There are a lot of things to be anxious about prior to your first camping trip. What if there are a bajillion bugs? What if I am unable to sleep comfortably in the tent? But perhaps the most troubling is this: HOW DO I POOP IN THE WOODS? Well, never fear because I present to you The Ultimate Guide on How to Poop in the Woods.
For several summers I took campers on multi-day canoe trips into the Canadian backcountry. Before embarking on our adventure, I would have the talk with them. The poop talk. I would walk them through exactly how to poop in the woods, and on our first night on trip I would go through it a second time. Here is my poop talk immortalized on the internet for your camping pleasure.
May this post help everyone achieve the pinnacle of hiking bathroom etiquette!
By following this method for pooping in the woods, you will be following Leave No Trace principles AND respecting others that may visit your campsite after you.
Why Does it Matter How We Poop in the Woods?
Before we dive into how to poop in the woods, I want to take a moment to explain why it matters.
- There are lots of unnatural chemicals in human food. These chemicals can be harmful, even in small doses, to animals and ecosystems. This is especially true for sensitive marine and alpine environments.
- Heavy rain / snow can wash bacteria and pathogens into the water. There’s also harmful bacteria and pathogens in human poop and we don’t want that getting into the water.
- No one wants to find your poop. If you just poop wherever you’d like, and don’t properly bury it, someone else will inevitably stumble upon your poop.
How to Poop in the Woods
Close your eyes and imagine this. You’re in the wilderness; tall pine trees surround you on either side, dark water glistens in the sun. You are setting up your tent. Everything is peaceful. Perfect. Then. Suddenly! Unexpectedly! You feel the need to poop.
At first you throw your hands up, lamenting. “Curse you high fibre camping meals!” But then you pull yourself together. You have TRAINED for this. You are ready to do the unthinkable. Today will be the day YOU TAKE A POOP IN THE GODDAMN WOODS.
Announce Your Mission to the Group
As you will be wandering into the woods on your own, you first tell your fellow campers where you are going. Some people like to boldly announce “HELLO FRIENDS I AM TAKING A POOP I WILL BE BACK SOON.” Others like to be more subtle and have established code names (for example, “I’m going to get in touch with nature, I will return shortly.”) But you – you have no shame. You confidently announce to your friends and family “It is time I venture into the woods to take a poop!” They clap as you gather your supplies.
Gather Your Packed Supplies
Next, you gather your poop kit. Your poop kit will vary depending on your location and preferences:
- Trowel – If you are camping somewhere without a thunder box, you will need a trowel.
- Hand sanitizer – Just because you’re in the woods doesn’t mean you can avoid clean hands!
- Toilet paper – This is optional, but often preferred.
- Brown paper bag OR plastic bag – I’ll explain this later.
Note: If you are camping in an arctic or alpine environment, you may need to pack out your poop. In that case, you will likely need a WAG Bag. This is a special durable bag that you poop into so you can pack out your poop.
What’s a Thunder Box?
A thunder box, also called a pit toilet or a backpacking toilet, is basically an outhouse without walls. A wooden box sits above a very large, deep hole (where the poop goes).
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Gather Your Natural Supplies
As you are searching for your pooping destination, you keep your eyes peeled for one (maybe two) things.
Find a large stick. How long? The length should be at least a foot long, but preferably more like two feet long. How thick? Place your thumb and index finger together in the “OK” sign. The thickness should be smaller than the hole created by your finger and thumb, but thick enough to not bend. You have found your large stick. It is perfect for pushing and stirring. You smile.
If you will not be using toilet paper:
Find leaves. Find some smooth, green leaves. If you can’t find any on the ground, this is the only time I permit people to pick leaves off living trees. I know that violates Leave No Trace principles, but be patient and I will explain.
Personally, I like to grab four or five large maple leaves. If it’s recently rained and they are still a little wet, even better. Ensure the leaves are clean (no bugs, dirt or weird things on it).
Location, location, location
Now you are off to go poop in the woods! Pooping in the woods is like real estate, location is everything. Here are the considerations you make as you are choosing your pooping destination.
200 feet from any water. Do not poop near the lake. Do not poop near the river. You shouldn’t even poop near large puddle. Poop + water source = bad time. If you can see the water, you are probably too close. If you can hear the water, YOU ARE MUCH TOO CLOSE.
