How to Bushwalk

How to bushwalk?! Yes, how. From the viewpoint of the survival of the wilderness how you walk and camp is the most important thing about your journey.
While technology has allowed us to alter the natural world it has also given us the tools to walk the wilderness and leave virtually no trace of our passage. Modern walking gear and minimal impact bushwalking techniques are probably the best chance we have of ensuring the wilderness survives us.
So how do you walk in a way that has minimal impact on the environment? Below is a general summary of MIB techniques.

• In tracked areas stay on the tracks. This limits damage to a planned route.
• In open untracked areas spread out. If there are no tracks the vegetation has more chance of surviving if only one foot lands on it. Stay on rocks and hard ground wherever possible. Avoid walking on alpine and other soft vegetation - it can take years to recover.
• Don't create new tracks around bogs or cut corners on zig-zags. These lead to erosion and visual scarring.

• Look for low impact camps. Sandy or hard surfaces are better than boggy or vegetated areas. In tracked areas, camp at existing campsites rather than creating new ones. In untracked areas, camp 30 metres from watercourses and the track. Only stay one or two nights at any one site.
• Modern tents and sleeping mats make it unnecessary to cut vegetation for mattresses or saplings for tentpoles, (this is also illegal in National Parks). Similarly, digging drainage ditches around tents scars the landscape and is not necessary if the tent's seams are properly sealed and it is correctly sited.
• Leave camps better than you found them--by removing rubbish and dismantling unnecessary or unsafe fireplaces.

• Use fuel stoves instead of campfires in all situations. Fuel stoves minimise the risk of fires escaping. Compared with campfires they are faster, a lot easier in wet weather, don't deplete firewood at campsites and don't leave lasting scars on the landscape.
• Use fuel stoves in Fuel Stove Areas. A number of Tasmanian National Parks or parts of parks (including most of the World Heritage Area) are Fuel Stove Only Areas. This has been done to reduce the bushfire risk and lessen environmental degradation at campsites, firewood is also often scarce in these areas. Fines of up to $5,000 can be imposed for lighting fires in such areas.
• Use fuel stoves in highland and rainforest areas. All highland and rainforest areas should be regarded as Fuel Stove Only. These areas are particularly easily destroyed by fire.
• Do not light fires on peat. Organic peat soil underlies much of the Tasmanian wilderness. Peat is a dark, spongy soil that feels 'greasy' when rubbed between the fingers. Fires lit on peat can burn into the soil and smoulder underground for months, causing bushfires in the next hot weather. It is illegal to light fires on peat anywhere in Tasmania. Fines of up to $1,000 can be imposed.

• keep it small;
• don't put rocks around it;
• use an existing fireplace;
• use only dead and down wood (leave axes and machetes at home) and
• in pristine areas, scatter all traces of the fire when you leave.

• In areas with toilets, use them! Close toilet lids after use.
• In areas without toilets, or if the toilets are full or flyblown, bury waste 100 metres away from camps or water. Dig a hole 15 centimetres (6 inches) deep, (use your handtrowel) and bury all faecal waste and toilet paper. Carry out condoms, sanitary pads and tampons (a plastic screwtop container is useful).
• In alpine areas digging a toilet hole will cut the roots of slow growing alpine plants, so if you're near a toilet use it, but if you're not consider carrying the waste out! Carry the waste and used toilet paper in 2 or more heavy duty, well sealed plastic bags (waste only - no urine), make sure the bags are well separated from food, eating utensils and clothing.
• Dispose of the waste at the end of your walk at home. Thoroughly wrap the waste and plastic bags with newspaper and put them out with your garbage; or empty the waste into the toilet, wrap the bags and put in the garbage. If you empty the waste into the toilet make sure the bags don't go in as well - plastic can jam toilet systems. Avoid skin contact and wash your hands afterwards.
• Keep food away from flies and places they land on, such as hut tables, furniture etc.
• As a precaution, boil water for ten minutes in areas used by large numbers of walkers, especially when the water comes from a small enclosed water catchment such as a tarn or minor stream. While boiling for three minutes gets rid of most nasties 10 minutes is necessary to get rid of Giardia - a human parasite that lives in mountain streams when contaminated by faecal waste.

• Avoid taking potential rubbish such as cans, bottles and excess packaging. Plan your meals so you won't have any organic waste left over.
• Don't bury rubbish - animals dig it up and scatter it.
• Carry out all your rubbish including small, easy-to-miss items like cigarette butts, silver paper, tea bags and freeze dried food packaging. Organic material, such as orange peel and egg shells, takes a long time to degrade and needs to be carried out. Check your camp thoroughly before leaving.
• Don't dispose of waste (particularly plastics) into watercourses or the sea these can kill water life.
• If you have the misfortune to come across other walker's rubbish, do the wilderness a favour and take that out too.