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Leave No Trace – Backcountry Etiquette for Goecco Outdoors

Goecco Outdoors exists to get our guests in the Icelandic outdoors - but we recognize the places where we play are increasingly feeling the impacts.  We want to inspire you to get outside and to make thoughtful choices while you're there.

Read on for some tips and tricks to shrink your footprint while you're playing hard.

At Goecco Outdoors we are planning a "Leave No Trace program for Iceland"  We will follow and build our program after knowledge from "Leave No Trace Programs, in other countries.

We hope that "Leave No Trace Iceland" can be a national, non-profit organization dedicated to building awareness, appreciation, and respect for the wilderness.

Hopefully Icelandic Tourism will support the foundation of Leave No Trace's Icelandic program and be committed to its continued development and growth.

Learn more about our support of Leave No Trace Iceland Seven Principles of Leave No Trace:

The LNTI principles were created to educate outdoor enthusiasts on how to reduce their environmental impact in the wilderness.
1. Plan Ahead and Prepare
2. Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
3. Dispose of Waste Properly
4. Leave What You Find
5. Minimize Campfire Impacts
6. Respect Wildlife
7. Be Considerate of Other Visitors

1. Plan Ahead and Prepare
* Know the regulations and special concerns for the area you'll visit.
* Prepare for extreme weather, hazards, and emergencies.
* Schedule your trip to avoid times of high use.
* Visit in small groups. Split larger parties into groups of 4-6.
* Repackage food to minimize waste.
* Use a map and compass to eliminate the use of marking paint, rock cairns or flagging.

2. Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
* Durable surfaces include established trails and campsites, rock, gravel, dry grasses or snow.
* Protect riparian areas by camping at least 70 meters from lakes and streams.
* Good campsites are found, not made. Altering a site is not necessary.
* In popular areas: o Concentrate use on existing trails and campsites.
* Walk single file in the middle of the trail, even when wet or muddy.
* Keep campsites small. Focus activity in areas where vegetation is absent.
* In pristine areas: -  Disperse use to prevent the creation of campsites and trails.
* Avoid places where impacts are just beginning.

3. Dispose of Waste Properly
* 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.
* Deposit solid human waste in catholes dug 15 to 20 centimeters deep at least 70 meters from water, camp, and trails. Cover and disguise the cathole when finished.
* Pack out toilet paper and hygiene products.
* To wash yourself or your dishes, carry water 70 meters away from streams or lakes and use small amounts of biodegradable soap. Scatter strained dishwater.

4. Leave What You Find
* Preserve the past: examine, but do not touch, cultural or historic structures and artifacts.
* Leave rocks, plants and other natural objects as you find them.
* Avoid introducing or transporting non-native species.
* Do not build structures, furniture, or dig trenches.

5. Minimize Campfire Impacts
* Campfires can cause lasting impacts to the backcountry.
* Use a lightweight stove for cooking and enjoy a candle lantern for light.
* Where fires are permitted, use established fire rings, fire pans, or mound fires
* Keep fires small. Only use sticks from the ground that can be broken by hand.
* Burn all wood and coals to ash, put out campfires completely, then scatter cool ashes.

6. Respect Wildlife
* Observe wildlife from a distance. Do not follow or approach them.
* Never feed animals. Feeding wildlife damages their health, alters natural behaviors, and exposes them to predators and other dangers.
* Protect wildlife and your food by storing rations and trash securely.
* Control pets at all times, or leave them at home.
* Avoid wildlife during sensitive times: mating, nesting, raising young, or winter.

7. Be Considerate of Other Visitors
* Respect other visitors and protect the quality of their experience.
* Be courteous. Yield to other users on the trail.
* Step to the downhill side of the trail when encountering pack stock.
* Take breaks and camp away from trails and other visitors.
* Let nature's sounds prevail. Avoid loud voices and noises

You will find additional details on the Leave No Trace Iceland website, coming soon.

More Ways to Reduce Your Impact

Carpool
Join forces with your pals and leave a few cars at home.
Try to organize your outings so you can carpool with fellow adventurers and keep our planet a little healthier.

Hey – how about riding or busing to the trailhead?