Dear Pyro,
Congratulations, you
managed to hit the trinity
of backpacking no-nos:
leaving a trace, taking
unnecessary risk, and
wasting food. Not only did
you tempt shrapnel
wounds, but you risked
starting a forest fire. Plus,
the tomato blast radius
probably attracted wildlife
to your campsite. Youshould never burn anything
besides wood in an open
pit—it takes extreme heat
to eliminate traces of food,
and animals often scavenge
from campfire rings (this is
bad for the critters and for
future campers). Further-
more, humans have started
84 percent of wildfires in
the U.S. over the past two
decades, leaving more than
a million acres scorchedeach year. Stick to the
camp stove for cooking,
and always open your cans
before heating.DO THE RIGHT THING
Since your actions had the
multiple consequences of
wildfire risk and animal
attraction, we’ll assign a two-
part penance: Pack canned
beans—no dehydrated food
allowed—on your nextbackpacking trip, and forego
campfires for the rest of the
summer. Be safe out there.Got an LNT confession?
Email confessions@
backpacker.com.For more information about
reducing your impact, visit
L N T.o rg.LEAVE NO TRACE CONFESSIONALHOT TOMATO
In my younger (and dumber) days, some friends and I thought
it would be funny to leave a large, sealed can of tomatoes in
our campfire until it exploded. When the blast went off, it sent
coals soaring through our campsite in a 20-foot radius. No one
was injured, but there were some burn holes left in clothing,
and we spent half an hour stomping out the embers. How can I
atone for my mischievous youth? –Pyromaniac in PortlandJAMES DECKERsleep in the dirt,
don’t sit in it
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Camping above Montezuma Basin
on the Continental Divide Trail,
Colorado. Noah Wetzel