I've always packed out my tea leaves, and will almost certainly continue to do so (so no one needs to pick up their pitchforks), but I wanted to get a few opinions on this. e
Is it acceptable to scattered tea leaves rather than pack them out? I'm asking more out of curiosity than practical reasons, as the weight saved by not packing out would be minimal.
Assume:
– Unflavored, unscented black or green tea (no Earl Grey, no vanilla or fruity additives)
– Below tree line
– Leaves would be scattered over multiple square feet, rather than discarded in a pile.
– The amount of leaves in a area would be one or two teaspoons dry
– The usual sensibilities of keeping a proper distance from campsite, trail, and water would be followed.
Given this, isn't acceptable—from a (pragmatic rather than dogmatic) LNT and bear safety perspective—to discard tea leaves amongst the forest duff rather than packing them out? These are, after all, leaves, albeit non-native (but thoroughly dead).
My initial thought is that there's basically no harm from a LNT perspective, but someone may correct me on that. I'm less sure about it from a bear and other animal perspective. Will animals be attracted to the leaves, even scattered? Could the animals be harmed by, for instance, whatever caffeine remains in the brewed leaves?
