FeatherSticks · Skills

How to Poop in the Woods: Cathole, Toilet Paper & Outdoor Hygiene for Camping

Sixty metres from water, fifteen centimetres deep – and nobody ever knows.

Quick facts

Distance: About 60–70 m (200 ft) from water, trails and camp – a guideline, more is better
Cathole: 15–20 cm deep, 10–15 cm wide, in dark topsoil
Toilet paper: Pack it out in a sealed bag; never burn it in dry conditions
You need: Small trowel, zip bags, hand sanitiser, a little soap

1 Pick the spot

Walk about 60–70 metres, roughly 70 big steps, away from water, trails and camp. Look for dark, crumbly soil in a place nobody is likely to walk or camp.
2 Dig a cathole

Scrape the leaf litter aside and dig a hole 15–20 centimetres deep and 10–15 centimetres wide. Keep the soil next to the hole.
3 Fill it in and disguise it

Put all the soil back, press it down gently and spread the leaf litter and a few twigs over the top until the spot looks untouched.
4 Pack out the paper

Seal used toilet paper and wipes in a zip bag inside an opaque bag and carry them out. Never burn paper when the ground is dry.
5 Wash your hands

Wash with a drop of soap and a little water for 20 seconds, well away from the water source. Sanitiser is a backup, not a replacement.
6 Wash away from the water

Wash yourself, dishes and clothes 60–70 metres from streams and lakes with very little biodegradable soap. Strain the grey water and scatter it widely.

Going too close to water – behind the nearest bush on the stream bank instead of 60–70 m away.
A hole that is only a scrape: less than 15 cm deep, uncovered by the first animal or rainstorm.
Leaving toilet paper or wet wipes under a stone or in the hole, where they resurface.
Burning toilet paper in dry forest or grass.
Skipping hand washing, or relying on sanitiser alone with visibly dirty hands.
Washing dishes, clothes or yourself with soap directly in a stream or lake – "biodegradable" does not make it harmless in water.
Digging a hole in the snow and assuming the problem is gone.