Outdoor Defecation Considerations

The How to Shit Outdoors Series

How to Shit Outdoors Intro
Proper Outdoor Defecation
Where to Defecate Outdoors
Outdoor Defecation Techniques
Outdoor Defecation Considerations

Now that we know the basics of outdoor defecation so that we can do our best to eliminate fecal contamination and its related spread of disease and misery throughout the world, we can address some 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 established restrooms feel it is a hardship to go without commercial toilet paper. While toilet paper is certainly a convenience many of us have grown up with, toilet paper is actually a relatively new product. For thousands 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 alternative methods for a period of time you will likely find your original dependence a kind of unnecessary hindrance. 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 wilderness areas, largely due to the problem toilet paper creates.

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 for toilet paper.

This could also be used as a good shelter from the elements, the leaves providing valueable insulation.

Humans are veritable feces machines, so that wherever numbers of people travel you are sure to find vast amounts of toilet paper lying about. Even toilet paper that is buried often finds its way to the surface by natural means including animal activity, erosion, and improper disposal.

In some environments toilet paper does not degrade rapidly so that over time it is strewn all over the landscape and adversely affecting the wilderness experience we seek. If you do not want to have 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 leaves lying 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 for more than a year.

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

Using natural toilet paper like leaves reduces the amount my backpack weighs, saves space for more important survival gear, is free, and I won’t be required by local ordinances to carry a nasty mess 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, lack of commercial toilet paper should present you with no problem at all.

Beech Leaves

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.

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 providing tasty and nutritious nuts, beech trees have the handy feature of holding onto many of their dead golden 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 is an important characteristic of successful wilderness survivors.

Other materials that can be used in lieu of toilet paper include various grasses, evergreen needles, sand, and even snow. Depending upon your environment you will have to use the natural materials that are available, but once you become accustomed to the new standard method you will 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 wetness can make doing the deed a battle against the elements. Unless it is exceedingly cold, less than 25 degrees below zero, one can usually defecate normally albeit quickly – though it can be a chore removing 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 of overheating, perhaps due to heavy exertion. This will give you some extra time in reasonable comfort as you are disrobed enough to accomplish natures call. You may have to hurry but you can 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 for defecation. A simple tarp rigged teepee style can work very well. Add a candle, small gas stove, or even 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 does contain salts, nitrogenous wastes and other factors that can adversely affect water quality and the environment.

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

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

That about wraps it up for the How to Shit in the woods Survival Topics series. If you have more to add, tips, suggestions, or experiences you would like to relate, feel free contact me.