Ever forget your toilet paper on a hike ?

I've had to leave a bandana in the woods before, if you find it, just leave it be.
 
eyeeatingfish said:
How about just holding it?
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When a crap attack comes, there's no holding it.

I have had only one such crap attack without toilet paper along. Raided my first aid kit for some suitable wiping materials. In the summertime, there are plants in the area that have pretty decent leaves for the job, but they were dead and gone for my event.
 
Ahh toilet paper................often refered to as "mountain money" or "white gold". Never forgotten it, but I have run out many many times. This is why t-shirts are so long-you can always sacrifice the bottom few inches, and rock a half tee for the rest of the trip. Socks have also been lost for the greater good. I know I may seem unprepared, but no, it's the situations I have been in. Sometimes, no matter how much you prepare....it is goign to run out. The other military folks here will agree on this fact.............sometimes suppy doesnt have or cant get what you need.
 
Not me. But a friend of mine ended up cutting both pockets out of his pants. He said they became his "ball scratching pants".
 
It doesn't only happen in the woods. Once while moving into a new apartment, I had a "crap attack" (as coined earlier). I yelled out to the parking lot for some assistance to no avail. Luckily it was hot out and I happened to be wearing socks + I had my Emerson Commander. No one noticed when I walked out without socks and I learned to always carry a knife.

Another lesson to those who rent: leave a roll in the bathroom when you move out. Guaranteed it will help someone.

Edit to add: Don't flush fabric, if it won't dissolve, throw it in the trash (knew this at the time= worked out ok).
 
I've had to use natural materials on occasion. I much prefer snow over leaves. The former actually does a great job once you get past the temperature, while I never found leaves to be all that great.

I was out once with someone who used the triangular bandage from my med kit because they "NEEDED" something. Those things are very versatile.
 
One of the nice things about winter camping is THE SNOW!!!! There's nothing quite so clean and *refreshing* as snow-ball TP. Forget the Charmin? No prob. - that's what snowballs are made for.

If i forget TP (hasn't happened in a LONG time) in the Spring/Summer/Fall, gathering adequate natural foliage before the bomb-bay door's are opened is *required*.

However, since my favorite season for camping is winter (snowy winters that is to say), there's plenty TP all around.
 
I've used birch bark before in WI, it's actually pretty convenient. Around here, unless there's snow on the ground (fmajor's right, it gets the job done) then you're stuck with rough high desert grasses or even rougher sage bark. I haven't forgot the TP in a very long time.
 
Just a reality check
In plenty of cultures Toilet Paper is not availaible
Shocker!!!

So use water

A small amount of water works
Pour water with your right hand onto the open palm of your left hand with your fingers closed (palm facing up)
The water pours over your fingers and you clean yourself
It works very well

Then wash your hands with soap....
The ugg!!! factor is cultural

You will notice in cultures that eat with their hands, it is very impolite to eat with your left hand
 
Potentially that is actually more hygienic. It wouldn't be hard to make the case that if you are unwilling to touch your hoop with your hand it's probably because you have preferred to settle for some degree of monkey butt. Arguably an unnecessary use of water though.
 
I have cut off and used socks tops and shirtsleeves. Growing up on a farm and working fence/tobacco fields, I got used to carrying napkins form fast food restaurants or just a handful up TP. All my hiking bags have ziplocs with baby wipes in them, handy for different uses. Nothing worse than ape ass on a hike when it is 90F + out.......

I learned in the Phils, they don't use paper much, too $$$$. They use a water dipper and soap, the end result being preferable to paper.

Bill
 
Over the years I have used just about everything including rocks. Spruce tree branches work well too if you use them right, the needles will wipe and hold allot crap. Just make very sure that you wipe with the grain of the needles and not against them.

Some members here mentioned snow. I did that once with total regret. I made a nice snowball and used it only to have a major melt down with allot of heavilly contaminated brown water everywhere, on my hands, running down my leg and all over my clothes.
 
On the rare occasions I did not have TP while working or playing outdoors down here in Florida, I have used Spanish Moss and then found a water source to wash "the starfish."
 
Bufford said:
Over the years I have used just about everything including rocks. Spruce tree branches work well too if you use them right, the needles will wipe and hold allot crap. Just make very sure that you wipe with the grain of the needles and not against them.

Some members here mentioned snow. I did that once with total regret. I made a nice snowball and used it only to have a major melt down with allot of heavilly contaminated brown water everywhere, on my hands, running down my leg and all over my clothes.
Click to expand...

It's all about the technique and pre-make your snow-balls!!!
 
South African Military One Sheet wipe technique.

Take 1 sheet of Mil-spec toilet paper
fold into 1/4 or even 1/8ths along diagonals
tear off corner to make a mini poncho type.
Insert finger through hole
do your wipe around
fold paper over finger and squeeze while removing finger from hole, thus cleaning finger.
Take torn off corner and use to clean fingernail.


EDIT: As Brer Bear enquired from Brer Rabbit, sh*t doesn't stick to rabbit fur, so use one of them to wipe.
 
Same "cramp" situation and was away from my pack gathering firewood. No time to get back to the pack, ended up using my socks. I now pack an extra pair of socks for just such an occasion!
 
I rarely forget things, I always forget TP. ALWAYS! For some reason 9 out of 10 times I forget to pack TP. I've used socks, bark, ramen noodle packages, rocks, ziploc bags, you name it I've probably wiped with it at some point.
 
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