Responsible Outdoor Adventure: Outdoor Ethics You Ought To Understand and Conform To

You have checked your camping checklist for the hundredth time so you are confident that you have forgotten nothing and that everything is ready to go for the great outdoor adventure.
Your new tent is packed and ready, and so is your food pack and water containers. The first aid kit is safely inside your backpack plus, of course, your map to the campsite. All the things you need are stowed away nicely.

There are several outdoor responsibilities that you must not forget. Being a responsible camper today will ensure that future generations can enjoy nature the way you enjoy the fresh air, the smell of the forest, and the starry skies at night in this great outdoor adventure.

Here are some outdoor ethics you need to know:

1. Set up camp at designated areas only. Do not set up your tent and camp on a restricted area. Follow campsite rules and regulations as to where you should put up camp. Camp site designated areas are usually not less than 200 meters away from any water source, trails and other camp sites. Use only existing camp sites to avoid impacting the area by building a new one. Digging trenches around the tents are also discouraged.

2. Do not litter and clean up after your mess. Practice waste segregation and pick up whatever garbage the previous camp site occupant had left behind. Pack all your trash, leftovers, and other litter. To dispose of human waste in areas without toilet facilities, use a portable latrine, if not, bury it in a hole at least half a foot deep and 200 meters away from any water source, trail or another camp site.

3. Camp fires which are not properly extinguished have been the origin of many forest and bush fires. So make sure you extinguish your camp fire completely before going home. If you are using camp fire for cooking, consider bringing a stove instead. This will reduce your impact on the land. If not, build fire in existing fire rings and use only fallen timber for making fire.

4. Do not wash in rivers, lakes and other bodies of waters and use only eco-friendly detergents; these are some ways to help you reduce your impact on the environment. When washing dishes and utensils, you should be 200 meters away from any water source and scatter your wastewater so that it filters through the soil.

5. Avoid making too much noise. There may not be another human soul for miles around but that doesn鈥檛 mean that you can create noise. Instead, enjoy the music of the natural world, bird songs, the rustle of leaves, and the rhythm of nature, all blend to become a soothing symphony. Furthermore, there is also wildlife in the area and too much noise may drive them away from their natural habitat.

6. Know where you are going. Study the campsite you have chosen for this great outdoor adventure you have planned. Get travel maps, contact the land manager, and know the rules and regulations of the area. Bring a global positioning system (GPS) and confirm the weather forecast of your camping destination.

You have a great outdoor adventure ahead of you so take one last inspection of your camping gears and hit the road. I hope you haven鈥檛 forgotten to bring your digital camera with you, this is going to be a very memorable trip and you need to be ready for some candid moments.

So again, enjoy your camping experience while not making any significant impact to the ecosystem. Instead, become an envoy of the environment, be a responsible camper.