Far away from other people. Get some distance between your pooping hole and the rest of camp. This is both for privacy and that no one wants your poop near their tent.
Soft ground. You want to find a location with soil, as you will be digging a hole. Trying to dig a hole where there is the exposed granite of the Canadian Shield is just going to be a bad time. Find an area that looks soil-y.
Dig That Hole
At last! You have found a suitable location for your poop. It is time to dig your hole. Using your trowel, you dig a hole 6-8 inches deep with a circumference about the same as a small dinner plate. You keep the soil you displaced near the hole. You will need this soil later.
Next, you put the trowel at least two meters away from your hole. This is very important and you will soon understand why. Place your toilet paper (or leaves) and your stick near the hole. It is time to Get. Your. Poop. ON.
Take That Poop!
Pooping Positions
Crouching or squatting above your hole, you poop to your heart’s content. You take in the scenery. You enjoy the quiet. Here, you are one with nature.
Packing Out Toilet Paper
Now, for wiping, you have a few options. First, you could wipe with toilet paper. In this case, DO NOT PUT THE TOILET PAPER IN THE HOLE. If you use toilet paper, you must either put it in the brown paper bag or in the plastic bag you brought with you.
Another alternative (and this is the one I prefer) is to use the four large maple leaves to wipe. Fan out the leaves so they cover a good area and have a good thickness (I have ripped leaves while wiping and that is just annoying because now you have poop on your hands, ugh).
If the leaves are wet, it’s like a butt bath. A backcountry bidet!* After you are done wiping, you can put the leaves in the hole with your poop.
(I like this option because I don’t have to deal with toilet paper. I have found that no matter how many times I say DON’T PUT YOUR TOILET PAPER IN THE HOLE people still do it. That has a larger environmental impact that pulling off the few leaves, so I encourage that as an alternative. If you’re an expert woods-pooper and disagree, please leave a comment below. I’d love to start a conversation on this!)
*Actually, a Backcountry Bidet is when you take a water bottle with a squirty top (like the green Gatorade ones) and squeeze it so a stream of water hits your butt.
What to do about “Backpacking Toilet Paper?”
There are some brands that make “backpacking toilet paper” and “hiking toilet paper” that is chemical-free and biodegradable, however you should still never bury toilet paper in your hole. Even if it’s advertised as the best backpacking toilet paper in the world, pack it out with you.
Fill the Poop Hole
Using the large stick you found, you push some of the soil into the hole with your poop. (If you missed your hole a bit, and we all have, use your stick to push your poop into the hole.)
Now, give it a stir. Use the stick to push the rest of the soil into the hole.
Now your poop should be completely concealed. (Why did you toss the trowel so far away? Because otherwise people forget and they use their trowel to push the dirt into the hole. They get poop on the trowel. The trowel has to go back into the equipment bag so I would rather it not be covered in poop, thank you.)
You take a look at the end of the stick. There is poop on it. You stake your stick into the hole poop-covered end first. This does two things. 1) The poop end is now deep in the hole. 2) The stick standing up on its own is a marker for where you have pooped.
Now, if someone else comes into the woods to poop, they will see your stick and NOT dig their hole right where you pooped.
Wrapping Up
You’re almost done. Now, you use the hand sanitizer to clean your hands. You pick up the trowel and toilet paper bag if you have one. Go back to your campsite. Return the trowel and hand sanitizer to the equipment bag.
If your toilet paper is in a plastic bag, put it into a large communal plastic toilet paper bag. In keeping with Leave No Trace principles, your group will carry this with you for the entire canoe trip. If your toilet paper is in a brown paper bag, you can put it in the fire and burn it.
Heads up: In the outdoor community, this is controversial! Some people don’t like it because they fear it will make the surrounding area smell like poop. Others think it violates Leave No Trace principles (I’m not sure how though). If you have an opinion, please comment below. I’d be interested in hearing your thoughts.
How great is Pooping in the Woods?
You just had the best poop of your life. Because you were crouching/squatting, your body was perfectly aligned for maximum pooping ability. Your bowels are happy.
Your mind is happy because your overcame a fear. You are in nature. Life is good. And there you have it, A Camper’s Guide to Pooping in the Woods. I hope this has relieved any anxiety you have about pooping while camping in the woods and inspired you to go camping even more.
