How to Poop in the Woods - Really!

8/2/2019 How to Poop in the Woods - Really!

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Outdoor Defecation Considerations

In wilderness survival and even urban survival situations you need to know how to poop outdoorswithout the use of a household toilet and modern plumbing.

Dont laugh this is serious survival skills 101. Deadly serious as we shall soon see.

In this series Survival Topics will show you how to crap outdoors without making a mess ofyourself or the environment you and others need to survive. Dont be a vector of disease andmisery for your fellow man, yourself, your family, and animals you share the planet with. Learnhow to properly shit outdoors.You Dont Know Shit

The uninitiated often think there is nothing to urinating and defecating outdoors and many willlaugh at the idea of having to learn how to do it properly. After all, we have done it thousands oftimes in the comfort of home and perhaps even outdoors.How to poop Outdoors

How to poop Outdoors

The majority of people believe themselves properly trained in the art of taking a crap; simply moveclothing out of the way and let loose. Wipe. Repeat as necessary. Some small percentage ofpeople wash their hands afterwards, but studies have shown most do not.

If you think thats all there is to excreting bodily wastes then like most people your potty training isinadequate and you have much to learn.Feces Everywhere

It is evident that proper potty training has been denied the masses of people who thinkthemselves the epitome of civilization and education. Consider this common scenario that nearly


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everyone can relate to: even under ideal circumstances public restrooms that have comfortableseating and ample opportunity for cleanliness are often smelly, filthy germ ridden sties.

Public restrooms paint an interesting picture of the general state of personal hygiene in the worldand provide a glimpse into what will happen in a large scale disaster survival situation whenpeople are excreting human waste all over the landscape. Water and even food supplies are likelyto become contaminated with human feces due to improper hygiene.

But it doesnt take a disaster survival situation to make fecal contamination of water supplies aproblem. Even in rural and mountainous areas people routinely contaminate water by improperdisposal of human waste due to ignorance and laziness. In point of fact the vast majority of peopledo not know how to properly defecate.Proper Technique is Key

According to the World Health Organization over three million people die throughout the worldeach year from water borne diseases caused by water sources being contaminated by rawsewerage. This toll is greater than the loss from war, terrorism, and weapons of mass destructioncombined.

There are a variety of problems associated with the common method of simply taking a dump andurinating outdoors wherever you please, as the wilderness survivor will soon discover.

For one, long association with household living has grown us accustomed to using toilets withcomfortable seats and the privacy of closed doors to do our business. Often when attempting torelieve themselves in unfamiliar outdoor surroundings, newbies find it very difficult to relax andallow nature to take its course. Lack of the familiar commercial toilet paper and comfortableseating contribute to this problem.

In one part of this series we will explore various methods of "going to the bathroom" outdoors thatwork well in leu of the common toilet we are accustomed to at home.Proper Human Waste Disposal is Important

The health and survival of others and yourself depends upon the proper disposal of body wastes.Millions of people throughout history have died of diseases attributable to human body wastesentering food and water supplies due to improper disposal by ignorant or lazy people.

The list of water borne diseases that have sickened or lead to the sickening and demise ofmillions due to improper disposal of human body waste include Typhoid, Hepatitis, Giardiasis andCryptosporidiosis. And that is just for starters.

According to the World Health Organization over three million people die throughout the worldeach year from water borne diseases caused by water sources being contaminated by rawsewerage. This toll is greater than the combined loss from war, terrorism, and weapons of massdestruction.

During a large scale disaster scenario in populated areas you are almost guaranteed much of thelocal water supply will be contaminated with improperly disposed of feces and urine. Anywherenear roads and trails you can rest assured there is plenty of human poop laying about that has not

been disposed of properly. For this reason Survival Topics advocates that you consider ALLsources of water as contaminated until you treat it.

