Article: Pooping Perfectly in the Woods

[magpiewolf]

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?

As an ultraliter, my answer is no - I don't carry TP at all. Just keep an eye out for good big soft leaves like coltsfoot, butterbur, foxglove, comfrey, horse-chestnut etc. Also I'm happy trekking 30 miles a day on a handful of nuts and jerky plus whatever I forage on the route so I don't carry much food - so there's not much input to create the output to begin with!

 

[Hog On Ice]

wrt pinecones - I am going to guess that would only apply to relatively smooth pine cones such as those from white pine, Pinus strobus, or balsam fir, Abies balsamea or some of the other trees with smooth cones of sufficient size - I can't imagine using something like table mountain pine or pitch pine - as you say like a hedgehog for rough

around here in eastern US the stripped maple, Acer pensylvanicum, is the preferred alternative - good sized leaves on an understory tree so it is easy to reach and get some leaves - a backup leaf is that of sassafras, Sassafras albidium, another understory tree that when used leaves a nice scent

the procedure I use is to dig down into the duff using the back of my heel, dump, wipe usually with toilet paper, take a stick and mix TP into the crap, p**s on the resulting mess to encourage the TP to rot faster, cover up and stick the stick into the pile to mark the place and warn others - burning the TP is not usually recommended due to the often dry nature of the woodlands around here - too much risk of a forest fire

 

[santaman2000]

So do you go with the grain or against?
I've got a large open pinecone on my kitchen window and quite honestly going against the grain with that bad boy...well I'm thinking hygene won't be the number one priority at that moment

There is no grain on a corncob.

 

[santaman2000]

Am getting seriously worried now about going to meets ... pinecones? hedgehogs? corncobs? Hopefully none of these are compulsory ??? May I just stick to dock-leaves, or TP ... please ??? :umbrella:

Most of those were jokes. However corncobs (old ones that had already been sheared of their corn kernels) were once a staple in rural outhouses.

 

[mountainm]

Most of those were jokes. However corncobs (old ones that had already been sheared of their corn kernels) were once a staple in rural outhouses.

there's a lot of very worried hedgehogs wandering around....

 

[esterling]

As for the feminine hygiene issue, I recommend just skipping the disposables and using a Diva cup and/or cotton reusable pads. The pads are easily rinsed out while camping, and can be washed with your favorite biodegradable soap if you are out for a few days and need to clean and reuse before the end of the trip. The cup can be emptied into the same cat hole with other waste and buried.

If you feel squicky about the idea of using non-disposable items for that time of the month, just try it for a full cycle at home before using them on a trip. Most women I know are sold on the convenience and comfort and never go back to the awful plastic stuff.

 

[Whittler Kev]

Bio degradable paper is available these days, it avoids the need to burn ( and also the potential to start a forest fire, as happened with some unfortunate soul last year).

Just saw something on t'box about our sewers - no I don't know why I watched it either.
Anyroad, most biodegradable stuff (including kiddies wet wipey things) are marked biodegradable but they forget to tell you its years not days before they do

 

[santaman2000]

They also forget to tell you that ALL TP is biodegradeable.

 

[Keith_Beef]

There's a bit of serendipity... I had been thinking about this only today, and this evening stumbled upon this thread.

I had been reading some threads over the past few weeks about the use of military gears, especially PLCE yokes and packs, and got to thinking about other military stuff that might be of use to bushcrafters. Then into my head popped something that I think my brother had told me years ago, about tracking enemy soldiers behind out lines. Supposedly, in the same way that you can identify animals from their spoor, it is possible to determine the poop of friendlies from hostiles by the different aspect given by different countries' ration packs.

Now I think that the paras, SAS, or whatever on covert operations behind enemy lines live on high-protein high-calorie biscuits that are formulated to be completely digested and leave as little as possible to be passed out of the body. But was there a time before those were available, when the soldiers would have to take special care to disguise and hide their feces?

Is there anything that we could find out and adapt for bushcrafting? Maybe a small packet of lye, or making some kind of caustic potash from nettle ash to accelerate the breakdown of toilet waste (including paper). Or maybe the little packets of Eparcyl powder that we put into the sceptic tank toilets?

 

[RebeccaHowards1]

Biodegradable paper should be a priority nowadays. We all should take this very seriosly, because in this way we can help the entire environment! :You_Rock_

 

[Womble_Lancs]

"So, when camped along the ocean it is customary to wade out into the surf to go poop and if toilet paper is needed it is taken back with you to burn in the fire."

I'm not sure that bog roll would be much use in the sea, and certainly not burnable afterwards - it'd be too soggy!

 

[Liam Gadd]

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...



Hell no! demonstration not needed thank you, last thing I want is to see there butts on my tele. lol
No seriously I totally agree (it should be discussed), we often get wrapped up in the ''cool things'' of bushcraft, knives, fires, etc.

Hygene is a massive area, that needs alot of study. illness and wilderness = very bad!

 

[Greg]

Wow...4 pages of convo on the subject of pooping ...hilarious

 

[Graham_S]

But was there a time before those were available, when the soldiers would have to take special care to disguise and hide their feces?

As I understand it, the standard practice was to bag it and pack it out.

 

[Ecoman]

Its a serious subject but I've had a good chuckle reading this thread

 

[tombear]

How to **** in the woods is a good read. An ideal toilet book if you will...

It also includes lady-specific information about periods and tampons etc.

Seconded, I'm getting the kids to read it as they become old enough to take in the ideas. I actually went to the trouble of getting a U-Dig-It tool, about two weeks before the UK was flooded with perfectly good copiess which I've got for the sprogs. I keep a disposable lighter in the pouch and fitted a fastex type buckle to it as I don't trust Velcro. I used to keep loo paper that I'd rerolled without the cardboard in a ziplock bag but now buy the tubeless biodegradable stuff when I see it cheap.

I've wrapped a bit of black tape around the handle to mark the optimal depth to dig to.

When not going lightweight / with the family I take one of those See to Summit loo roll water proof bag hanger things to which I've added a big tritium marker and a little innova torch which gives off enough light to do your business by but isn't like a lighthouse. I got the cover in remembrance of blearily toasting damp loo rolls left hanging on branches over early morning fires after sharing the odd quart of Pussers the night before...

http://www.seatosummit.com.au/products-page/outdoor/outhouse-toilet-roll-holder/

I'll get my shovel

Tom

http://www.kathleeninthewoods.net/K...ooks_-_Kathleen_Meyer_Bestselling_Author.html

 

[ozzy1977]

You tube vid on folding bog roll http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9N0nJfidc0

 

[Parbajtor]

My Dad told me that during WW2 he was issued with two sheets of Izal paper. When he complained it wasn't enough, the sergeant told him to use both sides.

I remember seeing a book advertised called "How to s**t in the woods". I'm too lazy to google it, but it might be worth doing if you give a s**t.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the South African Military Issue of one sheet of Izal. Fold the sheet in half and then half again so it's a smaller square. Then fold on the diagonal so that the crease goes through the centre of the paper (when unfolded). Tear that corner off and keep. You should now have a sheet with a small hole in the middle. Poke your finger through the hole and do your "digging around", etc. Using the paper as a cover grasp your finger firmly with your other hand and pull your finger out. It should now be relatively clean. Use the retained corner to clean your fingernail.

 

[DocG]

Great article and fascinating comments section - thanks all.

Hope the following info helps anyone looking for the book mentioned:

"How to **** in the Woods: an environmentally sound approach to a lost art" by Kathleen Meyer. Ten Speed Press, Berkley, California. ISBN 0-89815-627-0.