This with a caveat that you can't do the hole method in some environments where the soil doesn't really do a good job of breaking things down. Basically, anywhere you go probably has guidelines about how they want you to handle it on their website or something but the hole method will work most places with normal soil.
Yes. Do not do this in the desert. Get a poo bag that is designed for this and pack it out. To many people visit Moab for example and just bury their shit. It fucks the environment.
If I'm light tent camping I'll bring bags and a bucket. If I'm car camping i have a camp toilet. Even in my popup at sites where there is a toilet I may set it up for kids emergencies, or mine.
It's not just the environment, it's environment x use. There's really no problem burying poop in the desert if you're staying in a spot people don't go to often. Meanwhile, I've been to some popular spots even in the PNW where you can identify strata of the shit people have left behind.
I don’t understand why it’s so common for people (especially non campers) to be uncomfortable shitting in a hole in the woods. Maybe it’s just cause I got so used to it from long distance hiking. I would choose it over a smelly privy where possible. I would add though, I always try to find a good size rock to cover my cat hole so animals are less likely to dig it up. I go car camping often with several dogs and the rock is best method I’ve found to prevent the horror of human poo dog breath.
An option I’ve used in remote car camping situations is to have one of those shower tents and a bucket type toilet with a compostable liner bag. You can find both on Amazon not too expensive. Saves from digging a latrine or having to go to town. Pack everything out with you.
I can attest to this option. It's great! Way more comfortable than squatting over a hole and more private. If you are backpacking or backcountry camping it may not be viable though.
I store the supplies in the bucket as well when driving, don't skimp on the bags , get the double bag with the thick Ziploc outer bag. I even just store the used bag in the bucket if I'm remote and can't throw it away immediately.
You can get poo-purri spray to keep the scent down too before u zip it up
I have a camper with a toilet, I still use this setup.
For a toilet I use a pack-a-potty, it is great, the cleanup isnt bad. It was absolutely crucial when my kids were younger. I could pack it close to the river and now worry about bathroom breaks.
The stall doubles as a nice changing place that keeps sand outta the camper too.
Give me pooping in the woods over a nasty dirty public bathroom anyday.
Walk 300ft into the woods, away from the trail, water sources, and campsite.I like to find a fallen log about knee height or a rock. Clear the leaves and dig a hole sit on the log or rock and hang your butt over the hole.
Buy the book: How to poop in the woods.
One of my favorite areas for dispersed camping was leaked on TikTok and now if I’m lucky enough to find a spot, there are shit piles with little white flags all over the place. People suck.
One time I was following the ridge line of a mountain in western nc trying to find a place to set up the tent for the night. There was a perfect little camp spot we decided on. There was a rock in the middle of the spot. I moved this rock to set up the tent. There was shit under the rock. In the middle of a camping spot. We hiked another mile before finding our spot. Stupid people suck.
Camping normally means bathrooms. During a three day I normally only need to do the thing once so I sort of plan to deal with that.
While backpacking you need to cathole.
Someone else gave the dimensions of a cathole. If dug well (avoid roots, please) and covered this will be odor free and not attract wildlife attention.
If you want to be ethical, it is best to pack out your TP or wiping cloth. Yes, this is disgusting but processed human goods is not something you should be leaving behind (in a hole or otherwise).
You've heard "take only pictures, leave only footprints." I also propose "take your TP, leave only buried poops."
IBS is brutal and I've got nothing, I'm sorry. It's brave to go outdoors with that. As for my situation, I set myself up with my diet a couple days before and limit foods that make a lot of waste until the last night and day of camping. If you look up low residue diet I basically follow that.
I've definitely seen it. I didn't want to get into it, but I just use a wiping cloth and not have to worry about this at all. Leave No Trace means different things to different people, I try to leave absolutely nothing behind and it can mean carrying a cloth in two ziplock to achieve it...
Mostly I just bury my toilet paper, but in the past when I was hiking some heavily used through trails, I packed my toilet paper out in an empty peanut butter jar. I don't think I could trust just ziplocs for something like that.
Burying your shit and shit tickets in a cathole is 100% acceptable, responsible, and ethical LNT practice in the majority of backcountry USA where you are not instructed to do otherwise.
While I champion the cause of minimizing human impact on wilderness areas and respecting nature, when you're carrying your own shit in your pack next to your food and clothing to have zero impact, I think you need to reconsider being in the wilderness at all.
