Everyone knows what to do when nature calls at home. On a hike or a camping trip it is less obvious — and getting it wrong can foul water, spread disease and spoil a place for the next visitor. Disposing of waste properly is the third of the seven Leave No Trace principles, and the National Park Service's advice comes down to three things: find out before you go, carry a kit, and know two methods.
Find out before you go
Developed campgrounds, visitor centres and trailheads usually have toilets; knowing where they are is part of planning the day. For a longer trip into the backcountry or wilderness, look up the local rules too — the right method varies from place to place.
Some remote campsites have composting toilets — this one, in North Cascades National Park, with a view. NPS photo.
Carry a kit
Keep one in your pack or car:
- hand sanitiser
- toilet paper
- a bag to carry used paper out
- a trowel, where digging is the right method
- a WAG bag, where carrying waste out is
A WAG bag — "waste alleviation and gelling" — is a toilet in a bag: a bag containing a powder, developed by NASA, that gels waste and kills the smell, inside a zip-closed outer bag, usually with sanitiser and paper. Outdoor shops sell them, and some parks hand them out where they are required. Ask the rangers before you go.
Two methods
| Cathole | WAG bag | |
|---|---|---|
| When | where the ground and visitor numbers allow burying | where waste will not break down if buried, digging is not allowed, or too many people pass for catholes to work |
| How | walk 200 feet — about 70 big steps — from trails, campsites and any water; dig a hole 6 to 8 inches deep; use it, then bury and cover it completely | use the bag, seal it, and carry it out with your used paper |
| Afterwards | pack out the toilet paper | put it in a designated bin or trash can — never down a vault toilet |
A WAG bag dispenser, before a stretch with no toilets. NPS photo.
On river trips, where getting 200 feet from water is often impossible, a portable toilet — a "groover" — is usually required. Canyonlands river rangers suggest setting it on a flat spot, with a view, downwind of camp.
A groover on a river bank in Canyonlands. NPS / Cody Allinson.
Why it matters
Animals leave their droppings in the woods, so why not people? Because there are so many of us. Human and pet waste in the wrong place contaminates water, spreads disease and ruins the trip for whoever comes next. With visitor numbers what they are, planning where you will go belongs in planning every trip.
Sources
Written from "I Didn't Know That! Leave No Trace Principle #3 — Dispose of Waste Properly", National Park Service, developed with the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics. The seven principles themselves are the Center's; see lnt.org.
이 페이지가 속한 컬렉션I Didn't Know That! Leave No Trace
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