by silent stereo
Making the transition from car camping to wilderness camping and backpacking leaves the question about bathrooms… Believe it or not you are going to have to go in the woods, you are going to have to dig a hole and bury it and maybe even pack it out… Let’s dive umm.. head first into this semi-taboo subject.
Most privies are gross. We all hate using them but when they are available please use them… They place them in areas of high traffic to keep the area clean, if they are used it works!
Urinating in the woods is pretty self explanatory. You just need to pick a spot at least 200 feet from any trail, camp, or body of water such as lakes and streams. Women have it a bit harder than the guys here. Avoiding pee in the boots can be a challenge. but practice makes perfect. I hear the shower is a great place to practice.
Defecating has a little more art to it, where to lean, how to prop… First you should have a bathroom kit packed with wiping material (I like paper towels and wet ones), hand sanitizer, all packed in a heavy-duty zip-lock bag with some extras thrown in. Some like to bring along a trowel. They make small and light trowels just for this purpose. A stick or flat rock will do the trick, but require a little more effort.
The five steps to sh*t in the woods
- Dig a hole about 8 inches deep and 8 inches wide (“cat-hole”) 200-300 feet from any trail, camp, or water source. Pick somewhere with a view, it could be the nicest bathroom you ever use.
- Squat over your hole, there are many squat methods so choose wisely (see below).
- Hope your aim is good, if not make sure to move your waste to into the hole.
- Wipe and bag in one of your extra baggies. Even though paper biodegrades it is still uncool to bury.
- Cover your waste with dirt and place a rock or downed log atop to keep curious animals out and SANITIZE your hands for gods sake!
Note: if you are above the tree line and/or there is no good place to bury pack out that poop! Extra zip-locks are handy…
It’s as easy as that! For more info on the art of pooping in the woods check out “How to Shit in the Woods” by Kathleen Meyer
Methods for Pooping in the Woods
By somedude
The Full Squat. Surprisingly easy. Discovered by girls (and Asians) long ago; shunned by the white man. No stamina required in the legs because you’re already all the way down. Actually leaves plenty of clearance between droppings and dropped pants. May require (minimal) practice to maintain balance.
The Half Squat. A futile farce to keep far from feces. Makes the quads burn. Takes ripped quads to maintain. Maybe degrades gracefully into the Full Squat. Maybe.
The Overbite. Mental comfort of being in a familiar physical position. Must invest time searching for that perfect log or rock (preferably with a view). Risk of tumbling backward if improperly sized object used.
The Middleman. Similar to the Overbite. Eliminates risk of falling over backward, but must find two objects adequately spaced. A well balanced option, though butt-cheek contact with foriegn surfaces appears necessary.
Lean Cuisine. A nice compromise between the Overbite and Middleman. Uses the cheek-lean technique on a single object, eliminating both tumble risk and two-object requirement. May be slightly more difficult to maintain over long periods than the parent methods.
The Whomping Willow. Similar to the Half Squat, but offloads the legs with some additional support. Must find a a tree with appropriately low and flexible branches. Risk of falling into the pile if the branch lacks adequate strength. If you’ve found the right tree, there should already be a hole for you.
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No kidding I had decided today to write a post about this. Great info that more and more people need to hear!
I actually have that book and have read it. Pretty funny stuff. As for women going #1 there’s the Go-Girl. Solves the whole dilemma of it getting in the boots. The wife has one and loves it.
yep, it looks like Go-Girl solves the pee in the boot problem if you don’t mind packing it… what will they think of next?
As a wildlifer I’ve had to learn to be able to use the bathroom in the woods. And as a female I’ve also learned how to change clothes discreetly between truck doors! You have to get over any bashfulness and you’ll be just fine. I do the full squat for #1 and 2. I’ve never peed on my boots or lost my balance!
Changing discreetly is a great skill to have… I like to find a remote corner of the trail head and just move quick, if someone happens to see me oh well…
I agree with Christine. It is mostly quite uncomplicated. Even when together with many others it is possible to find privacy by adding 100-200 feet extra on the way into the bushes. Occasionally one may see others or others may spot you, but well, after all it is a normal thing for everyone.
very true… thanks for stopping by.
Great article however, I think that an additional, and imho, the best way to negotiate this task, is the Pole method. Seriously I have done a lot of pooping in the woods and this is the best. It is similar to the whomping willow except that you face a sturdy sapling or small tree. A tree that you can easily hold with one hand and will support your full weight without the worry of it collapsing. If you need a view, well just look around the tree. You hang on with two hands while you operate your self, then hold with one hand while you wipe. Honestly the best method and was surprised to not see it here.
Cheers! and happy pooping.
Rob
Sounds like a wonderful method… I’ll have to give the pole method a shot next time I am out…
I really only know about camping in florida wilderness and maybe that’s why all the instruction on digging a hole and packing out little plastic bags of toilet paper seems so bizarre. Maybe it’s different elsewhere, but in semi tropical fla, the flies will eat your poop all up in a day or so, tops. The toilet paper is a problem longterm, but it’s paper so its easy to burn.
Burning is ok if you plan on having a fire, as far as flies go up here in new england we don’t see enough to devour a pile in a day…
I’ve used the full squat and overbite. I realize that packing out your paper is good etiquette but seeing as it is biodegradable I think burying it is ok. Taking a pee requires the above mentioned maneuvers and I have learned how to do it without tinkling on my pants. Oh and by the way, if you are ever lost in the woods just try and take a pee or poo and it is practically guaranteed that someone will come along and catch you! Happens to me all the time!
Love the tip for being lost! thanks for sharing.
wow…this is the most comprehensive poopoing in the woods resource I have ever seen!
What a fabulous post. I’m a girl, so I’m fully experienced with the full squat.
However, one thing we get here is flies crawling all over your bottom etc, so you spend a lot of time swatting flies whilst peeing.
I’ve got a Secret Women’s Business tip to add: wear a small, light panty liner when you’re going hiking/camping to help reduce toilet paper use and keep your undies (that’s Aussie for underwear) fresh.
Havha, I usually just squat down and go but I when I got a bad cramp in my thigh I had to fully lean on a tree so I wouldn’t fall down. I like the cartoons on Roam the Woods facebook page because they show that position and it is funny.
Oh, and be sure to look for anything dangerous or gross. I once squated into a spider web and the idea of having a spider in my nether region freaked me out. I hopped around with my pants around my knees for a couple minutes!
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Roam-The-Woods/178757132202102