34
votes
Accepted
Possible diet to avoid/delay defecation
The term you're looking for is "low-residue diet" or "low-residue meal" (for some reason, the medical community tends to avoid the term "poop" in their technical terminology). Simply googling on those ...
- 3,752
34
votes
Accepted
How to empty bowels before a hike?
Okay, we a all adults here (I hope) and our bodies have a regular internal rhythm which they are accustomed to deal with. This point is well brought out in James Jenkin's answer.
Recommending ...
- 9,619
22
votes
Accepted
How to deal with hordes of flies in outdoor toilets?
The answer is to limit and/or control ventilation. You want to make sure that there is little to no ventilation of the odours/gazes into the space (tent/hut/...) where humans are using the toilet.
...
- 12.7k
21
votes
How to empty bowels before a hike?
Bring toilet paper and a shovel, exercise is a recognized method of increasing bowel motility (making you poo).
Other than planning for the likely need, there are no reasonable medical measures you ...
- 30.3k
16
votes
How to deal with hordes of flies in outdoor toilets?
Your chief problem seems to be:
with tens of flies trying to fly into your nose, mouth, and eyes
Why not a mosquito head net? It's safe, re-usable, portable, and non-lethal!
Like the old saying goes:...
- 261
15
votes
How to deal with hordes of flies in outdoor toilets?
If possible, try to make a "dry toilet" use of the facility you've to deal with.
Dry toilet means that excrement will not be leaved exposed to the air but have to be covered with some carbon-...
- 151
13
votes
Should I close a cathole (toilet-hole) at night?
I follow the idea of leaving as less a trace as possible. So what I do is to reuse the cathole. The problem with multiple catholes is how much damage it does to the landscape (especially if the ground ...
- 7,815
10
votes
Should I close a cathole (toilet-hole) at night?
The solution to this and especially when you have multiple people in a group and so want to limit the number of holes, is to use a single hand width trench instead individual catholes.
You start by ...
- 69.2k
9
votes
Possible diet to avoid/delay defecation
MREs. Not poop free, but if you start eating it a couple of days before the trek, you'll be amazed of how constipated you'll become.
Sometimes I think this is by design, as a soldier doing his ...
8
votes
Accepted
What's the problem with burying toilet paper?
The answer is the same for burying toilet paper as it is for burying poop:
see: When is it not OK to leave feces behind?
Burying toilet paper with your poop is acceptable in areas where it can ...
- 53.5k
7
votes
What's the problem with burying toilet paper?
If you can leave your crap there, you can leave the toilet paper too. Both will degrade fairly rapidly.
Much of this is aesthetics rather than impact. No one wants to find tufts of toilet paper ...
7
votes
Tips for using a "wag bag" to pack out human waste
For making the bags, here is what I have done in the past when I worked for an outdoor organization.
You need a sheet of wax paper, a brown paper lunch bag, a zip lock and baking soda. When putting ...
- 69.2k
6
votes
Should I close a cathole (toilet-hole) at night?
Based on Rickeyship's feedback, I'm changing my answer.
Environmental Context
The answer depends on your environment, so try to find out what makes sense in the context of where you'll be. My ...
- 3,707
6
votes
How to deal with diarrhea when using a cathole in the wilderness?
BTDT I think, but I don't remember ever having a 'problem'. As a guy who camps and also gets to use squatty potties once in a while, here's my advice:
First, ditch the shorts/pants it'll be much more ...
- 1,800
6
votes
Accepted
Why does poo smell more after someone is back from a trek/hike?
Even in a vegetarian diet, changes in diet result in digestion changes. Gas is created by flora and fauna in the digestive tract. If you exclude something or add something at the top of the digestive ...
- 30.3k
5
votes
What kind of leaf should I NOT use for tissue or toilet paper?
Urtica dioica (Stinging Nettle) while it grows over much of the world, It grows in abundance in the Pacific Northwest, especially in places where annual rainfall is high. Found in large patches where ...
- 30.3k
5
votes
Accepted
Organization or posters for "Leave No Trace" in Sweden
Perhaps it's a cultural thing, but I couldn't find anything in Swedish that spelled it out quantitatively (60m from streams, 20cm holes), so I created one myself.
My "Leave No Trace" Poster
...
- 111
4
votes
What are safe/effective leaves from around the world for use in tidying up your backside after answering the call of nature?
Leaves are only an option while they're in season. In winter, snowballs work great.
- 731
4
votes
How do you properly dispose of human waste while snow camping?
Some times local disposal isn't unreasonable. Here's my thinking:
Animals crap in the woods. Assuming wilderness use, the crap load from people is small compared to that of animals. (Animals use ...
4
votes
How to empty bowels before a hike?
Great question because it’s the reason I’ve stuck to short hikes only. I’m reviewing for my RN licensure exam so will respond addressing the medical aspect:
The no laxative / no enema solution - Put ...
- 41
3
votes
Should I close a cathole (toilet-hole) at night?
Knowing roughly how many times it will be used, it should be deep enough for at least that. After each use, foliage and earth should be put in to cover5 faeces. At this point, since it's covered ...
- 31
3
votes
How to deal with diarrhea when using a cathole in the wilderness?
The following assumes you have enough time to follow all the steps, and assumes you are below timberline.
Find a log.
Dig your cathole on Side B of the log.
Plant your feet on Side A of the log.
...
- 23.4k
3
votes
What's the problem with burying toilet paper?
Marine grade TP is a good choice for hiking. It is made to dissolve in water rapidly and contains little or no chemicals. Bury in soil and water if possible with stream water... this will also help ...
- 861
3
votes
What are some toilet paper alternatives you could use in the woods?
You can carry an empty water bottle for this purpose, fill it up in some stream when you know you have to go in a while and wash up like in many Asian countries. I wouldn't recommend doing it in the ...
- 2,270
3
votes
How to deal with hordes of flies in outdoor toilets?
One method is to provide a screened light-pipe as ventilator, and use an unlit room.
Flies fly down into the 'hole in the ground', then up the ventilation pipe to the light. They accumulate in the ...
- 131
3
votes
How to deal with hordes of flies in outdoor toilets?
We simply used builders lime (Ca(OH)2) (calcium hydroxide) powder after every toilette use to cover everything up.
But be careful with that, it's not a toy and can serious harm humans
- 237
2
votes
What are some toilet paper alternatives you could use in the woods?
In the desert Southwest prickly pear padsn de-spined and fileted, then dried to desired amount. Great for skin and perfect texture.
De-spine the well.
Once filleted,they offer 2 texture. Inside and ...
2
votes
What are some toilet paper alternatives you could use in the woods?
Compressed toilet paper coins. These are made of plant cellulose and are biodegradable. Just add about a teaspoon of water or less and they unfold into the most comfortable toilet paper you can ...
- 21
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible