Leave No Trace Friendly Gear: The Ultimate Backpacker’s Gear Guide
Adventure like you give a damn and embrace Leave No Trace friendly gear during your next backpacking adventure!
Our National Parks and instagram famous outdoor spots (ahem, Havasupai) are getting completely slammed with crowds.
More visitors means more impact, and those impacts can accrue quickly having devastating effects on our public lands.
As important as it is for everyone to get out there and experience these places, it’s even more important to protect our public lands.
After all, there’s only one place like it in the world. There’s only one Yosemite. There’s only one Joshua Tree. There’s only one Zion.
It’s up to us as outdoor advocates to protect these wild lands and be the example for others to do the same.
If you not familiar with the Leave No Trace 7 Principles, check them out here! It’s essential!
With all that said, let’s take a look at Leave No Trace friendly gear and see what we can add to our arsenal of eco-friendly backpacking equipment.
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Plan Ahead and Prepare
Map Protector
Be prepared to navigate in any weather, stray on trail, and keep your map protected with this SeaLine Map Case.
Repackage Your Food
There best way to keep trash and microplastics off our trails and out of our wild spaces, it to avoid taking it out there in the first place.
Repackage your snacks, bars, and any other packaged foods you have with either a sealable bag or beeswax wraps.
Reusable Food Bag
Beeswax Wraps
Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
ENO Atlas Hammock Straps
The XL Atlas Hammock straps by ENO are specifically designed to protect trees so you don’t feel like a total jerk face putting all your body weight (and maybe the weight of a friend or two, as well) on one inch of the tree.
Yes, they’re bigger and a little bit heavier (the tapered design cuts down on weight) but I opt to choose to protect nature when given the option.
And what a few extras ounces, really?
Dispose of Waste Properly
Sea To Summit Kitchen Sink
These ultralight backpacking sinks are perfect (and essential) for collecting water and carrying it at least 200 feet away from any water source so you can wash your dishes after a meal.
I find the 5 liter sink to be all I need.
Sea To Summit Pocket Shower
Stay so fresh and so clean, clean with this backcountry pocket shower.
Remember, take it at least 200 feet away from any water source to be sure you don’t contaminate the clean, drinking water.
Ultralight Backpacking Potty Trowel
Every kit of leave no trace friendly gear needs a potty trowel. And the Duece of Space trowel is the… best!
Wag Bag
For those times when nature calls and you’re exploring in places where cat holes simply aren’t an option like snow, canyons, and high alpine environments.
It’s always a good idea to keep one (or a few) of these in your adventure bag!
For more on how to make a backpacking poop kit, you can read about the 6 Essentials here.
Menstrual Cup
Seriously, menstrual cups are the freaking best for outdoor adventuring ladies. Check out why I consider menstrual cups the 11th Outdoor essential here.
Sea to Summit Wilderness Wash
Wash your clothes, body, and dishes with this eco-friendly, biodegradable wilderness wash soap.
Just make sure it’s not in the water but…you got it, at least 200 feet away from the water.
Fist bump. 🤜🤛
Scrubba Laundry System Wash Bag
Finally, the answer to your backpacking prayers- it’s the perfect solution to fresh clothes in the wilderness.
Wash your stinky clothes in the backcountry with this portable laundry system.
You can also check out their mini version here.
Sea to Summit Lite Line Clothesline
Speaking of washing your clothes, instead of hanging them out to dry on fragile, little tree branches, hang a clothes line up to dry out your freshly washed threads.
Bonus points for spontaneous limbo party. Whiskey not included.
Minimize Campfire Impacts
Minimize the impact you have in the backcountry by heating up your food and water with a backpacking stove instead of building a fire.
Backpacking Stove Systems
Jetboils are extremely fuel efficient and fast (you’ll having boiling water in 60 seconds- wabam!).
Plus, you can even get a French press attachment for your coffee drinking needs. 💕☕️
Respect Wildlife
Bear Resistant Food Canister
Keep wildlife wild by keeping all of your food and other smellies in a bear canister.
Sad fact: Bears are usually euthanized after they eat human food because they are likely to become highly aggressive afterwards.
Save a bear, use a bear canister.
Hopefully, this list of Leave No Trace friendly gear got you thinking about how you can minimize your impact on wild spaces next time you head there for a backpacking trip.
If there’s an item that’s in your arsenal of Leave No Trace friendly gear that you don’t see here, please comment below so I can add it to the list!
Pin for later: Leave No Trace Friendly Gear For Backpackers
