{"id":45828,"date":"2023-09-29T10:08:05","date_gmt":"2023-09-29T00:38:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/blog\/?p=45828"},"modified":"2023-09-29T11:17:19","modified_gmt":"2023-09-29T01:47:19","slug":"how-to-leave-no-trace-when-4wding","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/blog\/how-to-leave-no-trace-when-4wding\/","title":{"rendered":"Outback Etiquette & Leaving No Trace"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It can be easy to take for granted what comes into our homes seamlessly every day. Water, sewerage, electricity, and garbage collection are all services that we expect and become fairly inconvenienced by if they fail!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, many of us love getting out of the big smoke and hit the roads to find quieter places that give us a sense of the great outdoors. We travel to these places because they are different to our everyday environment. This requires understanding that the services we take for granted cannot always be delivered in the same seamless way we expect. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Many of us love getting out of the big smoke and hit the roads to find quieter places that give us a sense of the great outdoors. Image: BlackWolf<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Water<\/u><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For many outback towns, the only source of water is through bores. Some places are lucky and the water is beautiful. But in others, it can be slightly brackish and have a sulphurous smell. This water is fine for washing yourselves and clothing, but may need boiling before drinking. It\u2019s what the locals live with all the time; nothing wrong with it, just different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In towns like Coober Pedy in South Australia, the only source of water is from a bore about 30km out of town! It\u2019s too salty to use, and every drop has to be treated by reverse osmosis to be useable. This process is very energy-intensive and expensive. Paying 20 cents for 40 litres of water, or a few cents for a shower in the caravan park may seem inconvenient \u2013 but this is what the locals pay all the time!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Waste<\/u><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Ever pulled into a roadside rest area only to find bins overflowing and garbage strewn everywhere? Imagine the logistics and cost of emptying these regularly, many of which involve travelling hundreds of kilometres to the nearest town.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is a simple solution to this: take your garbage with you and dispose of it in the next town. It\u2019s great to see many 4WDs with garbage bags hanging on their spare wheel, which is an easy method of approach. Before telling all your friends how bad a place is, or rushing to social media or review sites, have a long hard think about what is causing the problem. Talk to the local people about the situation so that any comments you do make are informed and measured. Remember, once it\u2019s on the internet, it\u2019s there forever \u2013 good, bad, or ugly. Uninformed and sometimes completely wrong comments may well have a detrimental effect on other people\u2019s livelihood \u2013 so think before you speak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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When leaving your camp area, take your garbage with you and dispose of it in the next town. Image: BlackWolf<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Having a durable bin bag attached to the outside of your vehicle means the inside of your car won’t get stinky. Image: Aaron Schubert<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Toileting<\/u><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Very few small outback towns have proper sewerage systems, with many relying on septic tanks or similar eco solutions. In some places, especially campgrounds, a long-drop is the solution to this everyday problem!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sure, sometimes there is a smell, and this often made worse by travellers emptying chemical toilet tanks<\/a> into these systems. This instantly kills the bacteria that break down waste and reduce the smell. One should only ever empty chemical toilets into designated dump points or, if there is no other option, bury it in a very deep hole dug well away from any trees, water sources, creeks, or stock watering points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep in mind that when these systems break down there are usually no plumbers on call! This often results in considerable delays before repairs are carried out. The other major problem can be seen at any roadside rest area or camping spot: toilet paper and human waste scattered around the area! This results in many areas closing to campers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your point of view), the days of the squat and a shovel are rapidly disappearing. This is likely due to the number of campers around, which makes it more difficult to find a private spot!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two aspects need to be considered:<\/p>\n\n\n\n