Leave no trace ideas

[twistwrist]

Hey guys! I'm curious of what tips and tricks you use to leave no trace when out in the backcountry?

I highly suggest carrying a trophy trowel! It weighs and costs very little, and truly helps dig the recommended 6-8 inch cathole that a boot heel simply cannot dig. This is the level where poop composts the most efficiently AND no one's hiking boot willl encounter your poop. Not only that, when you've gotta go fast, the trowel is a handy little tool!

Also, I try to use my hiking pole to bury toilet paper I see strewn on the side of the trail. Please pack out your TP, or at the very least, bury it in the cathole you dug.

What are some ways you strive to leave no trace? With the increasing crowds on the AT each year, it's more important than ever that we all take responsibility for our actions out there.

[nsherry61]

I don't use toilet paper at all. A good cleaning with fingers and water gets that area cleaner than TP and reduces irritation and rash, and doesn't contribute more TP to either my garbage bag or the wilderness. The associated washing hands with soap and water more regularly also keeps you and yours cleaner and less likely to pass on disease.

I make a concerted effort to stay on the trail tread if at all possible instead of widening the trail or creating side trails to avoid minor obstacles.

I walk in softer and lighter shoes instead of boots, which can make a significant difference.

Cooking dinner an hour or more before stopping for the day, and getting up and hiking before stopping for breakfast, both dramatically reduce impact on camp sites especially since, if you aren't cooking in camp, you are more likely to camp in places further from water and thus also further from overused camp sites. Also, cooking before stopping can extend your hiking day and reduce food odors and animal issues where you are camping.

I use Google Maps street view instead of actually walking the trails to eliminate impact all together. ;-) The Grand Canyon on Google is fantastic!

Fat bike tires leave less impact than shoes, so riding fat bikes is a great help! Fat bikes can actually help smooth out soft, rough or rutted trail tread.

[saltysack]

I don't use toilet paper at all. A good cleaning with fingers and water gets that area cleaner than TP and reduces irritation and rash, and doesn't contribute more TP to either my garbage bag or the wilderness. The associated washing hands with soap and water more regularly also keeps you and yours cleaner and less likely to pass on disease.

I make a concerted effort to stay on the trail tread if at all possible instead of widening the trail or creating side trails to avoid minor obstacles.

I walk in softer and lighter shoes instead of boots, which can make a significant difference.

Cooking dinner an hour or more before stopping for the day, and getting up and hiking before stopping for breakfast, both dramatically reduce impact on camp sites especially since, if you aren't cooking in camp, you are more likely to camp in places further from water and thus also further from overused camp sites. Also, cooking before stopping can extend your hiking day and reduce food odors and animal issues where you are camping.

I use Google Maps street view instead of actually walking the trails to eliminate impact all together. ;-) The Grand Canyon on Google is fantastic!

Fat bike tires leave less impact than shoes, so riding fat bikes is a great help! Fat bikes can actually help smooth out soft, rough or rutted trail tread.

Remind me not to shake your hand if we meet! 6-8" deep sounds great in theory but it seems we'd be lucky if they would put a few leaves over tp and all!! After my recent FHT hike I was disgusted by the piles of tp and crap sitting basically on the trail with no attempt to cover.....some even left there shi! Kit Inc ziplock bag and all...sad but seems many folks have no respect! My dog knows better! He goes off trail to crap and covers it!

[Miel]

No products containing microbeads! Even though 2017 will bring an end to their sale in the USA, many people will still have the products stockpiled at home. These are an environmental MENACE, particularly to our waterways.

If you are carrying ANY kind of plastic that needs discarding, try to discard it at a store of which you are sure recycles plastic bags. (Whole Foods does - I hope I can trust them.) These are harmful to critters, many of whom think they are food; it lodges in the intestine, or chokes them.

A six-pack of soda can be irresistible to me on long hiking and biking days. But now, not so much. Unless you are committed to cutting up the yokes, don't purchase any beverage that comes with these plastic disasters. Even with the photo-degradable thing, a feathered or furry animal can choke to death well before the time it takes for the yokes to break down.

If you must use straws, try ones made from bamboo or metal, and RE-USE THEM. These are also a hazard to our wildlife friends.

Now what to do about plastic condiment packages. As light as they are, I am thinking of re-usable mini bottles (like the kind the TSA recommends instead).

No Baggies, Ziplocks, etc. with the little plastic tabs on them for sealing.

I'm less concerned about pooplah (except near the waterways) than I am about the evils of plastics that don't get re-used/recycled.

Think green; live green.

[Miel]

Thank you, Twist, for posting this ESSENTIAL thread.

[nsherry61]

Remind me not to shake your hand if we meet! . . .

Why is it that us American's are so squeamish about basic body functions? Do you never wash your nether regions in the shower? Do you avoid shaking hands with people that have just gotten out of the shower? Does cleaning yourself in the shower make you feel unclean, or do you feel cleaner afterwords? Do you always wash your hands after wiping with TP, especially in the woods? Many people do not, and it doesn't sound like you stress about shaking peoples' hands in general.

FWIW, I do follow the Arabic tradition of only ever using your left hand for hygiene and your right hand to shake hands and eat with. 80% of people in the world don't use toilet paper and many consider TP to be gross and dirty, like trying to clean yourself by wiping down with paper towels instead of taking a shower.

[TheWhiteWalker]

I think we just found patient zero of the norovirus.

[CamelMan]

toilet paper and many consider TP to be gross and dirty, like trying to clean yourself by wiping down with paper towels instead of taking a shower.

