We Leave No Trace

By Joseph Parish

As survivalists it may come down to a situation where we must hide in the woods while we are embarking upon our way to our chosen retreat in order to survive. If and when this event happens it is important that we leave no trace of our existence for others to follow.

When a survival situation happens there are likely to be many marauding groups of people that are not so nice and are merely looking for others that they may prey upon. In these types of situations we certainly do not under any circumstances wish to have these groups on our trail. In this sense it is important that we clean and prepare our stop over as if we had never been there.

Perhaps our final destination is several days ride from our departure point. In that case we may have a stop or two along the way. Never leave a dirty location. There are all kinds of ways that a tracker can tell where you are heading by the trash that you leave behind. A little effort on your part is all that will be needed to ensure the safety of your family when you leave your temporary location.

The old saying of “pack it in, pack it out” is certainly one that holds water in a situation such as this. Never leave any sort of litter laying around for strange eyes to see. In fact, you should always carry a small plastic garbage bag with you to place your trash in as you travel to your retreat.

Make certain that you dump your gray water at least 200 feet from where you were settled for the evening at your stop over area and if you use soap try to flush it away after dumping your water. Either bury the ashes of a fire or place them in the trash bag to be disposed of later. Make certain that your fires are out completely before departing the area.

Dig a hole that is at least six inches deep when you need to dispose of human waste. Watch where you leave footprints as this not only tells a tracker how many people are in your party but also the approximate ages and sex of the individuals.

Remember that not all people in times of crisis can be trusted and are of good character so it is up to you to take the proper precautions.

Copyright @ 2009 Joseph Parish

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