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Monday, April 6, 2009

How to Poop in the Woods

Relieving myself is my absolute least favorite part of camping. As a female, I can tell you how jealous I am of a male's ability to pee at the drop of a zipper with no issues about privacy, cleanliness, or - most of all - toilet paper. But the infamous outdoor poop effects us all equally.

So today I'll tackle the task of making the outdoors just a little more approachable by bringing you a tutorial of how to poop in the woods.

METHOD 1: THE OUTHOUSE

Many backcountry campsites have outhouses. While these facilities are usually not pleasant, they are the best place for both your number 1's and number 2's. They are built to contain the refuse and therefore protect the surrounding environment (especially bodies of water) from pollution. Other than being a great leave no trace option, they also usually provide privacy and sometimes even toilet paper. The main drawback is the gnarly smell and dirty interior (although I'll admit I've used some fabulous outhouses).

My outhouse tip is to streamline the process of getting in and out - prep your toilet paper (TP) in advance (no fumbling for me!) and don't bother closing the door. While it's not exactly awesome etiquette to do your business with the door open, the outhouse is not the most popular hangout and I haven't been caught yet.

Make sure to use an outhouse whenever it's available.

METHOD 2: BURIAL

Of course, outhouses are not always available. And occasionally they are so incredibly disgusting that they cannot be used. I've only come across an unusable outhouse once but - ugh, I don't even want to think about it.

When traveling in a wooded area burial 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 aren't pooping all over the forest. While it is considered acceptable by leave no trace campers, it isn't as good as using an outhouse or packing out your waste (for serious. We'll talk about that later).
A) Choose a Location
Select a site that is 200 feet away from a water source, trail, or campsite. No one wants to see you poop, step in your poop, or contract a waterborne disease from your poop.
B) Dig a Hole
Use a trowel, stick, or rock to dig a cat-hole 6-8 inches deep. This depth is generally considered to promote proper decomposition (go deeper and you'll bypass the most active part of the soil) while keeping your feces out of the reach of animals and other nature enthusiasts.
If you miss the hole while doing your business use a stick (not the trowel that going to go back in your pack) to poke your log into the cat-hole. Of course, if the trowel is going to be stored in your hiking buddy's pack then it is perfectly acceptable to touch the poop with the trowel. Just kidding.
Once you've done your business and made sure everything has hit the target use a stick to knock a little dirt onto the poop and mix it around a bit. This expedites the composting process. Then cover the hole with dirt and you are good to go.
C) Assume the Position

