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'Worst work in the world': US park rangers grapple with tide of human waste
'Worst work in the world': US park rangers grapple with tide of human waste
Published in the Guardian, Written by Grant Stringer, Dec 2, 2020
This Article brings to light the difficulties of keeping our great out doors clean, while enabling the community to enjoy the beautiful scenery. It explores issues with extreme climates and the effects on facilities, cleaning and transporting, and effects on animals. It explores an invention which was created to ameliorate and improve the problems. There is also a brief discussion on individual hikers packing out their waste.
Bring Your Own Toilet (BYOT) - A brief review
Bring Your Own Toilet (BYOT) - A brief review
There are a number of options for BYOT. The retailers of BYOT are plentiful: REI, Cabela's, Dick's Sporting Goods, Bed Bath and Beyond, Home Depot, Kohl's, Amazon (what don't they have?), and the list goes on... With COVID 19 in play the demand for portable potties has skyrocketted. It is understandable that consumers want to feel safe and not have to share a toilet as well as the virus.
Cabela's has by far the most extensive selection, from the super basic "Little John Portable Urinal" to the fully loaded Sun-mar toilet line. They also have two styles or urinals for women to boot. I have ordered online and must say that the online ordering and product pick up was a cinch.
I personally love REI for most of my out door needs and they also have an efficient order online/pick up in store process. While I was disappointed to see that their toilet selection was limited, the accessory inventory, such as waste collection bags and mini toilet tissue packs will keep you well stocked.
To the right I have pictured a handful of toilet options. The most basic is the Little John portable urinal, which handily can be fitted with an adapter for the ladies (Lady J). Not super comfy, but when you gotta go, you gotta go. Note that they both received a 4.5 out of 5 star rating for ease of use and packability and a low price of about $10 each. Next up is the camp commode. Looks comfy with the padded seat, there's a place to have the toilet paper handy, it comes with clips for waste bags and is tall enough to place a 5 gallon bucket under it. It is easy to set up and bonus, there is a cup holder. For the price of $80 I think it is a good deal. The PETT (Portable Environmental Toilet) seems to be the number one choice for our elders. It is very sturdy, maybe even a little too sturdy as the number one complaint was trouble folding the legs for storage. It has a 5 star rating for packability, sturdiness, comfort and for the price of about $80 it is a great deal. The Sun-mar line is really for those out door enthusiasts who have a cabin or similar permanent place to visit regularly. In this scenario having to pack out your poo is not as easy and the ability to compost on site is appealing. It makes it environmentally friendly, low to no odor, and sanitary. The price at first glance may appear steep ($2000), but you really can't put a price on a clean place to poo.
A sturdy, clean, easy to set up, comfortable out door commode made it to your list, but have you considered privacy? Some seem to have no problem placing the toilet in the tent. I agree that makes logical, functional, time saving sense. However, even with modern day science and little to no smell, the thought of having my toilet in my sleeping and eating (on rainy days) space, just does not seem sanitary. For those that would prefer to keep their toilet separate from their living quarters, there are a wide range of privacy pop up tents. Privacy shelters also come in a broad price range. At the bottom is the the flimsy looking, light weight, doesn't-take-up-much-room-when-packing-the-car $22 model which gets 4 stars out of 5. At the top is the $200 deluxe shower shelter which apparently has a tendency to collapse and gets 2 stars out of 5. I guess you don't always get what you pay for.
During these uncertain times it is reassuring to be able to add a constant. You bring your own tent, you bring your own food, why not bring your own toilette? Until next time, happy hiking!
How to Go to the Bathroom in the Woods
How to Go to the Bathroom in the Woods
Published by REI on their website, written by their experts
This article on REI's website is very thorough. It gives in depth instruction for peeing, pooping, and hygiene tips. If you have further questions, there is a Q&A at the bottom of the article. There are also links to other related articles such as food handling, treating water, and backpacking while menstruating.
Did you forget to bring your toilet paper?
Did you forget to bring your toilet paper?
So, you left your TP on the counter with your lunch, or neglected to replace the travel roll, or didn't think you were going to be gone that long... Fortunately Washington has you covered. In the winter it is a little more difficult to find an easy replacement, but when in a pinch, you need to use what you have to hand. Here are some options when west of the Cascades.
We have a lot of maple trees, and this time of year there are a lot of brown maple leaves to be found on the ground. They may come with a surprise, such as a slug, and after a good rain will be more like a wet wipe, but they can get the job done.
My brother once mentioned that a pinecone was a good substitute. While they are certainly plentiful in the Evergreen State, be careful. The scales can be prickly and they definitely need to be used unidirectionally.
I have looked at and considered a sword fern leaf. Sword ferns are also quite plentiful. The leaves are tough and won't fall apart. However, they are quite narrow and do have a bit of a rough ridge edge.
Then there is salal. A nice waxy, thick broad leaf. The plant is also a plentiful native like the sword fern. The leaves are a bit slick and none too flexible, so definitely not the top option.
One last option would be moss. It is quite plentiful, maybe even more so than ferns and salal. It is soft and moisture absorbing. Like maple leaves, especially if collected from the ground, be careful of slugs or other critters.
A winter in Western Washington still leaves you with plenty of paper alternatives. So, whether you forgot yours at home, or are trying to be a bit more environmentally friendly, the woods have your back-side.
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