Re: Alternative Energy Backpacking
Posted: Fri May 01, 2009 9:04 pm
The solar chargers do not work, which is why you rarely see them on the trail (no one brings it along twice, after experiencing its uselessness the first trip).
I am not certain all those things you mentioned are all that beneficial. Is dehydrating your own food more energy efficient than purchasing it? The food companies have large industrial food dryers, giving economy of scale. On a per pound basis do they use more energy than a small home unit? The prepared food must be transported to your home, but so does the fresh food you dry yourself. There are many reasons to dry your own food, but I am not convinced there is an overall energy saving.
Campfires are unsightly, but the true ecological impact is far less than most people think (below the tree line. Above the tree line different factors come into play.) You are simply burning wood that otherwise would burn in a future wildfire, hastening the nutrient and carbon cycling process. Is that less of an overall impact than burning fossil fuel? I do not generally have a campfire, but that is for personal reasons, not altruistic environmental reasons.
There have been only a few studies exploring the total carbon footprint of various human powered outdoor pursuits, with mixed results. Some published results have been very unsettling and uncomfortable. Backpacking itself is not a no-impact benign activity and the effects are identified and quantified.
I am unsure what others have posted here about mp3 players. I do not listen to mine while on the trail. That is foolish. I have used mine at night to listen to a few chapters of a book I am currently enjoying. Indeed, the proper book is a fine complement to the trip (like listening to John Muir's writings while camping in the Desolation Wilderness or John Wesley Powell's journal while on a trip down the Green River). I have the Audubon Society's recording of bird songs loaded into mine also. On more than one occasion it has helped me identify a species I heard but could not locate.
A practice not mentioned, and a pet peeve of mine, involves the bright neon colors found on clothing and gear. They are visible from a long distance, and other groups on the trail or in camp look like the circus came to town. Choosing more muted colors like greens and earth tones reduce the visual impact in an increasingly crowded backcountry. You can always have a single article of clothing of bright color stuffed in your pack for the rare instance when visibility is desired.
I am not certain all those things you mentioned are all that beneficial. Is dehydrating your own food more energy efficient than purchasing it? The food companies have large industrial food dryers, giving economy of scale. On a per pound basis do they use more energy than a small home unit? The prepared food must be transported to your home, but so does the fresh food you dry yourself. There are many reasons to dry your own food, but I am not convinced there is an overall energy saving.
Campfires are unsightly, but the true ecological impact is far less than most people think (below the tree line. Above the tree line different factors come into play.) You are simply burning wood that otherwise would burn in a future wildfire, hastening the nutrient and carbon cycling process. Is that less of an overall impact than burning fossil fuel? I do not generally have a campfire, but that is for personal reasons, not altruistic environmental reasons.
There have been only a few studies exploring the total carbon footprint of various human powered outdoor pursuits, with mixed results. Some published results have been very unsettling and uncomfortable. Backpacking itself is not a no-impact benign activity and the effects are identified and quantified.
I am unsure what others have posted here about mp3 players. I do not listen to mine while on the trail. That is foolish. I have used mine at night to listen to a few chapters of a book I am currently enjoying. Indeed, the proper book is a fine complement to the trip (like listening to John Muir's writings while camping in the Desolation Wilderness or John Wesley Powell's journal while on a trip down the Green River). I have the Audubon Society's recording of bird songs loaded into mine also. On more than one occasion it has helped me identify a species I heard but could not locate.
A practice not mentioned, and a pet peeve of mine, involves the bright neon colors found on clothing and gear. They are visible from a long distance, and other groups on the trail or in camp look like the circus came to town. Choosing more muted colors like greens and earth tones reduce the visual impact in an increasingly crowded backcountry. You can always have a single article of clothing of bright color stuffed in your pack for the rare instance when visibility is desired.