Leave No Trace in Fragile Places: Altitude, Desert, Snow, Bear Country
The same seven principles, applied harder. In fragile environments, carry everything out, spread impact, keep water clean, and store food by local rule.
The Leave No Trace principles do not change in fragile environments — the margin does. At altitude and on snow, decomposition is so slow that toilet paper, wipes and sanitary products must be carried out, never buried. In desert, biological soil crusts take decades to recover, so stay on established trails. In bear country, all food and scented items go in a canister, box or hard-sided vehicle.
At home, a cathole dug 8 inches deep will break down in a season. At 13,000 ft, in desert, or on a glacier, the same cathole may still be there in a decade. The principles are identical; the arithmetic is not.
Altitude and snow
- Decomposition is extremely slow. Toilet paper, wipes and sanitary products all get carried out. Never buried, and never left in a snow pit.
- Camp on durable surfaces — rock, snow, hard ground — and avoid fragile alpine vegetation that took decades to establish.
- Meltwater carries contamination downhill. Collect snow well away from camp and from toilet areas, and do not wash dishes or yourself at the water source.
- Weather turns fast at altitude: digging and burying is unreliable, so carry a WAG bag.
Desert and arid country
- Biological soil crusts can take decades to recover from a single footstep. Stay on existing trails and hard ground.
- Water is scarce: carry out all rubbish and food scraps. Do not bury them — animals dig them up.
- Camp and toilet at least 200 ft (60 m) from water, and further where local rules are stricter.
Bears and wildlife
- Food, rubbish and anything scented — toothpaste, sunscreen, snacks — stored as the local rules require: canister, bear box, or a hard-sided vehicle.
- Never store food in the tent. Do not substitute a hung "bear bag" for a canister unless local rules allow it and you can hang it properly.
- If you meet a bear, follow the local guidance — do not run, and do not apply one script to every situation. Read park rules before you go.
Common mistakes
- Reading "biodegradable" as "safe to bury".
- Digging a hole in desert or snow and calling it disposal.
- Hanging food too low or too close to the trunk.
- Washing dishes or brushing teeth at the water source.