COMPASS · KNOW YOUR LAND

LEAVE NO TRACE BASICS

The seven principles every overlander should run as a mental checklist before leaving the trail. Sourced verbatim from the National Park Service.

1. PLAN AHEAD AND PREPARE

• Know the regulations and special concerns for the area you'll visit.
• Prepare for extreme weather, hazards, and emergencies.
• Schedule your trip to avoid times of high use.
• Visit in small groups when possible. Consider splitting larger groups into smaller groups.
• Repackage food to minimize waste.
• Use a map and compass or GPS to eliminate the use of marking paint, rock cairns or flagging.

2. TRAVEL AND CAMP ON DURABLE SURFACES

• Durable surfaces include established trails and campsites, rock, gravel, dry grasses, or snow.
• Protect riparian areas by camping at least 200 feet from lakes and streams.
• Good campsites are found, not made. Altering a site is not necessary.
• In popular areas: concentrate use on existing trails and campsites; walk single file in the middle of the trail, even when wet or muddy; keep campsites small.
• In pristine areas: disperse use to prevent the creation of campsites and trails; avoid places where impacts are just beginning.

3. DISPOSE OF WASTE PROPERLY

• Pack it in, pack it out. Inspect your campsite, food preparation areas, and rest areas for trash or spilled foods. Pack out all trash, leftover food and litter.
• Utilize toilet facilities whenever possible. Otherwise, deposit solid human waste in catholes dug 6 to 8 inches deep, at least 200 feet from water, camp and trails. Cover and disguise the cathole when finished.
• Pack out toilet paper and hygiene products.
• To wash yourself or your dishes, carry water 200 feet away from streams or lakes and use small amounts of biodegradable soap. Scatter strained dishwater.

4. LEAVE WHAT YOU FIND

• Preserve the past: examine, photograph, but do not touch cultural or historic structures and artifacts.
• Leave rocks, plants and other natural objects as you find them.
• Avoid introducing or transporting non-native species.
• Do not build structures, furniture, or dig trenches.

5. MINIMIZE CAMPFIRE IMPACTS

• Campfires can cause lasting impacts to the backcountry. Use a lightweight stove for cooking and enjoy a candle lantern for light.
• Where fires are permitted, use established fire rings, fire pans, or mound fires.
• Keep fires small. Only use sticks from the ground that can be broken by hand.
• Burn all wood and coals to ash, put out campfires completely, then scatter cool ashes.
• Check current fire restrictions for your destination — see our Fire Restrictions guide.

6. RESPECT WILDLIFE

• Observe wildlife from a distance. Do not follow or approach them.
• Never feed animals. Feeding wildlife damages their health, alters natural behaviors, habituates them to humans, and exposes them to predators and other dangers.
• Protect wildlife and your food by storing rations and trash securely.
• Control pets at all times, or leave them at home.
• Avoid wildlife during sensitive times: mating, nesting, raising young, or winter.

7. BE CONSIDERATE OF OTHER VISITORS

• Respect other visitors and protect the quality of their experience.
• Be courteous. Yield to other users on the trail.
• Step to the downhill side of the trail when encountering pack stock.
• Take breaks and camp away from trails and other visitors.
• Let nature's sounds prevail. Avoid loud voices and noises.

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOUR OVERLAND TRIP

Overlanding has a heavier footprint than backpacking by design — bigger vehicle, more gear, longer stays, sometimes louder. That makes the Seven Principles more important for our community, not less. Three points where overlanders most often slip:

• Dispersed camping site selection. "Dispersed" doesn't mean "anywhere flat." Use existing previously-impacted pullouts within 150 feet of the road on most National Forest land. Camp 200 feet from water. Check the local MVUM (see our upcoming Compass guide) to confirm where dispersed camping is actually allowed.
• Gray water. Dish soap, sunscreen, deet, and hand sanitizer all end up on the ground if you wash up at your rig. Use the 200-foot rule. Strain dishwater. Scatter, don't pour.
• Noise. Compressors, generators, music, idling diesels. Sound carries further in cold dry air than people realize. Be considerate — especially after dark.

GEAR THAT MATTERS HERE

Categories from the 4xSolar catalog that help you comply with Leave No Trace without giving up off-grid comfort:

• Solar power and lithium batteries — eliminate the need for generators and their noise impact on neighbors
• Propane camp stoves and fire pits — the LNT-recommended alternative to wood fires; works under Stage 1 and 2 fire restrictions
• Solar lighting and headlamps — replace the candle lantern with LED area lights that don't leak fuel or wax
• GMRS radios — coordinate group movements without yelling across a campsite or relying on cell service

No hard sell. Browse the full 4xSolar catalog if any of the above is missing from your kit. The principles still apply either way.