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nu2hike
05-28-2016, 19:47
In view of the tragic news this week of Inchworms ordeal, I'm curious as to what you do when you step off the trail for a potty break! Do you leave your pack on the trail or take it with you? It's always been my habit to keep my pack with me at all times, but I can see the advantage of leaving it on the trail. That way if you are unfortunate enough to lose your way as poor Inchworm did at least SAR would have a good idea where to start their search.
On the other hand having your pack in your possession provides you with much needed food, shelter and emergency equipment!
Which way is best? Or perhaps there are better alternatives that I haven't considered!

Greenlight
05-28-2016, 19:52
There is no way I'd leave my pack on the trail. I carry a phone that has GPS on it. When I hike the AT I will be carrying maps and a lensatic compass. I know how to shoot back azimuths from two or more known points to pinpoint my location. It isn't difficult to do. As tragic as Inchworm's demise was, I'm not afraid to leave the trail to answer nature's call. It'd be easier to carry a colorful streamer or something to mark the point where you left the trail instead of leaving your pack.

MuddyWaters
05-28-2016, 20:01
Never leave your pack, its your whole life.
In a split second a bear can run off with it.

Your only going 30 ft behind a bush or tree, and can see trail. Really nothing to be concerned about.

As you will discover, some people go 0 ft.

Sarcasm the elf
05-28-2016, 20:18
Never leave your pack, its your whole life.
In a split second a bear can run off with it.



Completely agree with the above.

If you are concerned about stepping off trail, get in the habit of counting your steps. If you know that you walmed 50 steps off trail in a straight line, the you know that you have to turn around and walk 50 steps back. That way if you walk the 50 step return trip and you're not back on trail the you know almost imediately that you need to stop and reassess.
I also tend to step off trail near some sort of landmark if I am planning to walk more than a few l feet away. It doesn't need to be much, but if there is a boulder or a creek next to the trail, I know that if I step off and keep sight of it the I know where I need to return.

Sarcasm the elf
05-28-2016, 20:21
One related tip, always remember "right in right out" and "left in left out" as a way to keep track of which direction you were headed on the trail. For example if you step off trail by making a right turn, when you retirn to the trail turn right again and you will be headed in the same direction as you were before.

Lone Wolf
05-28-2016, 20:26
In view of the tragic news this week of Inchworms ordeal, I'm curious as to what you do when you step off the trail for a potty break! Do you leave your pack on the trail or take it with you? It's always been my habit to keep my pack with me at all times, but I can see the advantage of leaving it on the trail. That way if you are unfortunate enough to lose your way as poor Inchworm did at least SAR would have a good idea where to start their search.
On the other hand having your pack in your possession provides you with much needed food, shelter and emergency equipment!
Which way is best? Or perhaps there are better alternatives that I haven't considered!

i go about 30 feet in the pucker and do my bidness, pack and all. it ain't rocket science. jeeez

Don H
05-28-2016, 20:40
I'll bet that there are very few who have hiked any great distance on the AT that hasn't gone off the trail to do their business (AKA Brown Blazing) and returned to the trail at a different point than expected. I know I have.

Don H
05-28-2016, 20:45
Never leave your pack, its your whole life.
In a split second a bear can run off with it.

This actually happened to I hiker I met in NJ.
Always take your pack.

Lone Wolf
05-28-2016, 21:02
I'll bet that there are very few who have hiked any great distance on the AT that hasn't gone off the trail to do their business (AKA Brown Blazing) and returned to the trail at a different point than expected. I know I have.

for cripes sake, how far off you goin'? this really is a stupid thread

Sarcasm the elf
05-28-2016, 21:11
for cripes sake, how far off you goin'? this really is a stupid thread

Well since numerous areas have regulations/offical advice to walk 100-200 feet off trail to camp or take a dump, I'd say we're talking at least 100-200 feet.

scrabbler
05-28-2016, 21:25
Paying attention to where you are and where you came from will solve 99% of the problems. Look back occasionally to see what it will look like on the way back. Ive seen TP 30 feet from the trail and think thats gross.

nu2hike
05-28-2016, 21:37
Lone Wolf to you this may be a stupid thread but not to me! A woman became lost and ultimately died as a result of making a simple mistake such as this. If you find it stupid then please refrain from posting. That is an option you know!
Otherwise I agree I would never leave my pack, but I read one post (FB) where it was suggested that you should do just that. I also take a good look at my surroundings to find an easily recognizable landmark to guide my return.
Thanks to the others who have posted good advice and suggestions! My reason for posting this was in hope that we may learn something from Inchworms mistakes.

ednotmilkman
05-28-2016, 22:21
I may leave my pack on the trail, or at my camp site, but I don't walk so far I'd miss seeing any bear or 2 footed creature that walked up to it.

pilgrimskywheel
05-28-2016, 22:48
As it turns out - common sense isn't common. I have lost my pack a couple times and a campsite or two, three really. Being an idiot was a factor in each case. Chemicals may have played a small bit part too. Can't remember. On the other hand I kept a cool head and found em again. If you don't make it a big deal, it wont be. However, don't count on angels coming to the rescue. Establish a system and stick to it and, keep your s--- together. Once you get out there you'll realize predators are not lurking behind every twig and no one wants to see you do your business so don't be too shy. We all s--- in the woods. Please bury it! Thank you Lone Wolf. This thread stinks.

Hikingjim
05-28-2016, 23:06
This thread is getting crapped on a bit, but it's a legitimate question with simple answers.

