Using the Toilet in the Forest

When travelling and camping in the forest, sooner or later you are going to need to use the toilet. Urination has little, if any, adverse effect on the natural environment and when travelling through an area it is reasonable to step a bit off the trail and away from water sources and urinate as needed. Defecating in the forest will however leave a trace of your presence – a pile of poop. When you defecate in the forest it is best to first did a cat hole. A cat hole is just a hole about 15-20 cm deep and big enough in diameter for you to do your business in it. After defecating in the hole, you simply re-fill the hole with dirt, burying your poop, where it will decompose naturally. Biodegradable toilet tissue / wipes can also be buried in the cat hole. You may also choose to burn the toilet tissue in the cat hole before re-filling the cat hole with dirt.

At your bug-out camp, or other location where you will be remaining for several days, digging a cat hole each time you use the toilet is not going to be effective, and over time you will have dozens of cat holes scattered around your camp. At a camp, you should build a latrine for disposing of human and camp waste. The following illustration shows a latrine from a Scouting manual. A hole filled with stones for urination and a slit trench for defecation, and a hand-washing station, help dispose of waste at your camp and maintain proper sanitation in the area.

Straddle Trench Latrine. The trench is dug 30-centimeters wide, 75-centimeters deep, and 120-centimeters long. Since there are no seats on this type of latrine, boards may be placed along both sides of the trench to provide sure footing. As the earth is removed, it is piled at one end of the trench, and a shovel or paddle is provided so that each user can promptly cover his excreta. Ensure that the latrine is at least 60 meters from any water source, and built downwind from your camp.

The latrine is burned out by adding sufficient fuel to the straddle trench to incinerate the fecal matter. If the contents are not rendered dry and odorless by one burning, they should be burned again. Any remaining ash should be buried when the latrine is filled in. The July 1913 issue of 'Boy's Life' magazine (pp. 13) recommended that latrines should be burned out daily, although this may not be necessary is there is only a couple people at your bug-out camp. Burning out the latrine does however reduce the number of insects that are likely to gather around it, so frequently burning out your latrine can help keep the area free of flies and other insects.

Toilet paper can be placed on suitable holders and protected from bad weather by a tin can or other covering at the latrine.  However, toilet paper is bulky and can be difficult to pack into a remote location in any quantity greater than a few rolls. One option for wipes that can be more easily carried into remote areas is Wysi Wipe Multi-Purpose Wipes. According to their advertisement: "Wysi Wipes are the preferred alternative to pre-moistened towelettes, facial tissue or paper towels. They are 100% natural, biodegradable and land-fill friendly. No chemicals and no artificial smelly scents. When you need a refreshing and durable wipe, you simply add a liquid. And it only takes a tablespoon full. Wysi Wipes, almost instantly, turn into a durable and reusable cloth."  I carry a few Wysi Wipes in my rucksack and find that they are a convenient and useful item for use in the forest.

In his 1917 book, "Household and Camp Insects" Ephraim Porter Felt recommended placing a few fly traps around latrines to reduce the number of flies in such places (pp.19). Modern fly traps are available from many sources, and can help reduce the flies in your camp and around your latrine.

The basic rule in the forest is ‘leave no trace’. Keep the area around your camp clean and avoid contaminating your water supply. A properly constructed latrine helps you do all of these things.