It seems that we all leave our footprint on the environment no matter how careful and concerned we are in preserving nature, but by making a low impact refuse pit at least one aspect of camping can be addressed in a responsible manner. In it's most basic form, a low impact refuse pit allows campers to tend to personal needs while outdoors with a minimal negative impression on the areas utilized while camping. This simple measure can assure that the environment is preserved for future use without contaminating the camping area, and if done properly it is hard to determine if the low impact refuse pit is even present at a given location.
The first step to making a low impact refuse pit is to establish where local sources of water are near a specific camp site. A low impact refuse pit should always be created at least 200 feet from any flowing water, and if possible 300 feet away is optimum. Although this may be a minor iinconvenience for campers to walk the extra distance to the refuse pit, it is well worth the effort in helping to maintain the environment responsibly.
After finding a suitable location to place your low impact refuse pit a trench must be dug into the soil. The length of the camping stay and the number of people in your camping party will dictate the size of the refuse pit in accordance with necessity. In most cases a refuse pit measuring 6 feet long by 18 inches wide and 12 to 18 inches deep will accommodate a camping party of 4 people for about one week.
After excavating the refuse pit to the proper size it is necessary to place a small pile of sand next to the refuse pit, along with a small pile of campfire ashes that are completely cooled. Using a shovel line the bottom of the refuse pit with about 2 inches of sand and place 2 inches of ash on top of it. Leave the shovel at the refuse pit, and each time a camper uses the refuse pit they should cover their contribution with a small amount of dirt. Every other day during the camping trip add another layer of sand and ash on top of the contents of the low impact refuse pit. When the camping trip is over, cover the low impact refuse pit with dirt before leaving for home.
The idea of this type of low impact refuse pit is to utilize the sand and ash as a sort of purification system to prevent refuse from contaminating ground water in the area. If done properly, a low impact refuse pit works exceptionally well in maintaining the environment for both humans and wildlife
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