Just take a very simple route to do your business. You can point toward the trail with your hiking pole if it helps re-orient

You can't get lost 100 ft from the trail if you do that.

Do not go 100 ft away from a section that winds all over the place and is confusing! If it's simple terrain, you won't get lost.

rocketsocks
05-28-2016, 23:28
If I was a bear and saw you leaving your pack behind while you walk off trail a hundred yards...Scooby doo!

Turk6177
05-29-2016, 00:59
Maybe it would pay to only leave the trail on a straightaway. That way even if you vector off course a little on the way back, you will still hit the trail. I like to point my hiking poles towards the direction I am going when I leave the trail. I do like the right off right on rule. I have not heard that one before. I guess ultimately, I like to time my nature to be near a privy, however, that only works around 80% of the time.

AfterParty
05-29-2016, 01:02
Yogi it is a picnic basket!


If one goes west to squat, then go east and find a trail. This is why you carry a compass. Works well in reverse.

Xycon
05-29-2016, 01:35
Walk in a straight line to your potty area, draw an arrow pointing in the direction you came in the dirt. Do your business, then when you're heading back wipe the arrow away from the dirt.

squeezebox
05-29-2016, 02:24
So bring a compass

Wise Old Owl
05-29-2016, 02:35
Bizarre thread. We can discuss this but keep in mind she made mistakes that anyone can make when following blazes and not keeping a basic compass such as where the sun is, and it was July. IF its noon - where is it? Yea it tragic... We can do What if? allot! basic survival skills and an ability to walk out is the backbone that a few thru hikers ignore.

Trailweaver
05-29-2016, 02:37
I keep a bandana tied around my head a lot as a sweat band (or if not hot, in my pack, handy). If I have to go off the trail far, I would tie it to a branch of something and walk straight from there. Really, I rarely go far enough off the trail that I couldn't see it. You could also do as someone else suggested - make a mark in the leaves or dirt with your hiking stick, or pile a few rocks in an arrow along the way.

daddytwosticks
05-29-2016, 06:57
I use trekking poles. I walk some distance off the trail and stick my pole in the ground where I can still see the trail. Then I walk some distance from that implanted pole such that I can still see that pole. Then I lay my second pole on the ground pointing towards the implanted pole. Then I drop my drawers and do my business. Just be creative and use your hiking poles to mark your path. :)

Pedaling Fool
05-29-2016, 07:16
I agree with the many that say, Never leave your pack unattended, take it with you -- I would never leave it on the trail while I do my biz. This raises an interesting question. What's the furthest one should allow their pack to be separated for their person? Please provide specific answer:D ;)

MuddyWaters
05-29-2016, 07:29
I agree with the many that say, Never leave your pack unattended, take it with you -- I would never leave it on the trail while I do my biz. This raises an interesting question. What's the furthest one should allow their pack to be separated for their person? Please provide specific answer:D ;)

Arms length.

In bear cannister areas if you have food/smellables not in cannister, they can be no more than arms length. I.e. under your direct control at all times. Good practice to follow anywhere.

saltysack
05-29-2016, 07:40
Great...now folks going to be afraid to sh$$ in the woods.....don't worry about stepping in dog crap on the trail....now people will be squatting on trail so they don't get lost...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

JohnHuth
05-29-2016, 08:08
now people will be squatting on trail so they don't get lost...


Please, NO!!! Go the 200 feet or more. Stay away from water sources. Make a deep cat hole. Bury it thoroughly. Think of your fellow hikers. It's a high use trail.

As much as we're all haunted by Inchworm's story, it's an anomalous event. Develop some basic map-and-compass skills. Revel in the art of leave-no-trace - take it on as a challenge, an art-form to be mastered.

Malto
05-29-2016, 08:22
Bizarre thread. We can discuss this but keep in mind she made mistakes that anyone can make when following blazes and not keeping a basic compass such as where the sun is, and it was July. IF its noon - where is it? Yea it tragic... We can do What if? allot! basic survival skills and an ability to walk out is the backbone that a few thru hikers ignore.

Agree^^^ it's not that hard, pay attention to the sun, slope, terrain etc.

as far as pack, I take my pack everywhere, water, poo etc. I have seen so many packs on the side on the trail or left alone at a shelter with nobody in sight. Thankfully for them I wasn't a bear or someone who wanted more stuff.

Greenlight
05-29-2016, 09:12
Goes along with the philosophy that we don't own our possessions, they own us. Arm's length is common sense when you are in an area where you have to be concerned, not so much about the other hikers, who understand that the contents of your pack are the only thing separating you from some really bad scenarios. Wildlife and opportunistic miscreants will gladly separate you from your stuff without a moment's notice.


Arms length.

In bear cannister areas if you have food/smellables not in canister, they can be no more than arms length. I.e. under your direct control at all times. Good practice to follow anywhere.

