Noise and Visual Pollution
Two more subtle forms of pollution deserve a mention: noise pollution and visual pollution. We all know that we're rarely the only people out there enjoying the woods on any given day, but why emphasize that fact by making excessive noise? Shouting, banging pots and pans (except when a bear is threatening to steal your M&Ms), or, heaven forbid, bringing a radio or tape player into the woods destroys the illusion of solitude and disturbs wildlife. Noise carries a long way over a mountain lake or in a stone-walled canyon. Keep the racket to a minimum. Large groups should exercise particular care in this regard.

Visual pollution is a tougher issue. Intense, brilliant colors and jarring color combinations are all the rage these days for clothing, packs and, to a lesser extent, tents. Brightly colored gear stands out boldly against the greens, browns and whites of the summer and winter wilderness. Some people argue that using flashy gear diminishes the feeling of solitude a wilderness should offer because other hikers and their camps stand out like searchlight beacons half a mile away. Others argue that bright clothing and tents could help rescuers trying to locate victims in an emergency, or, more selfishly, that vibrant colors make photographs look better. Personally, I find the most garish equipment distasteful and offensive, not so much because it represents visual pollution, as because it seems ostentatious and affected. To learn the lessons that a wilderness sojourn can offer, to preserve the fragile portions of the wilderness and to stay alive in the face of forces vastly greater than ourselves, we need to enter the wilderness in a spirit of humbleness, almost reverence. Donning some puce, chartreuse and aquamarine garment seems antithetical to that spirit. With that said, I must admit that I like cheerful colors, and I do not eschew reds and yellows. Movement catches my eye as much as color when I glance across a lake or meadow and spot some other hiker. Designated campsites, at least in Rocky Mountain National Park, are always out of sight of each other. In Shenandoah and Great Smoky Mountains national parks, backpackers are required to camp out of sight of each other, even if they're half a mile apart. Tent color makes no difference if you can't see the neighboring tent. Perhaps the best advice I can offer is think about the effect of your color choices on your own consciousness as well as your fellow hikers when choosing your gear.

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