Imagine you're undertaking a trek in a pristine part of the country. Along the way you drop two toffee wrappers, your partner leaves a piece of toilet paper on the trail, your guide sets up a campfire each night and your kids collect a small fossil or rock each. Now suppose that this trail attracts hundreds of small groups every year that behave in exactly the same manner as your own. If you returned to the trail at the end of every decade, would you find the environs to be just as pristine?
No matter how small an offence appears to be, all of it adds up. Wherever you are outdoors, it is extremely important to practise "Leave No Trace" (LNT) principles that protect the living world and minimise the damage humans can do. Here are eight important things to keep in mind before and during a trek.
Travel in groups of four as larger groups make a larger mess. If you're in a large group, walk in single file on the track rather than abreast to avoid trampling on flowers and ferns.
The great Indian holiday often means blaring music and lots of screaming and shouting. Remember, you left the city to experience something different. Listen to the wind, the rustling of leaves and be mindful of the loudness of your voice. Others on the trail will thank you.
View birds and animals from a distance and do not feed wild animals. They find quick movements and loud noises stressful. If you scare them, they will start avoiding that area so keep quiet and avoid unnecessary movement.
Leave areas as you found them. Camp at designated campsites used by others instead of trying to clear the ground for a new one. Do not pluck flowers or take cuttings, seeds and roots of plants.
Do not make open campfires and discourage others from doing so. Where water needs to be heated by firewood, use as little of it as possible. Choose kerosene or other fuel-efficient stoves.
Don't leave tins of canned food behind. Leave campsites clean and remember to take back all non-biodegradable litter back with you to dispose off once you reach towns and cities. Bury only biodegradable food waste like the skins and peels of fruits and vegetables.
Prior to undertaking a hike or trek, check with your travel outfitter about how they plan to dispose off human waste. Request that they carry a toilet tent if it's a large group. Before leaving the campsite, a dry pit toilet eight inches deep should be dug, filled with soil and covered with rocks.
For faeces, find a place at least 200ft away from rivers and other water sources. Dig a six to eight inch hole, do your business, and then backfill. Use water rather than toilet paper to clean up. For the latter, after you wipe, use a stick to push the paper to the bottom of the pile and refill the hole. You can urinate anywhere as it has little impact on soil or vegetation, but try to aim at a rock or squat over one.
For menstruating backpackers, use and clean a menstrual cup, or pack used pads or tampons to dispose off once you reach town.
Do not use detergents and/or soap at water sources. Carry water away from the source to wash up. Better yet, use mud from the river to clean pots and pans. Fallen leaves can also be used as scrubs.