Your privy style?

[MisterQ]

I typically grit my teeth and use the privys. I don't carry a trowel and find it a pain to dig the proper size cathole with a trekking pole. Depending on the condition of the seat I might hover. Luckily I am a regular guy and take care of business quickly, one of my finest attributes. Always wash and sanitize hands after.

[FreeGoldRush]

A few weeks ago I walked up to the Icewater Springs Shelter privy in the Smokies and it was humming and buzzing. There were flying insects going crazy by the thousands. I kept trying to determine if they were mostly bees or flies, but was being careful since we saw a bunch of Yellowjackets earlier on the trail.

Has anyone ever had to avoid a shelter due to it being occupied by the local wildlife, whether a snake, bees, etc?

[Berserker]

i don't use privys. they're nasty as heck. use the woods. there's millions of acres around you

Yep, this ^ Just make sure to bury that sucker, or at least get far enough out in the woods that no one will step on it. Then either pack out the TP or bury that junk.

I only use them if absolutely necessary, which means:

• I'm at a hut in the Whites, or some other location that would require significant work to find a secluded spot in the woods
• It's raining cats and dogs
• I'm super arse tired and don't feel like walking anywhere or digging a hole

[Kaptainkriz]

[Sarcasm the elf]

My privy style is to first check the ceiling for paperwasp nests before starting business. I learned that the hard way in NJ a while back.

And yes I hover, it's easy enough to do with a little practice. I'm not the biggest fan of privies, but most of my hiking is in busy areas in the Northeast and I support the idea of concentrating use in these areas.

[4shot]

so...if no one is using the privies, why were some of them filled to capacity or even sporting the dreaded volcano protruding slightly above the seat level?? I guess those people don't post here on WB.

If you are a trail maintainer and have ever been involved in cleaning a trail privy AND happen by chance to read this, please note that I pray all of the Almighty's greatest blessings upon you.That is a level of service to one's fellow man that I aspire to, but have yet been unable to achieve. Although I have shared some Snickers and band aids and fuel and stuff with others. but that ain't nearly the same as what y'all do and I readily confess my shortcomings publicly here on this board.

[Sarcasm the elf]

so...if no one is using the privies, why were some of them filled to capacity or even sporting the dreaded volcano protruding slightly above the seat level?? I guess those people don't post here on WB.

Much the same as how the weight of the average pack carried by a hiker on the A.T. Always seems to be 10-15lbs heavier than the average pack weight stated on this or other online forums.

[swjohnsey]

Are y'all telling me there are germs on the AT?

[egilbe]

Are y'all telling me there are germs on the AT?

Nope. Only in the privies, apparently

[Connie]

I saw a barf emoji here, in this forum once.

Who has it? I need it.

[bstiffler]

Catholes are more fun and a challenge to hit the hole! ; )


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I heard rumors of someone named poopsocks when I was out but never met them. I assumed it was some cathole misadventure but never really found out.

[Old_Man]

A few weeks ago I walked up to the Icewater Springs Shelter privy in the Smokies and it was humming and buzzing. There were flying insects going crazy by the thousands. I kept trying to determine if they were mostly bees or flies, but was being careful since we saw a bunch of Yellowjackets earlier on the trail.

Has anyone ever had to avoid a shelter due to it being occupied by the local wildlife, whether a snake, bees, etc?

The flies are one of the main reasons I stay away from privys. I mean...they land all over you while you're sitting there...I generally only use them if it's raining out. I much prefer to duck off trail a bit and find a nice secluded spot to take nature's call.

[LittleRock]

Entry from the log at War Spur Shelter in VA this spring: "Got stuck in the privy for a few hours until help arrived -_-".

I thought it was a joke but later caught up to the hiker who wrote it and confirmed it actually happened. Apparently several shelters in Central VA have privies where the latch can catch on the outside if you shut the door too hard, trapping you inside.

[Lnj]

Entry from the log at War Spur Shelter in VA this spring: "Got stuck in the privy for a few hours until help arrived -_-".

I thought it was a joke but later caught up to the hiker who wrote it and confirmed it actually happened. Apparently several shelters in Central VA have privies where the latch can catch on the outside if you shut the door too hard, trapping you inside.

That would be the end of the line for me. Claustrophobia and in a poop hole. The END.

[Hangfire]

Entry from the log at War Spur Shelter in VA this spring: "Got stuck in the privy for a few hours until help arrived -_-".

I thought it was a joke but later caught up to the hiker who wrote it and confirmed it actually happened. Apparently several shelters in Central VA have privies where the latch can catch on the outside if you shut the door too hard, trapping you inside.

That sounds like a tale to me...I'm sure it would be possible for the latch to close from the outside but most privy doors are nothing more than a sheet of plywood with a screen door latch or a small spinning block of wood that you could kick open with little effort. While I think we all would be horrified to be trapped in a privy, unless someone was physically holding the door or barricaded you in there it wouldn't take much to get out if it were just the latch holding you in.

[egilbe]

Half the time, I never close the doors.

[Sarcasm the elf]

Half the time, I never close the doors.

On the older style privies I never close the doors all the way, otherwise there isn't enough light to see what I'm doing!

[illabelle]

That sounds like a tale to me...I'm sure it would be possible for the latch to close from the outside but most privy doors are nothing more than a sheet of plywood with a screen door latch or a small spinning block of wood that you could kick open with little effort. While I think we all would be horrified to be trapped in a privy, unless someone was physically holding the door or barricaded you in there it wouldn't take much to get out if it were just the latch holding you in.

I have no trouble believing it. Don't remember where we were, maybe somewhere in SNP in late fall, not many people on the trail. We were at a shelter and went to visit the privy. It was locked from the inside, but no one was around. We found a saw blade in the shelter and used it to slip between the door and the jamb to lift the latch that had fallen into place on the inside. Wasn't likely, but it did happen. I imagine getting accidentally locked in could happen as well.

[Alligator]

Half the time, I never close the doors.

I put a rock down so the door doesn't close all the way. Usually one right there.

[Mr. Bumpy]

Supposedly there was a guy a few years back that got the trail name Sock-in-Hole