How to Poop in the Woods

Let's talk about how to "Doo Colorado Right" when it comes to poop. Sometimes, nature calls when you least expect it - do you know how to properly go to the bathroom outside?

This is a taboo topic, so it doesn’t get talked about as much as it should, which can leave folks unprepared.

Almost half of Colorado is public land, which means there are a lot of folks who are recreating outdoors, and we are loving our wild places to death by treating them like giant toilets. This can lead to fees, permit systems put in place, and even locations getting closed to public use.

Part of caring for Colorado (whether you’re a visitor or resident) includes knowing how to properly poop outside. When you’re outdoors, you will either need to dig a cathole, or carry a WAG bag, and pack it out. It is your responsibility to dispose of waste properly. Let’s take care of this state that we all love and preserve it for future generations.

Why should we dispose of waste properly?

• It is unsightly when you see poop or toilet paper on the top of the ground

• It can lead to the spreading of disease, bacteria, or viruses

• It can contaminate waterways

Here's a video on how to properly dig a cathole

Here’s how to properly dig a cat hole:

• Find a location that is at least 200 feet away from water (rivers or lakes) and away from the trail. If possible, locate your cat hole where it will receive maximum sunlight. The heat from the sun will aid decomposition. Avoid runoff paths that could potentially contaminate water sources.

• Dig a hole 6-8 inches deep and 4-6 inches in diameter (the PACT outdoors kit has a 6” marker on the shovel)

• Do your business

• Push toilet paper to the bottom of the cathole with a stick, or carry it out in a zip lock bag. Do not leave it on the ground.

• Cover and disguise the cat hole with natural materials (soil, leaves) when finished.

• Sanitize your hands to avoid spreading germs

When you are in some areas, arid climates like the desert, or above treeline in sensitive alpine tundra, you should use a WAG bag instead of burying your poop. It can take nearly a decade for excrement to be reabsorbed by nature in these locations. There are also high traffic areas, like Conundrum Hot Springs, that highly recommend WAG bags (and have free ones at the trailhead).

Here’s how to properly use a WAG bag:

• Find a private location

• Take out the WAG bag and lay out all of the supplies so you know where everything is

• Take the inner bag out, that has the deodorizing powder or gel in it, and poop into it.

• Wipe using the toilet paper provided and add the used toilet paper to the inner bag

• Seal the inner bag, place it in the outer bag, then seal the outer bag.

• Sanitize your hands to avoid spreading germs

• Take the WAG bag with you and dispose of it in a trash can once you’re back in civilization.

This is the PACT outdoors bathroom kit and the WAG bags I recommend (commission links).

The PACT outdoors kit has everything you need to cleanly and safely go to the bathroom outside. It comes with a lightweight shovel for digging a cat hole 6-8" deep and 4-6” wide. PACT wipes are dehydrated and compressed and unfold into a 9” towel with a squirt of water. PACT wipes are free of additives found in toilet paper and conventional wet wipes, so they decompose faster and with minimal impact. PACT tabs use fungal mycelium to decompose poop in the ground faster while killing harmful pathogens. Add the PACT wipe and 3 PACT tabs to the cathole. Fill it with dirt and let nature do the rest.

More info on how to "Doo Colorado Right": https://gunnisoncrestedbutte.com/stewardship/doo-colorado-right/

Leave No Trace: how to dispose of human waste: https://lnt.org/why/7-principles/dispose-of-waste-properly/#:~:text=Deposit%20solid%20human%20waste%20in,out%20along%20with%20hygiene%20products