How to Poop in the Woods: A Complete Guide

Human waste is one of the most significant sources of water contamination in the backcountry. A single gram of human feces can contain up to 10 million viruses, one million bacteria, 1,000 parasite cysts, and 100 parasite eggs. When hikers leave waste on the surface or too close to water, those pathogens wash into streams and lakes — the same water sources other hikers, wildlife, and downstream communities depend on.

The diseases spread by improperly disposed human waste are not minor inconveniences. Giardia, cryptosporidium, E. coli, and norovirus can all be transmitted through contaminated water. A Giardia infection alone can put you out of commission for weeks with severe gastrointestinal symptoms. This is why water filtration is essential on every backcountry trip — but proper waste disposal is the first line of defense.

Beyond public health, there is the simple matter of aesthetics and respect. Nothing ruins a pristine campsite like finding someone else’s toilet paper scattered behind a rock. High-use trails and popular camping areas are particularly vulnerable. As more people discover the outdoors, the cumulative impact of improper waste disposal grows exponentially.

The good news: handling your backcountry bathroom needs responsibly is straightforward once you know the techniques. The Leave No Trace principles provide a clear framework, and the gear you need weighs almost nothing and costs very little.

The cat hole is the most widely accepted method for disposing of human waste in the backcountry. It works in most forest and mountain environments where there is adequate soil depth. Here is the complete process, from site selection to cover-up.

A dedicated poop kit takes the stress out of backcountry bathroom trips. Keep everything in a small, labeled stuff sack that you can grab from your pack in seconds. The total weight is typically under 6 ounces — negligible even for ultralight hikers obsessing over their backpacking gear checklist.

WAG bags (Waste Alleviation and Gelling bags) are the backcountry bathroom solution for environments where digging a cat hole is not practical or not permitted. They consist of a puncture-resistant outer bag and an inner bag lined with a gelling powder that solidifies liquids, neutralizes odor, and begins breaking down pathogens.

Alpine and above-treeline zones. Above treeline, soil is thin or nonexistent. Rocky terrain makes digging impossible, and the cold temperatures slow decomposition to a near halt. Waste left on the surface at high altitude can persist for years. Popular alpine destinations like Mount Whitney, Mount Rainier, and Denali require WAG bag use by regulation.

Desert environments. Desert soil is often too shallow, sandy, or hardpan to dig a proper cat hole. Even where you can dig, the lack of moisture and biological activity means waste decomposes extremely slowly. Canyon corridors and desert washes are especially sensitive because flash floods can scour buried waste and deposit it in water sources miles downstream.

Snow and winter conditions. In winter, the ground is frozen solid — you cannot dig. And waste deposited on snow is exposed to the surface once the snow melts in spring, often right next to trails and water sources that were buried under snowpack during your trip. Always pack out in winter. Our 10 essentials for hiking guide covers the winter-specific items that complement your cold-weather poop kit.

Regulated areas and river corridors. Many popular wilderness areas now require all human waste to be packed out. This includes most river corridors managed by the Bureau of Land Management (Grand Canyon, Rogue River, Main Salmon), high-use wilderness zones, and climbing routes on major peaks. Check regulations before your trip on the National Park Service backcountry planning page — fines for improper waste disposal can be substantial.

Most backcountry bathroom advice is written from a male perspective, which ignores the practical realities that women face on trail. Here are specific tips based on feedback from women thru-hikers and backcountry guides.

Urination on trail. For urination only (not defecation), you do not need a cat hole — but you still need to be 200 feet from water sources. A female urination device (FUD) like the pStyle, Freshette, or SheWee allows you to pee standing up without removing layers or fully squatting. These are especially valuable in cold weather, rain, or exposed terrain where dropping layers is uncomfortable or risky. Practice at home in the shower before using one on trail.

Clothing strategy. Hiking skirts and kilts have become increasingly popular among women hikers, partly because they make backcountry bathroom trips dramatically easier — you simply step off trail, squat, and go without removing or lowering any clothing. If you hike in pants, consider styles with a wide leg opening or a side zip for easier access. Jumpsuits and one-piece base layers are the worst choice for backcountry bathroom convenience.