Even if you are totally uncaring of others consider this: diseases you spread can easily come backto you via the people and animals you infect. For example the common water borne parasiteGiardia is spread by fecal contamination of water by people and animals that are carrying giardiacysts. Should you infect a body of water by defecating in close proximity, many other people andanimals that use this water may ingest the parasite. As the infection you caused spreads intoother water supplies throughout the area and beyond, it could very well come right back to you,your friends, and family long after your body had rid itself of the initial infection.


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That is Karma in action and a cycle that can be avoided altogether by simply taking a few simpleprecautions.More How to poop Outdoors

Proper disposal of your feces is exceedingly important to wilderness survival yet so overlooked bythe masses of ignorant people that Survival Topics has created a lengthy discourse on the

subject. It is my goal to hammer home to you and others that:

1. you must dispose of your wastes properly AND2. take great precaution with the water you ingest into your body. because most people will not

do #1.

Millions of people throughout the world have succumbed to this widespread problem but there isno need for that to happen to you, your friends, and family because Survival Topics will teach youwhat to do.

In the next Survival Topic we will explore the goals you need to consider so that your freshsteaming pile of feces has a minimum impact on the environment and reduces as far as possiblethe odds that you become the next typhoid Mary of the outdoor world.

Exposed Feces Causes Disease

When most people are outdoors it is evident they choose to defecate with little preparation otherthan finding a somewhat out of the way location so as to preserve a modicum of modesty. Onceout of sight, they do their business directly on to top of the ground and for good measure throw outthe wad of toilet paper used to wipe themselves with. Little thought goes into what will happenonce the deed is done.

In many outdoor areas frequented by crowds, one only has to step a short way off the beatentrack to find plenty of toilet paper flowers and human feces lying about. Besides beingunpleasant and smelly to come upon, the mess harbors disease organisms and vermin.improper feces disposal

Improper Feces Disposal

People typically defecate like this in the outdoors

Within feet of a picnic area and stream, whoever left this calling card either had no knowledge of


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how to shit properly outdoors or simply did not care they are spreading filth and disease.

Flies and other vermin will dine on or hatch out from this exposed feces, and then walk upon thefood people are eating nearby.

You can be sure that areas frequented by the public have messes like this scattered all over thelandscape, contaminating drinking water supplies for miles around. This is why you MUST

condsider all water unsafe to drink until treated.

Flies and other insects walk upon the decaying offal as they dine, laying eggs to multiply theirnumbers. These same insects will then alight upon your person and your food, thereby spreadingdisease organisms quite some distance from the offending mess.

Rainwater carries a slurry of improperly disposed of human feces into groundwater, surfacepuddles, ponds, lakes and streams. Laced with disease organisms that were in the feces to beginwith or formed once it had been deposited, people and animals then come in contact with or drinkthis polluted water.

Even water that appears to be pure and pristine is often harboring disease organisms from humanfeces that can make the wilderness survivor very sick.Goals of Proper Defecation

Before you actually do the deed there are three basic goals that need to be taken intoconsideration when looking for a place to defecate. You want to:

1. Minimize the chance of other people stumbling upon your feces.2. Avoid the spread of disease and contamination.3. Increase the rate at which your feces is decomposed.

Upon identifying these goals we are now in a better position to carry on with the task at hand. Nowwe will explore the best method of disposing of human body wastes.Soil Helps Decompose Feces

Centuries of experience has shown that burying human waste is usually the best and mostefficient method of accomplishing the goals outlined above. But there is more to burying humanwastes than just digging a hole and dumping it in. With a little knowledge you can affect the rate ofdecomposition by taking advantage of microorganisms that are living in the upper portions of thesoil.

Soil is typically composed of several layers, for our purposes the most important of which are theupper two layers. These consist of decaying plant matter on or near the surface followed a littledeeper by the organic rich top soil that is chock full of the microorganisms and invertebrates suchas worms and other creepy crawlies that are largely responsible for the process of decomposition.How to Bury Feces


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How to Bury Feces

The proper way to dispose of human waste is to dig a hole and bury it. This puts filth out of viewbut also encourages organisms in the soil to work upon it, turning feces in black gold that is goodfor the soil.