MtDoraDave
05-29-2016, 09:19
Not trying to be mean or demeaning, but one has to be honest with his or herself; if your sense of direction is poor, hiking alone is something that you should really think twice about. Having a hiking partner who stays on the trail to yell to if you get disoriented is much more helpful than a compass would be if you don't know where you are.
I think it's safe to say that none of us want to see piles of poo or paper or wipes that don't disintegrate right on (or within a few feet of) the trail. It's selfish, disrespectful, and gross. We spend time in nature for our own reasons, but I'm pretty sure none of us want to see (or smell) that.
.
No, I'm not perfect. I have stepped off a couple trails here in FL either taking a shortcut or to visit a place (lake, pond, etc) that isn't on the trail. Google maps will often work without cell signal - and it worked out for me both times - but to rely on it 100% is unwise for a number of reasons.
Once, in the Citrus Tract, my hiking partner and I took one of the forest roads to shortcut to a horse trail that leads to Tillis Hill campground. After about 100 yards, we decided that hiking in the sugar sand of the road was less desirable than staying on the trail, so we cut back diagonally through "the bush" to get back on the trail. We had a map, so what's the danger? Somehow, we crossed right over the trail - we both missed it - and eventually used the gps via google maps to find our way.
The other time, we did indeed find that lake, and knew that we needed to go "to the right" (east) once we got to it to find the old campground that the trail skirts (we planned on camping there overnight) - but it was slow going, loaded with ticks and chiggers, and finding the trail even after we got to the campground was time consuming. Again, google maps helped because it showed us where we were (and many trails show up on google maps if you zoom in far enough) ... My point is that it's quite possible to get turned around when twisting and turning to avoid thick brush, bogs, etc. Having a hiking partner, even if you both get disoriented, will help reduce the likelihood of panic - which is the least desirable thing in those situations.

Christoph
05-29-2016, 10:25
I just leave my pack on the side of the trail and get out of sight. Maybe a little further is no 2 arises. A bear incident is too far and between for me to worry about and I'm surely not too worried about people running off with a fully loaded pack. Maybe take your valuables with you? I dunno, I never really worried about it much.

pilgrimskywheel
05-29-2016, 10:28
Wow. If you need a compass and markers to poop...I don't know - you're chances are not good. If you think being within "arms reach" of your pack will save it from a bear...I don't know - you may be a virtual hiker. What's the game plan there? Karate? Or, you're going to whip out the big gun we heard so much about yesterday? Yeah, shoot a bear and see what happens to you - you'll get to be confetti. If a bear wants your pack he'll be taking it. And by the way - you smell like food, not just your Snicker Bars. It's the AT folks, not a first person shooter zombie video game. Stepping off the trail didn't kill Inchworm - apparently sitting off the trail for 26 days did.

Maydog
05-29-2016, 11:11
If you are a person that knows that you have a terrible sense of direction, or you are prone to wander off-trail without paying attention to how to return, then have a plan B. The trekking pole options are good. Another option is to carry a roll of nylon twine. Tie it to a branch near the trail and unroll it to your poo parlor. After the download, just roll it back up as you make your way back to the trail. It can be useful when camping too. Kite string would be even lighter and cheaper, but wouldn't be good for much else.

Malto
05-29-2016, 11:19
If you think being within "arms reach" of your pack will save it from a bear...I don't know - you may be a virtual hiker. What's the game plan there? Karate? Or, you're going to whip out the big gun we heard so much about yesterday? Yeah, shoot a bear and see what happens to you - you'll get to be confetti. If a bear wants your pack he'll be taking it.

Really? There are an awful lot of very experienced "virtual hikers" that would disagree with you. I have yet to hear about a bear taking a hiker's pack off their back, just had a thread a month ago about multiple bears getting into an unattended pack, complete with video. And the hiker with the chewed pack had a gun. Your single paragraph had more head scratchers than most entire threads.

Theosus
05-29-2016, 11:30
This thread is getting crapped on a bit, but it's a legitimate question with simple answers.

Just take a very simple route to do your business. You can point toward the trail with your hiking pole if it helps re-orient

You can't get lost 100 ft from the trail if you do that.

Do not go 100 ft away from a section that winds all over the place and is confusing! If it's simple terrain, you won't get lost.

I did that very thing. I had to take a dump and the first section I came to that was decent, was kind of where the trail (foothills trail, not the AT) suddenly doubled back almost on itself and went around a bend. I walked straight off the trail uphill to a big pine tree and did my business. When I came back down I could not find the trail. I stayed in sight of the tree and did an arc back and forth. Nothing. Finally pulled out the GPS and found the green line that marked where I had been walking, and backtracked. I was nervous there for a minute. It turned out I wasn't far off the trail. I kept my pack with me, but I'm thinking of carrying a bright bandana from now on (my normal one is black) and clipping it to a tree right on the trail.

MuddyWaters
05-29-2016, 11:32
Wow. If you need a compass and markers to poop...I don't know - you're chances are not good. If you think being within "arms reach" of your pack will save it from a bear...I don't know - you may be a virtual hiker. What's the game plan there? Karate? Or, you're going to whip out the big conservative gun we heard so much about yesterday? Yeah, shoot a bear and see what happens to you - you'll get to be confetti. If a bear wants your pack he'll be taking it. And by the way - you smell like food, not just your Snicker Bars. It's the AT folks, not a first person shooter zombie video game. Stepping off the trail didn't kill Inchworm - apparently sitting off the trail for 26 days did.

A bear doesnt want to fight you for anything. But if you leave it sitting around its fair game, even 15 ft from you. You can find posts on here from hikers that had pack taken while they were setting tent up, in plain view of a dozen people. Packs taken off of pegs in shelters while they slept. Packs taken out of vacant tents 5 ft from sleeping people. Conditioned bears are largely opportunistic sneak thieves. But once they got it...its now theirs and they will fight you for it. Doesnt have to do wirh smell, they have learned to associate packs with good stuff.

