[at-l] Re: LNT, was women's issues

[janl2@mindspring.com (Jan Leitschuh)]

> Nothing should be left within a half mile of a shelter or campsite, in .my
>  opinion. 

Okay. Agreed.

Beyond that distance food wastes and other biodegradable matter
> can
>  be properly buried or even better disposed of under a large rock or extra
> big
>  and not easily moved log, a hundred feet or so off the trails.

What? Is it such a good idea for wildlife to be feeding on food scraps? They
will dig this up. The issue is larger than keeping animals from exploring
shelters which, I agree, is desirable.

Aside from the questionable nature of some of the food we eat (marshmallows,
for example, or white bread - banned at most zoos because the animals
sicken), is it a good idea to have "caches" of uneaten food around for
animals to find and dig up? Jane Goodall screwed up some monkey migration
patterns by feeding wild animals. Our diet is not their diet.
Why not just pack it out or else complete immolation if a campfire is going?
(I said "complete").
 


"Bob C." wrote:
> 
> "...Doesn't LNT means not even burying biodegradable garbage to be dug up? Food
> scraps or whatever?"
> 
>  Yes. But LNT in my observation is only rarely attempted and never achieved. The
>  old "carry in, carry out" was a better message. Leaving no trace is an
>  impossible goal, so most hikers simply ignore the concept. The trails have
>  gotten dirtier, not cleaner since the new slogan replaced carry in, carry out.
> 
>  Even Paul Petzolt, who originated the concept, abandoned it in his later years
>  as inherently impossible, and thus counter-productive.
> 
>  Nothing should be left within a half mile of a shelter or campsite, in my
>  opinion. Beyond that distance food wastes and other biodegradeable matter can
>  be properly buried or even better disposed of under a large rock or extra big
>  and not easily moved log, a hundred feet or so off the trails.
> 
>  Animals expect wastes around humans. So they go to where humans are and dig
>  stuff up. When I was doing a lot of winter camping away from organized sites, I
>  used to return to the sites each summer and see what if any problems our winter
>  incursions had caused. I never found any, though proper burial had been pretty
>  impossible.
> 
>  Weary
> 
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    	Jan Leitschuh Sporthorses Ltd.

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