Try to select an area that has deep topsoil

Your fresh steaming pile of feces will be heartily welcomed by the hungry denizens of the organicrich layer of soil. These creatures will almost immediately begin the process of turning your freshfeces into fine organic fertilizer that will benefit the soil and ultimately be absorbed by plants tofeed the ecosystem. This is a far better alternative to the disease ridden mess most people leavebehind from their behinds.

The key is try and keep your feces within the organic rich top soil area and avoid digging down sofar as to enter the subsoil area which is usually mineral rich but contains little organic matter.Typically the organic rich layer of soil is darker in color than the layer beneath it.

1. If the organic rich layer of soil is thick enough, dig a hole six to eight inches deep. In thinnersoils dig down only about 4-inches.

2. Place the soil you dug up off to the side in a pile. Try to keep the top section of soil containingsmall plants and roots in one piece so that you can use it as a plug.

3. Defecate into the hole.4. Cover with the loose soil you dug up, then add the top plug.

Now your feces has been covered from view, denied access by flies and other vermin, and is setto swiftly be decomposed into harmless, helpful soil by legions of microscopic creepy crawlies.

Fecal contamination of water causes the demise of more people throughout the world than war,terrorism, and weapons of mass destruction combined.


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We also showed you how burying your feces is typically the best solution to prevent the spread ofpathogens that lead to so much human misery in survival and emergency disaster situations.

This Survival Topic will show you the best places to defecate outdoors so that the chances ofwater contamination and the spread of disease are minimized.How Far From Sensitive Features Should you Defecate?

Learning where to defecate is not difficult but it is the actual practice where people go astray andleads to the pollution of much of the available water supply throughout the world. Even people whoknow better are often too lazy to go far off the beaten path, which is why you must alwaysconsider any source of water as contaminated.How to Bury Feces

Safe Areas for Human Waste

On this map white areas represent a 200 foot buffer zone around areas sensitive to human fecalcontamination

Generally you should defecate at least 200 feet (about 60 meters) from:

* Any source of water including swamps, wet areas, vernal pools, puddles, streams, lakes, andponds.

* Drinking water supplies including wells, hydrants, and buried water lines.* Roads* Trails made by humans and animals* Campsites and other places of habitation.


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Of course few people follow this advice and as you walk away from the above features you willoften find plenty of white toilet paper flowers and exposed feces from those who have been therebefore you.How to Measure Defecation Distance

Assuming the average human pace is 5 feet in length (1.5 meters) that means walking at least 40-

paces away from these features.

What is a pace? Paces are the traditional way to measure distances as you walk. Two steps is apace, so as you are walking count each time your left foot strikes the ground. If you would rathercount each step you take, then simply take 80-steps.

Once you arrive at a likely area to defecate, have a quick look around to be sure you really are atleast 200 feet from any feature that could be adversely affected by your feces. Then use a stick orshovel to dig your hole prior to defecation as outlined.

Now that we know the dangers of fecal contamination of water supplies during urban andwilderness survival situations and have a grip on how to properly dispose of human waste, we candiscuss some tried and true methods of relieving oneself in the great outdoors.

Many of us rarely defecate outdoors, usually doing the deed in the privacy of our homes or inpublic restrooms that provide privacy and comfortable seating in the form of a toilet. We alsousually have at our disposal plenty of commercial toilet paper in which to wipe our backsides with.

Those who are unaccustomed to relieving themselves outdoors may at first have difficulties lettingnature take its course because of unfamiliar surroundings and lack of facilities they areaccustomed to. This is only natural but in due course they hit their stride and are able toaccomplish the task whenever and wherever required.