In some places like yosemite some bears have learned that they can scare people away from packs and open bearcans, especially if they can get between it and person. It is your responsibility to protect the bear by not giving it the chance. Or stay home.

rafe
05-29-2016, 12:02
In four decades of meandering through eastern (and some western) woods, I've never had any critters try to make off with my pack. I leave my pack by the trail when I take my pit stops. Maybe that's living dangerously, I dunno. Not recommending it, it's just been my habit.

I did have some humans steal my pack out of our car, in Morocco. The pack was recovered, minus most of its useful contents.

As for potty breaks -- 99% of the time there's no worry. But I've had a few tense head-scratching moments finding my way back to the trail. It happens. Keep your wits about you. Don't thrash, stop and think. As you're walking away from the trail, look behind you often, take mental notes and snapshots of the landscape. Especially on a cloudy or rainy day when there's no sun to give you a sense of direction.

It's not rocket science but the woods are not our natural home, not for a few tens of thousands of years, anyway. We don't have the sense of smell, homing instincts or the keen vision of many woods critters. We just have our big brains. Things we don't know or understand, all start "looking the same."

Lone Wolf
05-29-2016, 14:45
Lone Wolf to you this may be a stupid thread but not to me! A woman became lost and ultimately died as a result of making a simple mistake such as this. If you find it stupid then please refrain from posting. That is an option you know!


i highly doubt she was goin' to pee, got lost and died. in my 30+ years on the AT i never heard of anyone gettin' lost this way

Pedaling Fool
05-29-2016, 15:09
...If you think being within "arms reach" of your pack will save it from a bear...I don't know - you may be a virtual hiker. What's the game plan there? Karate? Or, you're going to whip out the big conservative gun we heard so much about yesterday? Yeah, shoot a bear and see what happens to you - you'll get to be confetti. If a bear wants your pack he'll be taking it. And by the way - you smell like food, not just your Snicker Bars...So, you got one of them levitating packs or maybe you have drone deliver your pack to you:D

Pedaling Fool
05-29-2016, 15:13
In four decades of meandering through eastern (and some western) woods, I've never had any critters try to make off with my pack. I leave my pack by the trail when I take my pit stops. Maybe that's living dangerously, I dunno. Not recommending it, it's just been my habit.Let's not forget that, thanks to our conservation efforts, a lot of animal populations are rebounding. I remember so many animals that were endangered when I was a kid, but virtually all of them are coming back strong -- that's a good thing, but there's always a little bad that comes along with the good, just a fact of the universe.

MuddyWaters
05-29-2016, 16:12
In four decades of meandering through eastern (and some western) woods, I've never had any critters try to make off with my pack. I leave my pack by the trail when I take my pit stops. Maybe that's living dangerously, I dunno. Not recommending it, it's just been my habit.



Ive never been in a serious car accident.
But Ill keep wearing my seatbelt ....just in case...cause statistics tell us ....it happens to some people with some frequency

And Im really looking out more for the animals welfare, than myself.

My pack is also light enough I dont mind carrying it everywhere, downhill to water, up to summits, it simply isnt something I have a desire to drop. Much of the time I dont really know its there.

rickb
05-29-2016, 17:10
I keep a bandana tied around my head a lot as a sweat band (or if not hot, in my pack, handy). If I have to go off the trail far, I would tie it to a branch of something and walk straight from there. Really, I rarely go far enough off the trail that I couldn't see it. You could also do as someone else suggested - make a mark in the leaves or dirt with your hiking stick, or pile a few rocks in an arrow along the way.

Out of curiosity who would report you missing, and how long would that be after you wondered off the Trail? Inchworm's situation was unique in that she was meeting get up with he husband very frequently.

MuddyWaters
05-29-2016, 17:32
Out of curiosity who would report you missing, and how long would that be after you wondered off the Trail? Inchworm's situation was unique in that she was meeting get up with he husband very frequently.

Although I try to text wife nightly or every other night, my family is accustomed to not hearing from me for a week or more sometimes due to lack of service. It would likely be about 2 weeks before they called me in missing. 2 weeks at 15-20 mpd is a pretty large search area....

I accept the risk for me. There are worse ways to go, like of a heart attack behind a desk.

35king
05-30-2016, 09:39
So here is an easy, light weight idea for people that worry about getting back to the trail; Have fishing line wrapped around a small piece of 3" X 2" cardboard. Attach a piece of zing-it to both ends. Mini caribeaner attaches the first end to your pack, second piece of zing it ties a small loop to put your finger through. Leave your pack on the ground, unravel the line (attached to your finger with zing it) and walk out to where you do business. Once done, spool it back up as you walk back to your pack.

swjohnsey
05-30-2016, 09:46
Are y'all serious?

Traveler
05-30-2016, 09:48
Are y'all serious?

Everyone know breadcrumbs work best.

Leo L.
05-30-2016, 10:00
So here is an easy, light weight idea for people that worry about getting back to the trail; Have fishing line wrapped around a small piece of 3" X 2" cardboard. Attach a piece of zing-it to both ends. Mini caribeaner attaches the first end to your pack, second piece of zing it ties a small loop to put your finger through. Leave your pack on the ground, unravel the line (attached to your finger with zing it) and walk out to where you do business. Once done, spool it back up as you walk back to your pack.

This way Theseus found his way back out of the infamous Labyrinth, by using the red wool thread Ariadne had handed him before.
So now I don't know if doing your dump falls in a similar category of tasks than killing the Minotaurus?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ariadne

rafe
05-30-2016, 11:05
Are y'all serious?

About coming home alive? Speaking for myself, yes.

