How to Poop Outside

The great outdoors is full of nature and is quite a vast place to be. However, when you venture out to hit the trails or go camping.

There is nothing worse than finding you are not the first, and you see someone else has been pooping in the woods.

It may not be the best subject to talk about around the campfire, yet it is essential. When you poop in the outdoors, you need to do it the right way for more than just your health and cleanliness.

Human faeces can ruin yours or your fellow camper’s trip if you find it unexpectedly. Besides, leaving shit in the woods can disrupt the local wildlife if you don’t tend to your mess in the proper manner.

Everyone should follow outdoor ethics, and this can even mean as much as to train your dog where to go, as well as your own outdoor potty training sessions.

Depending on where you are, some National Park land managers will want any recreationist to make use of a wag bag for when they wish to go to the bathroom in the woods.

While there are many fun ways to poop outdoors, and in some cases, they may be an award-winning achievement.

You do need to follow leave no trace mentality for yourself, others and wildlife. Here, you can learn more about pooping outdoors.

How to Poop in the Woods

Before looking at the steps to take, you do need to know the best options for your outdoor pooping position.

Here are several different ways to poop as you head cross-country.

The Squat

This is the original open-air position. Precisely as it appears, dig your hole and place your butt as close as you can to the ground. Let nature take its course.

Tree Hug

If the roots are cooperating, it is possible to dig a hole nearby a tree. If the trunk isn’t too large, you may wrap your arms around it for support as you squat.

Natural Toilet

Occasionally you will be lucky enough to discover a fallen tree or a large boulder, which is well suited. You can suspend yourself from these more like a natural toilet position.

It can take some fiddling, and if you are in a hurry, it may be too hard to find such a seat.

Tripod

This position is quite similar to the regular squat. Just place a hand to the back of your for support. It does help you make sure you have a better position to miss pooping on the backs of your boots.

Lean Poo

Taking this position may be the closest to using a toilet when outdoor shitting. If you find a tree or a large rock you can lean your back against, you can take a natural position. One pro tip for this stance is to make sure the soil underfoot isn’t slippery, and the tree or rock isn’t liable to move.

 

Tips and Tricks for Pooping Outdoors

When you poop outdoor, all the above positions can help yet you still have to follow these steps to do everything in the right manner.

1. Preparation

As with any camping gear essentials, you do need to prepare for shitting outdoors in National Parks or any other area you need to go.

Make sure you pack the following:

• Hand sanitizer
• Toilet paper or baby wipes that are unscented
• A small bag
• An empty plastic bag (Ziplocs are best)
• Small trowel

Depending on where you are going, you may need to use wag bags. These are more than a plastic bag and come with odor control features. In the basic form, they are a doggy bag for you.

2. Choose Your Location

You do need plenty of time beforehand as it won’t be as simple as going to the bathroom at home.

Pooping areas need to be at least 70 adult strides or around 200 feet from water as well as the following

• Campgrounds or break areas
• Trails

While counting your steps, and checking your route, you may come across another water source; you need to divert and be 70 steps away from that one.

Check for shaded areas out of sight, sunlight and have soft earth.

3. Digging Your Cathole

Using the efficient trowel you purchased, dig a hole that is between 6 and 8 inches deep. It should also be 4 to 6 inches in diameter. If you need to dig a cathole after you poop, be sure to use a stick to move the waste inside the hole.

By using a cathole, it helps with the following:

• Help prevent polluting nearby water sources
• Prevents spreading disease
• Stops anyone else treading in it

The topmost soil doesn’t have enough organic material in the composition to break down human waste.

4. Leaving Without a Trace

Once you are done, you will need to clear up. TP isn’t designed to decompose, and animals will dig it up once they smell it.

Used TP should go inside your waste plastic Ziploc, and your trowel should go into your bag after you fill the hole and make sure it looks like you were never there.

It would help if you use your wet wipes and sanitizer, and any waste should go along with your sealable Ziploc.

Any full-time travelers will know that they should never use the same area twice, so spread out your holes if you are staying in one area for several days and nights.

With all the above, you can take an extended road trip and be confident you can cope with taking a poop outside.

Depending on where you are, you may be able to poop with a fantastic view, in the great outdoors, another benefit of camping.