There are several techniques that can help make the process more comfortable. I urge you to trythem all and find which work the best for you.Methods of Outdoor Defecation


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Log Seat

A good technique for neophyte outdoor defecators, sitting on a log is somewhat similar to sittingon an indoor toilet

Once the outdoorsman has mastered sitting on a log, he or she will often move on to a variation ofthe squat.The Log Seat

For neophyte outdoor defecators the log seat method is often the most comfortable and familiar.This will help ease the process until you become for accustomed to relieving yourself in placesother than restrooms and outhouses.

To defecate using a log, find or place a log so that it is a few feet off the ground and provides areasonably comfortable platform on which to sit. Often as you feel the urge to defecate coming onyou can keep an eye out for a suitable log that has been pre-placed by nature so that you do notneed to expend any additional energy in preparation.

Once you have prepared the log of choice, dig a hole at the estimated position your feces is likely

to fall. Use of a plumb bob is optional but if you do miss the target it is usually a simple matter toroll the feces into the pit you dug using a stick or rock. Fill in your hole and your done.The Squat

As your progress in your outdoor defecation experience, you are likely to find you can dispensewith seating altogether.

The most natural way to defecate is to squat and is perhaps the most universal and commonmethod worldwide. After having squatted thousands of times over the years while defecatingoutdoors I have come to prefer this method over using the common bathroom toilet.


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As with many good things, there are several techniques that can be used for successful squattingdefecation:

The Simple Squat is just that; hunker down by bending at the knees so that your body forms afigure Z. When done correctly this moves your backside out over the hole you dug and awayfrom your legs.

A problem with the simple squat is that all your weight is supported by your legs and feet. Goodbalance, flexibility, and a degree of strength and endurance are required. It can be somewhatdifficult to get your backside out far enough so that you do not soil the back of your calves or feet.improper feces disposal

Squat Against a Tree

You can press your back against a strong tree while you squat. This will take much of the weightoff your knees and thighs, as well as allow your backside to extend further away from your legsand feet.

Be sure to select a tree that is strong enough to hold you, and be careful of dead or broken treelimbs above you that could fall at the most inopportune time.

Squatting Against a Tree helps hold your body up while providing a comfortable backrest. Thesupport a large tree gives allows you to place your legs further away from your center of gravity,minimizing the risk of soiling a body part.

On slopes you are usually better off choosing to lean against the downhill side of the tree, but youhave to do a few test runs to be sure since other factors such as the direction the tree leans playsa role.

Squatting with a Sapling is my personal favorite and if you were to catch me in the act this isusually how I would usually be found.


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This method requires you to locate a tree small enough that you can grip on to with both hands.Holding onto the tree, squat down so that your backside is well away from other body parts andthe tree is taking most of your weight.

Outdoor Defecation Considerations

Now that we know the basics of outdoor defecation so that we can do our best to eliminate fecalcontamination and its related spread of disease and misery throughout the world, we can addresssome of the finer points of this important Survival Topic.Lack of Toilet Paper

Many people accustomed to relieving themselves in the comfort of homes or establishedrestrooms feel it is a hardship to go without commercial toilet paper. While toilet paper is certainlya convenience many of us have grown up with, toilet paper is actually a relatively new product. Forthousands of generations people got along fine using natural materials and you can too.

Like many products we have grown accustomed to through long-term use, once you try alternativemethods for a period of time you will likely find your original dependence a kind of unnecessaryhindrance. Toilet paper use in the wilderness is likely one of these.

Increasingly there is a burning toilet paper or carry-in carry-out philosophy enforced in wildernessareas, largely due to the problem toilet paper creates.leaves for toilet paper

Boulder Leaves

Even in deep winter snow you can often find dry leaves for toilet paper.

Wind has removed snow from the lea side of this boulder, exposing leaves that can be used fortoilet paper.