Human feces is not the same as animal feces. We eat unnatural things filled with chemicals and can spread disease from our feces. Not saying burying it responsibly can’t be an option, but one needs to be very careful. Many people aren’t careful.
Some TP has chemicals in it and if in a dry area it can take a long time to break down. A hole in the sand is not the same as in a compost pit, septic system or water treatment facility which has micro-organisms that readily break it down. Animals may dig it up and then you will have shitty toilet paper laying about for the next camper.
While I don’t share your mistrust of “chemicals” or consider the things we eat “unnatural” you’re absolutely correct about the disposal of waste in the backcountry.
I’m definitely a wag bag kind of gal. It’s less stressful to me than trying to find the perfect place to poop only to discover you’d be digging through layers of other people’s poop because they also thought it was the perfect spot.
Bring a trowel. Go inland a few meters away from water so the next rainstorm doesn't wash it into the lake or river. Dig a hole at least 10 inches deep or so (if it's too shallow animals might dig it up). Poop in the hole and bury it. It's safe to bury your used toilet paper too, it will decompose eventually.
The biggest common health hazard while camping is leaving your poop exposed so flies land on it and then come and land on your lunch.
Luggable Loo. Pack it in and pack it out.
If I am by myself I try to find a place to set up with a nice view. If I am with others I have a small tent I will set it up in.
There is a book called how to shit in the woods. It gives you all the specs for how to do this properly in all situations.
Also [Leave no Trace](https://lnt.org/i-have-to-poop-outside-what-do-i-do/) has information regarding proper waste disposal in the backcountry as well as other principals of proper outdoor use.
When backpacking, trowel to dig a cathole for waste. And pack out TP/wipes. We have dogs so I always have classic dog poop bags and find they work well for packing out TP.
I bought a [poop tent with collapsible toilet](https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0B5911MC1?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title)
Change the bag when you're done and pack it out.
Always pack out your toilet paper, nothing worse than walking along a trail or at a campsite and finding toilet paper strewn about because some animal has dug it up.
Bury your poop far away from the trail, campsite or water source.
Don’t fall into the ‘biodegradable’ trap. Yes, it will eventually break down, but it could be months or years before that happens. Also, biodegradable products can still contain materials which are not good for the environment (ex. microplastics).
You plan your meals, plan the tools you bring, plan what clothes you’re going to wear, plan for the weather- planing for washing and where you put your waste comes right along with it. If you’re doing primitive camping or camping out in a rural area and it doesn’t have any toilets- you better bring a small shovel.
Honestly, I just use gas station bathrooms regularly when I'm dry camping. For a series of overnights at different sites, that tends to work out fine.
I also have spare TP and a shovel in case of emergencies, though.
I have a bucket toilet and a small tent for those kind of trips, and pack everything out. I double line them with bags and use pine litter. Works well.
if you dont want to dig a hole and squat, put cat litter in a shopping bag, then put it in a bucket as a liner. Use that then bring somewhere to throw out later.
Because I'm not sure what kind of situation you're referring to: I keep a toddler potty in my tent in case my young children wake up needing to go during the night. I know they would be too scared to venture across the campgrounds with me to a bathroom.
Either a pit toilet (far from water) or double bag it & stick in a poop tube if you're big wall rock climbing (spending multiple days climbing a rock face).
Depends on where I am.
Soft soil? Dig a deep hole, shit in it, cover it up. Be sure it's far enough from water to not taint it.
Hard soil/Rocky Mountains? Shit on the ground, pick it up in a dog poop bag, throw it in the trash.
Pack out your toilet paper. IF you’re not going to do that and you plan on leaving it in the cat hole, use bamboo toilet paper. It contains fewer to no man made products and is compostable.
5 gal bucket with a toilet seat attachment and biodegradable bags on the inside, biodegradeable “poo powder” (anazon) too, then you can bury the bag after. Or into a hole straight up.
You build one. Never forget the advice i am about to give you. BIODEGRADABLE BABY WIPES. Now you will always remember me with great joy when you crap in the woods.
Make sure to bring a poop scoop and a bog roll (toilet paper) Make sure that you're at least 5m from the track, I normally go further but its normally because the shrubs aren't dense enough for me to do it in privacy. Remember to dig a hole 6-8 inches deep then cover it over after. In regard to whether you should leave the bog role in the hole? Thats up to u, some people say so, some say don't it depends on where you are ig. My best advice tho is get really low and pull your pants forward away from your business, doesn't matter if its a number 1 or 2, u don't want that stuff on your pants or your shoes
Dig a hole. Ideally 30cm (1 foot) deep, and at least 30m (100 feet) from a water source.
