"Leave No Trace" for Vanlifers
The 2021 season is already picking up! January and February are behind us, and more and more people are flocking to our public lands, campgrounds, and trailheads all over the country. With the growth of the RV, car camping, and vanlifing community this year, these places are experiencing many more visitors than years past. We’re excited to see folks getting out and enjoying our beautiful country and public lands.
We tip our hat to those people who tread lightly and work to reduce their impact on the environment. Due to the influx of people who are new to this lifestyle and way of travelling, we believe now is a good time to provide some education.
"LEAVE NO TRACE" AND THE VANLIFE COMMUNITY
There are many resources available to better educate yourself about Leave No Trace. Here is an overview of the seven principles and how to put them into perspective with the vanlife community.
PLAN AND PREPARE
We can't overstate this. The best road trips are the ones that you planned from A to Z, sprinkled with improvisation. Suppose you aren't aware of the area's regulations, including the permits you need, the restrictions regarding pets, campfires, motorsports, fishing, hunting, etc. Chances are you will end up breaking the law or disturbing the area at some point. Unfortunately, telling a ranger "you didn't know dogs weren't allowed in the park" is not going to help.
Travel & Camp on Durable Surfaces
Since our primary means of transportation can often be a 6 to 8,000lb converted van, we have to drive it properly to places that allow it. What's a durable surface you may ask? It's a surface that you can hardly alter by walking, rolling or camping on it. We are talking about pavement, rock, gravel and dirt. Driving on fragile vegetation only once can destroy it forever. When in doubt, stick to the road (or the tracks).
CREDITS - @Jomovan
Pack it in, Pack it out.
Here, we are talking about packing EVERYTHING: food, greywater, garbage, dishwashing, beer cans, etc. The best way to respect rule number 3 is to "bring everything with you," including what you think is natural (apple cores, banana peels, etc.). No one should ever know you were camping at that spot the night before.
Minimize Campfire Impact
Nothing is cozier than a campfire after a long day on the road. Now, we are not saying not to build one. Instead, try to follow these rules:
Use existing fire rings (don't create new ones).
Keep your campfires small and under control.
Never leave your campfire unattended.
Put your campfire out fully with water before leaving.
That way, we avoid destroying natural areas, and most importantly, we keep our forests safe.
A note here to review principal #1. Most of the west is constantly under fire ban. Please don’t be the people who think they won’t cause a wildfire with just one little campfire.
A great alternative to campfires are these propane fire rings.
CREDITS - Native Campervans - Fire rings are everywhere. Use them.
Leave What You Find
You just found a sweet piece of petrified wood and want to bring it back to your campervan? Don't. Imagine if 1,000 visitors did the same thing when they saw cool things in nature. You guessed it right: we would never see them again. In some areas, disturbing or collecting items from nature is illegal.
Respect Wildlife
A visit to the Rocky Mountain National Park will bring you close to all sorts of wildlife: bears, moose and elk, to name a few. You will be tempted to approach our animal friends. However, we recommend doing the exact opposite: give them space. Wild animals are unpredictable, and unfortunately, it rarely ends well when they get used to humans (they get killed or euthanized).
CREDITS - Native Campervans - A good example of durable surface in Buena Vista, Colorado.
Be Considerate of Other Visitors
Some vanlifers drive long hours to have some peace of mind, alone in the desert. Others like gathering in small groups to have a few drinks. In every case, if you end up sharing public space with other travellers, stay friendly. For example, avoid running generators all night when someone is camping near. Or don't play your music at 3:00 AM even if there is only one other van with you.
WHY WE CARE
We want to help people better understand the realities of short and long road trips. In some unfortunate scenarios, people driving and living in vans are seen as a problem. Some municipalities even have van bans because of repeated bad experiences with vanlifers.
Our goal is to be part of the solution, and sharing good advice is the first step of our plan. Now, you can be part of the solution too!
Please leave your comments with recommendations on how you and others can help protect our public lands.
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