Excrement, poo, faeces, doodoo, and the old-fashioned ‘Number 2’.
Children giggle at the words, and many adults get squeamish about the issue. But why? Why does modern society make this subject taboo? Moreover, why does the prospect of having to go ‘in the scrub’ deter many people from camping?
Consider this: on average, people expel bodily waste 2,500 times year (6-8 times daily!). However, 40% of the world’s population (around 2.6 billion people), don’t have access to a toilet at all - let alone a flushing one. Further, while some countries have enough mobile phones for 1/2 their population, they have only enough toilets for 1/3rd of their citizens.
While modern humans have been ‘doing the do’ for the last 400,000 years, the flushing toilet was not patented until 1775 (just 6 generations ago). Nonetheless, some people today regard flushing toilets as an essential element of civilised life.
To get comfortable crapping outdoors, we first need to overcome social conditioning. In this Great Country of ours, discussing poo is generally limited to crude jokes, while others seem to pretend they never poo at all. By contrast, in some other advanced countries, people are far more relaxed about discussing poo and have words that enable ‘polite’ conversation around the topic.
There’s also the issue of what we think is OK to see. We turn a blind eye to a car parked on the verge of the M1 with a bloke taking a leak. However, women are not expected to do the same, and we certainly don’t accept someone dropping their daks within public view for a Number 2.
But here we’re talking about using discretion, in an environmentally appropriate way, to dispel what comes naturally. The fact is there’s nothing intrinsically ‘dirty’ about a hole in the ground. In a freshly dug bush toilet, the worst you might find are some prickles and pesky flies.
Once we accept that excreting outdoors is OK, we should consider how to leave our leavings behind. You may like to know that the Army and associations like the Boy Scouts write manuals on this topic, and Kathleen Meyer has written a book titled ‘How to shit in the woods’ (pure toilet reading)! In the military, the topic’s generally covered in Preventative Health and First Aid training. This guidance is enforced at all levels ensuring bush loos are located downhill from a campsite and 100m from the nearest well, bore hole, river, creek or dam and 300mm deep.
Why is this important? To be frank … it’s because shit rolls downhill, and unless you observe some simple environmental principles, during a rain event and with the passage of time, your micro-flora will flow straight into your camp-site or directly into a water source. And remember: if the land management authority says ‘thou shalt pack-out waste’ – depending on where you are on the planet that might include your Number 2’s. You may have to consider waste bags (WAG bag).
How many times have you seen used loo paper on the side of a walking track? The individual could not even spare the time to walk 10 meters off track to do their business let alone bury it. (This applies to waste paper from ladies having a number one as well). Think of this the next time a fly lands on your face …
In terms of getting comfortable, remember that your body is bio-mechanically designed to squat. Nonetheless, it may take some practice if you’ve been conditioned to porcelain as squatting requires upper thigh strength to balance. So:
Give yourself a squirt with personal insect repellent to keep the insects at bay, and head off into the bush with a trusty digging implement.
Find a private spot to dig an appropriate hole in the drop zone and prop yourself to avoid splatter (especially if you have had a chili dinner or a case of Bali Belly). Some like to find a fallen tree with a fork in its branches and straddle it like a saddle.
The important thing here is to cover your waste. Foxes, pigs and dogs might dig it up. So after burying it, place a rock or two on top.
Alternatively buy a Thunder box or porta-loo. Some may consider this the cleanest, most socially acceptable solution when ‘nature calls’ in the outdoors. But, remember: porta-loos generally only have the capacity to hold 2-3 days of waste and someone will have to empty the vessel. This will involve visiting a nationally recognised Dump Station (see www.sanidumps.com or www.toiletmap.gov.au). You’ll find that, like mobile phone services, these Dump Stations cover 90% of the population – not 90% of the nation.
If you’re camping for a week or so, dig a long trench 30cm deep and cover the poop as you go. When you leave mark the area with a ‘foul ground’ sign.
Whichever option you chose, wash your hands properly. Hand washing has had a more significant effect on human health than any other medical practice in human history.
So, what’s the take home message? It’s individual psychology, not physiology, that can make outdoor crapping a challenge. There’s no real reason to be squeamish about it. My advice … Shit happens! Just deal with it – it’s only natural. And remember the next person to camp where you poo’d might be you!
