If you're new to backpacking, or if you’re hopelessly in love with someone who wants you to love backpacking, then this podcast is for you. We’ll talk about the essentials, how to lighten your load, and how to make the most of your time on the trail.
https://www.thefirst40miles.com
034: PRIVY: The Bathroom Episode
PRIVY: The Bathroom Episode
Today on The First 40 Miles, PRIVVY: The Bathroom Episode. Find out why this episode made it on our list of evergreen episodes. Then, learn the answers to the Top 5 Potty Questions: Things to Know Before You Go. Then, the SUMMIT Gear Review turns into the SUMMIT Smackdown as two trowels go head to head as they battle for a place in your pack. On the Backpack Hack of the Week, we’ll teach you a skill that Asians have known about for centuries–if not millennia. And we’ll wrap up the show with a little twist on trail wisdom.
Show Notes: Episode 034
Opening
* Why are we even doing this episode?
* Environment: Human waste affects the environment: The number of people getting outdoors is growing, and so is our impact on those high traffic areas. We need to recognize our impact…and decrease the mark we leave on the land
* Anxiety: People may have some anxiety about using the bathroom where there is no toilet…it’s different from our every day experience.
* Education: Know before you go and you’ll have less negative impact on the environment and less anxiety, and a better experience on the trail.
* Squatting is traditionally how it’s done on the trail
* Benefits of squatting
Top 5 Privy Questions (Things to Know Before You Go)
* What about privacy?
* Before you leave… tell someone else in the group where you are going
* Umbrella…
* Find a place at least 100 feet from camp and the trail, and 200 feet from water sources and 300 feet if you are in big predator country and want to avoid attracting animals who are curious about the scent.
* What about supplies?
* Toilet paper (Scott’s One-Ply breaks down faster than other plush toilet papers)
* Trowel
* Sanitizer or soap
* STP device for women
* Quart freezer Ziploc bag for storing your TP
* No baby wipes, unless you are going to pack them out
* If you’re dealing with diarrhea: replace electrolytes, bring some kind of first aid balm to apply with a cotton ball or tp and also a small squirt bottle…
* What about flushing?
* If you really want to help things break down faster and have a lighter impact on the area in which you’re backpacking, stir things up.
* It incorporates the bacteria from the soil into the waste
* Make sure you fully bury your tp so you won’t contribute to toilet paper flowers
* What about the environmental impact?
* Forest backpacking, things decompose faster
* Desert of alpine backpacking…those may require the use of a “poop tube” or a Go Anywhere Kit
* Bear Grylls did it, should I?
* Noooooo!
* Urine is NOT sterile
* Bear survived in spite of drinking his own…not because of it.
* Drinking urine has negative side effects, including diarrhea, fatigue, fever, and muscle soreness; and these symptoms increase with the amount of urine ingested.
SUMMIT Smackdown™: Deuce of Spades and Big Dig Titanium Trowel
Deuce of Spades
Big Dig Titanium Trowel
Structure
AluminumSeven colors:PURPLE ORANGE
MARIGOLD BLUE
GREEN RED BLACK
Titanuim with yellow handle
Utility
Pointed tip
RoundedHandle dipped in plastic
Mass
.6 oz, 2 1/2 “ wide x 6 3/4” long
.6 oz and 7 1/4 “ long, 2” wideAlso offered in a smaller .4 oz 6 inches and larger 1 oz size as well.