This could also be used as a good shelter from the elements, the leaves providing valueableinsulation.Humans are veritable feces machines, so that wherever numbers of people travel you are sure tofind vast amounts of toilet paper lying about. Even toilet paper that is buried often finds its way tothe surface by natural means including animal activity, erosion, and improper disposal.


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In some environments toilet paper does not degrade rapidly so that over time it is strewn all overthe landscape and adversely affecting the wilderness experience we seek. If you do not want tohave to bag and bring your used toilet paper with you, try using natural materials.Natural Toilet Paper

My favorite natural toilet paper is leaves; either fresh leaves from a tree or last years dry leaveslying upon the surface of the ground. In my northern climate deciduous trees shed their leaves in

a vast colorful display every fall. These dead leaves dry out and remain viable toilet paper formore than a year.

As you can see in the pictures on the Survival Topic Outdoor Defecation Techniques, I am literallysurrounded by acres of dry leaves on the forest floor. Even during winter months with deep snow Ican almost always find dry leaves. Why would I want to go through the bother of carrying aroundtoilet paper when there is all this natural replacement lying about?

Using natural toilet paper like leaves reduces the amount my backpack weighs, saves space formore important survival gear, is free, and I wont be required by local ordinances to carry a nastymess with me as I travel. Add to that the lessened impact on the environment and aesthetics,foregoing the use of commercial toilet paper is a smart move.

Come what may, no matter what the disaster, wilderness surivival, or urban survival situation, lackof commercial toilet paper should present you with no problem at all.Beech Leavesnatural toilet paper

Natural Toilet Paper

Shown here is a beech tree, which tends to retain its dead dry leaves throughout the winter.These leaves make an excellent soft toilet paper.


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As you travel, plan ahead and keep and eye out for useful items like this.

A northern tree I call the Toilet Paper Tree is the beech Fagus grandifolia. Besides providingtasty and nutritious nuts, beech trees have the handy feature of holding onto many of their deadgolden yellow soft leaves throughout the winter.As I am snowshoeing along I almost invariably come upon beech trees loaded with this prime

material and stuff a pocket full in preparation for the next call of nature. Planning ahead like this isan important characteristic of successful wilderness survivors.

Other materials that can be used in lieu of toilet paper include various grasses, evergreenneedles, sand, and even snow. Depending upon your environment you will have to use the naturalmaterials that are available, but once you become accustomed to the new standard method youwill no longer think much of using it and will get along just fine.Defecating in Adverse Weather

Another facet to relieving yourself outdoors involves the weather. Intense cold, wind, and wetnesscan make doing the deed a battle against the elements. Unless it is exceedingly cold, less than 25degrees below zero, one can usually defecate normally albeit quickly though it can be a choreremoving the layers of clothing enough to sufficiently free up the required body parts.

A method of defecating in very cold environments is waiting until your body is at the point ofoverheating, perhaps due to heavy exertion. This will give you some extra time in reasonablecomfort as you are disrobed enough to accomplish natures call. You may have to hurry but youcan often dress back up before your body becomes chilled.

In established campsites or if it is exceedingly cold you can create a shelter specifically made fordefecation. A simple tarp rigged teepee style can work very well. Add a candle, small gas stove, oreven a small wood fire and the shelter can be very warm indeed.What about Urine?

Urine straight from the source is free of disease organisms. However sterile it is, urine doescontain salts, nitrogenous wastes and other factors that can adversely affect water quality and theenvironment.

Recent studies show that a number of modern drugs people commonly take are passed throughurine and into the water supply. Estrogen, Ritalin, Prozac, and other prescription drugs are oftennow detectable in drinking water supplies. Likely sources are human urine circulating through theecosystem. It is believed these chemicals are adversely affecting wildlife and people in unknownways.

For these reasons you should be careful where you urinate. Avoid urinating near bodies of waterand wet areas. While it may not be necessary to dig a hole, giving some forethought will helpprevent adverse affects on the environment you need to survive.

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How to Poop in the Woods - Really!

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