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1. (Select the false statement) To follow the ethical principle of minimum impact camping a responsible canoeist will:

a. Bathe and wash clothes and dishes in the waterway using only "biodegradable" soap.
b. Use a free-standing tent.
c. Use existing campsites and firepits.
d. Build small cooking fires using only dead wood.
e. Carry spare garbage bags to pack out non-burnable litter left by thoughtless campers.

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2. To keep water from entering your tent in a heavy rain, dig a shallow trench around it so the run-off will drain harmlessly away.

a. True
b. False
c. Open to interpretation

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3. What is the correct way to dispose of tin and aluminum cans, glass containers, and foil?

a. Wash or burn the cans, pound them flat with a rock, and pack them out in a strong plastic bag along with the glass containers and foil.
b. Burn them and then bury them.
c. Bury them at least 30 m from water.
d. Any of the above methods are acceptable.

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4. A fallen tree blocks your path on a portage. Someone has already improvised a detour around the obstacle. You should:

a. Follow the detour and push aside the brush to make it easier for your next trip.
b. Avoid the detour and lift your gear over the obstacle.
c. Use your axe or saw to remove the obstacle.

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5. To properly dispose of human waste and toilet paper:

a. Bury it over 20 cm deep and 30 m from water.
b. Human waste degrades quickly; it isn't necessary for it to be buried.
c. Bury it 10 to 20 cm deep, at least 30 m from water and the campsite.
d. Burn the toilet paper on the spot and bury the rest of the waste in the organic layer of the soil.

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6. At the end of a portage you realize your half-eaten bag of chips fell out of your canoe as you started the portage. This should prompt you to:

a. Not worry over such a small piece of litter.
b. Assume that someone coming behind you picked it up and carry on.
c. Leave it for the next party through to pick up.
d. Retrace your steps and retrieve the food and foil packaging.

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7. If you have meal leftovers, toss them into the bushes. Animals will dispose of the food quickly and completely.

a. True
b. False
c. Open to interpretation

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8. Modern day wilderness travellers like to identify with nature. This is best accomplished by:

a. Carving your initials in trees around the campsite.
b. Scratching a message on a prominent lichen-covered rock for all following travellers to appreciate.
c. Meditating in a secluded spot.
d. Learning something about the plants and wildlife along the route before starting the trip.
e. Constructing log benches and tables for camp convenience.

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9. Saskatchewan law provides for penalties up to $5000 and/or imprisonment for up to 6 months for:

a. Littering on canoe routes in provincial wilderness lands.
b. Trespassing on sacred Indian burial grounds.
c. Cutting trees on crown land without a permit.
d. Collecting projectile points without a permit.
e. All of the above.

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10. Canoeing offers opportunities to enjoy Saskatchewan's natural areas with few restrictions. Responsible canoeists could express their appreciation of this freedom by:

a. Respecting the culture and lifeways of communities and individuals living along canoe routes.
b. Contributing financially to the improvement of canoeing areas.
c. Joining organizations working for the protection of natural areas.
d. Finding out from pre-trip research what features en route require special care (e.g. fragile terrain, endangered species, cultural sites, etc.)
e. All of the above.

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11. Use a campstove for all your cooking. It is unethical to build fires in a wilderness area.

a. True
b. False
c. Open to interpretation

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12. Of all its major ecozones, Saskatchewan's boreal forest (where most canoeing occurs) is the most vulnerable to impairment from industrial logging. Awareness of this should prompt a responsible canoeist to:

a. Leave the problem to be solved by government resource managers.
b. Question forestry companies on their plans to maintain biodiversity throughout their operations.
c. Support groups working toward a sustainable future for the boreal forest.
d. Avoid canoeing in areas where logging occurs.

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13. Bright-coloured equipment (canoes, tents, packs, clothing, etc.) detracts from a "wilderness experience".

a. True
b. False
c. Open to interpretation

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14. What is the best way to dispose of used sanitary items such as pads and tampons?

a. Burn them, along with toilet paper, where you have your backwoods bathroom.
b. Pack them out
c. Burn them in the main campfire
d. Slip them into your tentmate's pack

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15. The best way to dispose of fish entrails is to:

a. Pack them out.
b. Bury them in at least 4 metres of water.
c. They are biodegradable so it makes no difference how you dispose of them.
d. Burn them.

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16. What is the least desirable of the following methods of dealing with animal hazards?

a. Packing all food in sealable containers.
b. Storing food well away from the campsite, out of sight of game trails.
c. Using a large tree near your tent to suspend the food packs from.
d. Keeping the cooking and tenting areas well separated.
e. Transferring personal snacks and aromatic toiletries into the group food pack for overnight storage.

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17. What is the best way to dispose of dishwater?

a. Dump it into the lake or stream where it can become diluted.
b. Pack it out, along with left-over food.
c. Spread the water over the forest floor where it can filter into the soil.
d. Boil it and use it for tea.

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18. Many wilderness recreationists will row or paddle rather than use motors. The use of motorized vehicles in the wilderness is unacceptable.

a. True
b. False
c. Open to interpretation

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19. To ensure a restful sleep, the wise camper will gather evergreen boughs or moss to make a sleeping pad.

a. True
b. False
c. Open to interpretation

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20. You should call environmentally irresponsible practices which you observe to the attention of the person(s) involved in a friendly, helpful manner and report violations of land and water use regulations to the appropriate authorities (if practical).

a. True
b. False
c. Open to interpretation

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© 1997 CanoeSki Discovery Company