View Full Version : Privy or not...
Would you rather use a privy or a good 'ole log (or anything else) to do your business?:-?
Lone Wolf
08-27-2004, 01:52
Mostly the woods but earlier this evening I was at Tom Floyd Waysde shelter just north out of the Shenandoahs, and the corn I'd been eating for the past 4 days was talkin to me. I sat in the steaming privy for awhile gettin rid of it.
Mountain Dew
08-27-2004, 02:41
AAAwwhhhhhhhh the horror of the visual Lone Wolf....aahhhhhhhhhh!!!!! I don't think I'll be eating corn for a while now........ man oh man.... :o
haha i knew this poll would provoke some crazy responses:clap
mostly depends on the privy - if the walls are covered with BFBugs or if the stink is too much then its the ol' cathole for me
smokymtnsteve
09-25-2004, 09:37
Mostly the woods but earlier this evening I was at Tom Floyd Waysde shelter just north out of the Shenandoahs, and the corn I'd been eating for the past 4 days was talkin to me. I sat in the steaming privy for awhile gettin rid of it.
some years back when I was still working as an EMT I had eaten corn for lunch ,we went out on a run and I had to put an airway into a guy, as I was tubing him he vomited right in my face , he had also had corn for lunch.
Kerosene
09-26-2004, 00:03
It's remarkable how I seem to be able to time my bowel movements to wait for a real toilet, or at least a non-privy. At least part of this is due to the change in diet and exercise level when I start a section hike.
In the Georgia section I never used a privy, hitting a "real" toilet at Hickory Flatts Cemetery (night 2), Woody Gap (morning 3), Blood Mountain Cabins in Neels Gap (morning 4), and then two days later in Hiawassee.
Now this is important info for the newbie! :jump
MedicineMan
09-26-2004, 00:48
I met few in my years that can remember or write down when they evacuate the bowel! I'm sure it was just incendental info in your journal :)
Percival
09-26-2004, 01:34
At night, none of the above. I just roll out my sleeping bag, squat in the corner of the tent, and be done with it till morning.
In the Georgia section I never used a privy, hitting a "real" toilet at Hickory Flatts Cemetery....
And i thought I was one of the few who used that one.
And a big privy it was too...his 'n hers under one roof. When I came through in April, i saw a note left by Dances with Mice pinned to a trail marker at the road intersection about the neat merry-go-'round at the cemetery and so I decided to check it out. While looking for it i spotted that unusual privy, had the urge, and left a small deposit. I don't think it was corn, though :D
Normally I prefer the solitary cathole.
Us folks with 75-year-old knees, prefer privies with seats, regardless of aesthetic considerations.
Weary
Jersey Bob
09-27-2004, 20:42
at least 10 characters
Bloodroot
10-02-2004, 10:36
I prefer privy, unless the little turtle head starts peeking out!
Dances with Mice
10-03-2004, 18:17
When I came through in April, i saw a note left by Dances with Mice pinned to a trail marker at the road intersection about the neat merry-go-'round at the cemetery
Hah! I met three people on that trip who told me they passed by that note because they weren't going to fall for the old "merry-go-round at the cemetery" trick. Didn't know if anybody checked it out or not. Thanks!
Hah! I met three people on that trip who told me they passed by that note because they weren't going to fall for the old "merry-go-round at the cemetery" trick. Didn't know if anybody checked it out or not. Thanks!
Hey, It was my first AT experience; didn't want to miss anything. I even took a foto of that scrap of note you pinned to that AT sign. But what struck me more peculiar than the merry-go-'round at that cemetery, though, was the really huge covered picnic pavillion that church group had constructed there. When I saw it I began to imagine the simply awesome Sunday feasts they must have there after services occasionally, with each family contributing some of their tastiest dishes to the gathering. I sure wish it were one of those Sundays when I was there; but it wasn't, though. I think it was a Thursday.
chknfngrs
10-05-2004, 09:01
great austin powers reference.
I normally woods it the RIGHT way.
IF available....i'll always take a privy....
but, if you gotta go......you gotta go!
to da woods! :D
ffstenger
11-15-2004, 09:28
Privy is always nice, my hat's off to the folks that clean'em out:jump
Ran in to Mrs. Gorp on Calf Mountain a few years back and she
gave some good advice to help the privy no smell so bad...
"pee in the woods, poop in the privy" Works for me !
Showme
Brushy Sage
11-15-2004, 11:40
When you go through Maryland, be sure to use the privies at Annapolis Rock (2 mi north of I-70 footbridge). The redworms need to be fed. This is true. When the privies were built (2002) they were "innoculated" with hundreds of little redworms from a Georgia worm dealer. They must have grown lots by now and have good appetites.
briarpatch
11-15-2004, 14:09
The privy with worms is called a "mouldering privy". We've started changing the privies in GA over to that type. Little or no smell, and "clean" compost when its time to empty them.
----
a bad day on the trail beats a good day most anywhere else - hap
My favourite privies are the open-air mouldering privies with the mesh platforms next to them. There are a few of them along the Trail, but none north of central VA. Gotta love a privy with a view - unless it's facing toward the shelter, I always leave the door open on the privy anyway.
Haiku.
When ya gotta, ya gotta...
