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Pooping While Camping: Here Are 12 Things You Need To Know Now

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I don’t know why we feel embarrassed when we talk about pooping. Is pooping a sin? Absolutely not, so why we feel awkward saying that word. I am writing this blog post because of some general questions that may come into the camper’s mind about pooping while camping.

Pooping is one of the most important things that we need to put in our camping hygiene checklist and pooping effectively and safely will complete that milestone of our staying clean while camping. So here I am answering some common but important questions about pooping while camping which I think you may also have.

Why do you bury poop when camping?

Burying poop is one of the most important things in the to-do list of leave no trace mission. You bury poop because it minimizes the possibility of spreading diseases like typhoid, cholera, polio, hepatitis, ascariasis, etc, burying poop will not allow it to pollute water sources, and it increases the rate of decomposition.

Above that would you like to see someone else shit on your way to explore camping. If not then you must bury your poop because another camper also won’t like to walk on your doing. Cathole should be 6 inches deep and try to dig a hole where it is not hiding from the sun to make decomposition much faster.

How do you poop while camping?

So you need a method huh! Here we go:

  • Pack out everything you need to poop efficiently. When we hear the words ‘pooping efficiently’ we might think it’s nonsense. But do you know when you carry such simple but effective things like a shovel, ziplock bag, TP, and hand sanitizer that can fasten your pooping process to another level?
  • Time to dig a cathole but it is not a good idea to dig a cathole just when your stomach is crying to be free so be prepared in advance. There’s no problem digging a hole with your hands but having a good trowel can save you a lot of time. Here is a trowel that is ultralight, another that is super cheap. The cathole should be 6 inches deep, if you are not sure then dig it up a little more to be safe.
  • Now fulfill your duty of pooping in that hole and pack it up with the soil after you’re done.

Pro tip: While digging and packing the cathole make sure that your trowel doesn’t touch the poop coz it has bacterias and others that can contaminate the trowel and then your storage bag and ultimately you.

If you feel little responsible for your doing then place some rock in that place so that others don’t dig it.

How to squat to poop in the woods?

It may sound funny but squat pooping is the traditional Indian method that you can still notice in nearly all Indian villages. How do they squat poop? That’s very simple and kinda normal for everyday maintenance of the stomach.

Just squat down above the cathole, fold your hands on your knees, and start pooping in that hole. Squat pooping is not a new term that I am introducing here as it is the only method of pooping in the past where nobody had invented what today is called western toilets.

What happens when you bury human poop?

When you bury the human poop it takes about a year to biodegrade so yes your poop will decompose as time pass and human poop is not bad for the soil until you’re not using it as an unprocessed fertilizer because nowadays humans are so unaware of what poisons they’re ingesting with food. And that food will digest and remainings will excrete that also carries disease-causing pathogens.

Is it necessary to have a camping poop kit?

No, you don’t need a camping poop kit as a most necessary item. But just in case your body demands to excrete while camping or roaming outdoors and you need to do that now then poop camping kits will help you not to get caught with your pants down. Here’s a good single-use shit kit you can find on amazon.

How to pack out used toilet paper?

To pack out used toilet paper follow these steps:

  • Fold used toilet paper in fresh toilet paper
  • Put this on your trash bag and put the trash bag in a ziplock
  • Now before putting this on your carry bag seal the ziplock

Is it not easy?.

What to do with dog poop when camping?

No matter whose poop is that human, dog, or even cat should be buried at least 200 feet away from the water sources. If your dog happens to poop near any water source use your poop shovel to pick it up and carry it to a cathole that is 200 feet away. Make sure the cathole is 6-8” deep.

Is it bad to poop in the forest?

It is not bad to poop in the forest because you’re pooping on the ground, not in the sky. Just follow leave no trace and you’ll be fine pooping in the forest.

Where do you poop when camping?

If you’re camping in National Parks and Campgrounds then you can book a toilet facilitate campsite where you don’t have to worry about where you’ll poop. If you’re camping in woods or any other location which is not managed by any authority then do your poop business at least 200ft away from the campsite using leave no trace.

Can you poop in a portable camping toilet?

Yes, you can find the best portable camping toilet which provides everything that you need to poop inside the camping toilet. If you really want a good camping toilet then it is your duty to research enough until you’re satisfied with your choice of camping toilet.

How to not poop while camping?

Ok, I can understand why you want such a thing that helps you not to poop for some time while camping. Before sharing this it is my duty to make you aware that holding your poop for a long time is not good for your health and can make you feel ill. This is only for urgent camping situations.

  • Avoid squatting. Instead, lay down or try standing because it is not a natural position to have a bowel movement that may trick your body, not to poop.
  • Clench your butt cheeks together to keep your rectum muscle tense.

How to poop in the woods without toilet paper?

This can be the case when you’ve gone out of toilet paper or just want to know other ways available to try on next pooping in the forest or camping. The 2 methods that I know to poop without toilet paper might seem crazy but I am sure that they’ll rescue you in hard times.

  • As you don’t have toilet paper to wipe out you can use water to clean the area from where you excrete.
  • Wipe with leaves. Find some soft big size leaf and use them as toilet paper.
  • Whichever method you’ll use, make sure to wash your hands properly with either biodegradable soap or soil or campfire ash.
  • After washing your hand do not forget to sanitize to kill the remaining bacterias that might come during the poop cleaning process.

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