Nols Soft Paths: How to Enjoy the Wilderness Without Harming It

by Bruce Hampton, David Cole

New edition of the popular guide to low-impact camping with updated information on waste disposal, campsite selection, fire building


Details on recent legislation and up-to-date research on recreational wilderness use


Tailored to a variety of environments, from coastal regions to deserts


Drawing on the principles of the Leave No Trace program, the expertise of the National Outdoor Leadership School, and the substantial body of research into wilderness use, Soft Paths has long been the definitive guide to low-impact outdoor activity. This new edition covers every aspect of the outdoor experience, demonstrating the frequently simple, often unexpected measures that we can take to keep the wilderness pristine. This edition also provides new information on conservation law and the public's use of wild lands, ensuring that readers can minimize impact without sacrificing their enjoyment of the outdoors.

Genres: Outdoors, Nonfiction

240 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2003

Reviews

[Grant Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well-written, accessible, accurate, and easily-implementable. Highly recommended for anyone who spends time outside. Please consider reading this if you recreate in any areas where Leave No Trace principles apply (so, basically everywhere).

[Amy Siegfried · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent resource on how to recreate and live lightly on the land while in both front and back country. The first chapters give a general overview of ideal behaviors and the last chapters cover specific types of environments that the person may encounter outside with details on how to minimize your impact in that specific region. Never preachy but emphasizes that you always have a choice on how impactful your behavior can be when out of doors.

[Alanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book as part of a Leave No Trace research question. I like the concepts presented and I appreciate the guidance. I wonder how long before these ideas are replaced by the next guidance for leaving no trace because they seem less intrusive than some other methods.