Minimum impact camping is a matter of sensitizing ourselves to the natural environment. The minimum impact camper realizes that the nature is fragile, and those who venture into the wilderness need to take responsibility for leaving it the way they found it.

You need a flat spot the size of your tent, without too many roots and rock protruding.

Consider the ground cover. Forest duff is best : It is comfortable to sleep on, and you won't be crushing vegetation. Sand and gravel are good too.

In an established campsite, stay in the obvious tent sites. Otherwise, camp 30 meter away from the water supply. This help prevent clustering and pollution.

Watch for obvious hazards. In forests, look up! Dead branches are a real danger on stormy nights. In alpine areas, stay away from obvious rock and avalanche chutes.

Burrowing in trees and rocks gives you protection from the wind. If possible, pitch your tent so the wind is at your back.

Do not wash yourself, your pots and pans, clothes directly in a water source.

In particular, avoid introducing soap to a water source : It may be biodegradable, but does not mean you want or others want to drink it! Fill a pot or a water bag and rinse off away from the stream, lake or spring.

Wear camp shoes in camp. Tromping around a site in sneakers or sandals has less impact than tromping around in Vibram soles.

Always use existing fire rings, as it serves a purpose in heavily used areas. Avoid building new ones unnecessarily, especially in pristine sites.

Fires make scars. It is best to make fire on mineral soils or on gravel or sand.

Making a pit fire by digging a hole. In the morning, the ashes are covered with soil, and the top layer of sod is replaced.

Use only loose, downed wood. Do not break wood off trees, even if it is dead. Large logs serve a purpose in ecosystem, so leave them alone.

Small fires have less impact than large fires, so resist the urge to have a sky-scarring bonfire.

Make sure the fire is completely out before you leave it. It only takes a spark to start a forest fire.

A backpacker should always carry some form of emergency shelter in case caught up in some emergency that entails a bivouac.

It may be a Polythene bag, or even better, a Gore-Tex bivvi-bag which, tough expensive, provides waterproof, condensation-free protection.

Some people bivouacking just because they enjoy it. Others however may be because they are lost, unable to complete to destination, overtaken by a storm or involved in an accident.

Each of the 3 major components (Carbohydrates, Protein, and Fats) provides energy. Food intake for mountaineer can go as high as 6000 calories per day, possibly even more for larger folks.

Generally, water is safe above treeline that no treatment is required; below treeline, treat everything because of beavers.

In desert, water is scarce, so animals tend to congregate at few sources that do exist. If you are seeing lots of animal tracks and scat (especially near the water source), you will want to treat it. In the mountains, be sure you are above beaver dams.

The safest water comes from underground springs. Seep springs can be safe in dry terrain, where the water percolates quickly through the soil. But in wet or swampy area, the water gets sit around and collect contaminants.

Clear, flowing, cold water is better than standing, warmish, murky water, but beware : Giardia can thrive in a cold.

Snowmelt is generally safe, especially if you can see the snow bank.

Ask the local backcountry rangers, where and how they get their water supply.