There are several pooping positions for you to try. BUT, there is only ONE position for your pants. In order to poop (or pee, ladies) without worrying about getting any business on your shorts roll your pants and undies down to you knees (that's knees, not ankles). Then, for extra credit, roll your pant legs up to your knees as well. At this point it is pretty much impossible to get turd on your trousers! (Note: this position is also perfect for squat toilets on your adventures abroad.)
There are all sorts of positions that people like to employ when they take a poop in the woods. From simple to elaborate, some common options are:
i) Simple Squat
This position is simple but takes a little balance. Put one foot on either side of your cat-hole. Squat down so that your feet are flat on the ground and your bum is down near your heels. You can hang on to you knees for support.
ii) Hold a Tree
Very similar to the simple squat position but with a little added support. Find a small but sturdy tree (let's say 4-5 inches in diameter). Assume the squat position facing the tree and holding the trunk for support.
iii) Sitting on a log
Find a sturdy log laying on the ground. Sit on the log and scootch your butt back until it hangs well over the side of the log. Do your business as if you are sitting on a toilet. Luxurious but sometimes a little more exposed that you'd like to be.
iv) Back to Tree
Brace your back up against a tree with knees and hips at a 90 degree angel. Take your poop into a cat-hole waiting at the bottom of the tree. This one seems risky to me but many people swear by it.
D) Wiping Clean
There are three main ways to clean up after doing your business.
i) The natural method: use leaves, pine cones (go WITH the grain), a rock, stick, 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.*
ii) Packed out TP: use toilet paper and pack it out with you. You can store your used TP in a Ziploc baggie. To disguise the unappealing site of used toilet paper you can cover the baggie in duct tape or even put a brown paper bag inside the Ziploc. This is a great leave no trace method, but a little intense for some beginners.
iii) 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 a modest amount of organic, unscented, biodegradable toilet paper, toss it in the cat-hole, pee on it, and bury it. Peeing on your toilet paper is recommended because it compacts it down and reduces the chances it will resurface later. Rather than pee on it you could also pour a little water from your canteen (I hear you ladies).
After you've finished with your cat-hole its a great idea to clean up with some hand sanitizer.
METHOD 3: PACK IT OUT, OR, THE POOP BURRITO
I spend most of my time camping and hiking in the temperate rain forests of BC and Washington. Here the ground is wet, fertile, and teaming with lovely things like earthworms and bugs and microbes that will make quick work of composting your doo-doo. However, 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.
The first backcountry camping trip I ever did was a canoe trip to Black Canyon with Aztec Adventures while I attended San Diego State University. The trip was fabulous, one of my all time favorites, and creates a lot of lasting memories. One thing that I will NEVER forget from this trip is the phrase "poop burrito."
Allow me to explain. Before each Aztec Adventure trip, participants attend a planning meeting. At these meetings the group leaders set expectations, go over packing lists, distribute gear, etc. However, because this trip takes place in the desert and is home the the completely unusable outhouse I mentioned earlier, they also included a fairly graphic demonstration of what they've dubbed the poop burrito.
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 the Aztec Adventure trip (12 people, 5 days) we used a 5 gallon bucket with a solid screw on lid and double lined the bucket with garbage bags. The bucket was bright orange so that we didn't accidentally mix it up with other buckets. Bulk was not an issue since we were traveling by canoe.
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 Tupperware with a snap on lid and clearly mark it so that it doesn't accidentally end up in the kitchen later. If you can't 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?

*Update: I did a post dedicated to using nature as TP specifically.  Check that out here for more info. 

66 comments:

  1. This is hilarious. Especially the diagram of the options.

    I love that it's so thoroughly researched and covered- nice journalism!

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  2. Thanks! Maybe it's just me, but i think this is an important barrier to camping for some people.

    Just trying to help more people expereince the outdoors!

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  3. I've heard of PVC pipe being used as a poop container in snow trips. You can get ends that screw on, it's easier to pack that a bucket or box, you don't want that thing cracking open while you scramble over rocks on the last day :)

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  4. I guess that going to toilet is an important barrier to hiking for many of us. The technical side is not the biggest issue to me. I do not like the risk that anyone shows up when I am sitting there squatting with my bottom uncovered. (Even though I know that everyone of my fellow hikers also do it!) I have been unlucky a couple of times and felt very embarrassed about it. Therefore it is fine that someone writes about it from time to time reminding us that it is a normal thing....

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  5. @Linda - girl, that sucks! I've been fortunate enough not to have been caught. My suggestion would definitely be to assign a lookout! I'm also a big fan of doing the business after dark. TMI? Ok, like this whole post isn't too much information!

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  7. This being a guided trip, you probably didn't realize that someone had to go back and flush your poo. Use a gelling agent like kitty litter or a blue bag if you're going to throw your poo in the dumpster folks (and I would recommend this over sitting by the toilet and waiting to flush your poos of indeterminate age one by one. I imagine this is very smelly).

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    1. Actually in this case the whole garbage bag of burritos was just tossed the dumpster afterwards.

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    2. Which is grossly irresponsible. That's why even disposable baby diapers say to flush the poo before tossing the dipe in the trash.

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    3. I thought im the only guy who is stuck now to poop

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  8. These are great tips. The whole concept of packing it out/poop burrito is a little gross to say the least. I haven't done any extended hikes, but have pooped in the woods during day hikes a few times. I would imagine it can be embarrassing when you have to store your poop somehow and bring it with you (even just storing used toilet paper would be gross). But I guess everyone has to go poop sometime or other. However, I would think that constipation might become an issue with some people if they tend to hold it in instead of going when nature calls. I don't know; if I had to pack it out I would probably hold it in instead!