MuddyWaters
05-30-2016, 11:54
You cant fly if your afraid to fall

JumpMaster Blaster
05-30-2016, 13:41
i highly doubt she was goin' to pee, got lost and died. in my 30+ years on the AT i never heard of anyone gettin' lost this way

We would love to hear your theory...

Sarcasm the elf
05-30-2016, 14:42
We would love to hear your theory...

I bet he'll use 10 words or less. :D

Sarcasm the elf
05-30-2016, 14:43
This way Theseus found his way back out of the infamous Labyrinth, by using the red wool thread Ariadne had handed him before.
So now I don't know if doing your dump falls in a similar category of tasks than killing the Minotaurus?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ariadne

That's frakkin brilliant! I think from now on I'll refer to having a bowel movement on the trail as "Killing the Minotaurus" :banana

rocketsocks
05-30-2016, 16:09
I bet he'll use 10 words or less. :Dill bet he could do it in two sylabols.

booney_1
05-30-2016, 16:26
i highly doubt she was goin' to pee, got lost and died. in my 30+ years on the AT i never heard of anyone gettin' lost this way

I agree with Lone Wolf. Something's off with this story.

DrRichardCranium
05-30-2016, 17:26
Her former hiking partner has said that Inchworm had a poor sense of direction, no compass or orienteering skills, and got lost a lot. She probably shouldn't have been hiking alone. So what's off with this story?

Malto
05-30-2016, 17:34
That's frakkin brilliant! I think from now on I'll refer to having a bowel movement on the trail as "Killing the Minotaurus" :banana

We could call you tipi Jr.

rocketsocks
05-30-2016, 17:39
Mound builder.

lonehiker
05-30-2016, 17:45
If you can't poop 40-80 (or however many it takes) paces off of a trail and reliably figure out how to get back to your point of exit, you probably should stay home.

Lone Wolf
05-30-2016, 17:50
If you can't poop 40-80 (or however many it takes) paces off of a trail and reliably figure out how to get back to your point of exit, you probably should stay home.

yup.....but getting a pic at the sign trumps everything

buckeye49
05-30-2016, 18:16
Her former hiking partner has said that Inchworm had a poor sense of direction, no compass or orienteering skills, and got lost a lot. She probably shouldn't have been hiking alone. So what's off with this story?

No probably about it, she most definitely had no business hiking alone. What I don't understand is why her husband and her friend appearently made no effort to convince Inchworm to not continue solo.

illabelle
05-30-2016, 18:44
I use trekking poles. I walk some distance off the trail and stick my pole in the ground where I can still see the trail. Then I walk some distance from that implanted pole such that I can still see that pole. Then I lay my second pole on the ground pointing towards the implanted pole. Then I drop my drawers and do my business. Just be creative and use your hiking poles to mark your path. :)

And now we know how you got your name. :)

Malto
05-30-2016, 19:55
If you can't poop 40-80 (or however many it takes) paces off of a trail and reliably figure out how to get back to your point of exit, you probably should stay home.

Absolutely, which is why there is a complete overreaction to this story. No, it doesnt make sense to most people on this site because the vast majority would have no issue finding there way back and if they didn't do it immediately then they would figure it out. To LWs point, there is no other known case of this happening on the AT.

pilgrimskywheel
05-30-2016, 21:06
Wowsers! Somebody was sharp shootin me bout "head scratchers" a while back. Lol! Happy M-day to all you fellow vets out there. Please, close this thread - it's embarrassing. Love to ya all.

Lone Wolf
05-30-2016, 21:07
Semper Fidelis

QiWiz
05-31-2016, 14:02
I say keep your pack with you and pay close attention to the route you take to your cathole site 200 or more feet from the trail. That way you can easily head back to the trail and no bear or person or other critter will have messed with your pack while you were making your deposit. But in the unlikely event you can't easily (or even with great concentration and deductive skills) find the trail again, at least you have your pack with you containing shelter, food, compass, map, maybe even GPS, and other things you might need at that point.

Can you dig it?

Lil' Santa
05-31-2016, 22:28
200-400 feet from a water source is the most important distance to know. 6" cat hole to bury your poop is equally important. If you're on trail away from water and you get the urge then you can start scoping spots.

I'll begin looking for privacy and generally don't need to go more than 50' off trail to have privacy and not poop on the AT. This has been the case since Georgia until my current location in VA.

I sometimes take my pack and sometimes leave it on trail. I haven't thought about a bear running off with it, but so far I've only seen two bears. Both at night in the woods when I was alone night hiking. It's probably best to take your pack with you so you don't lose anything and have a bear pay the consequences.

I've gotten into a rhythm where I poop in the morning using a privy at the shelter I wake up at. I'm stoked cause it's one less thing to think about during the day when you're crushing dem miles.

If you poop in the woods, please please please be aware of nearby water sources and bury your poop and TP. Pack out wipes and trash. Coming into Bland, VA - I literally saw a giant pile of **** on the trail with like 5-7 soiled SBUX napkins on top. Ridiculous.

Connie
05-31-2016, 22:49
U bury tp?

It lasts forever. It turns up.

There is a faster deteriorating tp, to avoid RV's waste systems clogging up.

I pack out the tp, wipes, and trash in an Opsak.

MuddyWaters
05-31-2016, 23:02
I put tp in hole with deposit , add water, swirl with stick. It dissolves.
Of course its only a couple squares. Not handfuls

DrRichardCranium
05-31-2016, 23:19
Packing out poopy toilet paper in plastic just means it will wind up in a landfill somewhere, enshrined in plastic. Which will prevent it from breaking down there. Also, most of us don't want to have such a long and intimate relationship with our poop.

