HOW TO POOP IN THE WOODS

Yep. It’s time to talk about poop. Everybody does it, so here’s how you do it in the big wild open, comfortably, safely, and without harming the surrounding ecosystem. Most importantly, this is a task that absolutely requires Leave No Trace principals.

WITH FACILITIES

If you are at a more formal, family-style, and regulated camp site with actual toilets on site, you are in luck! There are still some rules and etiquette to adhere to even whilst glamping!

Clean up any mess you make
Bring your own hand sanitizer - no guarantee that their will be soap available for you
Close the lid after you are finished
Note if the door needs to be kept open while not in use
Do not throw in any trash, wipes, food, or feminine products - only human waste and TP

IN THE WOODS

Digging A Cathole

Have yourself a nice little “Poop Kit”
- Sealable plastic bag
- Hand Sanitizer or biodegradable soap
- Small shovel or trowel - Some even have inches markings on them to make it easier to measure your Cathole
- Solid waste bags (optional depending on regulations in that area)
- Toilet tissue and / or wipes
Make sure you are at least 70 steps or 200 feet away from a campsite or water source
Seek out a nice private spot with loose, dark soil, a tree with branches or something to hold on to, or a log or rock to squat on to. Loose soil means faster decomposition, and that is a good thing
With your trusty trowel, dig a hole into the soil roughly 6” deep 4” wide. PRO TIP I would recommend finding your spot and digging said hole before needing to go, that way you are not rushing through it when the time comes
#2 PRO TIP (see what I did there): The lower you squat - the easier the clean-up process will be
- A small amount of toilet paper can go a long way. Try not to bury too much.
- Wipes have to be packed out - even “biodegradable” ones!
- If you use a natural clean-up method like leaves, make sure you know what kind of big, flat, absorbent leaves you are using because you do not want a poison-coated asshole, I guarantee ya that!
Bury your mess after you finish and make it look like you were never there.

When NOT to use a Cathole

Always check local guidelines (you can always inquire at the local ranger station) to ensure that there are no legal or ethical restrictions to this method. Some examples would be:
- Areas of sensitive soil composition, plant, or animal life
- High elevation, desert, and alpine areas
- Areas that see high amounts of human foot traffic

LEAVing NO TRACE

There are multiple methods of packing out your business when you are either backpacking in leave-no-trace-terrain or journeying down a river with a vessel where you don’t have to carry it.

Leave No Trace offers four guidelines for all backcountry users disposing of human waste:

Minimize water contamination
Minimize social and aesthetic impact
Minimize the spread of disease
Minimize decomposition

Wag Bags

Real talk: these are pretty much dog bags for humans. You can use them anywhere, making them a great addition to your first-aid kit, emergency kit, or camping gear.

Each bag is puncture-resistant (thank god…)
Contains a packet of hand sanitizer
Contains a NASA-developed solidifying agent, “Poo Powder” to hide and contain any smells within the bag (again, thank god).
Super duper lightweight and easy to pack and carry on any outdoor activity that has you away from a bathroom for long periods of time.

Using the Bags

Pull out the bag liner on the inside of the puncture-resistant outer bag, remove the hand sanitizer and toilet paper, and hold the plastic bag around your hips before you go.
When you’re done, use the cinch loop on the plastic bag to seal and tie off the inner pouch, then seal the ziplock enclosure on the outer pouch to seal the odor and waste.
If you’re on a multi-day trip, once you’ve captured your waste and sealed the bag (make sure there aren’t any openings or leaks), store your used wag bag in the bottom of your backpack away from food. Storing it at the bottom means you won’t have to deal with packing/repacking it throughout your trip, and it’s out of sight, out of mind.
Because wag bags include a solidifying agent which breaks down and deodorizes waste, you can simply toss your wag bag in a normal trash can once you’ve returned from your trip. No need to reopen the bag and flush it down the toilet, the bag has done all the work for you.

DIY YOUR OWN PORTABLE TOILET

What You Need

My pals and I had one of these on our river rafting adventure down the Deschutes River in Oregon. This sort of portable toilet is perfect for a car-camping, off-the-grid, leave-no-trace experience, or on a river where you have a raft or canoe (a vessel large enough to haul the bucket without you having to carry it). This is an easy and cheap alternative and the clean up process is as simple as can be.

Portable toilet seat / lid or Pool Noodle
Bucket lid
5 gal, sealable, luggable bucket
A sturdy trash bag
Roll of toilet paper
Sawdust for compost, or Poo Powder

The Bucket Lid Has 2 Uses

It seals the bucket while it is on the go, making it the perfect place to store the “used” bags before you can properly dispose of them. The second use is for when it is not being used to seal the bucket it is the perfect token to leave a few yards away from the toilet site. This is meant to indicate to others that the toilet is open and available. Since there are not doors to ensure your privacy, when you grab the lid on your way to the loo, anyone approaching will be indicated that the toilet is “Occupied”.

The Pool Noodle

The foam noodle is optional, especially if you have the portable seat, but it is a cheap, replaceable, and soft option to act as a toilet seat. This is never the most ideal option as those noodles being disposed of is not the most environmentally sound, but if you have a few old ones lying around, they can always be repurposed this way. Cut a seam in the bottom of the noodle and "snap” it on to the top of the bucket. Trim the length to fit the circumference of the bucket. A con of having the noodle is that you cannot “close the lid” after you are finished.

Set Up

Place the trashbag over the Pool Noodle or under the Portable Toilet Seat and let it hang into the bucket, like a trash can.
Detach one side of the bucket handle and thread the toilet paper roll through the handlebar. Re-attach the handle to the bucket.
Place a layer of sawdust and/or Poo Powder at the bottom of the bag to absorb scent and any liquid. It also leaves the bucket smelling like the woods, which is a very good thing.
Keep a bag and scooper of extra sawdust as well as hand sanitizer near the toilet. Add a scoop or two of sawdust on top of your waste and close the lid after use.

Clean Up

Twist, tie, and knot-up the trash bag, and then perhaps add another bag around that if you are unsure of its leakproof-ness. Dispose of bag in a trash receptacle - FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, DO NOT LEAVE TO BAG IN NATURE SOMEWHERE (It drives me insane when people do this with their dog bags!). You can also leave the tied bag in the bucket with the lid if you are, for instance, headed down the river.

Good luck and happy pooping!

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