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  9. Good info, This articles was perfect to try and explain (to my not so outdoors liking wife) on how to tackle this part of back packing trip.
    Thank you

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  10. Great post! Two tips:
    * Toilet paper degrades slower than poo (especially in alpine areas) - When burying your poop, set your used TP on fire. Use a stick to stir around to make sure it burns well. Don't attempt if high forest fire risk.

    * Poop container (not tried yet): Wide mouth Nalgene bottle. Put poop (closed burrito, or in [flushable] doggie bags) in the bottle. Duckt tape the outside to "hide" contents and avoid thinking it's your water bottle.

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  11. Just pop a squat HELLO PEOPLE its nature you think the local bear in the woods Carries his poop around the forest in neatly double wrapped "poop burritos" and if other hikers do not want to see a random pile of poo in the woods THEY SHOULD NOT HAVE COME HIKING. . .that is all

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    1. Amen to that, I don't think I would spend all that time prepping just to go poop.

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  12. Animals do bury their poop, and they also know not to do their business near water sources. Humans aren't so savy. Nor is a pile of human poop with toilet paper scattered about a natural occurence. Nor is it decent to leave your poo around for others to find. A great page, this is.

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  13. Great article on a delicate subject! It can be a horrifying thing for some city folk to think about, and although I don't think it is as big of a deal as some people make it out to be about the whole burying it so deep, etc, etc... neither do we need to get careless with it.

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  14. I disagree on Method 1 (as I maintain some natural composting outhouses as part of my volunteering: Do not do No. 1 in the outhouse - No. 1 is determental to the composting of No. 2... Go No. 1 somwhere in the woods and the visit the outhouse for No. 2 only...

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  16. I do have a cannon—I’ve had it for 22 years—and it’s full of the very tips mentioned by CB. I’m the author of the international bestselling outdoor guide “How to Shit in the Woods: An Environmentally Sound Approach to a Lost Art.” The feisty, jam-packed 3rd edition was recently released.
    I’ve responded here for two reasons: first, because I was stunned that CB did not reference the origins of about 95% of her blog knowledge (then again, maybe she got it from one of the other 63,000-ish results when you Google my title) and, second, because she deserves kudos for broaching the subject at all. Pooping in the backcountry IS a touchy topic, and it’s a serious problem, particularly in areas of high-use and fragile ecosystems. As outdoor folks, we are now often encouraged to haul home our poop, or the whole business, with increasing frequency, is shifting to mandatory. The practice of packing-it-out began with river runners in the Grand Canyon in the early 1970s. But nowadays, it’s readily employed by hikers, rock climbers, sea kayakers, horse packers, and mountaineers. Many viable containers are on the market to assist both group and solo sojourners with responsible disposal. Some products are throw-away, others washable/reusable. Keep in mind that plastic bags cannot be tossed into vault or home toilets, and deposits of raw fecal matter are not welcome in our regular garbage and landfills.
    For lots more of the “real and responsible poop” come visiting at www.Kathleeninthewoods.net where you can find helpful links and also jump onto my blog “Shooting the Shit.”

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  17. As I dream about and research a future AT hike, this is the only article I have come across on the subject of waste in the woods. EVERY book I've read has, at best, made only vague references to the process and no packing list even mentions an optional trowel or pack-out bag. Thank for the refreshingly blut, practical, and thorough advice! This demystifies a potentially daunting subject.

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  18. Very good. The only caution that might be mentioned is using the local flora to scrub your butt may be a little risky. Don't ask me how I know that.

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  19. Awesome article. I'm just about to go camping for a week in a remote coastal area. Prepared for everything but hadn't thought about pooping.

    But then again, no one else in our party of 4 has brought it up ... I guess i get that honor. ;)

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  20. Packing out poop is ridiculous. We are animals. Bears poop in the woods. Some eco-terrorist thought of this idea no doubt! Leave your poop in the woods. It is organic and will decompose just like the bear poop! Rodent poop is more dangerous than human poop as when dry can carry the Hanta virus. We are all exposed to coliform bacteria everyday from all the people we are around who don't wash their hands and now you are saying we can't leave it in the woods! ROFL! Don't leave it near water-sources is important even though no one (sane) drinks unfiltered water on a hike).

