Use these 32 strategies to reduce your impact on the environment and help guarantee backcountry access in the future.
I go to the backcountry because I want to get out there and feel like I'm the first person to see this land," says Jim Culver of the National Outdoor Leadership School. "I want my kids and grandkids to have that same experience.
"If we want future generations to see the backcountry, then we need to follow a leave-no-trace ethic to minimize our impact."
The National Outdoor Leadership School is a Wyoming-based operation that has been at the forefront of Leave No Trace education since the movement's inception in 1993. Culver is the ranch manager of NOLS's Three Peaks Ranch in Boulder, where he directs a two-week horse-packing course that teaches LNT horsemanship in the backcountry.
Follow along as our expert details 32 easy strategies to both plan an enjoyable horse-camping trip and preserve the backcountry for others.
1. Plan ahead
Wandering aimlessly not only damages existing tails, but it causes new ones to form in untouched areas. Think through your backcountry route and travel logistics to minimize your impact.
2. Pack light
Cut the weight of pack loads by taking things that perform multiple functions. For example, leave folding chairs at home and use a sleeping pad as a cushion while sitting around the campfire.
3. Limit your stock numbers
"The greatest impact stock-users have," Culver notes, "is the number of animals we bring." The amount of weight you pack equates to the number of horses and/or mules you will need. Minimize the number of hoofprints on the trail by maintaining a ratio of one pack animal per two riders.
4. Weed-free
According to Culver, horses bring invasive and non-native plants into the backcountry because of what they are fed at home. Prevent seeds from "hitchhiking" by feeding certified...
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