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Great poop guide! I love the aggressive thumbs up and the idea of a backcountry bidet!
p.s. How do you feel about kula cloths? I am a bit tempted to buy one and try it out, but I didn’t take the plunge yet.
My main hesitation (besides the fact that it still seems gross to me lol) is that it is only designed for pee – meaning I’d still have go through the toilet paper / leaf (albeit, not as often)
Dumb question from a newbie hiker – what’s a thunder box, and do you know why it’s called that?
Not a dumb question at all! A thunderbox is a large wooden box that sits on top of a large hole and is basically an outhouse without the walls. I think it’s called that because it has a bit of an echo when you shut it or do your business.
Haha, I love that! But it raises an embarrassing question… how loud of an echo? Would people back at camp be able to hear my, uh, “thunder”?
It’s actually not very loud at all – just the sound of closing the lid is loud haha
Hilarious! I guess we are many that have been anxious about taking our first dump in the bushes. I had to do it before Internet existed and thus had no good advice, as given above, to lean on. Nobody in the group talked about it. It was an intangible issue. You just put some paper in the pocket and lurked away from the others, trying to be as invisible as possible. Far away, behind a huge boulder or some dense bushes, after carefully looking around, you anxiously pulled shorts down, and nature could take its course. Back with the group you pretended as nothing has happened. Everybody did it that way. But everybody also noticed when someone went away. Best to be aware, to avoid going out there then, and by accident walking in on one of your friends. Occasionally it still happened, bringing both persons into an embarrassing situation. I still flush about one situation years back. Walking in on a mature woman (50+ at least) from our group was extremely traumatic for a young man at about 18. Not showing more than some white thighs and hips, I still feel the guilt and embarrassment of intruding into her privacy. Luckily she just smiled when I said excuse. It was never mentioned later. After more focus on the issue, and not least LNT-practices, it has also become easier to talk about it. The poop talk as mentioned above, is quite common, and sometimes extended into a discussion about different positions. (Yes, I stick to the full squat.) Even though most of us prefer privacy when out there, I don’t think that many experienced hikers nowadays bothers about such situations.
I was fortunate that the first camping trip I ever went on was led by two counsellors who would super open about everything. I had other counsellors after that were much more closed off, and I knew the new campers in the group had questions. So now as a guide I always want to be like those first counsellors. I’m glad that the rise of LNT has made it a more acceptable thing to talk about!
Mikaela, I love your posts. I’m just a newbie backcountry and not at the point of digging a hole yet. I’m going to have to get used to the thunderbox. Can you please tell me how to stop the stink? Like, it’s one thing in a toilet of water, but when there’s only a hole…it’s pound to stink. Can I put something in it to prevent the smell??? Sorry, if this is a dumb question, but honestly, this is what makes me nervous about backcountry camping!
No worries at all! Not a dumb question!
Most well-maintained thunderboxes don’t have too much of a smell to them, especially if you’re quick to lift the lid and sit down (the poop is really far down the hole and the box does a good job of keeping the smell down, so unless you open the lid and leave it open it shouldn’t be too bad). You shouldn’t put anything inside the thunderbox other than toilet paper (and I don’t think there’s anything that would help the smell anyways).
I hope that helps!
To Sharon: I agree with Mikaela, not a silly question at all. I think toilet questions rank high on the disturbing topics among many hikers. Don’t let the toilet challenge become a barrier for outdoor enjoyment! I have also encountered smelling thunderboxes and outhouses and I know what you are talking about. For sure, digging a hole is not merely for “pros”. It can certainly also be used by “newbies”. The intention with my former posting was not to say that digging a hole is something that requires a high level of experience! The technique is quite simple to master, and, really, there is no need to fear the lack of privacy. In fact, squatting behind a boulder or a dense bush regularly gives me a better feeling of privacy than sitting on a “public” thunderbox. Walk well away from the camp site and stay away from water, then it will be ok. If it still should happen that someone accidentally shows up just when you are squatting, or not least if walking in on one of the others, a little smile and an “oh, excuse me” from both sides will considerably reduce the embarrassment.
I’m currently camping and I forgot to bring toilet paper. We’re in a desert so leaves aren’t an option. I really have to poop. What should I do?
