I was thinking that with so many new members and so many people joining Club Tread who have not had so much experience in the back country, a special section devoted to back country etiquette might be a nice idea. I know that there are many differing thoughts on a lot of the points to be brought up but those who need this kind of specific info might find it easier if they had some ideas instead of none.
Or another way to do it is post a heading alongside the "Forum Guidelines". Something like.... "Backcountry Guidelines"....."We encourage hikers and CT members to follow these simple backcountry etiquette guidelines".
Any ideas Cters?
I think we take for granted that everyone knows these but I'm pretty sure there are plenty who don't.
After this weekends trip to the Semaphore Lakes area, one of the main thoughts I would have includes the dreaded topic of "poo" in the backcountry. (There are no outhouses there.)
When do you decide whether to pack it out? And how? How deep to bury if you don't? How far from water is okay? What if there is water everywhere? What about the TP? Bury it too? Take it with you? How long does it take for poo to bio-degrade? What about attracting animals? What about hygeine?
I had concern as there were a large group of us and then more people. There is only so much room for holes and deposits. There were more trees than I thought there so I went with the general concensus of burying deep enough should be fine. I still had concern and wasn't entirely convinced this would be best if the area became even more popular. I do feel a little guilty now thinking about our group of 7-9 people leaving there business there. In the end everyone makes their own decision I guess, but as it was my idea to go maybe I should have been more firm on the idea to pack it out.
Other topics:
Hanging food?
Cooking?
Washing dishes and selves?
Bear spray/bangers?
Campsites?
Fires?

What about creating a thread in trail talk. I could then make it a sticky topic so it sits up at the top. Just throwing ideas out... Let's see what others think.

I think something like that would be a great idea! Not sure what everyone else thinks though......HINT HINT.....

I guess we need to wait a little longer for some more responses. There is so much to read lately that this might not get much priority.
Maybe I should give the topic a new catchy title? Like "Naked Hikers". Or something like that.

This is a great idea for newbies like me with some experience,who aren't pro's like some of ya

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No Hiking No Peace,Know Hiking Know Peace

I think it's a great idea Q.
Maybe a simple list of do's & don't's.

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Vancouver Hiking

Perhaps a link to or a list of the 7 principles of Leave no trace from Leave No Trace Canada? These pretty much cover all the rules you could ever need in the backcountry.

http://www.leavenotrace.ca/programs/principles.html

A sticky would be a great idea.
I think the link to Leave No Trace is also good. Their list pretty much covers the basics.

when your group is walking down the mountain on a path, tired and dusty, and sees another party walking up the same narrow path - who stops to give the other group priority?

Folks walking down should step aside - the party going up is working on effort and momentum.

Courtesy allows a perk - the stopping party can stop on whichever side of the trail they may choose, including the mountain side of the trail if they want to.

And - remember to say thank you to the group that stopped for you.

Cheers - Miss Demeanour

Hey Q - it looks like this thread is becoming the "sticky". I'll move it to the trail talk forum, mod the title to "Back Country Etiquette" and make it sticky.

I think the idea is great. With all the CTers' we should pool the vast knowledge gained outdoors.
The Leave No Trace program will also be helpful.

Thanks LS. I was looking for my post and couldn't find it and then....lo and behold....
Good idea to move it!
That site seems really good!
I still do have concerns about large amounts of people visiting an area without latrines. I am surprised that they don't mention packing it out in popular areas. But okay, I feel better knowing that at least one site says it's okay to bury.
I wonder if there is another school of thought which would contradict this one.

One other thing I think would be a great idea is to bring a spatula to scrape every last piece of food off the dishes, and into a garbage bag before washing. (That is if you haven't ravenously devoured every morsel!) This saves too much food ending up on the grounds nearby.

Good idea. Sometimes we forget some of the basic rules of etiquette.

I still see a lot of people washing themselves and their dishes with soap, directly into otherwise pristine lakes and other water sources.

Please take some water in a pot or other container, and empty it out AWAY from the water source. Even if it's supposedly biodegradable soap.

Hey Q,

The other choice is to make a grey water bag. Simply take a plastic bag, poke some holes in the bottom of it. Gather some leaves, or moss, and line the bottom of the bag. Pour your dishwater through this, it'll strain out most of the food particles.
Store the grey water bag with your food, and pack it out with your garbage.
A friend of mine made a reusable one once, using an old potato sack, with some fairly fine mesh at the bottom. I figure an small burlap sack cut down to small enough size would work pretty good.

Nice idea Marc!! Wow! But it sounds like a spatula would accomplish the same thing but without extra mess. Wrong?

See, I think there are lots of ideas out there which will be great to share and be shared.

I know, here's another.
Do we really need toothpaste for the couple of days we are in the backcountry? I alternate between using it and not but still feel it would be better not to. Brushing alone should be just fine to remove food particles, wouldn't it?