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Minimal Impact - Sanitation

Not what you want to discover when you break for a picnic Just the job to deal with poo - a light plastic trowel costs little and allows you to dig a simple outdoor loo

Human sanitation needs in the outdoors were once either glossed over or ignored completely. Happily, there are no loos in the great outdoors so anybody who spends any time enjoying the open air will find themselves faced with the dilemma of 'where to go' and, more to the point, how to dispose of the result. Nobody wants to see trails of loo paper across our hills, fells, moors and coastline and all of us must play our part in avoiding the outdoors becoming a foul open air toilet.

There are various methods of dealing with human waste in the outdoors that are suitable for multi-day excursions - see below. For single days outdoors, a good, if unpopular, method is to carry out what you carried in for disposal later; check out CairnGorm Mountain's The Poo Project. The best, of course, is to plan ahead and avoid the need to do so. Going to the toilet, however you describe it, is a subject shrouded with embarrassment, humour and secrecy but we'll refer to a toilet as the loo and what we fill it with as poo.

Remember our top ten tips:

  1. It may sound obvious, but be discreet by picking a private spot that is considerate of other people living, working or just enjoying the outdoors.
  2. Remember that running water may be the water supply for a house that's out of sight. Make sure you are at least 30m away from any running or apparently still water when you pick your loo site.
  3. That loo should also be at least 50m from paths and 200m from huts and bothies. Where possible, dig a 15cm deep hole with a small trowel (good outdoor shops will sell light plastic ones) and bury your poo.
  4. If you can't dig a hole, spreading it thinly with a covering of soil and/or loose leaves and vegetation, helps the process of breaking down the poo. Digging or spreading in areas of sensitive vegetation should be avoided.
  5. Squashing poo under a rock to hide it will slow decomposition and should be avoided. If other techniques can’t be used then allow air to circulate by leaving a gap between rock and poo.
  6. Consider using loose natural materials instead of toilet paper.
  7. If you do use toilet paper, even biodegradable, then pack it out in a plastic bag. Burning it is a fire hazard and burying it is not acceptable as it inhibits decomposition.
  8. Burying tampons and sanitary towels is not a reliable way to dispose of them as they take so long to decompose and animals may unearth them so it's best to pack them out using a secure container.
  9. As the results of an upset stomach in remote areas can be more serious than at home, it is absolutely vital to wash your hands after a loo break. If you use a biodegradable soap, don't use it directly in running or still water; hand gel which needs no water is easily available these days in supermarkets and can be carried in a small bottle.
  10. Where feasible, use a proper toilet when you find it.

 

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