Honestly I’ve never camped in the desert, but if that was the situation I was in, I would use water and a piece of fabric. Unfortunate situation to be in either way!
Squat well down and spread the buttocks apart. Then the need for paper will be considerably reduced. Perhaps no need at all.
Thanks to both Mikaela and Martin for your advice. Unfortunately given the urgency of the situation it came a little too late. I came up with a solution on my own, similar to what Martin suggested. In any case, your replies should prove useful if anyone else has a similar problem.
One question I haven’t seen asked is once you clean up after yourself and it’s all in the zip lock bag (toilet paper and feminine hygiene products etc.) where do you keep it at the camp site, if you’re not hiking? Do you put it in a bear canister? It’s my first time as an adult female doing full wilderness camping, no outhouse etc. thank you for writing these articles!
Yes your used feminine hygiene products should go in evening storage with food / personal toiletries / group garbage.
Each female has their own “moon kit” leakproof container for their used products and wrappers. Each person has a specific color mesh bag for their toiletries so their moonkit goes it their mesh bag for the evening.
Excellent article, thank you. I often wonder how long it takes for human waste to actually biodegrade in the soil. I googled to find out and stumbled on a website of products that actually addresses these issues for a variety of situations (camping, care homes, outdoor group activities, etc.). The website is biorelief.com and they have a load of products. One thing that caught my attention was “Poo Powder”. Apparently, it’s an enzyme that breaks down human waste to compost in like 2-3 days. They also have “poop bags”. I know, weird. But might be worth exploring. Someone mentioned being in the desert and wondering about “pooping” out there. This BioRelief website may offer some solutions. I have zero affiliation with them; I’m just passing on something interesting since we’re on the subject.
When I go camping it is mostly in Scandinavia during summer. I realize that climate, soil etc. vary around, and that my own experiences cannot readily be transferred to other situations. Once I went back to camp at the same site where I had been staying for two days only a week before. There were some bushes there being the most perfect toilet spot. When I visited it for my morning duty I noticed that the my waste from the last visit had dried and shrunk almost being invisible, and the toilet paper was visible but quite dissolved.
That is just my experience too. Last summer my girlfriend and I went camping in Scandinavia for one month. Then we often had to go to toilet in the bushes. On our retour we stayed at the same spot where we had been camping for a couple of days almost four weeks earlier. In the morning when going to relieve myself I went to the spot behind a big boulder that I had used for taking care of my needs last time we visited the place and I could see no signs of what I previously had left. When I mentioned it for my girlfriend she commented that she had a similar observation when she had been to her secret spot for her morning duty. Nature obviously had broken it down completely.
Openness, knowledge and practical skills on this topic is very important! Merely a few years back, going to toilet in nature, to me, was the most unflattering side with outdoor life. For a man, peeing is easy, but “#2” was a real challenge. As described above by others, I often felt it an intangible issue, something that just should be done at the highest level of secrecy. In the shadow of privacy, nobody talked about it, nor posed any questions. Everyone tried to avoid meeting others out there in the backwoods. Getting a glimpse of one of your fellow hikers squatting, had to be avoided at all costs. For sure, everyone realized that everybody else also did it, but I think we all pretended not knowing it.
My negative attitude to the topic totally changed some years ago when I joined an organized canoe hike. Already when settling down the first afternoon, our guide addressed the topic and gave us a thorough introduction to LNT practices, digging a hole, squatting etc. At first I think many of us found the quite detailed description she gave us somewhat embarrassing, but at the end of the “course” all of us were about practicing digging, squatting and discussing alternatives to toilet paper, and not least we were smiling and laughing.
Obviously our guide had managed to remove our collective anxiety for the topic. One of the women in the group asked what about privacy. Our guide replied that there was no guarantee for privacy as there was no door to lock, but three advice to be given: 1. Do never walk in the same direction as a fellow hiker heading alone for the woods! and 2. If out there spotting a head above a bush, walk in another direction. and 3. If still a “close encounter” should occur, the appropriate attitude for both involved is just to say sorry with a smile and let the vulnerable person fulfill his or her duty alone.
Already the first morning, the third advice showed very useful to me. In the middle of my morning duty, of all persons, our guide suddenly turned up at my side. We both smiled and said sorry, and that was all. Obviously openness and explicit norms for behavior made this potentially embarrassing situation quite uncomplicated for both of us.
