Crapping in the woods - an experiment

B

Bushman5

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Oct 31, 2007
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just for ***** & giggles :D I have been conducting an experiment over the last few months.

I conducted my business in four different spots. One spot the first day, another spot the second day, a third spot the third day, and a fourth spot on the fourth day.

latrine #1
- fecal matter left exposed on top of the forest duff, with toilet paper

latrine #2
- fecal matter and toilet paper completely covered with 2" of forest duff

latrine #3
- fecal matter left exposed on top of the forest duff, and the toilet paper was burned over top of it.

latrine #4
- fecal matter and toilet paper was buried in a cat hole, about 10" deep and covered with soil and forest floor duff.

I left the sites for 30 days. They were exposed to snow, rain, etc. Mostly rain.

I checked on them recently, starting with the first one, then the second etc.

results:

latrine #1
- fecal matter somewhat still visible, but mostly gone into the ground. Toilet paper still there.

latrine #2
- fecal matter decomposed completely, small shreds of toilet paper still remained

latrine #3
- nothing left at all. Some new mossy growth present where the fecal matter and burned toilet paper ash was.

latrine #4
- fecal matter still present and still "odorific". Toilet paper still present.

now, this was a rather unscientific study, but it appears to me that leaving your doody on the forest floor and burning the TP on top of it, is the best method of disposal. The fecal matter is exposed to oxygen, moisture, ash (trace amounts of lye), and the bacteria that thrives on the forest floor.

I was surprised that completely burying fecal matter 10" deep did nothing. Then a soil study person i know commented that while there is bacteria present at that depth, there is not enough compared to the first inch or two of the forest duff layer. Plus a lack of oxygen....

anyways, YES, I cleaned up the 4 latrines, and covered all with about 1 - 2" of forest floor duff.

:cool:
 
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I usually use method #2. After reading your results, I may start burning the tp before covering up. I like playing with fire anyways so that gives me one more excuse.
 
Thanks for sparing us from the pictures:D Interesting though...burning the TP can covering with a couple inches sounds about the best.

ROCK6
 
Good experiment, B5, did you use a Coghlan's mag bar? :D

It certainly is an important issue, especially in higher traffic areas. We experimented with different techniques as well and finally decided on:

Bury the fecal matter, use a brown paper bag to throw the toilet paper in, interspersed with bits of Birch bark or other highly flammable material, and burn bag and contents in fire, preferably not your cooking fire. :rolleyes:

It may take longer for the fecal matter to decompose, buried at a depth, but it prevents the following:

I've been to campsites, where somebody crapped and left it on the ground and, of course, my shit-magnet shoes................:mad:

Doc
 
whether they got shoes or not, you ain't the only one on the planet.
bury your waste, for the sake of your fellow humans.

speed of decomposition is not the point. killing disease vectors IS the point. play nice.

this opinion is based on MUCH real life experience with field sanitation, and IT DOES NOT SCALE UP, period. You build to the population by design, and that design ONLY works for some variable size population and should it be overloaded, then all of a sudden it don't work and you have cholera and dysentary.

Bury your poop.
 
The standard advice is not to bury it 10 inches deep, because it won't decompose at that depth.

Leaving it on the surface allows rain, etc., to carry it directly to water sources.

So bury it under a few inches of soil.
 
other options:

use a stick to pick up and smear on S facing rocks away from trail, etc. - will dry and decompose and blow away. could burn tp if safe to do so. use a small amount.

trick for minimal tp: pinch hole in middle of a single sheet; make sure to save this part; use finger to clean bum; clean with single sheet by folding; use pinched part to clean finger nail. voila. just kidding :)
 
gdtrfb said:
trick for minimal tp: pinch hole in middle of a single sheet; make sure to save this part; use finger to clean bum; clean with single sheet by folding; use pinched part to clean finger nail. voila. just kidding :)
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the visual of this post will leave me permanently scarred! :barf:

interesting outlook to the hiking doodoo...i'm of the cover with leave matter school of thought and think not of it again.
 
Bushman5 said:
...but it appears to me that leaving your doody on the forest floor and burning the TP on top of it, is the best method of disposal. The fecal matter is exposed to oxygen, moisture, ash (trace amounts of lye), and the bacteria that thrives on the forest floor.
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Not really a good idea from a hygiene standpoint, particularly in warmer weather.

As an example, if you, or anyone else, were to stay in that area and eat, guess where the fly on your sandwich just was. :eek:

Not good for the wildlife either. Many now suspect that we give wildlife Giardia too as it isn't as prevalent in remote areas where there is little human contact.

Poor hygiene is the easiest way to get sick in the woods. Please bury your crap and whatever you use to wipe if you don't burn it.
 
Robert.B said:
the visual of this post will leave me permanently scarred! :barf:

interesting outlook to the hiking doodoo...i'm of the cover with leave matter school of thought and think not of it again.
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See, what you're really saying when you suggest simply covering it with leaves, is actually just camouflaging it so we, the unwary, step in it.:D

I must wear the same kind of shoes as Doc, because mine — regardless of brand — are waste magnets, too.
 
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dawsonbob said:
See, what you're really saying when you suggest simply covering it with leaves, is actually just camouflaging it so we, the unwary, step in it.:D

I must wear the same kind of shoes as Doc, because mine — regardless of brand — are shit magnets, too.
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i'm setting up mines to keep people from my secret hunting locations. :D
 
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