Connie
05-31-2016, 23:24
It ends up in the septic tank, without the Opsak.

No, I do not re-use the Opsak.

This is what I do reasonably near where people could be hiking and camping, because they look for a campsite just off the trail.

I will try the dig deeper add-water-and-stir method.

I had never heard of that before.

saltysack
06-01-2016, 07:04
It ends up in the septic tank, without the Opsak.

No, I do not re-use the Opsak.

This is what I do reasonably near where people could be hiking and camping, because they look for a campsite just off the trail.

I will try the dig deeper add-water-and-stir method.

I had never heard of that before.

So you toss the opsak in trash after each trip? Seems counter intuitive....plastic never breaks down...already in our life time....I get packing out ship tickets in dry arid environments out west but if buried on the east coast it breaks down fairly quick...


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saltysack
06-01-2016, 07:05
Already=atleast


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Connie
06-01-2016, 08:03
I am in the West. What are packing out ship tickets?

saltysack
06-01-2016, 08:14
Another word for tp.....


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Old_Man
06-01-2016, 09:58
I'm fairly regular, even when on the trail. I know the times of day that I need to be thinking about TCOB. If I'm on the trail and said time is approaching, I will scout out the biggest, gnarliest, most prominent tree I can find and use that as a land mark for getting back to the trail. Situational awareness is key as well. I get into a trail trance when walking sometimes and have to remember to focus before just lollygagging off into the brush.

displacedbeatnik
06-01-2016, 13:15
I leave my poles on the trail (unless it looks like a really steep downhill to where I can go) just so people know someone is out there. But never my pack.

Hoofit
06-01-2016, 13:27
One related tip, always remember "right in right out" and "left in left out" as a way to keep track of which direction you were headed on the trail. For example if you step off trail by making a right turn, when you retirn to the trail turn right again and you will be headed in the same direction as you were before.

This sounds basic but in fact is really good advice, not just for bathroom breaks but for shelters also....
So easy to forget which way you turned in after a long day's hike.....
Been there, done that!
Good reminder!

Another Kevin
06-03-2016, 16:44
Since I tend to be more than a little scatterbrained, if I'm going off trail temporarily (to camp, or take a Deuteronomy 21:13, or scope out what looks like a potential view, or get water, or whatever), I try to make it a habit of presetting my compass to the approximate way back and wrapping the lanyard about it in the direction I have to turn on the trail when I get there.

The last time I can remember being VERY happy I'd done that was a couple or three years ago, when I'd found a nice campsite maybe 300 feet off a trail, and woke up in the morning having absolutely forgotten what direction I'd arrived from. I was puzzled, too, because my compass seemed to show a ridiculous direction, but I was simply on one of those meanders where Trail North is actually southeast. When I followed the compass line back to the trail, it was right where I'd left it.

Greenlight
06-03-2016, 17:02
Dig cathole. Poop. Wipe. Deposit TP in cathole. Replace dirt. Scatter foliage over site. Here's the thing...microbes. Worms. Etcetera. Paper disintegrates. In a thousand years, which is the blink of an eye of the cosmic clock, it'll be nice clean dirt. I'm not packin' it out. It's stayin' where it's layin'


Packing out poopy toilet paper in plastic just means it will wind up in a landfill somewhere, enshrined in plastic. Which will prevent it from breaking down there. Also, most of us don't want to have such a long and intimate relationship with our poop.

squeezebox
06-03-2016, 19:11
My ex-wife is directionaly impared. If I'm in her car and say turn north she most often does not understand. Even left or right can sometimes be an issue. I'm ADHD, so I can kinda understand.
If you are directionally impared, take the necessary steps to protect yourself. We are not all equal in everything.

illabelle
06-03-2016, 20:32
My ex-wife is directionaly impared. If I'm in her car and say turn north she most often does not understand. Even left or right can sometimes be an issue. I'm ADHD, so I can kinda understand.
If you are directionally impared, take the necessary steps to protect yourself. We are not all equal in everything.

Ain't that the truth! My poor daughter can't get across the street without her GPS. A while back she was going to an event in downtown Knoxville within view of the Tennessee River, but not across it. We looked at the route on the computer (this was before she got the GPS) and it was really clear: familiar road to I-640, then east on I-40, then exit on road that delivers you to the front door. Simple enough. Somehow she crossed the river four times!

Completely agree, know your weaknesses, protect yourself even if other people think it's silly.

squeezebox
06-04-2016, 04:48
Since I can't sleep I'll tell you a story.
I was an RN. One day I walked into the med room. Med rooms are usually the size of between a 1/2 to bathroom, lots of cabinets. This was 1/2 bath size. So here was another nurse doing her charting on top of a med cart. I asked her what she was doing. She explained she has ADHD and can't concentrate with the noise level at the nurses station. I immediately promised I'ld be quite if she let me stay and do my charting also. It worked well.
ADHD !! I think i see a lot of things that most people filter out. But it's difficult when there is a task/deadline at hand.
When my son was diagnosed ADHD I looked through the check list and realized my ADHD was worse than his.
Thanks for the vent!!

Connie
06-04-2016, 08:48
Brunton Get-Back is a small GPS with a big arrow to get back (car, home).

I looked for that one to purchase to see if I could recommend it.

At the point you leave the trail, set the waypoint (car, home) and for the return trip the arrow will move as you move to get to back to that waypoint.

I have all the GPS I like to have.

Are there other easy-to-use GPS that will do this much?

