, and proper Mountain Dew.

It took him only a coupla days from Springer to degrade out there and he hasn't entirely bounced back yet!

UCONNMike
12-15-2004, 21:22
Oh man. I didn't even reread what I wrote until now. My face just turned bright red. That is really, really funny.

Any marine can give some kind of defintion for "Hump': A forced march carrying a heavy load. Often in hot or inclimate weather.

Sgt. Rock where are you!! help me!
HAHA, that is wicked hilarious, after i re-read your post, haha, that is classic. I humped a turkey sang-wich up to eat for dinner. I think we both had stomach aches from the crap we ate in town that day, we had juice, pudding, fruit, sang-wiches, and chocolate bars. Worst combo of food ever.

RITBlake
12-15-2004, 21:24
HAHA, that is wicked hilarious, after i re-read your post, haha, that is classic. I humped a turkey sang-wich up to eat for dinner. I think we both had stomach aches from the crap we ate in town that day, we had juice, pudding, fruit, sang-wiches, and chocolate bars. Worst combo of food ever.


oh man thats right. That was awful....


awfully delicious

until it made its reappearance

Tha Wookie
12-15-2004, 23:22
Hump it in... hump it out!:banana