crappy subject

sorry... has come up we may get in on an out west hike trip. The ?.... I know many west river trips are pack out your waste. Do trails also hold this rule? If so....HOW????? You pee in the river but hafta bring your bucket or whatever. I just don't see this with a bpack.

Sorry Clif, I cannot answer your question but I was realy hoping this post was about fishing. I don't think that I will be packin any crap.

yeah fishin sounds better...

Just wondering if in those eco sensitive areas folks still cathole or what.

If a bear can poop in the woods so can I... bottom line. If they want to handle their own scat then let them. Not me. It is 100% bio degratable. The problems arise when these nuts don't know how to handle it in the backcountry.

Leave No Trace Link

I don't think this deals with pack it out but I am sure if you dig around this site you can find it.

Lew

No way no how, I will gladly go away from established campsites, off trail, whatever, but put it in a baggy and carry it home, NO WAY. Wow, this reminds me of an how.com video. Just google "how to poop in the woods" and you will find a plethra of stuff. Really, someone has to learn how to go #2, I find this very funny

Typically it's dig a cathole...leave your deposit and pack out your tp in a ziplock (doubled). But there could be some trails that are so eco-sensative and are protected in such a way. I don't know. I'd probably not hike that trail if it came down to that.

Most of the "pack out your poop" places are in high mountainous regions. (Mt. Everest and Mt. Whitney, for instance)

The reason: Above the treeline, there isn't much of a way to dig catholes because it's rocky and barren, and it is sometimes dangerous (or impossible) to get far enough off the trail so that your business doesn't impact other people.

If you're hiking in a place where carrying it out is necessary, you probably have to have a permit to hike there anyway. The rangers will likely provide you with a "WAG bag" in which to carry your stuff out when they issue you your permit.

More likely, you just need to do the cathole thing. Always dig at least 6 inches deep and stay as far away from any water source as possible. 200 feet at the minimum. 200 feet from water goes for #1 as well, but the cathole isn't necessary.

NO HUMAN WASTE OF ANY KIND IN ANY WATER SOURCE. EVER. Please. Please. Please.

You know, in some western rivers they DO ask for #1 to be in the river??? Also in some areas the catholes actually slow the breakdown of human.... contaminates. Something about the moisture???

Just got this from the boy scouts. Brought this issue back to mind:

Proper Waste Disposal


"Does a bear poop in the woods?" asks the Boy Scout Fieldbook. "Yes, it does," the manual answers, "and so do we."


If There's a Facility, Use It

Does your campground have restrooms with running water? Great. Where there is no plumbing, there might be an outhouse -- a small shelter with a seat featuring one or two holes over a deep pit.

Don't put anything into a latrine other than human waste and toilet paper. Trash needlessly fills latrines much too quickly. Food scraps and dishwater can attract animals, and that can be unhealthy for them.

No Facilities? Bury It

When you're on the trail or in a camp with no outhouse or latrine, find a secluded spot at least 200 feet from streams, lakes, and other water sources and use a trowel or the heel of your shoe to dig a cat hole about six inches into the soil -- the organic layer with microorganisms that can break down waste.

Refill the hole with soil after you're done, and replace pine needles, twigs, or other ground cover.

Can't Bury It? Pack It Out

If the agency managing the area you're visiting says you need to carry out everything you bring in, look on it as an engineering challenge, a fine adventure, and a Good Turn for the environment.

Boaters running wild rivers often carry rocket boxes -- ammunition boxes lined with plastic bags for containing human waste. After putting a toilet seat atop the box for comfortable use, the box can be sealed and taken by raft to the next night's campsite. The filled plastic bags must be properly discarded at the end of the trip.

Mountain rock and snow can make waste disposal complicated, especially on crowded routes. Climbers reaching some high camps on Mt. Rainier in the Washington Cascades find outhouses with seats opening over big plastic barrels. When the barrels are full, National Park Service helicopters lift them off the mountain.

No helicopter? You can use a Pack-It-Out Kit that includes a sheet of paper with a target drawn on it. After depositing waste on the paper, carefully stow it in a small paper bag containing a handful of cat litter.

The bag can then be placed in a length of lightweight plastic pipe that, with a lid at each end, will be easy to pack out of the backcountry. (Check the BSA Fieldbook for full instructions.)

What About Toilet Paper?


Ask local land-managers how to dispose of paper when there is no latrine.

Some will instruct you to bury it well enough so that animals won't dig it up. Others will suggest putting it into a self-sealing plastic bag and packing it to the trailhead. That can be especially important on winter campouts when the ground is frozen and covered with snow.

Three Rules for Staying Healthy


The Fieldbook gives three rules for staying healthy, especially after relieving yourself outdoors:

1. Wash Your Hands.
2. Wash Your Hands.
3. Wash Your Hands.

Soap and water will do the trick. So can waterless hand sanitizers.