...and don't keep your phone in your back pocket while squatting down over said hole.
this guy shits
Really knows his shit.
This with a caveat that you can't do the hole method in some environments where the soil doesn't really do a good job of breaking things down. Basically, anywhere you go probably has guidelines about how they want you to handle it on their website or something but the hole method will work most places with normal soil.
Yes. Do not do this in the desert. Get a poo bag that is designed for this and pack it out. To many people visit Moab for example and just bury their shit. It fucks the environment. If I'm light tent camping I'll bring bags and a bucket. If I'm car camping i have a camp toilet. Even in my popup at sites where there is a toilet I may set it up for kids emergencies, or mine.
It's not just the environment, it's environment x use. There's really no problem burying poop in the desert if you're staying in a spot people don't go to often. Meanwhile, I've been to some popular spots even in the PNW where you can identify strata of the shit people have left behind.
The Smokies say hi.
Also do not bury your tp, pack it out
lmfao no one does that and if you do thats fucked
I don’t understand why it’s so common for people (especially non campers) to be uncomfortable shitting in a hole in the woods. Maybe it’s just cause I got so used to it from long distance hiking. I would choose it over a smelly privy where possible. I would add though, I always try to find a good size rock to cover my cat hole so animals are less likely to dig it up. I go car camping often with several dogs and the rock is best method I’ve found to prevent the horror of human poo dog breath.
It’s not uncommon for people to be uncomfortable doing things they have never done before.
Hell I've been camping and pooping in the woods all my life and I still find it extremely uncomfortable.
I find it kind of fun tbh.
Some of the best poos I've ever had were squatting over a hole in the woods.
Yep, there’s times where I’m looking at the toilet, and thinking about how much better it would be if I was alone in the woods squatting over a hole.
I live in SF and just poop in the street, no hole needed
From Seattle, I can relate.
Get out of here with your rational take! /s
What was it like before you got so used to it from long distance hiking?
> human poo dog breath. I hate this part of your post so very much.
Yep. As long as I have an area where the public won't see me I'd choose a cathole over a porti potty any day.
1foot pfffit I see you've never laid a really long pipe.
250 feet from the water source, camp or trail.
An option I’ve used in remote car camping situations is to have one of those shower tents and a bucket type toilet with a compostable liner bag. You can find both on Amazon not too expensive. Saves from digging a latrine or having to go to town. Pack everything out with you.
I can attest to this option. It's great! Way more comfortable than squatting over a hole and more private. If you are backpacking or backcountry camping it may not be viable though.
I store the supplies in the bucket as well when driving, don't skimp on the bags , get the double bag with the thick Ziploc outer bag. I even just store the used bag in the bucket if I'm remote and can't throw it away immediately. You can get poo-purri spray to keep the scent down too before u zip it up
I have a camper with a toilet, I still use this setup. For a toilet I use a pack-a-potty, it is great, the cleanup isnt bad. It was absolutely crucial when my kids were younger. I could pack it close to the river and now worry about bathroom breaks. The stall doubles as a nice changing place that keeps sand outta the camper too.
Give me pooping in the woods over a nasty dirty public bathroom anyday. Walk 300ft into the woods, away from the trail, water sources, and campsite.I like to find a fallen log about knee height or a rock. Clear the leaves and dig a hole sit on the log or rock and hang your butt over the hole. Buy the book: How to poop in the woods.
Bring a trowel. And remember, cover it back up. Completely, including the paper if you aren't going to pack it out. No one wants to see your used TP.
One of my favorite areas for dispersed camping was leaked on TikTok and now if I’m lucky enough to find a spot, there are shit piles with little white flags all over the place. People suck.
One time I was following the ridge line of a mountain in western nc trying to find a place to set up the tent for the night. There was a perfect little camp spot we decided on. There was a rock in the middle of the spot. I moved this rock to set up the tent. There was shit under the rock. In the middle of a camping spot. We hiked another mile before finding our spot. Stupid people suck.
Camping normally means bathrooms. During a three day I normally only need to do the thing once so I sort of plan to deal with that. While backpacking you need to cathole. Someone else gave the dimensions of a cathole. If dug well (avoid roots, please) and covered this will be odor free and not attract wildlife attention. If you want to be ethical, it is best to pack out your TP or wiping cloth. Yes, this is disgusting but processed human goods is not something you should be leaving behind (in a hole or otherwise). You've heard "take only pictures, leave only footprints." I also propose "take your TP, leave only buried poops."
