I’ve been chained to my desk all week and I haven’t had a chance to get out and enjoy the fine fall weather, but for those of you who have, it was a great week, wasn’t it? It looked fine from in here, anyway.

I have managed to steal a few minutes here and there to look over a couple of new paperbacks I’ve acquired from my friends at The Mountaineers Books. Both should be required reading for anyone heading out to enjoy the outdoors. And both are good reading – if you can find a free moment in your busy life….

LEAVE NO TRACE, A guide to the New Wilderness Etiquette, by Backpacker Magazine field editor Annette McGivney (second edition), The Mountaineers Books, 1001 SW Klickitat Way, Suite 2201, Seattle, WA 98134. (ISBN 0-89886-910-2)

It has taken a while, but the precepts of Leave No Trace have begun to sink in, even to many people who do not use the back country. Life on the trail is not litter free, but those who keep an eye on backcountry abuse are noticing improvement.

In the introduction of this book, Greg Hanson, the Leave No Trace program coordinator for the U.S. Forest Service, gives us a little background on how educating backcountry users works. After monitoring recreational impacts in Arizona’s Tonto National Forest Superstition Wilderness near Phoenix for 15 years, he says: “After just five years of aggressive education and working the LNT message into everything we do, we’ve been able to measure significant on-the-ground improvements in the wilderness.” This has translated into a 100 percent reduction in litter, a 65 percent reduction in fire rings, and a 90 percent reduction in trampling impacts.

And you thought there was no hope!

Actually, there is reason for concern, in many areas. The author quotes George Nickas, executive director of the Missoula, Montana-based Wilderness Watch as saying recreation is the biggest threat to wilderness. He says, “Now, just plain old hiking and camping are a problem because there are so many of us doing it.”

Later in the book McGivney uses an example many of us might not have thought about – the use of trekking poles. She cites an article in The Register, an Appalachian Trail newsletter, written by Dr. Jeff Marion, a U.S. Geological Survey research biologist. “As more people use trekking poles, more people worry about their environmental and social impacts,” Marion said. “Trailside vegetation can be damaged from the swinging action of trekking poles, particularly from contact with the baskets, which can get caught in low-growing plants.” He noted that Appalachian Trail hikers had complained of places where the trail looked “like it had been freshly plowed from pole tips.”

He also noted that the carbide tips left scratches on rock surfaces. And then there’s that clinking sound of metal on rock, he said, that gets on the nerves of pole-free hikers.

That said, he also points out the benefits of the security they provide on slippery surfaces and the much-needed support for those with bad knees (hello).

What’s a good hiker to do? Marion suggests that LNT-minded hikers: look before they plant their poles to minimize damage to vegetation and soils; use rubber tips as much as possible; remove the baskets unless traveling in snow; and use poles only when you need them.

The LNT message has roots dating back to the mid-1960s when the Bureau of Outdoor Recreation conducted a public survey that found that some 10 million Americans hiked or backpacked and that most used camping techniques that were “high impact.” Since then the number of people getting out has skyrocketed, emphasizing the need to tread lightly on the outdoors. What evolved over the years are what we know as the seven principles of LNT: plan ahead and prepare; travel and camp on durable surfaces; dispose of waste properly; leave what you find; minimize campfire impacts; respect wildlife; be considerate of other visitors. In this book you’ll learn how to build a no-impact fire and how or when to take a well-behaved pet on a trip as well, even though both fire and pets are normally discouraged in the backcountry.

This book is a must for anyone using the outdoors, even if you think you’re familiar with LNT practices. I know you’ll find something you haven’t practiced in its 187 pages with plenty of pictures and illustrations.

DON’T FORGET THE DUCT TAPE, Tips and Tricks for Repairing Outdoor Gear, by Kristin Hostetter, The Mountaineers Books, 1001 SW Klickitat Way, Suite 2201, Seattle, Wash. 98134. (ISBN 0-89886-906-4), $6.95.

Here’s a handy little paperback (4 by 6 inches) that you should read then put on your essentials list for all your outings. It’s a handy guide on what to include in your backpacking repair kit, how to fix just about anything you take with you, how to extend the life of your gear, and, best of all, how to use duct tape to get you through your next outdoor calamity.

If Hostetter’s name seems familiar, you’re probably a reader of Backpacker Magazine where she was the former gear editor. She writes a column for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer from her home in Milton, Mass.

Here are a few of the tips I harvested from this neat little book:

Want to prolong the life of your tent poles? Instead of giving in to the temptation of just snapping your poles apart and letting the bungee zap them back, try gently separating the sections and folding them, beginning at the center. That way you won’t stress the bungee or split the pole tips.

How’s that tent floor? Does it tend to leak a bit? A lot? Is the waterproof coating peeling? Here’s the one chance (and only time) to put that tent in a washing machine, because it will do a number on coatings. The object here is to get as much of the old stuff off as possible. Do this by setting your machine’s setting to gentle and wash in cold water with a touch of mild powdered soap such as Ivory Flakes. Then put it in the dryer for five minutes, remove and hang until dry. Use a vegetable brush to scrub the floor to remove any remaining flakes of waterproof coating. Next, set up your tent and turn it on its side and apply a polyurethane waterproof coating you can find at your local outfitter. Make sure it is completely dry before repacking the tent.

If you have to clean your sleeping bag (maybe once a year), use a large-size front-loading machine at the laundramat, nondetergent soap, cold water, and the gentle cycle. Then run it through another cycle without soap to remove any remaining soap residue. When transferring the bag afterward to the dryer, be careful not to stretch it (you’ll damage interior baffles), use the cool setting and be prepared for a two-hour drying session. Do not throw in a tennis ball as you may have been told, but a few dry towels will help take some of the moisture out. You’ll need to take out the damp towels and replace them with dry ones a few times. You can prolong the time between sleeping bag laundering by bathing before crawling in and sleeping in a layer of clothing to keep body oils from the bag’s lining. Or get yourself a separate liner that can be washed after each trip.

Store your self-inflating sleeping pad flat with the valve open. This keeps the foam from being scrunched up and possibly balky at reinflating easily when taken out of hibernation.

When packing liquid fuel for your stove, try to put it in an outside pocket of your pack or double bag it in plastic bags and put it near the bottom of your pack. That way if it leaks it won’t contaminate all your food and gear. If you use a canister stove in cool weather, improve the performance by using a new, full canister, insulate the canister with a scrap piece of closed-cell sleeping pad, and set up a wind block, but be careful not set it too close to the stove – allow for air circulation. When packing away your stove, protect it from getting banged or dented by putting it in your cook kit or its own padded case.

If you’re headed out on an overnight trip and plan to use a new stove (or one that’s new to you), practice lighting it before you go. Some stoves need to be primed, so trying this at home (outdoors) a few times may save you in the field.

Want another use for that old closed-cell sleeping pad? Cut a 12 by 12-inch piece and wrap it with duct tape to make an insulated, stable platform for your stove when cooking in the snow.

Jeff Strout can be reached at 990-8202 or by e-mail at jstrout@bangordailynews.net.