As
responsible wilderness travellers, we are faced with the task of
ensuring that we (and everyone else in our group) know how
to properly dispose of human waste. This may not be a
topic of polite conversation, but it is one which has to be
addressed. In the past, when wilderness travel was not as
common, this issue was not a problem. Now, when we paddle a
popular route, we may be one of hundreds of paddlers passing
though that area in a summer. What was once a small problem is
multiplied by a factor of hundreds, and the consequences are
easy to imagine.
Human waste is naturally biodegradable and will break down into
harmless organic material in time. Our duty is to assist this
process, and to be responsible about the aesthetics of our
campsite at the same time.
Human urine is not much of a problem. The urine of a healthy
person is basically a sterile liquid that will not transmit
disease. The only requirement is that we be smart about where we
choose to deposit that urine. Common sense dictates that we
choose an area well away from the campsite to prevent odour, and
make sure we are not in an area where urine will flow into any
natural drainage course and find its way to the lake where we
are swimming and drawing our drinking water.
Human feces are another matter entirely. Feces can contain
pathogens which spread disease. It is important to be
careful and responsible with our disposal methods. There is
nothing worse than arriving at a site to find human waste
carelessly disposed of or toilet paper scattered throughout the
area. The cleanup job is not a pleasant one.
The only acceptable disposal technique for human waste is to
bury it in an area of soil which is biologically active. For
larger groups, this may mean digging a small latrine for
everyone to use. In small groups, each person is responsible for
burying waste in a small "cat hole."
The trick
to properly disposing of feces is to bury it deep enough that
there is no odour, but shallow enough that it is in the layer of
soil which has bacterial and microbial action. This generally
means a hole 4" to 6" deep. The feces should be placed
in this hole, stirred up with a stick to mix in natural organic
material (which will help hasten the decomposition) then buried.
The area should be covered with loose material from the
surrounding area to help disguise the site.
The process of burying waste is not always as simple as it
sounds. Many parts of Canada have very sparse soil cover. It can
be difficult to find a location with enough soil to properly
dispose of waste. The other problem is that when we travel
on a well-used route, if we find a spot that looks suitable for
use as an outdoor bathroom, chances are good that someone from a
previous group has discovered the spot before us. We have to
resist the temptation to take the closest and easiest-to-reach
location - to take the time to travel a little further off the
beaten path and pick as spot as far as possible from the site.
We should realize that everyone will not take the time to do
this, so if we all pick the closest and most convenient
location, the site will soon be a toxic waste dump.
Toilet paper should not be buried in a latrine or cat hole. The
decomposition rate of toilet paper is much slower than that of
human waste. Toilet paper tends to pack down into a tight,
fibrous mass of wadded material that can take years to break
down. It should either be burned or packed out. Burning the
toilet paper at the cat hole location is not a good idea -
it is too easy for a little fire to grow into a big one. It
would be a shame for us to incinerate a forest as we try to be
environmentally responsible. The easiest solution is to burn the
toilet paper in the main campfire. We solve the somewhat
indelicate problem of how to carry back a handful of used toilet
paper by taking along a package of paper lunch bags. The used
toilet paper can be put into a paper bag, and the entire package
can then be discretely tossed into the fire. It takes a good,
hot fire to completely burn toilet paper. If we don't have such
a fire burning, we're probably better off to dispose of it in
the garbage bag.
Our approach is to bring along on our trips a cloth drawstring
bag which contains the "toilet gear." The bag has a
couple of rolls of toilet paper in Ziploc bags. a small garden
trowel for digging the hole, and the package of paper lunch
bags. When someone needs to use the "facilities" they
simply grab the bag and head for the bushes. This system has the
added bonus of ensuring a degree of privacy. If we see the bag
missing from the tree where it usually hangs, we know that
someone is probably a couple of hundred feet away in a
compromising state of undress, and don't go trekking back there
to surprise them.
On routes in developed areas such as Provincial Parks and
National Parks, the problem is simplified by the provision of
toilet facilities. This is a rustic but efficient type of
"outhouse" without walls. It is simply a wood framed
box with a hinged lid which faces away from the site, know
affectionately as a "treasure chest" or "thunder
box." If such a facility is present, we should use it - a
concentrated area of human waste is much better than a scattered
one. One word of warning - do not dispose of food scraps in this
latrine - bears are not very discriminating in their taste, and
will think nothing of tearing apart a thunder box to get at the
food.
Women have the added problem of sometimes having to dispose of
tampons and sanitary napkins while they are out paddling. The
same rule applies to these materials as does to toilet paper.
They should never be buried - animals will dig them up and
scatter them. The only responsible tactic is to burn them
completely or to pack them out. Keep in mind that it takes a
very hot fire to completely dispose of them.
There's an excellent discussion on this subject in the forums on
this site. Click here
to see it.
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Without love of the land, conservation lacks meaning or purpose,
for only in deep and inherent feeling for the land can there be
dedication to preserving it.
A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity,
stability and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong
when it tends otherwise.