How to Defecate Outdoors

Going to the Bathroom in the Forest

Decide what you will do about toilet paper before leaving home. If you insist on having it, be warned you will have to carry the used paper out with you, preferably double-bagged. A more environmentally-friendly method is to use "natural toilet paper" - leaves, sticks, etc.

Inform someone when you are going to go. This way, they can look out for you, and if you do not return after a short time, they will look for you to make sure you are safe.

Head out into the forest. Go far enough so that people can no longer see you. If it is dark, do not wander too far from your camp, ask someone to accompany you, and always take a flashlight with you. Find a place at least 100 feet (30 meters) from camp and the trail, and 200 feet (60 meters) from water sources.

Preparing your location. Once you reach a desired place, grab a stick (or bring a small shovel) and dig a hole no more than 6 inches (15.2 cm) deep (the bacteria that properly break down this waste don't live deeper than that). This hole will function the same as an outhouse hole.

Do your business in the hole. Don't forget to take care of the paperwork.

Use a stick to stir some soil into your dropping. This way the soil bacteria can break down the droppings more quickly. Then completely cover the material you deposited in the hole with dirt.

Place the dirty paper, if you used it, in a zip-lock freezer bag. This way you can pack it out in a sanitary and odor free way.

Head back to camp. Wash and sanitize your hands.

Doing Your Business in Winter or Alpine Conditions

Do not defecate in the snow. When the snow melts someone else will find your "present", as well as there is a possibility that the run-off, mixed with feces, will contaminate a water source.

Walk until you find dirt. Alternatively, pack it out in a sanitary fashion(for example, double-bagged with kitty litter, or in a poop-tube). If you are camping on a glacier, find a small, deep crevasse.

Going in Desert Conditions

Don't bury your fecal waste in the desert. As the dropping will not decompose due to lack of bacteria in the dry soil.

Find a rock well away from foot traffic. Do your business there.

Smear the dropping into a thin layer with a stick or large rock. Leave the smeared remains uncovered and the sun will quickly decompose and sanitize the area.