PE 04

LEAVE NO TRACE PRINCIPLES

The Seven Principles of Leave No Trace provide an easily understood framework of minimum impact practices for anyone visiting the outdoors. Although Leave
No Trace has its roots in backcountry settings, the Principles have been adapted so that they can be applied anywhere — from remote wilderness areas, to local parks and
even in your own backyard. They also apply to almost every recreational activity. Each Principle covers a specific topic and provides detailed information for minimizing
impacts.

The Seven Principles are well established and widely known, but they are not static. The Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics continually examines,
evaluates and reshapes the Principles. The Center’s Education Department conducts research — including publishing scholarly articles in independent journals — to ensure
that the Principles are up to date with the latest insights from biologists, land managers and other leaders in outdoor education.

1. Plan Ahead and Prepare

 When you’re poorly prepared, you’re more likely to run into problems. Lack of good research can lead to situations where you can become fatigued
or fearful, and you may be forced to make poor choices.
 Planning ahead includes doing research about your destination and packing appropriately.
a. Know the regulations and special concerns for the area you'll visit.
b. Prepare for extreme weather, hazards and emergencies.
c. Schedule your trip to avoid times of high use.
d. Visit in small groups when possible. Consider splitting larger groups into smaller groups.
e. Repackage food to minimize waste.
f. Use a map and compass to eliminate the use of marking paint, rock cairns or flagging.
2. Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
 When exploring your surroundings and setting up your picnic or overnight camp, seek out resilient types of terrain. Ideal durable surfaces include
established trails and campsites, rock, gravel, dry grasses or snow.
 In popular areas, frontcountry or backcountry:
a. Concentrate use on existing trails and campsites.
b. Camp at least 200 feet from lakes and streams.
c. Keep campsites small. Focus activity in areas where vegetation is absent.
d. Walk single file in the middle of the trail, even when it's wet or muddy.
 In pristine areas:
a. Disperse use to prevent the creation of campsites and trails.
b. Avoid places where impacts are just beginning.
3. Dispose of Waste Properly
 This principle applies to everything from litter to human waste to rinse water.
a. Pack it in, pack it out. Inspect your campsite and rest areas for trash or spilled foods. Pack out all trash, leftover food and litter. Always
leave a place cleaner than you found it.
b. Deposit solid human waste in catholes dug 6 to 8 inches deep, at least 200 feet from water, camp and trails. Cover and disguise the
cathole when finished. (Some highly impacted areas, like Muir Base Camp on Mount Rainier or riverside campsites in the Grand Canyon,
require human waste to be packed out, too.)
c. Pack out toilet paper and hygiene products.
d. To wash yourself or your dishes, carry water 200 feet away from streams or lakes and use small amounts of biodegradable soap. Scatter
strained dishwater.
4. Leave What You Find
 The adage “take only pictures, leave only footprints” still holds, although leaving fewer footprints is even better.
a. Preserve the past: Examine, but do not touch, cultural or historic structures and artifacts.
b. Leave rocks, plants and other natural objects as you find them.
c. Avoid introducing or transporting non-native species: Clean boot soles, kayak hulls and bike tires off between trips.
d. Do not build structures, furniture or dig trenches.
5. Minimize Campfire Impacts
 While campfires are a timeless camping ritual, they can also be one of the most destructive ones. Far better choices include a lightweight stove for
cooking and a candle lantern for light. Stargazing is an excellent alternative, and is best enjoyed when your campsite is in total darkness.
a. Where fires are permitted, use established fire rings, fire pans or mound fires.
b. Keep fires small. Use only sticks from the ground that can be broken by hand.
c. Burn all wood and coals to ash, put out campfires completely, then scatter cool ashes.
d. Don't bring firewood from home, which could introduce new pests and diseases. Buy it from a local source or gather it responsibly
where allowed.
6. Respect Wildlife
 Don’t approach animals. Both you and the wildlife will enjoy encounters more if you master the zoom lens on your camera and pack along a pair of
binoculars.
a. Observe wildlife from a distance. Do not follow or approach them.
b. Never feed animals. Feeding wildlife damages their health, alters natural behaviors, and exposes them to predators and other dangers.
c. Protect wildlife and your food by storing rations and trash securely.
d. Control pets at all times, or leave them at home.
e. Avoid wildlife during sensitive times: mating, nesting, raising young or winter.
7. Be Considerate of Other Visitors
 “Treat others the way you would like to be treated” is a rule that applies in the outdoors, too.
a. Respect other visitors and protect the quality of their experience.
b. Be courteous. Yield to other users on the trail.
c. Step to the downhill side of the trail when encountering pack stock, such as horses and mules.
d. Take breaks and camp away from trails and other visitors.
e. Let nature's sounds prevail. Avoid loud voices and noises.
f. Manage your pet.

