All so-called "tin" cans are made of steel. They have a plating of tin on the outside, to prevent corrosion. Nowadays, the inside is plastic coated, probably over a layer of tin. Burning the can gets rid of the tin and plastic coatings, and allows the steel underneath to corrode away quickly. Burning aluminum cans also hastens corrosion, but all the conversion of metal to oxide takes place in the fire. Not much happens after that. The best bet is to carry it out. Burning the can then carrying it out will help reduce the bulk and smell, especially if you are doing the "right thing" with someone else's garbage a long way from civilization. The days of "burn, bash and bury" are long gone. "Burn, bash and CARRY" is a better slogan. Rob. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
> The best bet is to carry it out. Burning the can then carrying it out will help reduce the bulk and smell, especially if you are doing the "right thing" with someone else's garbage a long way from civilization. > The days of "burn, bash and bury" are long gone. "Burn, bash and CARRY" is a better slogan. > In this part of the NE a lot of outdoorsmen subscribe to the "Leave No Trace" concept.. Basically, you carry everything out as well as minimize your impact on the place you stopped at. The Appalachian Mountain Club is a strong supporter of the concept. LNT also has a website with some of the general tenets listed. I think it's something like www.lnt.org There are still places in the Catskills and in some of the Highlands regions of NJ where you can still see traces of tent ditches. That's a practice that's been done away with some fifty years ago. Joe P. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Alas, it is still practiced. Stopped to talk to some scouts in BWCAW. I noticed the scoutleader helping a couple of scouts to trench their tent. Old ways die hard. The LNT also advocates not building a fire on the ground except in established fire rings except in a few areas where the ground isn't harmed. Some of the archaeologists I deal with say that they routinely find fire sites from Indians or their predecessors dating back 500+ years. > There are still places in the Catskills and in some of the Highlands > regions of NJ where you can still see traces of tent ditches. That's a > practice that's been done away with some fifty years ago. > > Joe P. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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