So, yes, bring up the issue in the group at an early stage and many persons will (literally) feel relieved!
I totally agree! Openness at the beginning of a trip can make people feel so much more comfortable about a potentially embarrassing (and anxiety inducing) topic. Thanks for sharing, Jonathan!
Thanks for a frank description and a sensible discussion on a topic that is perceived too embarrassing to talk about among many of us. The fear of needing to poop in the woods was a serious barrier for me to join overnight hikes for several years. When taking part in day hikes, I always had to open my bowels before setting out, to be sure that I would not be surprised of an urge out there. I read all about it., and rationally, with my brain, I understood that every other hiker would encounter the same challenge. But I absolutely could not imagine myself pulling shorts down and squatting among the trees. For a man, peeing is not an issue out there. But still, I somehow envied the women because on distance nobody can say if a squatting girl is peeing or pooping. A squatting man? No doubt that he is pooping. Why should that be a problem then? I really don’t know, but it was to me. Isn’t pooping just as natural as peeing?
My “turning point” came some years back. At lunch break on a day hike, I went into the woods to pee. Then, suddenly, about 30 ft ahead, I spotted one of the other guys in the group from behind. Luckily he did not notice me. I will refrain from details but his duty was obvious. In some or another way this incident learned me that even though it is not obvious to the group, it is possible to stick away to get things done. Some weeks later I went for a day trip to a popular climbing area in the wilderness. At the parking area I spotted a man heading for the woods with a roll of toilet paper in his hand. Previously I should have “ignored” the sight, now I just thought that he is going to toilet. Then I began to understand that I was about to aquaint even emotionally to it, and now I find my previous attitude quite silly and futile. But, to be honest, I still am a bit anxious when I pull shorts down and squat, and I still feel a bit uncomfortable if I happen to spot some from group in their private moment. It is not enough just to say that we all do, don’t we. Every initiative to help hikers to get rid of possible “toilet neuroses” should be welcomed.
Probably a silly question, but it comes from a novice. With no door to shut, how to behave (what to say) if (when!) you accidentally, eh, uhm, “walk in on” another hiker in the most inappropriate moment? I did this summer, and gosh how silly and clumsy I felt. My only comfort afterwards was that the unlucky guy seemed to take the incident with a smile, even though squatting with trousers at the knees and the paper roll in his hands.
I think that’s the best you can do! If you’re at a campsite with a group, you can have a marker that indicates someone is pooping. For example, we’ll have a poop kit (toilet paper, hand sanitizer, trowel) and if that’s missing then someone is pooping and no one should go wandering into the forest. But if you’ve stumbled upon a stranger, you had no way of knowing so not much else you can do besides “oops sorry!” and walking away 🙂
Not a silly question at all! I guess most experienced hikers have been into quite similar situations, probably several times. I think it is good to have thought about the fact that it can happen in advance, so that you avoid being completely surprised the time you run into the situation, and rather be a little prepared for how to behave and what to say.
Then you won’t feel so clumsy, even though walking in on a friend or a stranger squatting with shorts at the knees probably always will be felt a bit too intimate for both involved. But don’t make it too complicated. As Eric and Mikaela write, the most sensible action when it happens is to say with a smile “oops, sorry!” I guess all experienced hikers will accept this as a sound approach in an embarrassing moment.
I think we have to bear in mind that such incidents occur because going to toilet is a totally normal and unavoidable part of human life. For all of us! Young or old, woman or man, no difference. It is not an anomaly that should or could be avoided. Out there in the wilderness a fully accepted way of doing it, is to squat behind a bush. Anatomy demands that trousers are down. The scene is set. Without a door to close and lock, such incidents will continue to occur. We have to live with this “risk”.
Yes, just say sorry, smile and walk away! I have been in both positions a couple of times. My experience is that a tiny smile is better than pretending that you have seen nothing, because for sure you have, and both understand!
And then, why bother? We all do it, and spotting others, or being observed, is just an acknowledgement that it is just so. Usually noting more than some white skin of the thighs or perhaps the bum is exposed, no real “nudity”.
Markers of some kind can avoid embarrassing encounters within a group, but, as Mikaela wrote above, when several groups are camping in the same area, this trick will not help. I try to think “We all poop” and “Sometimes shit happens”.