That does it. Easy peasy right?! These are simple things that we can all do to minimize our impact and help preserve the health of our wild places and the
experiences that we share out there.

Remember that Leave No Trace is not black and white but about making the best possible decision to minimize our impact in the specific environment and
circumstances that we are in. Not a set of do’s and dont’s, but a set of guidelines to help us leave the places we visit as good or even better than we found them.

With that said, Leave No Trace is even more than a set of guidelines. It is an ethic, a belief, a state of mind, and a way of existing in the world where we respect
our surroundings (and others) and are making positive decisions that create an environment we wish to live in.
CLIMB EQUIPMENT AND BACKPACKING

2 TYPES OF CLIMB EQUIPMENT

1. Personal Equipment
 Items that should go into your backpack. It also includes the attire for trekking.
2. Group Equipment
 Items used by a group which will be assigned among the trekkers to divide the weight of the load.

GROUP EQUIPMENT
 Shared among trekkers:
1) Bolo
2) Map and Compass
3) Cook Set
4) Flag
5) Tent
6) Rope
7) Stove
8) Groundsheet
9) Trowel

CLIMB EQUIPMENT CATEGORIES

1) Clothing
2) Eating
3) Cooking
4) Sleeping
5) Emergency
6) Hygiene

BOOTS OR SHOES
 A good pair of boots is:
a. Ankle-high to prevent sprains
b. Cleated for traction
c. Sturdy enough to withstand heavy use and exposure to the elements

SANDALS OR SLIPPERS
 For relaxing feet after hike and avoiding erosion in campsite.

TREKKING ATTIRE
 Type and amount of clothing depends on length of trek and conditions you expect to encounter.
 No jewelries!
 Rain – poncho/raincoat
 Cold – windbreaker/jacket

NEWBIE TREKKER
a. Anticipate Rain
- You’ll get wet if you don’t prepare a rain gear.
b. What Not to Wear
- Identify pieces of clothing which should not be worn.

UTENSILS
 Plate/bowl should be sturdy and lightweight.
 Cup should have a handle for easier use with hot drinks or both.
 Spoon and fork/spork.

FOODS
 Packed food (ready to eat)
 Rice and eggs
 Trail food
 Trail water and water container

COOKING MATERIALS
 Stove and Cooking pot
 Lighter or match and candle (water-proofed)
 Folding knife or Swiss knife

SLEEPING BAG
 Ideal tropical sleeping bag: light, compact and quick drying but warm enough to provide for protection.

EARTH PAD
 Serves as cushion between you and the ground when sleeping.

FIRST AID KIT

 Triangular or elastic bandages
 Medications (for fever diarrhea, allergies)
 Puritabs (for water purification)
 Alcohol/Disinfectant
 Insect repellent
 Snakebite kit

DOG TAG & WHISTLE

 Any item for identification and whistle should always be worn during a climb for emergency use.
FLASH LIGHT
 A small water proof flashlight with a bright bulb.

NOTEBOOK AND PENCIL

 For taking down detail and info.

RUBER BANDS/GARTERS & TYING STRINGS/ROPES

 For lashing, tent use and other emergency purposes.

REPAIR KIT
 Should contain thread, needle, extra buckles, quick acting glue, duct tape and other items for repair of different equipment.

