A Backpacker Poops In the Woods--How About You???

Two important things to know before heading out: first, follow the area land manager's guidelines. If the Forest Service says thou shalt pack out waste, then arm thyself with a WAG Bag or other receptacle then follow the rules. Talking to whatever land manager is in a given area is the most important thing of all. Find out what they feel is most appropriate. Don't assume.

Second, know and follow as many of the four objectives Leave No Trace outlines for backcountry waste disposal:

1. Minimize the chance of water pollution.
2. Minimize the spread of disease.
3. Minimize aesthetic impact.
4. Maximize decomposition rate.

When traveling in a wooded area burial, using the cat-hole method, is a common and effective method of poop management. While there is some debate on the topic, it is fairly accepted that burying your poop promotes quick composting, prevents the spread of disease and preserves the illusion that others are not pooping all over the forest. The cat-hole method is considered acceptable by leave no trace campers and should be one of three options for backpackers. The other two options are to use an outhouse or other establish facility, if available, or packing out your waste.


Believe it or, you should not urinate in a cat-hole. For one, urine contains salts that act as a preservative, increasing the decomposition time for the feces. For more on this see "How to Pee in the Woods."

CAT-HOLE METHOD:

• Choose a Location: Grab a stick and select a site that is 200 feet away from water sources, trails, or campsites. No one wants to see you poop, step in your poop, or contract a waterborne disease from your poop.

• Dig a Hole: Remove the top cap of soil with a trowel or other tool. The top cap contains the micro-organisms that will ultimately reduce the poop. Set the top cap of soil aside.  Use a tent stake, knife or trowel to dig a cat-hole 6-8 inches deep. I use a ti-spork, this gives me a handy trowel that weighs in at only .6 oz. This depth is generally considered to promote proper decomposition while keeping your feces out of the reach of animals. Any deeper and you'll bypass the most active part of soil.

• Assume the Position 

Images and descriptions of positions complements of http://www.flickr.com/photos/somedude/226186212/

Methods for Pooping in the Woods

The Full Squat. Surprisingly easy. Discovered by girls (and Asians) long ago; shunned by the white man. No stamina required in the legs because you’re already all the way down. Actually leaves plenty of clearance between droppings and dropped pants. May require (minimal) practice to maintain balance.

The Half Squat. A futile farce to keep far from feces. Makes the quads burn. Takes ripped quads to maintain. Maybe degrades gracefully into the Full Squat. Maybe.

The Overbite. Mental comfort of being in a familiar physical position. Must invest time searching for that perfect log or rock (preferably with a view). Risk of tumbling backward if improperly sized object used.

The Middleman. Similar to the Overbite. Eliminates risk of falling over backward, but must find two objects adequately spaced. A well balanced option, though butt-cheek contact with foriegn surfaces appears necessary.

Lean Cuisine. A nice compromise between the Overbite and Middleman. Uses the cheek-lean technique on a single object, eliminating both tumble risk and two-object requirement. May be slightly more difficult to maintain over long periods than the parent methods.

The Whomping Willow. Similar to the Half Squat, but offloads the legs with some additional support. Must find a a tree with appropriately low and flexible branches. Risk of falling into the pile if the branch lacks adequate strength. If you’ve found the right tree, there should already be a hole for you.

WAYS TO CLEAN UP:

• The Natural Method: Use leaves, grass, a rock, snow or moss to clean up. Just drop the used item into the cat-hole before you bury it. This is very acceptable from a leave no trace perspective and the lightest way to go. To me it sounds messy and uncomfortable and not my choice. By all means hike your own hike.

• Packed Out TP: Use toilet paper or paper towels and pack it out with you. I use paper towels that I cut  into squares and use as little as possible. Store your used TP in a Ziploc baggies and to disguise the unappealing site of used toilet paper you can put a brown paper bag inside the Ziploc. This is a great leave no trace method and what I think is the best method.

• Bury TP: Burying your toilet paper is less acceptable from a leave no trace perspective but it still a common practice. To do this just use the minimal amount of organic, unscented, biodegradable toilet paper possible and toss it in the cat-hole.

After defecating and cleaning up, with something natural or TP, add dirt to the hole and mix it in with the feces using the stick. The trowle should never come in contact with feces! To the uninitiated, this might sound like a disgusting task, but adding the soil will immediately eliminate any odors. Mixing the soil, feces and paper together into a “poop soup” will facilitate the decomposition of the feces and the paper. Once you have used up all of the soil, replace the top cap and insert the stick so that someone else will not dig in the same area. 

Finish Up: After you've finished it is important to make sure your backside is really clean; this helps keep you from getting what I call crap rash. I do this by using a baby wipe, or two if needed, that you pack out. I normally do this before replacing the soil just because it is easier to do then; however, if you find out a few steps down the trail that your backside does not feel clean stop and take care of it. You do not want to get a rash while hiking. 


It is important that you clean your hands with hand sanitizer or soap and water. You may not wash your hands at home and that is gross, but please, for the love of God, do use hand sanitizer now for the health and welfare of yourself and your backpacking partners. Now is not the time to be sick because of poor hygiene practices.

PACK IT OUT METHOD (POOP BURRITO):

For people camping in arid, dry, rocky, sandy, dessert, etc conditions I'm sorry to tell you the burial is not a responsible method. Like your other waste materials, you're going to have to pack it out.

Materials Needed for a Poop Burrito:

• A sturdy container to keep poop in (I'll expand on this later)
• Toilet paper
• Sheets of wax paper (about 20" square)
• Sheets of brown butcher paper (about 20" square)
• Paper bags

Method to Create a Poop Burrito:

• Find a private spot. Lay the brown paper on the ground and lay the wax paper on top of the brown paper.
• Cop a squat and do your business onto the wax paper.
• Wipe with TP and drop TP onto poop.
• Roll your poop up like a burrito first with the wax paper then with the brown paper.
• Put your steaming burrito inside a paper bag and roll the paper bag closed. You can even use tape if you wish.
• Deposit your neat little poop packet into your poop container and seal the container shut.

You have plenty of options for a poop container. Just choose something appropriate for the size of your group/length of your trip. For a non-backpacking trip a 5 gallon bucket with a solid screw on lid and double lined the bucket with garbage bags. The bucket should be bright orange so that it is not accidentally mix it up with other buckets. For a backpacking trip a popular option is a length of PVC piping with screw on end caps. You can find something like this at a hardware store. You could also buy yourself an opaque plastic container with a screw on lid and clearly mark it so that it doesn't accidentally end up in the kitchen later. If you can not find an appropriate container that's opaque you could always line it with a garbage bag or cover the outside with duct tape.

Hopefully this backwoods pooping tutorial will help to make the outdoors just a little more approachable. How about you? Do you have any special tips on how to poop in the woods?