by Sage Doak

Created on: February 22, 2009

Backpacking can either mean hiking though the wilderness or traveling around the world on the cheap. Both of them however mean living out of your backpack. Backpacking can be a cheap and freedom granting way of seeing a wide variety of places. To ensure that others may continue to experience the great sites that we are (or us in the future) there are a number of ethics we should follow. This article integrates aspects of both forms of backpacking, but has a heavier focus on the wilderness.

PERSONAL SAFETY FIRST

The least enjoyable trips are the ones you come out of dead. This is a strong comment, but when we are traveling whether though another country or through nature there are many things that may severely harm us or worse. A death occurring at any site puts it at risk of shutting down long term, and thus not only for yourself, but for others you should take minimal risks. Most of the biggest accidents are easily preventable. Plan ahead and know the area you are heading into. Check the weather forecasts as well as any other general safety concerns of an area. If traveling alone make sure someone always knows where you are, and that you keep in regular contact. If you notice anything along your journey that looks dangerous report it to any authorities which are associated with the location. Even if you don't get hurt, someone else may, and this could lead to severely restrictive safety rules being put in place.

LEAVE ONLY FOOTPRINTS

Always carry out what you carry in or if facilities are available, dispose of your waste thoughtfully. If you are backpacking though the wilderness, try and leave with more waste than you carry in. If you come across some waste, even if you didn't put it there by leaving it you are still in part responsible for any damage it causes to an animal. Do not burry any of your wastes (with exception to bodily ones which have their own set of ethics discussed further down). Solid wastes buried pose a risk of being dug up and choked on (animals are attracted to disturbed ground). Organic waste poses similar risks, but organic wastes may also introduce new pathogens to an area, self seed, or be poisonous to some species even know they are perfectly safe to us.

LEAVE FOOTPRINTS THOUGHTFULLY

Stick to the tracks, even if they are muddy. Tracks are areas that have already been largely impacted, but by sticking to these you will not spread the impact. Unless sticking to the track puts you at a risk, try to follow it as much as possible. Even if you

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