I was considering starting a thread about tips for defecating, but I think I'm going to try your suggestion. In civilization I always try to use wet toilet paper because I like to be clean and because it's gentler. Otherwise I feel like I'm just smearing s*t around, especially with a high-fiber vegan diet, LOL. I managed to get to Fontana using only privies, but I don't want to use privies that are disgusting and full to the rim, or carry toilet paper or non-biodegradable (IIRC) wet wipes anymore, so I think you might have the best solution. I'll have to carry soap and sanitizer anyway, since I don't intend to blue blaze the "fecal-oral route".

[MuddyWaters]

FWIW, I do follow the Arabic tradition of only ever using your left hand for hygiene and your right hand to shake hands and eat with. 80% of people in the world don't use toilet paper and many consider TP to be gross and dirty, like trying to clean yourself by wiping down with paper towels instead of taking a shower.

Arabic countries have a hose in the bathroom, lovingly termed by outsiders a ,"muslim shower". More like a garden hose and sprayer than a bedet. Inside of bathrooms are often soaked with water everywhere.

Never met anyone who considered tp gross. In some places they just dont have it. It works better than the firehose approach. People that wear sandals and live in sand, use the hose to wash feet a lot. Not uncommon to walk into public bathrooms and find someone washing feet in sink.

Also if note the flawed design of low water level in bowl, leaves poopy stuck to bowl that must be blasted off every use

IMG_20160417_052848.jpg

[Sarcasm the elf]

Arabic countries have a hose in the bathroom, lovingly termed by outsiders a ,"muslim shower". More like a garden hose and sprayer than a bedet. Inside of bathrooms are often soaked with water everywhere.

IMG_20160417_052848.jpg

And people ask me why I don't travel more...

[saltysack]

Arabic countries have a hose in the bathroom, lovingly termed by outsiders a ,"muslim shower". More like a garden hose and sprayer than a bedet. Inside of bathrooms are often soaked with water everywhere.

Don't give them any ideas! If I see someone squatting over the water source splashing there sphincter I'll puke! Dr B doesn't cut it for removing ship from under your finger nails...better carry some bleach...

[Sarcasm the elf]

Don't give them any ideas! If I see someone squatting over the water source splashing there sphincter I'll puke! Dr B doesn't cut it for removing ship from under your finger nails...better carry some bleach...

I'm starting to understand why the 3 Litre Camelbak bladders have such a long hose on them.

[saltysack]

Ha...bite valve has a new meaning!


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[nsherry61]

. . . I think I'm going to try your suggestion. . .

It works quite well. It does take some practice to figure out all the angles. Squatting in a bathtub and just experimenting with how to best trickle water and tilt yourself to get the water flow where you need it while keeping your water bottle well out of the way and clean it probably a worthwhile exercise.

It's really much more civilized than scraping with dry paper. ;-)

The other defecation tip I have (also works well for women when urinating) is to squat with your pants pulled down just to your knees, so your behind is hanging well below your pants, so you pants are safely out of the way. With practice, I think squatting in the woods is more convenient and more pleasant than trying to find something to sit across or against and way nicer than using a privy with no view, probably stinky smells and who know what other dirtiness.

[DuneElliot]

A six-pack of soda can be irresistible to me on long hiking and biking days. But now, not so much. Unless you are committed to cutting up the yokes, don't purchase any beverage that comes with these plastic disasters. Even with the photo-degradable thing, a feathered or furry animal can choke to death well before the time it takes for the yokes to break down

Think green; live green.

Glad I'm not the only one to be aware of this. I worked in wildlife rescue and rehab for years and those can yokes were the bane of our existance! I've seen so many horrorific injuries from them.

If you must buy a six pack please cut every single loop open...even the tiny ones. I think these things need to be banned (like in the UK) but that's probably wishful thinking, so all I can do is to educate people to the horrors of these things!

[saltysack]

It works quite well. It does take some practice to figure out all the angles. Squatting in a bathtub and just experimenting with how to best trickle water and tilt yourself to get the water flow where you need it while keeping your water bottle well out of the way and clean it probably a worthwhile exercise.

It's really much more civilized than scraping with dry paper. ;-)

The other defecation tip I have (also works well for women when urinating) is to squat with your pants pulled down just to your knees, so your behind is hanging well below your pants, so you pants are safely out of the way. With practice, I think squatting in the woods is more convenient and more pleasant than trying to find something to sit across or against and way nicer than using a privy with no view, probably stinky smells and who know what other dirtiness.

Seriously how much water does it take? Ive given birth to a navy seal at 120' while scuba diving. The fanning technique works well underwater and no contact required..I use this regularly when offshore but can't see having nearly enough water on trial to be effective. I guess you could have a dedicated douche water bottle to wash your arse...better mark in clearly! Think I'll stick to ship tickets and finish off with a degradable wet wipe for that fresh feeling!

[saltysack]

Trial=trail daaaa


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[nsherry61]

Seriously how much water does it take? . . . I guess you could have a dedicated douche water bottle to wash your arse...better mark in clearly!. . .

It can be done with about 250 ml of water if you're careful (including hand washing). 500 ml of water is plenty. Since I frequently carry a liter or less water with me between water sources, I will often wait until I am near a water source, then make sure I am well away from the water source and trail and camp sites (if any) to do my duty and wash up, then head down to the water and fill up my bottle as needed before going on.

As for a dedicated douche bottle, some people use them, but they are unnecessary. With a little practice, you can trickle water where you need it from well above your privates and handle the water bottle or cup only your clean hand.

Some time ago, I found some YouTube videos about how to clean yourself when traveling in countries where toilet paper is not used. Some of them had some pretty useful tips.

[Miel]

Any other suggestions besides those for dealing with pooplah?

[CamelMan]

Ive given birth to a navy seal at 120' while scuba diving. The fanning technique works well underwater and no contact required.

LOL. I'm picturing myself trying to do this.