Leave No Trace for the Survivalist-Warning, Rant!

Leave No Trace is an important concept no matter where you travel. This link will take you to the Grand Canyon's website where erroneous modes of foot travel can disrupt centuries of growth and lead to erosion.

As a survivalist, Leave No Trace takes on new meaning. Being able to traverse land without leaving a sign of passage can mean life or death if being pursued by enemies.

By respecting the land, we leave plants and animals in their wildest states, allowing harvest as needed and building materials for the future.

Just recently, while working as an outdoor educator in Maine's Hundred Mile Wilderness, a small group of Appalachian Trail hikers decided they needed campfires.
Believe it or not, several fires were build right below pine trees, so close the exposed root systems actually formed the fire ring. The perpetrators walk away from their fires, not even taking time to douse them. I know. I put one out, excavating a 6 foot diameter hole, beneath a tree, checking it days later, verifying it was indeed out.

I know. Unbelievable. I would have bet my teeth no one was that stupid, but then I'd have lost and would be gumming my sweet roll to death instead of chomping away as I write this.

Amazingly, few know that duff can go several feet deep in such pine forests, and even if half of Maine seems to be a bog, these pine forests can erupt in flames weeks after the embers finally burst from their nest of fuel. The resulting wildfire can do untold damage to pristine forests and drive wildlife from their homes.
Campfires in Maine are illegal unless at a designated site. Don't argue. That's the law.

According to reliable resources, three hikers have been charged with setting such a fire near Rainbow Lake. I hope they throw the book at them and hard, setting an example for all who follow. Its time to stand up to the masses of unskilled navigating the woods.
And I don't even want to hear that's how your grandaddy did it back in his day.

Mini Campfire in the Gulf Hagas Base Camp

One day, while hiking over a bog,I glimpsed this abandoned disk. Apparently someone with a chainsaw was creating steps for the soggy trail, and cast this one aside.
It seemed a great find, and although it was sodden, through and through, I fished it out and hauled it back to my base camp.

Every day going to and from work, I'd consider this round. In a fit of inspiration, I decided to make an Indian Bowl, thus killing two birds, as it were, with one stone.

After allowing this round to dry for two weeks, I began my project. Every night, after work, while sitting outside, I would place a few scraps of paper, two inches of mosquito "coil" (found in the junk drawer bin on location) and a bit of candle wax in the middle of the disk. Then, I'd light it on fire. The smoke wasn't too bad and the silver lining was it kept the hoards of mosquitoes at bay.

By utilizing small scraps of paper, bits of candle wax, and twigs, my mini campfire is sustainable and accomplishing multiple tasks. Getting rid of trash, keeping the bugs at bay, providing needed companionship, giving much needed light.

As a Leave No Trace educator, I found this campfire very rewarding. The land is not scared and the resources are not depleted.

Each morning before leaving for work, I scrape out the ashes, thus creating a bowl. When the season is over, I'll have a great souvenir of my season as Ridgerunner, stationed in the Gulf Hagas, 30 miles north of Monson, in the world renown 100 mile Wilderness of Maine.

Special notes: the metal plate below my campfire has one cup of water in it, thus preventing the base from getting too hot and scorching the platform.
Nearby, I keep a gallon of water, and metal bucket, should I need to extinguish the fire.
Before going to bed, I insure the fire is out, even scraping down to insure there are no glowing embers.
I never walk away from the fire, regardless how small it is. My home, the tent, is just a few feet away.
If there were high winds, I would not even attempt to have a fire, taking the road of caution, always.

Happy trails.

A complete video has been posted to my you tube channel. Other videos I've embedded here, seem to get cropped.