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    1. Oh, I'm not suggesting that you need to pack it out during a hike in the woods, but it's a good practice in other areas such as the dessert.

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    2. Man has been pooping in the deserts, the mountains, in the jungles for thousands of years, using leaves, bark, moss, rocks, socks, underwear, and yes even his fingers. I can garrantee he never pack it out or stirred it or worried about peeing or not on it, good grief - next well have greenies worried about passing gas on the trail. Man, just like any other animal has not killed anyone with a misplaced pile....

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    3. Definitely kills the splendor of being somewhere amazing when you come across TP and shit next to the trail.

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    4. Actually in a lot of parks it's required and the rangers actually issue bags intended for your solid waste. Not something anyone likes to deal with, but a reality of camping in some areas.

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  21. So far, E. coli outbreak stumps health officials - see:
    http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/national_world/2012/06/09/so-far-e--coli-outbreak-stumps-health-officials.html

    Most likely cause - People creating "poop burritos" and bringing them back home!

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  22. Thanks so much, I'm putting a link to this post on my blog http://homelessgal.blog.com/ (Homeless and Female) to share on my How to Shit in the Woods post, very well described indeed. Thank you.

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  23. i think it could be extremly disgusting if u suffer from diarrhoea or slimy poo....thats definitly a barrier for me

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  24. this article is immense lol

    always take Liquorice with you, helps bung you up which makes it less messy ;)

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  25. nothing i didnt already know but i did enjoy the diagrams. shoooo cute!

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  26. thanks for being so specific. I've looked up this subject many times online, and until yours they've always just talked about digging a cat hole, going 200 feet away and pack it out Etc, withondut ever actually discussing the dropping of pants and choosing a position. . Thank you for covering everything necessary to poop in the woods.

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  27. Being an avid hiker for several years I am quite used to hide behind a bush when nature calls. I think that this post deals with the issue in a sensible way. As Linda writes above the technical side of it is easy to master. The privacy issue is more difficult to handle. Not nice to sit there with white skin flashing when your friends come by. But I think most experienced hikers can survive such an experience. Besides i guess that after some years of outdoor activities all of us have experienced some such embarrassing moments.

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  28. That illustration is priceless... and anyone who needs it should not be in the woods ;)

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  30. Squatting behind a bush also used to be my least favourite part of outdoor life when I was younger. Even when hiking alone I felt pooping outdoor extremely embarrassing for a decent woman. Now at an age of 64 I am much more relaxed about it. In one or another way I nos realt appreciate that my body functions normally. It is a daily sign of no disease I feel. Taking the roll of tp and walking away to find a secluded spot is really no problem. I may even enjoy squatting there feeling the relief. Worrying about anyone coming by? Not really. It has happened and for sure a bit embarrassing just there and then. But I guess that most hikers are well aware of the challenge.

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    1. I got rid of my shyness and fear of pooping in the wild some years back. We were staying for several days at a popular site for climbers to camp and train. No toilet around and one hour to drive to the nearest village the only realistic option was to go to toilet in the nature. People were peeing just behind their tents or cars. But it seemed like most of us went down a slope to an area with dense woods when in need of taking a dump. Everybody certainly tried to keep it as private as possible. But sometimes we could be around 50 climbers out there. Then privacy was not easy to achieve, especially in the morning! I think it was kind of a taboo. Everyone did it. Everybody knew that all others also did it. But it was never made an issue for conversation. I think we all felt that it really was nothing to talk about and just accepted that the possibility to be spotted by others or to observe a white bum among the trees was part of the daily life out there.

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    2. Just my experience too! Not from climbing, but from van life. We were a bit unprepared for the situation. I think we had an idea that toilets should be available everywhere! But after a few days both my wife and I were well acquainted with going in the wilderness. We soon discovered that we were not the only ones having such needs.

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    3. For sure you are not the only ones! Just now staying with my van at a popular site in Norway. Every morning, typically between 6am and 8am, you can see several "lonely walkers" lurking into the terrain, obviously searching solitude by keeping distance to others. Some (but really quite few) are carrying their trowel and tp visible for others to see, leaving no doubt about their task out there.

