[pct-l] Insects and methods

[Luce Cruz]

On Mon, Feb 29, 2016 at 9:59 AM, <TBrokaw at montmush.com> wrote:

> How does this wash with our Leave No Trace practice?


Great question!

First, let's get rid of the idea that every hiker will be slathered in
DEET. It's just not correct. There are accounts of folks that don't use any
insect repellant on trail, or only very rarely, and there are plenty of
places that just don't need any to be used. Some will be so dirty that a
mozzie will bend his little proboscis until it gets sprained trying to get
through the layer of sweat and dirt on some hikers! :)

The occasional stream crossing of someone that has used DEET won't bombard
a stream badly enough to do any damage or I think this would be addressed
as an issue by biologists or wildlife officials. Anyone seen an authority
on the matter advise against using DEET and crossing streams in CA, OR, or
WA? I haven't been looking, but I also haven't come across any such
advisories casually.

Myself, I'd consider things like the depth of the crossing and the length
of time I'd be in the water and think about washing off the repellent
before entering, and think it would be pretty cool if others did, too, but
I wouldn't look down on anyone that didn't or simply forgot to first.

If it was a quick splash across a fairly shallow creek or a long ankle deep
crossing of a wide stream, I'd probably just go for it. If it was deep(er)
and wide(er), I'd probably go wash off some of the repellent, especially
since I like to hike alone, and that would give me some time for someone to
come by and we could help each other cross more safely.

Jumping into a lake before bathing using proper LNT techniques is obviously
going against proper LNT techniques. Maybe this isn't strictly addressed in
the formal LNT training, but I certainly would know if I had applied insect
repellant to my skin, therefore I should know that it is a responsible LNT
practice to wash it off well away from the lake before jumping in. Bathing
in a lake or waterway is *not* LNT, IMO. It's tempting, but it violates my
own LNT principles and ethics. It is advised by folks that make water
handling systems for swimming pools and hot tubs that users bathe first, so
there has to be a point to it if the folks that know how to keep these
artificial and closed water bodies running well think it's a good idea.

In my own mind, enjoying the hike in my own way would mean that I did as
many great and little things to reduce my impact when and where I could, to
be thoughtful of where I was and what it will be like after I leave.
Quickly washing off before entering water is one of those little things.

-- 
Luce Cruz