Exploring the Wild Responsibly: Applying Leave No Trace Principles to Overland Travel

Exploring the Wild Responsibly: Applying Leave No Trace Principles to Overland Travel
Learn how to minimize your impact when RVing or exploring in remote environments.

By: Peter & Kathy Holcombe

Overland travel—self-reliant, vehicle-based exploration into remote and often fragile natural landscapes—is gaining momentum among adventurers seeking solitude, discovery, and the freedom of the open road. Whether journeying through high deserts, alpine backroads, or forested trails, responsible travel is essential to preserving these wild spaces for future generations. This is where Leave No Trace (LNT) principles come into play.

Developed by the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics, the seven LNT principles guide outdoor users in minimizing their impact on nature. While often associated with hiking and backpacking, these principles apply equally—and critically—to overlanding and RVing (or other vehicle-based camping).

Winnebago Industries recently partnered with Leave No Trace, an environmental non-profit organization, to help outdoor enthusiasts embrace the seven principles by creating LNT recreational vehicle and boating guidelines. Learn more here.

As long-time overlanders in a Winnebago Revel, we’re passionate about sharing how to overland responsibly and minimize your footprint in remote environments. We’re excited to expand on this application of LNT for RVers by sharing our insights and tips on how you can embrace the seven principles of Leave No Trace during off-road, vehicle-based travel.

Note: Best practices are updated often and can vary by region. Be sure to check resources, like LNT.org and TreadLightly.org, as well as the local BLM or National Forest Service.

1. Plan Ahead and Prepare

Overland travel often involves remote terrain, unpredictable weather, and limited resources. Poor planning can lead to damaging behaviors like driving off designated tracks, improper waste disposal, or unintentional wildlife disruption.

Tips for Overlanders:

• Research your route, land ownership status (public or private), seasonal closures, and fire restrictions.
• Use maps, apps like Gaia GPS or OnX Offroad, and check in with local ranger stations or land managers.
• Know the local regulations regarding dispersed camping, grey water dumping, and human waste disposal.

Preparation includes making sure your RV is up for the adventure and packing the right gear for a low-impact journey: waste containers, a portable or built-in toilet (luckily, your Winnebago RV has this covered!), recovery equipment, emergency items, and tools for vehicle maintenance to avoid fluid spills in the wild.

2. Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces

Driving off-road doesn't mean driving anywhere. Staying on established roads and trails prevents the creation of new tracks, soil erosion, and damage to fragile ecosystems.

Our LNT tips for vehicle travel:

• Stick to existing roads and campsites. Don't make new trails.
• Avoid driving on wet or muddy terrain to prevent deep ruts and long-term damage.
• Use designated camping/parking areas or durable surfaces such as rocky, sandy, or gravel areas that are more resistant to impact.
• When dispersed camping, choose areas that have clearly been used before (flattened ground, fire rings), but show minimal long-term damage.

Avoid meadow areas, cryptobiotic soils (especially in the desert Southwest), and marshy regions—all of which are highly sensitive to vehicle traffic.

3. Dispose of Waste Properly

Pack it in, pack it out—this core LNT message is especially critical in vehicle-based travel, where the temptation can be strong to "just dig a hole" or leave greywater behind to stay off-grid longer. But every piece of trash or ounce of waste left in the wild adds up.

Trash Management:

• Pack out all trash, recycling, and food waste.
• Use sealed containers for all trash. Heavy-duty dry bags, plastic bins, or bear-proof boxes help prevent leaks and odors.
• Store food scraps separately from regular trash to reduce wildlife attraction.
• Repack bulky items (remove outer packaging) before your trip to reduce overall waste volume.

Greywater Management: Greywater is used water from dishwashing and showering. 

• When RVing in remote places, plan to manage your water usage appropriately so you can dump your greywater tank at an approved facility when you are back from your off-road adventure. 
• Never empty tanks into natural areas or drains.

Human Waste Management: Perhaps the most critical aspect of remote camping, human waste needs thoughtful management to prevent pollution, disease, and unsightly messes.

• Of course, using your RV system is the top choice since that is simple to dump at an approved facility.
• However, if you are trying to limit how often you need to visit a dump station, you can also use WAG Bags (self-contained toilet kits with gelling agents and sealable bags that are approved almost everywhere) that you can throw away as you would pet waste bags. 
• Never leave toilet paper, wipes, or feminine hygiene products in the wild. These do not decompose quickly and pose major environmental hazards.

4. Leave What You Find

It's tempting to pick up a unique rock, artifact, or wildflower, but these natural features and cultural resources must be left undisturbed.

LNT Tips:

• Take photos, not souvenirs.
• Leave rocks, bones, antlers, and fossils where they lie.
• Never move or dismantle cultural artifacts such as arrowheads or structures. In many areas, it's actually illegal to collect natural or cultural items without a permit.
• Prevent the introduction of non-native species by cleaning your RV and gear before visiting a new natural area.

5. Minimize Campfire Impact

Campfires are a time-honored tradition, but in arid or high-use areas, they can cause long-lasting scars. Many overland routes pass through fire-prone ecosystems where even a small ember can ignite disaster.

Responsible Fire Practices:

• Use a camp stove for cooking and heating water.
• If fires are allowed, use existing fire rings only.
• Keep fires small and burn only sticks from local, dead, downed wood—never bring wood from other areas due to pest transmission.
• Fully extinguish fires with water, not dirt, and never leave a fire unattended. They should be cool to the touch before leaving.
• Campfires cause air pollution. Consider carrying a portable gas fire pit with a burn mat to protect the ground and the air quality.
• Follow all fire bans and red flag warnings.

Take note that in many areas, especially in the western U.S., campfires are permanently banned outside developed campgrounds due to wildfire risk.

6. Respect Wildlife

Overland travel gives us a chance to witness wildlife in their natural habitat, but our presence should not disturb or endanger them.

DO:

• View animals from a distance using binoculars or zoom lenses.
• Store food and scented items in sealed containers to avoid habituating animals.
• Secure your trash and greywater so it doesn't attract scavengers.

DON'T:

• Feed wildlife—intentionally or unintentionally.
• Let pets roam freely. Keep them leashed and under control at all times.
• Approach, chase, or try to photograph animals at close range.

Respecting wildlife is not just about safety; it’s about letting animals live their lives without interference.

7. Be Considerate of Other Visitors

Part of Leave No Trace is understanding that you're not alone in your desire for wild spaces.

Courtesy Tips:

• Keep noise to a minimum—use music or generators sparingly, especially in the evening.
• Avoid walking through other campsites.
• Give right-of-way on narrow roads and trails.
• Camp away from others when possible, and avoid blocking trailheads or scenic overlooks.
• Leave a site better than you found it—pick up any trash, even if it’s not yours.

Final Thoughts on Responsible Overland Travel

Overland travel offers unparalleled access to remote beauty—but with that access comes responsibility. Vehicles give us reach, comfort, and flexibility, but they also carry the potential for significant environmental harm if used carelessly. By integrating Leave No Trace principles into every aspect of our trip planning, camping, and travel, we don't just reduce our impact—we become stewards of the land. (Read our backcountry code of conduct.)

In the long run, it’s not about limiting adventure; it’s about making adventure sustainable. As more people embrace overlanding, it’s essential that we all model respectful and ethical behavior on the trail. That way, the wild places we love can continue to inspire generations of explorers to come. Whether you're out for a weekend trip or crossing continents, travel with purpose—and leave no trace.