      Most of us tries to be less explicit, hiding the equipment in our pockets. But in realty we are just cheating ourselves. Everybody knows, if they care about it, what that young, sporty man walking alone away from the van at 7am is going to do. Even the decent senior woman leaving her husband for a stroll at 6:30am has no other purpose. If in doubt or extremely curious, only minutes later you are able to spot them squatting behind a boulder, shorts at the knees, exposing their white bums to Mother Nature. When I go away I prefer to imagine that the nice young woman who spotted me on my way out this morning did not have a clue about what this grey haired man was going to do. But being realistic, she most probably understood it all, and perhaps thought, oh, well, now that area is occupied for some minutes.

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    4. This summer I joined a group of vintage van camper owners for a vacation trip to Scandinavia. We had decided to practice camping with equipment and clothing as used in the 1960s and 70s. Sometimes we stayed over night at designated camping sites, but very often we just parked our vans somewhere in the woods and mountains ("boondocking"). Then we also had to practice peeing and pooping in the wild, just as campers did fifty or sixty years back in time. It was the first time pooping outside for me.

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  31. It has to be compact and lightweight, of course, with good optical quality. Some of us need long eye relief to accommodate our eyeglasses. camping tents for sale

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  32. I am also among those who had to "learn" how to go to toilet in the outdoors, and lot least that it was a natural as well as necessary competence to have when staying outdoor for more than just short day trips. The technical side no problem, and mostly not even the privacy challenge. As written above, every hiker probably knows all about it so why bother if anyone should get a glimpse of bare bottom between the branches?

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    1. I agree! I also think that the attitudes towards outdoor pooping have improved considerably last few years. Where I live there are lots of hikers and boondockers camping in the wilderness. Quite often when jogging in the woods in the morning I spot someone taking care of business in the bushes. No toilets around, and when nature demands that is their only option. Less than ten years ago there were piles of poop and amounts of stained toilet paper behind every stone or dense bush at the most popular sites for pitching a tent or parking a van. But now the terrain is quite pristine, even though the number of campers has increased considerably. The focus on LNT practice seems to have had great effect. Still the privacy issue exists. Young sporty men and mature grannies, the challenge is equal and I have seem them all. No door to lock, you just have to accept the risk to be seen squatting with trousers at the knees. But as stated above I also think that most of us out there do not bother. It is a part of the game as a hiker or boondocker.

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    2. I think that is correct related to hikers, campers and other outdoor enthusiasts. But an ordinary tourist does usually not carry a shovel, nor even toilet paper. I live close to an archaeological site, visited by thousands of tourists every summer. There is no public toilet here. Some are coming by busses and they mostly nowadays have toilets onboard. But quite many come by hired cars or bikes. The first they do when arriving, often is searching for a toilet. Many of them have waited for an hour or two hoping to find facilities when arriving here. The only realistic solution is to try to find shelter behind a bush. Poor people! I do not know how many desperate persons I have seen rushing into the terrain or squatting exposing their white bum to the nature. For sure as mentioned above, age and sex no difference. But I think tourists feel it much worse than hikers who are used to going outdoor. I guess that the tourists feel both humiliated and embarrassed when the only option they have is to pee and poop onto the ground.

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    3. Well, going to toilet outdoor isn't that bad! I have just returned home after a surfing holiday travelling around in a van for almost 8 weeks. We soon got used to peeing behind the car and pooping in the shrubs. Seemed like everyone else also did. Every day, especially in the morning, I saw others heading for the shrubs with a roll of toilet paper in the hands. Every now and then it was also possible to spot others out there trying to cover up their white, shining bum when squatting behind a bush. Nobody ever spoke about it. No need for that because it was so obvious that everybody had to do it the primitive way. I think even those having a toilet in the van often went to the bushes, to avoid filling up the toilet tank. Really nothing to be ashamed of. My girl friend calls squatting to take a dump "the great equalizer" because everyone has to do it. Man or woman, young or old, no difference. Out there often there is no other option than pulling trousers down and squat and let go. It should not be embarrassing to practice one of our most natural activities the "natural way"? If caught just there and then, a smile an the simple word "excuse" from both involved makes up for the possible embarrassment.