SURVIVAL KIT
 Should have the following:
a. Waterproofed matches
b. Small knife
c. Plastic tarp
d. Emergency rations

SUN PROTECTION
 Sunblock lotion, caps, shades, arm sleeves, bandanna for sunny, arid climbs

TOILETRIES
 Should include toothbrush, small toothpaste, tissue and wet wipes, deodorant

PLASTIC/TRASHBAGS
 For upkeep and other purposes

PACKING OF EQUIPMENT
 The maximum carrying load should not exceed one-third (1/3 or 33%) of your body weight. (e.g. 54 kgs x .33 = 17.82 kgs).
 All equipment that may be affected or damaged by water should be wrapped and sealed in durable plastic bags.
 Use a large plastic bag as the inner lining for the backpack to provide additional protection.
 Light items should be packed at the bottom and away from the frame while heavey items should be placed close to the frame.
 Things that require quick access (e.g. rain gear, first aid, swiss knife, trail food, etc.) should be placed in the top compartment or on the other side pockets for
accessibility.

KNOT TYING

HISTORY
 The oldest fossils of rope and knots are estimated to be 15,000 to 17,000 years old.
 Knots are thought to be even older than that, as they are assumed to have been used alongside some of the earliest stone tools.
 In 1800’s, British and American sailors practiced knot work while at sea and traded then at ports around the world.

WHAT IS KNOT?
 Knot, in cording, the interlacement of parts of one or more ropes, cords, or other pliable materials, commonly used to bind objects together. It is an intentional
complication in cordage which may be practical or decorative, or both.

WHAT IS KNOT TYING?

 Knot tying consists of the techniques and skills employed in tying a knot in rope, nylon webbing, or other articles. The tying of a knot may be very
straightforward (such as with an overhand knot), or it may be more complicated, such as a monkey’s fist knot.

WHY IS KNOT TYING IMPORTANT?

1. Hand Eye Coordination
- Promotes increased hand - eye coordination skills and fine motor skills too.
2. Problem – Solving Skills
- When you use your hands and your brain to physically tie or untie a knot, it is far more likely to be stored in the brain and used again.
3. Wilderness Survival Skill
- The right and knowing how and when to use it, may mean the difference between a wonderful weekend in the wild, and a trip to the emergency
room.
4. Makes your Brain Think in a New Way
- Learning to tie knots challenges the brain to think in new ways, to make connections it otherwise would not have.

