Toiletpaper in winter

[bambodoggy]

It depends whether it's just for that one occation or whether it's for a longer stay, also how many are in your party and what the ground is made of.

As a general rule of thumb if it's a one off and I'm on my own I try to dig 7" down to ensure it is burried and stays that way, much shallower and you risk animals digging it up and flies landing on it that may then come and land on your food and much deeper and you are below the level where most natural enzymes that break down the stool live.
With a group of people I might double or even triple that depth and then ensure each users puts a handful or two of soil back in the hole to cover their.......offering which helps to reduce any nasty niffs

Hope that helps,

Bam.

 

[BMFHL]

"I came across a brown smeared £20 note on a hike once"

Must have been some millionaire bank managers out in the woods a few days before.

 

[bushtank]

the best way i find to do the clean up is to drag your rear across some moss like a dog with worms lol . like the song goes
what should you do if you want to have a poo in an english country garden.
you pull down your pants and you fertilize the ants in an english country garden.
you pick up a leaf and you wipe your underneath in an english country garden.
you pick up a spade and you bury what you made in an english country garden.
i do take klennex really

 

[billycan]

Matt,

adding to what Bam said, usually if your digging a group dunny you should dig it down to where the soil changes significantly i.e a pure soil layer without humus etc. This depends on the soil type and location, but sometimes it will only be a foot under the surface. If you dig below this layer you are going beyond the zone that contains the natural bacteria which will help break down the faeces.

In many books they say dig down 2 or 3 feet in all situations but this is not correct.

 

[Floyd Soul]

I've never thought twice about it really. Just dig a hole and your off!

This may be of some help to some folks however

 

[billycan]

Got it! quite useful, avialble cheaply from amazon

 

[pierre girard]

When going to toilet in the woods in the summer time you can always use leaves or moss. But in winter time the leaves has fallen off and the moss is buried under snow.
This weeking I walked on a trail near my parents home. The 2nd day I had to go, but I had forgot to bring toiletpaper. But I remember reading about making snowballs to use as toiletpaper in a book by Lars Fält. Better to use snowballs then not wiping my bottom at all I thought. So after making a couple of snowballs I did what i had to do and after I sued the snowballs to wipe my bottom. Surprisingly it worked great!!!

The snowballs works best when are shaped as a drop.

Works well enough down to about 0 degrees F. Can be a survival issue if it is colder.

 

[torjusg]

Works well enough down to about 0 degrees F. Can be a survival issue if it is colder.

May I ask what your ancestors used in winter? Would be intresting to know, it is rarely covered by ethnography.