Maybe a find-the-car model GPS?

It sounds silly, like forgetting where you parked your car (another indication not to hike) but it could help.

There is terrain, for some reason, more difficult than other terrain for orientation and not getting lost.

Tipi Walter
06-04-2016, 09:35
Wow. If you need a compass and markers to poop...I don't know - you're chances are not good.

Excellent point. Might bring along a sherpa too along with compass, topo map, SPOT device, GPS unit, survey ribbon to mark the route, machete to clear bushwack trail, and maybe a Wag bag to cart out your own feces. Oh and please don't THRASH. (Thaks Rafe for the thought).


In four decades of meandering through eastern (and some western) woods, I've never had any critters try to make off with my pack. I leave my pack by the trail when I take my pit stops. Maybe that's living dangerously, I dunno. Not recommending it, it's just been my habit.


I always keep it in mind when leaving my pack to go on water runs off trail. My backpacking buddy Patman was in the Smokies a couple years ago and did just that---left his Mystery Ranch pack to get water. He returned to find no pack. A bear carted it off and ripped it apart. See his report here---

http://www.trailspace.com/forums/trip-reports/topics/129405.html

http://assets.trailspace.com/assets/9/c/2/981442/image.jpg
One of several bear rips on Patman pack, since repaired by Mystery Ranch.


i highly doubt she was goin' to pee, got lost and died. in my 30+ years on the AT i never heard of anyone gettin' lost this way

Agree.


Dig cathole. Poop. Wipe. Deposit TP in cathole. Replace dirt. Scatter foliage over site.

It's often never so simple as digging a hole and squatting to poop. I have written extensively about the two handed struggle with my angry turtleheads. I have even helped newbs deliver their own turtleheads out in the field. (Some guides like to work from the back, I prefer working from the front etc etc). I've compiled extensive turtleheads reports in my trail journals.

But then, who gets lost on a pee or turd break? It's absurd. One time I was standing on a trail and had to dump my pack for an immediate Turd birth---it plopped out right on the trail because it wanted out in the worst way. Probably blowback from an old 1983 case of giardia. Anyway it blew out explosively and took two arms and hands to subdue and properly bury but it flecked my boots and socks with effluvia and had the last laugh.

Another time a vestigial hand of a newly born Turd tied my boot laces together as I squatted and laughed hard as I stood up to walk away and fell face first near the birthing hole. And some turtleheads want to reenter the birth canal so caution is needed.

johnnybgood
06-04-2016, 13:49
Who would've thought this thread remotely necessary not long ago...sadly it is .
I have always by habit dropped my pack 4-5 paces prior to digging a cathole . I'm ALWAYS facing the trail as I squat.

Admittedly, 200 feet is probably the farthest I've trekked off trail to download a turtlehead.(Tipi-ism~ lol !) I've never needed a compass for a bathroom break although as mental facilities continue to diminish--who knows. :)

DLP
06-04-2016, 17:51
I met a AT thru hiker (The Brain) last year. He was training for the PCT. I was curious about the differences between and AT and PCT. He said that he pooped in an outhouse 99.9% of the time on the AT. He dug a cat hole a total of two times in 4 months. I found that kind of amazing.

Ditto to what everyone else said. Take your pack.

For a while there was a bear that used to hang out at an outhouse on the trail to Half Dome in Yosemite. He (or she, maybe...) would wait for people to take off their packs and go in the outhouse. S/he would grab the pack while they were in the outhouse.

Malto
06-04-2016, 21:23
Excellent point. Might bring along a sherpa too along with compass, topo map, SPOT device, GPS unit, survey ribbon to mark the route, machete to clear bushwack trail, and maybe a Wag bag to cart out your own feces. Oh and please don't THRASH. (Thaks Rafe for the thought).



I always keep it in mind when leaving my pack to go on water runs off trail. My backpacking buddy Patman was in the Smokies a couple years ago and did just that---left his Mystery Ranch pack to get water. He returned to find no pack. A bear carted it off and ripped it apart. See his report here---

http://www.trailspace.com/forums/trip-reports/topics/129405.html

http://assets.trailspace.com/assets/9/c/2/981442/image.jpg
One of several bear rips on Patman pack, since repaired by Mystery Ranch.



Agree.



It's often never so simple as digging a hole and squatting to poop. I have written extensively about the two handed struggle with my angry turtleheads. I have even helped newbs deliver their own turtleheads out in the field. (Some guides like to work from the back, I prefer working from the front etc etc). I've compiled extensive turtleheads reports in my trail journals.

But then, who gets lost on a pee or turd break? It's absurd. One time I was standing on a trail and had to dump my pack for an immediate Turd birth---it plopped out right on the trail because it wanted out in the worst way. Probably blowback from an old 1983 case of giardia. Anyway it blew out explosively and took two arms and hands to subdue and properly bury but it flecked my boots and socks with effluvia and had the last laugh.

Another time a vestigial hand of a newly born Turd tied my boot laces together as I squatted and laughed hard as I stood up to walk away and fell face first near the birthing hole. And some turtleheads want to reenter the birth canal so caution is needed.

There is nobody on this site that can get me laughing like you are able to do. Not sure what that says about my maturity.

saltysack
06-05-2016, 19:47
Truly amazing...nearly 100 post about crapping on the trail...*** is wrong w us! Tipi pretty much summed it up...


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rafe
06-05-2016, 19:50
Truly amazing...nearly 100 post about crapping on the trail...*** is wrong w us! Tipi pretty much summed it up...