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  33. What do u do if u don't have a outhouse, shovel, or poop poll. Plz help time sensitive.

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    1. 1. Find a huge stone or a bush in decent distance from the camp site, trail and water to hide behind.
      2. Remember to pull shorts enough down to get a path for free fall of the waste. Perhaps easy to forget when stressed?
      3. Squat.
      4. Widen the butt crack with your hands, reduces the need for wiping. (If troubled from imaging what you look like in that position, visualize one of your friends. He/she for sure looks like you.)
      5. "Open up" and pray that nobody comes by, which luckily very seldom happens.
      6. Wipe with a smooth stone, leaves or like.
      7. Cover up what you have left on the ground.
      8. Afterwards, nothing to be ashamed of.
      9. Being a bit observant you may see others walking into the woods alone, especially in the morning. Do you think they are looking for flowers? Nope.
      10. In some groups it turns out to be an issue for conversation, but still in many groups often not talked about at all. Though not mentioned, everybody has to do it. The tough male climber, the pretty female surfer, the mature hiking couple, students, university teachers, nurse, doctors, just like you and me (a lawyer by the way). Even decent mothers in law (yes, I can tell). Remember, men also have to expose the white bum to the nature when pooping (the great equalizer out there).
      11. Do never put it off till later. You only risk severe constipation. When I started hiking, that happened to me. I married into an outdoorsy familiy. In the begnning I hated hiking with them. But once I spotted my mother in law, well, nothing more to be told here. Then I just decided that if she can, I can.
      12. If hesitating, try to visualize one of the others in the group and think: if he/she can, then I also can.
      13. But still acknowledge the need for privacy. It is not nice to be caught, even for "pros". I know from own experience.
      14. Then, read and learn details from the original posting here. "Be prepared" as scouts say. Also valid for this situation.

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    2. Hilarious list of advice. I can support them all! #12 is a nice way to normalize it. When hiking as a girl scout I hated to take a dump in the woods. Nobody talked about it and I often had a feeling that I was the only one with such needs. Even among the girls we did not mention pooping, only peeing. We often went peeing together, but always we went away alone when to take a dump. As for the boys. We often spotted them peeing just at the trail, but squatting? Nope.

      As a quite regular morning pooper, I found it convenient to try to do my business in the early morning, just before the rest of the group stood up. Putting tp in the pocket, sneaking away, down a slope, at the back of a hill, behind a dense bush or a huge stone. Looking carefully around to be sure that nobody else was there. Then shorts down, squatting and opening up. This was in the 1960s (I am almost 70 now), nobody had heard of LNT. The big things were left there on the ground, the paper put inbetween stones or roots. Then walking back knowing that it was over for this time too, and hoping to meet no others before back at the tents.

      Then once, I accidentally observed one of our leaders when squatting to poop in the bushes. I immediately found the situation comic as well as a bit embarrassing. Luckily he did not spot be before I managed to get away. Every now and then I still recall the image of a decent and humble mature man, trousers at his knees, bending forward when wiping his bottom. If I the last 55 years have had to struggle with the courage to leave the group to take care of my business, this obviously was a landmark event to look back at. Even brave and decent men must perform this somewhat humiliating procedure.

      And for the boys among you, girls do not always only pee when squatting. Yes, we have all the same needs. As an adult I used to be a scout leader for many years. Then I discovered that many of the leaders systematically went to take care of this task early in the morning, to avoid being spotted by the youths, honor be them for it. But it in a way disguise our common human needs. When I together with to other mature women was a leader for a group of cubs, we struggled to get the kids to understand that sometimes they just would have to poop outdoor. We decided that we as leaders should be open about our own needs, for example saying oh, you have to excuse me for some minutes. I have to take the toilet paper and go to find a place where I can go to toilet. It seemed to function as intended. Only once I can remember that it was misunderstood. With a group of young teenagers I said just like that and went away. Then one of them came around as I was squatting. I think he was more surprised than me! He had toilet paper in his hand and anxiously said that he was looking for the toilets. I tried to smile and said like, eh, uh, yes, but this spot is just now occupied. I expected him to go away, but politely he turned away and stood waiting for me to finish! I so did and when leaving I said, perhaps not exactly with a smile, that now it is your turn. When back at the camp I told one of the other leaders of the incident. She said, oh gosh, he asked me about the toilets! I gave him some paper and pointed the direction and told him to go behind a stone and squat and get it done. It was so it had to be at this hike, she had told him! On background of this order, I found his peculiar behavior not bad at all, just what to expect from a clumsy young pal. What he thought of the incident, I don't know. At least he got a live demonstration of how adults as well as kids have to deal with the issue.