BASIC KNOT TYING

1. Thumb Knot / Overhand Knot
 Description
 The overhand knot is one of the most fundamental knots and forms the basis of many others including the simple noose, overhand
loop, angler’s loop, etc.
 Uses
 It can be used at the end of a rope to stop it passing through a pulley, as a security with knots in synthetic rope or temporarily to
prevent fraying of a rope end.
 Process
1) Make a Q shape.
2) Tuck end through loop.
3) Pull the rope at both ends to tighten it.
2. Two Half Hitches
 Description
 A knot or hitch made by looping a rope or strap around an object and then back around itself, bringing the end of the rope through the
loop.
 Uses
 It is widely used to tie a rope to a post, ring, or tree. It is commonly used in mooring and general utility. It is helpful in moving large
objects, for example, logs.
  Process
1) Wrap the rope around a support.
2) Pass the end through the loop.
3) Wrap it around the standing part.
4) Tighten to complete.
3. Fisherman’s Knot
 Description
 A knot for tying the ends of two lines together that is made by tying overhand knots in the ends around the opposite standing parts.
 Uses
 It is mainly used as a bend to join two lines; it can be easily used to connect the ends of a single length of rope to form a loop.
 Process
1) Make a loop with the red rope and feed its end into it.
2) Make another loop with the blue rope and tuck its end into it.
3) Tighten the two individual knots by their tag ends.
4) Pull the standing parts to draw the knots close together.
4. Prusik Knot
 Description
 A knot that is used in mountaineering for tying a small sling to a climbing rope as an aid tt one who has fallen into a creva sse and that
holds fast when weighted but is movable when unweighted.
 Uses
 The principal use of a Prusik Knot is allowing a rope to be climbed. It is used to attach a loop of cord to a rope in a way that it can b e
easily adjusted.
 Process
1) Two ropes to tie this knot; a standing line and a loop.
2) Form a bight in the middle of the paracord and position its perpendicular to the standing line.
3) Widen the bight and pass the loop’s knotted end around the standing rope three or four times.
4) Make sure that each pass of the loop lies inside the previous pass, like a coil, After making three of four winds, tighten the knot. Ease
the wound sections together by rotating with your fingers.
5) This is the finished knot.
6) When the knots not weighted, your loop will slide up and down the standing rope easily.
5. Trucker’s Hitch
 Description
 This combination of knots allows a line to be pulled very tight. One of the most useful hitch that allows a line to be pulled tight as a
guitar string and secured.
 Uses
 It provides a mechanical advantage when being tightened. The variety of names for this hitch is a tribute to its widespread use. It is a
valuable knot, particularly for securing loads or tarpaulins.
 Process
1) Pass the rope thorugh the loop.
2) Hold and pull to tighten the loop.
3) Pass one end through a carabiner and pass through the loop.
4) Wrap it around the standing part.
5) Wrap it once more.
6) Tighten.
6. Clove Hitch
 Description
 A knot securing a rope temporarily to an object and consisting of a turn around the object, over the standing part, around the object
again, and the last turn.
 Uses
 It secures lines running along a series of posts, belaying, starting lashings, weak binding.
 Process
1) Hang rope from the support.
2) Loop around the support with an end.
3) Pass it from behind the rope.
4) Pull to tighten.

HOW TO COIL A HASSLE – FREE PARACORD?

To store the paracord neatly and easily, do the following steps:
1. You just need to take the paracord on a bite.
2. Pinching it between your thumb and palm. Then you will take the long end and start to loop it around your fingers and palm.
3. Once you have about a foot left, you are going to take all that paracord, slide it off your fingers, and then pinch it.
4. Then you are going to take that long end and you are going to wrap it around all the paracord (wrap it tightly).
5. After you have done it a few times, just take the left over end and put it through the loop on the top, and then pull on the other end and then loop the rest.

WHEN IT COMES TO DEPLOYING THE PARACORD:

 Just take the end, pull it up, and then free that loop up from underneath all the coils and you pull that out. Afterwards, you take the tail end and you just
started pulling it.
TENT PITCHING

KINDS OF TENT
1. Dome Tent
 Distinguishing Feature
 Crisscrossing poles which meet at the top of the tent to create the characteristic dome shape. Sometimes these tents come with two
poles, and sometimes they come with three. They can be small enough for two people or large enough for six.
 Pros
 Can easily be set up by one person
 Compact when collapsed for easy storage and transport
 No flat roof which means no rain or snow collecting on top
 Offers good strength against or snow collecting on top
 Offers good strength against wind and elements
 The free-standing design does not require any staking or guy lines
 Cons
 Sloped walls reduce the interior space, but not as much as ridge and geodesic tents
2. Ridge Tent
 Distinguishing Feature
 Their sloped design makes them incredibly study, even in strong winds, but comes at the expense of headroom. A larger version of this
tent looks almost like a house with four walls and a sloped rook on top. These versions ten to require more guy lines to stabilize.
 Pros
 Strong protection from the elements
 Smaller ridge tents are fairly easy to set up
 Ideal for single person camping
 Cons
 Smaller ridge tents may not sleep multiple people comfortable due to lack of headroom
 Larger ridge tents likely to require multiple guy lines
3. Tunnel Tent
 Distinguishing Feature
 Tube-shaped with multiple arching poles which run parallel to each other instead of intersecting
 Tunnel tents have parallel poles erected in sequence
 Pros
 Generally, provide much more likable space and volume
 Sides generally aren’t as sloped
 Often have entryways at both ends of the tent
 Cons
 More difficult and time-consuming to erect
 Generally, requires multiple people to set up
 More susceptible to high winds
4. Geodesic
 Distinguishing Feature
 Characterized by multiple intersecting poles
 Have the same basic structure like a dome tent but have additional supports to create a bunch of triangle all over the tent’s surface
 Pros
 Great strength against wind and inclement weather
 A little more space/volume than dome tents
 Generally, more complex to set up
 Cons
 Extra support mean extra weight
 Typically come in smaller sizes for fewer occupants

