Article: Pooping Perfectly in the Woods

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Stringmaker

Native
Sep 6, 2010
1,891
1
UK
On both the courses I have attended; the rule was to burn the TP at the deposition site. The kit box included a lighter for that very purpose.

You also had to plan ahead as it was a round trip of 20 minutes from picking up the baton!
 

SimonM

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Apr 7, 2007
4,015
6
East Lancashire
www.wood-sage.co.uk
I was always taught to burn the TP in situ...and that's the way I teach Scouts and Leaders alike.

As with Stringmaker, I include a lighter in the toilet kit bag for that purpose.

Simon
 

rik_uk3

Banned
Jun 10, 2006
13,320
24
69
south wales
I'm a great fan of soft toilet tissue, its perhaps one of the greatest inventions of the 20th Century and so for me camp pooping is dig, dump, burn, cover.

I think back to the horrid days of my youth and the dreaded Izal
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5137/5402452418_9d3660a65d.jpg
or as often called back then "John Wayne loo roll" because like the Duke, it was 'rough, tough and took crap off nobody', they were awful times. Then one day, the joy of Andrex was discovered, absolute bliss :)

I had to use moss once when with the boy scouts, since that trip loo roll has been at the top of my kit list.
 

Dave

Hill Dweller
Sep 17, 2003
6,019
9
Brigantia
Toilet paper must be a dilemma for the ultralite backpacking fraternity. Is it worth taking double ply [twice as much weight as single ply] for the extra protection it affords? :p
 

armie

Life Member
Jul 10, 2009
266
7
61
The Netherlands
They'll be drilling holes in double ply TP - best of both worlds :)
I was taught to burn TP in situ; also to lay two branches/twigs crossed upon the covered spot as a signal to others.
 

Smith28

Nomad
Nov 26, 2010
441
0
South East
Toilet paper must be a dilemma for the ultralite backpacking fraternity. Is it worth taking double ply [twice as much weight as single ply] for the extra protection it affords? :p
Anyone who thinks it best to NOT carry enough TP to clean up is in my mind, a total, absolute mental nutcase.
Also.. did I actually read, pinecones? :yikes: Great article, a much avoided but all too inevitable topic.
 

Elines

Full Member
Oct 4, 2008
1,590
1
Leicestershire
The only other thing I can think to add is that I was told that if you use the 'cat hole' method then it is a good idea to mark the (buried) spot with crossed sticks or similar to stop someone else digging up the same excellent spot you found (or in my case that I found and then forgot about)
 

RonW

Native
Nov 29, 2010
1,575
121
Dalarna Sweden
Great and sensible article about an all to common subject, yet brought in a way that I just had to smile...
The sphagnum and snowball actually work great without a feeling of discomfort afterwards... Just takes some getting used to.

Can I share this article on my blog?
Couldn't have put it better in words myself and it might make things easier for others too.
 

salad

Full Member
Sep 24, 2008
1,779
133
51
In the Mountains
When I was traveling India I just used water and my left hand, followed by washing my hands with soap afterwards .
I can honestly say that I did not have one single skid mark in 6 months . Despite the fact that when traveling some distances I had to sometimes wear the same set of underwear for a few days

Although saying that there was a total trouser drenching when dysentery told hold of me(but that was illness so it does not count ) :)
 

Firelite

Forager
Feb 25, 2010
188
1
bedfordshire
Re the IZAL Medicated comment - (for younger readers it was supposed to be a toilet paper, but it was more closely related to grease-proof paper). My great-Uncle was holding forth on this topic one day, expressing the view that the modern papers were terrific. Alternatively, regarding Izal, he said "Jeez, with that **!£$%* Izal stuff you could end up at the back of your neck!"
 

Stringmaker

Native
Sep 6, 2010
1,891
1
UK
RM or BG hardly ever (never?) mention pooing in the woods - perhaps they are both retentive and then off load back at the Holiday Inn?

Every time I see RM on the telly that is exactly what springs to my mind.

It is included in the "leave no trace" philosophy so should be at least referred to if not demonstrated...
 

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