Menstrual hygiene. Pack out all menstrual products — tampons, pads, wipes, and applicators. Never bury them; they do not decompose in the backcountry and attract animals. Use opaque, sealable bags with baking soda for odor control. A menstrual cup is the most backcountry-friendly option because it produces zero waste, lasts for years, and only needs to be emptied and rinsed every 8 to 12 hours. Dump the contents into a cat hole at least 200 feet from water, and sanitize the cup with purified water or a dedicated cup wash.

Privacy. On busy trails, finding privacy can be a real challenge. Walk further from the trail than you think you need to — the standard 200-foot distance for water applies, but for privacy, many women hikers go even further or look for terrain features like large boulders, dense brush, or gentle ridgelines that provide visual screening. Bring a bandana or small cloth you can hang on a branch or trekking pole as a signal to hiking partners that you need a moment.

The toilet paper question sparks more debate in hiking forums than almost any other backcountry hygiene topic. There are essentially three approaches, each with legitimate arguments.

Option 1: Bury it in the cat hole. In many backcountry areas with deep, biologically active soil, burying plain white, unscented toilet paper in your cat hole is acceptable. The paper will decompose — though it takes 1 to 3 years depending on moisture and soil conditions. This is the easiest approach and the one most casual backpackers follow. However, it does not work in high-use areas where the cumulative impact of thousands of hikers burying TP leads to visible contamination when animals dig up cat holes or erosion exposes them.

Option 2: Pack it out. This is the gold standard and the approach recommended by Leave No Trace for all environments. Used TP goes into a sealed opaque bag (ziplock with a strip of duct tape works fine) and gets packed out to the trailhead. It sounds unpleasant, but in practice it is no different from carrying food wrappers. The bag is sealed, odor is minimal (especially with baking soda), and you know you are leaving absolutely no trace behind. Required in all pack-out zones, alpine areas, and deserts.

Option 3: Use a portable bidet and skip TP entirely. The cleanest and lightest long-term solution. A small squeeze bidet bottle weighs about an ounce empty and uses water you already carry. After washing, you can air dry or use a dedicated small microfiber cloth (wash it at camp). This approach eliminates the need to carry TP or a pack-out bag, reduces pack weight over long trips, and is standard practice in many cultures worldwide. Thru-hikers increasingly adopt this method.

What you should never do: Do not burn toilet paper in the backcountry. This technique is sometimes recommended in older guides, but it has caused multiple wildfires — including a 73,000-acre fire in Utah in 2017 started by a hiker burning TP. Fire conditions are too unpredictable, and the risk is not worth it. Do not use wet wipes unless they are truly biodegradable (most are not), and always pack out any wipes regardless of labeling.

Proper human waste disposal falls under Leave No Trace Principle 3: Dispose of Waste Properly. The Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics provides the authoritative framework for these practices. Here is how that principle applies specifically to backcountry bathroom practices.

The 200-foot rule. All human waste disposal — whether cat holes, WAG bags, or urination — should happen at least 200 feet from water sources, trails, and campsites. In practice, measure this by counting 70 adult paces from the nearest water. This distance allows soil to filter pathogens before they reach groundwater. In steep terrain or near fast-moving water, increase the distance.

Disperse your impact. If you are camping in one spot for multiple days, do not use the same cat hole location repeatedly. Each new trip should go to a different spot, spreading the biological load across a wider area so soil organisms can process waste effectively. In a group camp, each person should use a different area rather than creating a de facto latrine.

Group catholes vs. latrines. For groups of 6 or fewer on short stays, individual cat holes dispersed across the area are preferred. For larger groups or stays longer than one night, a single group cathole or latrine may concentrate impact in one spot, which is sometimes preferable to widespread disturbance. Check with the local land management agency for specific guidance. In any case, the hole depth should be the same 6 to 8 inches.

High-altitude and sensitive ecosystems. In fragile environments — alpine meadows, cryptobiotic soil crusts in the desert, wetlands, and tundra — the standard cat hole method may not be appropriate. These ecosystems recover extremely slowly from disturbance, and the biological activity needed for decomposition is minimal. Pack out all waste in these environments. If you are not sure, check the regulations for your destination before you leave. Our topographic map reading guide can help you identify terrain features and water sources during trip planning.

For the full breakdown of all seven principles and how they apply on trail, read our complete Leave No Trace guide. It covers waste disposal, campfire management, wildlife interactions, and trail etiquette.

These are the errors we see most frequently on trail — from beginners and experienced hikers alike. Avoiding them makes a meaningful difference for the environment and every hiker who follows you.