Recently I stumble across a great article on TheOutbound.com and while I was reading said article I also started a narrative in my head on the article, I was pleasantly surprised when I got to the comment section, where I was expecting to read all the LNT disciples cheering the article, that I came across a couple that fell in line with my thoughts.
"Adventure Anywhere • 5 months agoAgree and disagree. I'm not a fan of the LNT mentality. Nature doesn't work that way. A deer eats a leaf, it leaves a trace. A leopard takes a stroll, it leaves spoor. Leaving a trace is not the problem, leaving an unsustainable trace is. Camping over a previous camping spot lacks awareness, littering is an obvious no no. But what if I want to find a new route, is that against the rules? One of the things I love about being in nature is I dont have to listen to somebody tell me what to do, I just interact. Who is going to curate LNT? It's not always black and white. But other than that you make some great points :)Now I'm all for pack in, pack out, I'm also against people who have no respect for the outdoors. In the past I spent time in the dunes tearing across the desert in off road vehicles. I've owned and driven many miles on dirt bikes and ATV's. I have also rode many a mile on single track with an MTB. Most recently I have taken a liking to hiking and backpacking. I say all this to say I've seen a lot of the outdoors. Both in high traveled National Parks, and out of the way middle of nowhere. A lot of these activities by nature violate LNT obvious. However never once did we hurt the land anymore than nature does in a single thunderstorm.
Agent Smith's response best captures what was bothering me about this article. While most of the examples given by the author Emily Noyd of "bad behavior" by humans I 100% agree with (and I also really liked her comments about the product placement Instagraming problem/phenomenon), it is indeed possible to get carried away with the author's idea of what LNT MUST mean. I was particularly bemused at the don't-you-dare-lie-down-and-sleep-in-a-meadow; or even on GRASS! Really, in the wild??? Can I step on some? Pretty please.
And can we get those animals to stop doing it? You know, those pesky bears, moose, elk, etc. all of whom weigh way more then moi?
Seems to me, animals do NOT trump humans in the primitive aspects of life. I'm not talking about parking a Class C RV in an Alpine Meadow... but rather backpacking into remote areas. Animals get to burrow, nest, chomp on trees, etc. And they have been doing so long after humans moved out of the woods and into cities. Sarcasm alert: My how do these wild places survive such onslaughts???
Maybe LNT extremists need to preach like this because too many folks have zero common sense or zero concern for nature? So much so, that preaching nonsense like I MUST bed on rock and/or dirt... ONLY... and the animals can bed in a comfy nest by "destroying" all those things we mere humans are forbidden to... is the only way to get some modified behavior out of the worst offenders???
I certainly advocate for Agent Smith's rule of not "camping over a previous spot." But even there... with discernment! That's NOT 100% always true or even necessary.
Most people think of LNT as a carry in, carry out rule... maybe even burying your poo! Making habitats, foundations, fire rings... cutting branches, brush... the list of "absolute" do's and dont's can be very long and are often actually conditional - requiring judgment.
In my experience, getting people to just 100% obey a Leave No TRASH rule would indeed be a major victory."
Now after saying all that, there are a lot of people who trash natural places. they cut switchbacks, run over vegetation, leave trash in camp, and tear up mud holes in the name of fun. Nature will erase the signs of those who respect it enough not to destroy it, just like it erases the signs of deer and larger mammals, (my hunting friends can attest to that) but like humans who trash nature, there are also pests like rats, rabbits, beavers and the like that destroy trees, block streams, build large nests that destroy yuccas and other delicate desert fauna. We should teach them leave no trace as well.
So I say, I'm going to continue enjoying the outdoors. I'm going to camp in beautiful areas, I'm going to Instagram them, I'm going to drive off road, but I will not leave trash behind, nor will I damage natural places I visit. I will leave a trace. My presence will impact were I am, but no more than nature also does.