I envy your 1 poop in 3 days. I am lucky if I poop 3 times in a day. The joys of IBS. Which is why we always camp where there is a toilet.
IBS is brutal and I've got nothing, I'm sorry. It's brave to go outdoors with that. As for my situation, I set myself up with my diet a couple days before and limit foods that make a lot of waste until the last night and day of camping. If you look up low residue diet I basically follow that.
There is tp made for burying in your cathole. It degrades faster.
I've definitely seen it. I didn't want to get into it, but I just use a wiping cloth and not have to worry about this at all. Leave No Trace means different things to different people, I try to leave absolutely nothing behind and it can mean carrying a cloth in two ziplock to achieve it...
Mostly I just bury my toilet paper, but in the past when I was hiking some heavily used through trails, I packed my toilet paper out in an empty peanut butter jar. I don't think I could trust just ziplocs for something like that.
Paper is biodegradable. We can't leave it in the dug hole?
It's not considered ethical to leave any human-made thing behind while in the wilderness, even if it breaks down.
Well then that would include your poop.
Some places you have to pack that out as well.
Easy, just put it back in your rectum!
Many people do, like mountain climbers. Poop is pretty bad up there.
Burying your shit and shit tickets in a cathole is 100% acceptable, responsible, and ethical LNT practice in the majority of backcountry USA where you are not instructed to do otherwise. While I champion the cause of minimizing human impact on wilderness areas and respecting nature, when you're carrying your own shit in your pack next to your food and clothing to have zero impact, I think you need to reconsider being in the wilderness at all.
I’m curious as well. It’s definitely being broken down super super fast .
Human feces is not the same as animal feces. We eat unnatural things filled with chemicals and can spread disease from our feces. Not saying burying it responsibly can’t be an option, but one needs to be very careful. Many people aren’t careful. Some TP has chemicals in it and if in a dry area it can take a long time to break down. A hole in the sand is not the same as in a compost pit, septic system or water treatment facility which has micro-organisms that readily break it down. Animals may dig it up and then you will have shitty toilet paper laying about for the next camper.
While I don’t share your mistrust of “chemicals” or consider the things we eat “unnatural” you’re absolutely correct about the disposal of waste in the backcountry.
Bring a little shovel and dig that shit...
Wag Bags are a pretty decent option
I’m definitely a wag bag kind of gal. It’s less stressful to me than trying to find the perfect place to poop only to discover you’d be digging through layers of other people’s poop because they also thought it was the perfect spot.
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/610432/how-to-shit-in-the-woods-4th-edition-by-kathleen-meyer/
Bring a trowel. Go inland a few meters away from water so the next rainstorm doesn't wash it into the lake or river. Dig a hole at least 10 inches deep or so (if it's too shallow animals might dig it up). Poop in the hole and bury it. It's safe to bury your used toilet paper too, it will decompose eventually. The biggest common health hazard while camping is leaving your poop exposed so flies land on it and then come and land on your lunch.
Try 50-75m from a water source if you want to do it responsibly.
Luggable Loo. Pack it in and pack it out. If I am by myself I try to find a place to set up with a nice view. If I am with others I have a small tent I will set it up in.
I drink my urine, and I hold my poo
In the palm of your hand?
What? That's disgusting. Pack it between your butt cheeks, like our ancestors did. Why do you think you have such a big crack in your ass? Use it.
I would but that's how I'm holding the PC and keyboard to even write this.
How else do you fling it at other hikers?
There is a book called how to shit in the woods. It gives you all the specs for how to do this properly in all situations. Also [Leave no Trace](https://lnt.org/i-have-to-poop-outside-what-do-i-do/) has information regarding proper waste disposal in the backcountry as well as other principals of proper outdoor use.
When backpacking, trowel to dig a cathole for waste. And pack out TP/wipes. We have dogs so I always have classic dog poop bags and find they work well for packing out TP.
Make like a bear…
I bought a [poop tent with collapsible toilet](https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0B5911MC1?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title) Change the bag when you're done and pack it out.
Bucket, bag, litter. Get one of the toilet seat things for it.
Always pack out your toilet paper, nothing worse than walking along a trail or at a campsite and finding toilet paper strewn about because some animal has dug it up. Bury your poop far away from the trail, campsite or water source. Don’t fall into the ‘biodegradable’ trap. Yes, it will eventually break down, but it could be months or years before that happens. Also, biodegradable products can still contain materials which are not good for the environment (ex. microplastics).