PARTS OF A TENT
1. Outer
 Vestibule/Porch
 Acts like a shield
 Outer Tent/Rain Fly
 Adds extra layer of protection
 Guy Line
 Support the tent
 Storm Flaps
 Protects the tent from the storm
2. Inner
 Inner Tent
 Interior
 Mesh Door
 The entrance through zipper, etch
 Groundsheet
 Protection from the ground when sleeping
 Storage Pockets
 Bone structure
3. Poles and Pegs
 Pole Clip
 What attaches the poles together, connects
 Pole Hub
 Found at the top of tent, tie together so the tent will stand
 Pole Attachment Points
 Found at the bottom
 Pegs/Stakes
OTHER THINGS TO LOOK FOR
a. Footprint
- general backbone structure
b. Gear Loft
- different material of the campers
c. Vent
- airway passage
d. Internal Gear Hooks
- tie to pegs attach to the ground
e. Tent Divider
- multiple people connect their tents together

CAMPSITE SELECTION
1. Established Sites
- If camping at established sites, stick to the designated area so as to not expand the already impacted surface.
2. Stealth Camping
- If camping away from established sites, often referred to as wild or stealth camping. Avoid making fires, uprooting plants and breaking off branches
in order to make space for you shelter. When it is time to leave if your shelter has left any imprint, be sure to remove it before setting off.

WHERE TO CAMP?
Factors to look for in a good campsite include:
a. Well Drained
- Not a great feeling waking up in a puddle
b. Sheltered
- Camping under big trees means less dew and more warmth. Just make sure that there are no dead branches hanging overhead
c. “Relatively” Flat and Even
- Sleeping with my feet on top of my pack and my head pointing downhill helps to reduce any swelling which may have accumulated in the lower
extremities after a long day on the trail
d. Breezy
- If you are camping during a bug season, particularly if you are using a bevy or tarp, look for a place that is at least somewhat exposed to the wind

PLACES TO AVOID
Why? To avoid harm and not be in dangerous situations
1. Depression & Gullies
- Prone to erosions
2. Gorges
- Narrow valley source of water flowing
3. Exposed Ridges
4. Lone Trees
5. Fragile Vegetation
6. Next to Water Sources
- There might be a flood occurring when a storm is happening
7. Valley Floors

FIVE KEY THINGS TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION

a. Safety
b. Size
c. Terrain
d. Privacy
e. Permission

HOW TO PITCH A DOME TENT

1. Lay out the tent
- First pick a location (preferably one that is clear of debris) and lay out the tent. If the dome tent comes with a tarp you will want to lay that out first,
and then spread out the tent on top of it while making sure the right side is facing up.
2. Assemble the poles
- Most dome tents come with flexible poles that are folded when stored. These poles consist of small sections that are connected with an ela stic
bungee cord that runs inside them. All you need to do is attach the small sections together and the cord should ensure that they fasten into place.
3. Run the poles through the tent
- While there are different variants of dome tents, most will have flaps or tubes at the top of the tent where the poles can be inserted. Just run all the
poles through the appropriate flaps so that they cross at the center.
4. Raise the tent
- Raising a dome tent is easy, and you just need to take the each pole and fasten it to the eyelets at each corner. As you insert the opposite side of
each pole you will have to bend them (which may require a bit of force) and the tent will start to rise and take shape.
5. Stake the tent and attach the rain fly
- In many cases, this step is optional as you may prefer your tent to remain free standing and may not need a rain fly. Normally staking a dome tent is
easy as there are eyelets near the base that you can stake down, and attaching a rain fly involves draping it over the tent and staking it into place
similarly.