And you're one of the top posters in the thread. ;)

saltysack
06-05-2016, 20:15
And you're one of the top posters in the thread. ;)

Ha


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Connie
06-05-2016, 20:21
I like the euphemisms..

I found an app: Back-Track

Now, if you like reliance on batteries, and technology, your iPhone or iPod Touch has an easy-to-use app.

English Stu
06-06-2016, 05:45
Don't leave your pack. I did at the Table Mt shelter in Georgia when I went to get water; which is way down from the shelter. It was hissin it down and I thought it was daft to get the pack even wetter. At the water source I realised what a fix I would be in if I couldn't get back to the shelter. On the way down I kept looking back to memorise the route. The Ed Garvey shelter is another water trek.

A lady thru hiker I know said if you cannot squat with your pack on you are not a real hiker :-)

QiWiz
06-07-2016, 17:37
I put tp in hole with deposit , add water, swirl with stick. It dissolves.
Of course its only a couple squares. Not handfuls

+ 1 - Poop Soup I calls it !

August W.
06-07-2016, 19:27
A lady thru hiker I know said if you cannot squat with your pack on you are not a real hiker :-)

I know one lady-hiker who prefers to hike in a skirt and routinely pees standing with her pack on. The things that impress me.....

Lnj
06-08-2016, 10:04
If you are a person that knows that you have a terrible sense of direction, or you are prone to wander off-trail without paying attention to how to return, then have a plan B. The trekking pole options are good. Another option is to carry a roll of nylon twine. Tie it to a branch near the trail and unroll it to your poo parlor. After the download, just roll it back up as you make your way back to the trail. It can be useful when camping too. Kite string would be even lighter and cheaper, but wouldn't be good for much else.

This... but a bobbin spool of thread. the lightest option and smallest space taker available. No other real use unless you have to stitch something up, but keep your pack on your back at all times and just run a thread from a tree on the trail to where ever you stop and follow it back. Easy peasy if you a re really concerned about getting lost. That issue never really occurred to me.

Lnj
06-08-2016, 10:27
I bet he'll use 10 words or less. :D

And it will be epic!

DLP
06-08-2016, 12:08
I keep thinking about this thread for some reason. :)

I'm very sure that a bobbin of thread would be VERY high on the list of items to be sent home or to go into the first trash can. I can't even imagine the pain that rolling up 100 ft of thread would be in my front yard several times a day, never mind in the forest or off trail. Expecially, if I am trying to get somewhere. Most people want to use the potty as fast and efficiently as possible (thus, peeing while wearing a pack) and don't want to spend time spooling and un-spooling thread. Also, I don't know about others.... but when I have to poop... I have to poop now. (I know, TMI.) And don't have time to be finding spools of thread in my backpack, etc. And the thought of spider webs of discarded thread everywhere... ugh! I can only imagine. Not to bash your idea... and if it works for you. But for most people, it just isn't practical.

Really, the two most dangerous parts of any hike are the drives to and from the trailhead. Or on a long hike - hitches with alcohol/drug impaired drivers or drivers with questionable driving skills. (Very few drivers are serial killers, but some drivers are very scary drivers.)

Once you are actually on the trail... people die in predictable ways:
http://www.backpacker.com/survival/survival-stories/a-dozen-ways-to-die/6/
1. Falls - don't pee near a cliff or while climbing waterfalls.
2. Drowning - NEVER poop near water, for many reasons, but I guess drowning could be one of them.
3. Heart Attack - yeah, you might have one when you are doing your business and another hiker comes along and scares you to death. But most people don't. I was out and hadn't seen anyone for 48 hours... and a truck with 6 park rangers came by just as I was finishing peeing. I nearly had a heart attack... but didn't.

My computer is too slow (especially on the Backpacker magazine site) to read the other ways to die while hiking... but I'm thinking potty breaks are very near the bottom of the list... if it even makes the list.

It is very sad when any hiker passes away... but we really and truly have much more to fear in our own homes and bathrooms. Many people die or are injured in bathroom falls every year. The home bathroom is actually a statistically much more dangerous place. Going potty off trail is much much statistically safer!

Lnj
06-08-2016, 13:05
I'm very sure that a bobbin of thread would be VERY high on the list of items to be sent home or to go into the first trash can. I can't even imagine the pain that rolling up 100 ft of thread would be in my front yard several times a day, never mind in the forest or off trail. Expecially, if I am trying to get somewhere. Most people want to use the potty as fast and efficiently as possible (thus, peeing while wearing a pack) and don't want to spend time spooling and un-spooling thread. Also, I don't know about others.... but when I have to poop... I have to poop now. (I know, TMI.) And don't have time to be finding spools of thread in my backpack, etc. And the thought of spider webs of discarded thread everywhere... ugh! I can only imagine. Not to bash your idea... and if it works for you. But for most people, it just isn't practical.


Oh that doesn't work for me at all. I just go and come back with no issue or even a thought of an issue. I was trying to submit a light weight idea to someone who seemed sincerely concerned about getting lost on a potty break. Its the same concept as the twine mentioned by someone else but lighter weight. If I was ever to try such a thing, I wouldn't respool it coming back, but just bunch it up in my hands as I go and burn it up in a campfire later. I have no need for assistance in pottying myself.

DLP
06-08-2016, 17:52
I have no need for assistance in pottying myself. That's good! Had me worried for a second! :)

Actually, I think that is the best advice of all... just reassurance that most of us potty and find our way back to the trail just fine!