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- Know about the area you are visiting and be aware of any special restrictions.
- A smaller group has less impact than a large group. If you can safely split a large group into two independent sub-groups, do so.
- When confronted with a muddy section of track, plough through the middle. Trying to walk around the outside only enlarges the bog.
- Always wash your boots after walking through areas affected by cinnamon fungus.
- Use an existing campsite instead of a making a new one; this is both easier and has less impact.
- Where possible, use hard or sandy surfaces for rest stops and campsites in preference to muddy ground or vegetation. Surfaces such as rock, gravel, sand (not sand dunes), dry grasses, beach areas below the high-tide line, already-compacted earth, and snow are resistant to damage. Try to avoid stepping on soft plants, muddy areas (unless walking on a muddy track), stream banks, and fragile sand dunes. Never step on cushion plants; they take many years to recover from a single boot mark.
- Always carry and use a fuel stove. Campfires scar the landscape, cause destruction of insect habitat through the removal of firewood, can be difficult to light, and can start bushfires.
- If you must use a fireplace in a hut, keep the fire small.
- Carry all of your rubbish out with you; if you can carry something in, you can also carry it out. Remember that foil packets do not burn and must be carried out also. If you are able to carry out rubbish that you find on the track, this can be an easy way to contribute to the environment.
- If camping with other groups, keep noise to a reasonable level.
- Keep chemicals such as sunscreen and especially soap out of creeks and rivers.
- Detergent is generally not necessary to clean a pot. If you have uncoated pots you can use sticks, leaves, and sand in conjunction with hot water to scour the pot. If you have Teflon-coated pots then hot water in conjunction with a towel alone is usually effective. I use uncoated pots so that I can apply brute force to burnt food without stripping the coating.
- If you must use soap, wash as far away from a watercourse as practicable (at least 50m).
- When toileting, go at least 50m from a watercourse. Dig a hole at least 15cm deep (about the depth of a small trowel). Things decompose in soil in a narrow band; any shallower than this and faecal waste can be dug up by animals; any deeper and it will be outside the decomposition band. Dispose of toilet paper appropriately. Do not bury tampons, as they will not decompose; carry them out instead. When finished, urinate into the hole; this is thought to help decomposition. Re-fill the hole and (carefully) compact the soil. In well-used areas, mark with a stick. Remember to wash your hands.
More information
Queensland Outdoor Recreation Forum
Tread Lightly
Leave No Trace A non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting and
inspiring responsible outdoor recreation through respect for our natural and cultural heritage, education and awareness.
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