Have you ever gone hiking, enjoyed the day, enjoyed the sights and sounds of nature…. to suddenly come across what looks like a mini-explosion of wrappers and food scraps in the woods? Or worse yet… a minefield of used toilet paper, wet wipes and human droppings?
I would like to give these people the benefit of the doubt and think that they just don’t know how to store trash while hiking or how to dispose of trash while camping or hiking. Storing and packing your waste doesn’t have to be complicated or complicated. Follow these simple tips on your next camping trip.
Leaving wrappers, wrappers, and leftover food (even things like banana peels and apple cores!) are not only an eyesore and annoyance to other hikers, but they are also dangerous for local wildlife.
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And failing to properly dispose of human feces is not only disgusting, but also leads to contaminated water sources and the spread of diseases like giardia, for example. coli, c. diff, and more! Studies have shown that digging a 6-inch deep hole to poop in is very effective in preventing the spread of these harmful bacteria.
How to manage your waste, the Leave No Trace method
Leave No Trace is a wonderful non-profit organization that helps clean up and protect our wild spaces. This is also the general idea behind hiking and camping, such that no other human can tell that you have already hiked or camped in the area that you have done, like a hiking ninja. Here’s how we do it:
- Bring less waste and packaging with you in the woods in the first place. Take your food and snacks out of bulky plastic and cardboard packaging at home and repackage them into Ziploc bags that can then be reused as trash bags on the trail.
- Always pack up all trash and leftover food – even if you think it’s “biodegradable”. Animals will go after your waste and try to eat it long before it biodegrades, which is extremely unhealthy for them and can cause animals to learn to turn to humans for food – creating “nuisance animals” or nuisance bears that must be euthanized. or moved.
- Never bury food waste, trash, packaging or napkins. Again, animals will smell it and dig it up long before it starts to decompose. Which just makes them sick/malnourished and creates a big mess for other hikers or volunteers to clean up.
- Never burn food scraps or trash in a fire – anything processed or man-made rarely burns completely. This will simply leave food scraps and smelly trash in the fire pit, attracting animals to the campsite and leaving a mess for the next camper or park service staff to clean up.
- Dispose of human waste properly. Be sure to pee at least 200 feet, or about 80 adult steps, from the trail, water sources, and your campsite. Salty urine can sometimes attract animals, often deer. So no one wants to accidentally step on you while you’re being indecent. There is a whole day dedicated just to naked hiking if that’s what you like 😉
- Always poop in a properly dug cat hole or pack it in Wag Bags
. In most places, a 6- to 8-inch cat hole dug 200 feet from all water sources, trails and campsites is fine. In some locations, such as delicate high mountain environments, deserts, or river corridors, you may need to pack your poop in poop bags or tubes.
- If cat holes are allowed, you can bury your regular, white, unscented toilet paper. in the cat’s kennel, stir it with your droppings and a little water using a stick. Some call this “poop soup” and it starts the process of decomposing your trash and toilet paper. Do not bury wet wipes, napkins, tampons, scented or colored toilet paper, animals have a very sneaky way of finding these things and digging them up.
- Pack up any used wet wipes, scented toilet paper, tampons or sanitary napkins. in a designated Ziploc bag. You can cover it with duct tape or line the inside with a black “dog poop” bag, so you (and your hiking partners) don’t have to see your used trash. You can also crush up some aspirin and put it in if you’re concerned about the smell.
How to store trash while hiking
Planning is key here. As I said earlier, getting rid of as much plastic and cardboard packaging as possible at home will save space in your bag later. I like to repackage my snacks and meals into quart sized Ziploc bags which will then be reused as small trash bags on my hikes.
Whenever I have food scraps, coffee grounds, or wrappers, they go into an empty quart-sized Ziploc bag which is then sealed and stored with the rest of my food and snacks. If you’re doing a long-distance hike, section hike, or thru-hike, keep a close eye out for bear-proof trash cans along the way at visitor centers or at trailheads where you can -be throwing away your trash.
If you still have trash bags in your bag, be sure to store them properly at night, along with your food and any other smelly items, 200 feet from your campsite, either hanging in a PCT-style bear bag or stored away in a bag. bear box.
Pro tip: I carry two or three large smell-proof Loksak Opsak bags to put all my scented items in – including all toiletries, food, and waste – then I put the sealed smell-proof bags in my bag bear box or my bear box. . The bear canisters are not odor resistant, so I’ll take any extra protection from the critters I can get.
One final reminder: please, please, always dispose of your trash properly when you hike and pack up everything you packed.
Not only for the sake of the environment and wildlife, but also out of respect for other hikers and trail maintainers, so they don’t have to clean up after you.
For more tips on Leave No Trace hikes, check out these articles:
About the author, Mallory:
After studying recreation, parks, and tourism management, Mallory spent several years teaching environmental education, guiding hikes, and leading backcountry trips. His life-changing journey from Georgia to New York on the Appalachian Trail is what sparked the creation of Your Adventure Coach, to share hiking tips and resources with as many new hikers as possible.