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    3. I think I was the teenager in your story. In any case, something very similar happened to me. It couldn't be helped, as it was just after dinner and we had both had a lot to eat. I was new to the outdoors and I was very startled when I saw you. I didn't know the procedure at all - should I leave, turn around or squat down next to her? I apologize again for any embarrassment I may have caused. But to be honest, my main thought as I was turned around, waiting for you to be done, was "I hope she finishes quickly, I'm absolutely bursting!"

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    4. I also had a quite similar experience when I was a teenager. The whole family, including my grandparents, was out in the woods for a day trip to pick berries. After lunch I had to take a dump and I asked my mom if she knew about any toilets around. She didn't, and gave me some paper napkins from the lunch basket and pointed at a bushy area and suggested that I could run over there and get it done. When turning behind the bushes I got a surprise. There was my granddad squatting just about to wipe after he had left a huge load. Luckily he did not observe me and I succeeded in getting away unseen and went in another direction to take care of mu business. I have never told neither him or my mom about the incident.

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    5. Very true point about the importance of group leaders announcing their needs, so that the topic is introduced for any new campers who might be embarrassed to ask about it. I have a friend and hiking partner who would usually excuse herself for trips to the bushes by saying, "I'm going to go and lose some weight!"

      Lose some weight... Honestly the light, empty feeling after defecating a lot is really wonderful. And I think that squatting in nature is better for the digestion, and helps the body to empty itself out more fully, versus sitting on a porcelain throne. Maybe it's just female vanity, but after a good poo, I always pat my stomach to see that it's a bit flatter than before.

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    6. Nice description from Anna! I also enjoy the light, empty feeling after defecation, not least when getting really emptied as I often feel it when I have done it i squat position. I am an eager hiker, thus often in need of pooping outside.

      When I was younger this was among the least favorite moments of outdoor life. But now it don't bother me anymore. When urge appears I take the roll of toilet paper and find some shelter in the bushes or among the rocks or behind a small hill. Privacy issues? Not really. Mostly nobody comes by. If it occasionally occurs, the person coming mostly disappears in a hurry. I guess the sight of a retired female, strict teacher's bare bottom and white thighs, probably scares most people!

      Luckily my hips and knees still allow me to squat. When in addition my bowels work, I take comfort in the fact that these are good signs that life is not over yet.

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    7. Advice #12 above is a powerful one. As a girl scout I often experienced constipation when hiking. I asked our family doctor, a scout leader herself, for advice. She said that when she was hiking and hesitated to go, she convinced herself to do it and never postpone it by thinking actively on another hiker (often a man!) squatting with bare thighs and bottom. It appears childish and comic, but it is so it must be done by any healthy hiker, she said. I tried to use this mental technique, but it was very difficult to imagine others squatting with a bare bum out there. But at one certain occasion I happened to spot one of the boys as well as one of the male leaders squatting. Afterwards I have been thinking of them. Last summer I went for a long distance hike at GR20. Then I spend many distances walking with a man, much older than me. In that situation I found it difficult to go to toilet in the bushes, telling him that I had to and so on. He was a very serious and decent type, not easy for me to imagine him squatting with trousers down. But one day I accidentally walked straight in on him. Oh sorry, he said with an embarrassing smile and afterwards he excused that I had seen things that I should have been spared. We all do, don't we I answered and we both smiled. After that incident I have had no problems with this. He became my "pooping model". The cultural norms have to be challenged. Imagining normal, but still "forbidden", situations may help. But, I flush when I think that some of my friends may use me as their pooping model!! I wonder how many out there who use this type of techniques?

