Burning trash?

[packsaddle 753]

Ever notice how some topics evolve into hair-splitting exercises? Well to add to the split ends, the concept of ash also adds to the confusion.

If wood is combusted to completion, the residue that is left will be a greyish powder (or ash), some of which will dissolve in the next rain event. If any charcoal is left, combustion has not been complete and it will remain as charcoal for many years (I can show you historic campsites that are over 150 years old, with charcoal remaining in the soil.

Some papers are similar to wood in combustion characteristics but many papers contain added clays or other materials to impart qualities needed for those applications.

The problem with ash is that rarely does a campfire combust all the materials completely and even then, the residue may contain materials that are not 'native' to the fire site. In those cases, we are leaving traces of our presence (not to mention the fire itself).

The fire itself, especially if it is hot enough for complete combustion, disturbs the underlying soil by killing the organisms, combusting the soil organics, and changing the soil texture and other properties.

The process of digging a pit, especially if it is more than a few inches deep, disturbs soil structure, plant roots and their mycorrhizae, as well as soil microbes and invertebrates. Such a pit can start or contribute to soil erosion. And I remind you that the presence of a pit can be detected (perhaps studied) by an archeologist many years after the event.

I interpret LNT in terms of no fire ring, no fire, no ashes, no burial pits, no trace (or as little trace as possible).

[schleining 11]

Burning Trash gone LNT..

 

So I guess we are in the habot of splitting hairs... well as with everything else we do in Scouting we try to Do our Best...

 

Training the Scouts to leave no trace is of particular importance now.

Most BSA Camping happens in approved campgrounds. These camp grounds are established. So to leave no trace seems alittle over the top... NO... I think with a review of leave no trace we will find that we are not to make it worse... or even make it better.. after all LNT combined with the outdoor code we can (if done correctly) make things better.

 

So here are the leave no Trace principles just in case some of you have forgotten:

 

From the LNT website- http://www.lnt.org/programs/lnt7/index.html

Plan Ahead and Prepare

Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces

Dispose of Waste Properly

Leave What You Find

Minimize Campfire Impacts

Respect Wildlife

Be Considerate of Other Visitors

 

From the BSA - http://www.scouting.org/boyscouts/resources/21-117/064_principles.html

 

Plan Ahead and Prepare

Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces

Dispose of Waste Properly

Leave What You Find

Minimize Campfire Impacts

Respect Wildlife

Be Considerate of Other Visitors

 

Hmmmm ...its all the same, no splitting hairs here.

 

Jerry

I used to be a BEAVER...

and a Good 'ol BEAVER too.

 

 

[madkins007 10]

I think at least PART of this discussion has to include HOW and WHAT you pack to start with.

 

A lot of stuff comes to us massively overpackaged and pretty much everything we pack needs to be considered and usually repalced to make it a.) safe to carry, b.) minimize weight, and c.) easy to deal with the waste.

 

For example- packing out the Mylar bags a lot of trail meals comes in- piece of cake! They are pretty dry and clean after being emptied. Ditto for plastic bags used for dry stuff.

 

I think that this is an important part of LNT camping- looking at each and every thing and figuring how you'll get it back out of there.

 

Heck, one of my kids practiced 'compacting' for weeks at home based on their experience packing out EVERYTHING at Philmont! (Its a lot of fun to watch them compress an entire picnic's worth of stuff into a paper drink cup!)

[dkurtenbach 348]

I found three references to this issue in the Boy Scout Handbook (I've got the 3rd printing):

 

Page 281: "Carry food scraps home in a trash bag or burn them in a hot campfire by adding them to the flames a little at a time. You can burn wastepaper, too, but don't put plastic bags into a fire; burning plastic can release toxic gases into the air."

 

Page 252: "Clean a permanent fire site by picking out any bits of paper, foil, and unburned food. Pack them home with the rest of your trash."

 

Page 245 (Leave No Trace discussion): "Inspect your campsite for trash or spilled foods. Accept the challenge of packing out all trash, leftover food, and litter."

 

Dan

[fgoodwin 23]

While planning an LNT overview for IOLS, I came across this quote on the BSA national website:Campers should not burn trash as a disposal option. Plan to pack it out.http://www.scouting.org/boyscouts/resources/21-117/053a_dispose.html

[Mooseman 10]

Hi

It seams as though burning would be just fine as long as you make shore that it all burns and no trash is left in the fire circle. Heck, in my town all the trash is sent to an incinerator any ways.

 

The only reason not to burn is most people don't make shore that all the trash is burned. I have seen too many fire circles with aluminum foil in them or half melted plastic. Many people forget that hot chocolate and oatmeal packets have a mettle or plastic liner.

 

-MooSe