Most of the privies along the AT are OK, but the woods-out-of-view, buried, are preferable to the really nasty privies. Assume we're talking about #2s here. For #1s I rarely get more than a couple feet off the Trail, but away from water.
gr8fulyankee
04-27-2005, 11:02
Mostly in the woods.
Dam does it suck if you are reencarnated as a worm.
Anumber1
09-29-2005, 15:21
I prefer the cathole, but if its raining I'll hold out til a sheltered spot or privy
While were on the subject. How do most of you feel about peeing while hiking? I just take a few steps off the trail and let it flow.
Footslogger
09-29-2005, 15:24
Depends on the Privy. I've seen some that made me ponder my decision to poop. Doing it in the dirt is much more reliable and good exercise for the hamstrings.
'Slogger
I agree with privy first unless it's nasty. If so, meow, baby.
Upper Goose Pond Cabin had one of those mouldering privies (no mention of worms, though). I thought it was a great idea, plus the poster describing it was good reading.
I also love the open ones. I can't remember where exactly, but I had one of those on top of a ridge somewhere south of Pearisburg a few years back. Hit it first thing in the morning, glorious day, sun coming up in front of me. Got me to use "craptacular" in a postive way for once.
Privy's are cool, but this summer on a long section hike our dog found every pile of uncovered, unburied waste...usually just behind a shelter left uncovered ( and usually flying a lonely flag of paper product) by some unthoughtful individual....won't be taking the poop magnet next time.
We actually came up for a name for him after the third incident, he is officially an Appalachian S--t hound. We are not yet AKC recognized but working on it......
Last year at Rausch Gap Shelter I looked in the privy, and it was "topped off". There was a stick to knock the top off the pile when you needed to make room. It was the most horrifying sight I have ever seen, and I often use NYC public park bathrooms.
Our "summer cottage" has a privy, ( no running water either, and the electicity is a marine battery and an old truck to recharge it ) but I have never used the privy. I can't stand the thought of it, it freaks me out. It's like locking yourself in a box of poop and spiders.
I read recently that people in cultures that have no toilets ( they perform movements while squatting ) statistically have less appendicitis. It's thought that squatting may help empty the bowels more thoroughly. So go s**t in the woods, it's more healthy.
i use a privy if possible, i guess as a LNT thing... but if it's gross, i'll hold it til i find a decent spot to leave my mark... cathole works just fine...
my parent's camp had a two-holer... mom used to laugh at that... she considered it a step up in the world, as she'd only had a one-holer growing up... if we had company up for the weekend, we'd often get some strange looks at first, and a laugh afterwards... 'why does it have two seats?'
i'll pee anywhere, but as crowded as many trails are, i try to get well off them, (too many close calls) and am always conscious of water sources... i drink out of them too, after all...
For me it also depends on the privy. However, I find that I can get more "leverage" when squating over a cat hole. The best position for this is facing downhill. I discovered this little nugget of knowledge from Roland Muesser's book and have to agree with it from my experience.
TAMBOURINE
09-30-2005, 07:13
Did It Have To Be Corn Lmfao
Near Albert Mountain I walked up on an older, very overweight celulite queen squatting over a log. The sight was enough to inspire the ATC to build a privy every mile.
:dance :dance :dance :dance :dance
i hate privys they stink,i prefer getting way off the trail,diggig a hole and taking a stealth poop:cool: neo
Blue Sky II
01-31-2006, 21:05
Going sobo you don't have much choice for a while.
Tennessee is truly the "No Crap State!"
The state motto ought to be: "We don't want your stink'n sh_t!"
CaptChaos
01-31-2006, 23:51
You know me by now that I have a story to tell.
Event at 5537 is what we call it.
Several years ago I had taken my son and two other Boy Scouts on a trip from New Found Gap to Cades Cove. We hit every shelter from Mt. Collins to Spence Field.
I remember Mt. Collins as it had a privy. And after the meal that I had fixed the night before I can tell you that amoung my traveling group after they visited the privy after I had made my deposit I was a God. For some reason just me and the boys we had a lot of bathroom humor on the trail.
Well, one of our members, SMan, just could not deal with a cat hole. We went over Clingmans Dome and he is still holding it, dont know why but he is, several days later we are heading over Thunderhead and he is still holding it for Spence privy.
The boys are faster than me so they pass me on the way over Thunderhead Mtn. About an hour as I get to the top of Thunderhead I smell something. The more that I move on the stonger it gets. And then in the middle of the trail I run across IT. My God, it looked like someone had died on the trail.
Well, I give last rites to this mess and when I get to the top I find my son and his two friends and my son and the other boy cant keep a straight face. When I ask what is going on I find out the real story.
Sman got hit with major cramps when they got to survey marker 5527. He goes down to find a place to have a cat hole but then realizes that cant since it is all solid rock. Well, he cant stop mother nature so out it comes. He does his duty and makes it back to the other boys when they mention that they smell something. They ask him what is going on and he tells them nothing. Well, when he turns around the other guys see that he has it all over himself. Decided to go on the trail but forgot to pull underware out of the way. You can guess what happened and he did not know it.
From that time on we have known him as 5527, he has a lic plate with 5527 on it and we made him a legend with this tale. Might not sound funny but it was the most that I have ever laughed in the life.
I was always told that you dont pee into the wind, dont frenchkiss a rattlesnake and remember to pull your underware out of the way before cutting lose.
Guess you had to be there.