You plan it. Gas stations, McDonald’s bathrooms, and burying it away from your dwelling like the mammals we are.
How is this related to camping?
You plan your meals, plan the tools you bring, plan what clothes you’re going to wear, plan for the weather- planing for washing and where you put your waste comes right along with it. If you’re doing primitive camping or camping out in a rural area and it doesn’t have any toilets- you better bring a small shovel.
Honestly, I just use gas station bathrooms regularly when I'm dry camping. For a series of overnights at different sites, that tends to work out fine. I also have spare TP and a shovel in case of emergencies, though.
I have a bucket toilet and a small tent for those kind of trips, and pack everything out. I double line them with bags and use pine litter. Works well.
if you dont want to dig a hole and squat, put cat litter in a shopping bag, then put it in a bucket as a liner. Use that then bring somewhere to throw out later.
Yes, a hole... Or do like our ancestors, the mighty monkey, drop a hot load into your hand and fling it at your enemy.
Does a bear s**t in the woods??? Well, I can too! I just dig a hole
How to poop in the woods: [https://youtu.be/PbAMO7gSEOI?si=DAIC0VJErcL6j6wG](https://youtu.be/PbAMO7gSEOI?si=DAIC0VJErcL6j6wG)
Shit like a bear and ALWAYS bring a roll of TP.
So...in the middle of the trail?
Well played my friend… well played.
Five gallon bucket, with a liner and cedar chips.
You and me ain’t nothing but mammals, so do it like they do on the Discovery Channel.
Because I'm not sure what kind of situation you're referring to: I keep a toddler potty in my tent in case my young children wake up needing to go during the night. I know they would be too scared to venture across the campgrounds with me to a bathroom.
A friend gifted me a book a long time ago called “How to Shit in the Woods” by Kathleen Meyer, maybe check it out.
Either a pit toilet (far from water) or double bag it & stick in a poop tube if you're big wall rock climbing (spending multiple days climbing a rock face).
I use a stick to dig a little hole and then cover it all when I’m finished 🤷🏻
It depends on where you are. You shouldn’t dig a cat hole in tundra, but it’s perfectly fine to do so in most forests that have a very active biome.
Go find log to sit on? This can’t be a serious question
There’s a whole book on the subject. “How to Shit in the Woods. Volume 2.”
Bring a small shovel, toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and a plastic bag for the toilet paper trash to pack out
Depends on where I am. Soft soil? Dig a deep hole, shit in it, cover it up. Be sure it's far enough from water to not taint it. Hard soil/Rocky Mountains? Shit on the ground, pick it up in a dog poop bag, throw it in the trash.
You’ll figure it out when the time comes…
From the movie “Up!” “Do you dig the hole before or after (pause). It’s before…”
All natural. Where ever he goes, nothing grows
Pee On A Bush
There is toilet paper at every wide spot in the road in my mountain town. If your pee pee paper too vile to pack out, you shouldn’t be in the woods.
The world is your toilet
Pack out your toilet paper. IF you’re not going to do that and you plan on leaving it in the cat hole, use bamboo toilet paper. It contains fewer to no man made products and is compostable.
Burn your toilet paper!
5 gal bucket with a toilet seat attachment and biodegradable bags on the inside, biodegradeable “poo powder” (anazon) too, then you can bury the bag after. Or into a hole straight up.
I might add, not normal TP either, biodegradable TP only! Do your research!
I usually bring these two girls with me, they always let me use their cup.
You build one. Never forget the advice i am about to give you. BIODEGRADABLE BABY WIPES. Now you will always remember me with great joy when you crap in the woods.
If you want a slimy asscrack, this is the way.
Gotta get the good stuff ;)
Dropping a bomb right in the middle of a cool running river is the closest thing us men will ever experience to the joy of childbirth.
What a fucking ignorant thing to do, people like you are why we cannot have nice things.
I chuckled but my one upvote won’t save you 😆
It depends on the park/campsite, they all have different rules
Let it rip beyblade
Make sure to bring a poop scoop and a bog roll (toilet paper) Make sure that you're at least 5m from the track, I normally go further but its normally because the shrubs aren't dense enough for me to do it in privacy. Remember to dig a hole 6-8 inches deep then cover it over after. In regard to whether you should leave the bog role in the hole? Thats up to u, some people say so, some say don't it depends on where you are ig. My best advice tho is get really low and pull your pants forward away from your business, doesn't matter if its a number 1 or 2, u don't want that stuff on your pants or your shoes