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  34. Thanks for sharing nice information about poop garbage bag with us. i glad to read this post.

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  35. The stories in the comment section had me laughing! I think that anyone who has spent time in the outdoors has had a similar experience. If anyone wants to exchange more funny stories about going to the toilet outdoors, they can contact me at annapenn34@yahoo.com.

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    1. Yes, for sure. I also think that anyone used to hiking and other activities in the wilderness has lots of stories to tell. Some about being caught squatting with shorts at the knees. (I flush when trying to remember some of my own accidents, for example when I pulled down and squatted without spotting the husband of my sister standing peeing on the other side of the bush.) Others about walking in on another hiker exposing his/her bare bottom to the ground. (I also flush by some of them, for example when walking in on the father of my best friend when he is wiping after placing a brown cable behind a stone.) Some on tactics to cope without toilet paper (using type maple leaves), and others related to bugs attacking the vulnerable skin down there (just three minutes in the bushes of northern Lapland was enough to leave me with over 40 itching mosquito bites on my buttocks and thighs). Shit happens, as my grandfather sarcastically commented when I came by just as he was squatting with naked thighs and a roll of toilet paper in his hands when our familiy was out picking berries last weekend. Well, shit has to happen when staying outdoor for some time. Really nothing to be ashamed of or embarrassed about. Grandparents do it, adults do it, children do it. Nobody likes to be observed in that situation, but why bother?

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  36. When I became eager with outdoor life back in the early 1970s I think going to toilet outside was an even more private issue than today. I started out as a girl scout and I still remember how anxious I was about pooping outdoor when hiking. For those short trips for one or two nights, I tried to put off the urge as best I could. But for hikes lasting longer that was not possible. I soon experienced that at one point of time it just HAD to be done. The first few times I had no clue how the challenge was approached by the others. Nobody mentioned it, nor it was discussed in any way.

    I put some paper in my pocket and walked away, far away from the others, behind a stone or some dense bushes, shorts down, squat and get it done. I was lucky, nobody spotted me. But after a while I occasionally noticed used paper an even piles of poop behind those stones and bushes. No doubt that at least some others did just like me.

    One particular incident I still remember. It was early morning, just at sunrise. I had walked well into the woods. But just when squatting I heard someone coming. It was one of my leaders. I crouched down so that he should not spot me, which I obviously also succeeded with. Just 20-30 meters away from me he stopped, looking carefully around before pulled shorts down and squatted. No doubt what he was doing. I still remember feeling a combination of embarrassment, disobedience and excitement when becoming an involuntarily observer to the toilet visit of this poor guy. He finished without spotting me. But at least I had learnt that even the leaders had to do it just as myself.

    As years have passed, the embarrassment in such situations has (almost) disappeared. But still I feel it belongs to the private sphere. For example, not so easy to tackle when my 5 year old grandson just appears when I am squatting and asks "are you pooping, gandma?" Not to mention when he explains for the rest of the family that he saw grandma pooing in the woods!!

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    1. From another grandmother here. I have also become more relaxed about this issue as years have passed. I am now over 70, but still quite active with outdoor life. I don't bother any more if someone accidentally should spot my white bum and thighs among the bushes. But I don't like anyone actually spying at me in that situation, which I, by the way, experienced last summer for the first time in my life. Camping together with a good friend up in the mountains, we both one morning experienced a young man (boy?) actually positioning himself in the terrain so that he could get a view of us when we tried to hide to take care of our needs. Afterwards we have both managed to laugh at it, wondering what joy a young man could get from seeing to older women going to toilet.

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  37. Once I experienced such a situation too. One morning camping up in the mountains I had found a suitable spot between some big boulders where I could squat and relieve myself. When about to finish, I discovered the head of a teenager boy just above another stone. No doubt that he saw me, and when he realized that I spotted him he immediately ducked behind the stone. I got furious and went over there to yell at him. When I got there I immediately understood that there was no reason for me to get upset. Poor boy. He was crouching, toilet paper in his hands, shorts at the knees, trying to hide as well as possible.

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