You’re right, most street crimes take place at night.  Harder to see.  Harder for the law to see.  But most crime, which is really "white-collar" crime, takes place during the broad daylight.  Why?  Because you can rob a corporation blind, you can fix a stock deal, you can alter the books, and if you’re caught, it’s hardly more than a slap on the hands, a small fine, and everyone goes on their way.  Those that embezzle the entire life-savings of thousands of people get a fine and few years in some soft prison.  These people are NOT considered a danger to society.  After all, their crimes aren’t ‘violently’ perpetrated.  And of course - the law is not watching their daily behavior.

And so when hunting party outfitters use a chain saw to make the trail easier to navigate for their clients, it’s not perceived as a ‘violent’ crime.  No one got hurt, right?  And again - no one representing the law is watching.

People do all sorts of awful things when they’re in the woods they would never do any place else.  Their careless with fires.  They leave every imaginable thing behind when they decide to pack out.  Let nature, or somebody else deal with it.  'Professional' outfitters continue to break the laws because there are no cops in the woods.  They continue to overstay the length of time allotted on their permits.  They use salt to lure animals out of national parks - so they can kill them ‘legally.’  They bring more pack stock than they write down they’re bringing (which beats up the trails).  And none of this behavior is considered ‘violent.’

Some rangers - the only real "wood's cops" we have - complain and get shut down by their bosses.  Politics is everywhere at work.  Those speaking out on an environmental issue are often considered a ‘tree hugger’ or just a trouble maker.  Those that speak out have been fired (er “laid off”).  Budget cuts were claimed as the reason for discharging a ranger seeking fair play in Yellowstone National Park.

Of course we’re focusing our attention on wilderness issues - that far too many people behave negligently partly because there's no one watching them.  They poop and leave it on the ground along with their toilet paper.  They leave bottles and cans and every other thing - because no one is watching.  But here’s a fact.  What we do when no one is watching reveals our basic character.  It reveals what level of humanity we’ve reached.  When we do what we know is wrong or unfair - especially to animals and trees and other flora - we're committing violence against nature, against ourselves, and against our fellow - we must come to grips with the fact that we're trapped at a very low level of human development.  

The wildlife that inhabit the wild places have little protection against human beings with low character.  The lesson?  Only those who have developed the inner character of caring for the wild places and the wild things that inhabit them - can stop this trend.  YOU are the canary in the coal mine.  YOU are the voice of intelligence.  YOU are the last frontier for whatever justice is meted out for wilderness.

We admit these wilderness/backcountry issues are complex.  Neither you or the Company can solve them all.  We can only offer up a few ideas - such as a solution to the ‘no-toilet in the wild places problem.’  For once the Packit Toilet kit came into existence there were no excuses left for not managing one’s own poop when using the wild places.  And we’re convinced those with character will begin doing just that.