When you gotta go, you gotta go! Sometimes a public bathroom is not always available.
Park planners try to anticipate the availability of public vault toilets and facilities but… When a tour bus unloads, it may take some time to find a vacant potty! When tourists head back into the back country, Mother Nature becomes the Potty of Choice.
National and State public parks are becoming more crowded. Tourists crowds are exploding. Millions of tourists mean millions of potty stops. Planning ahead helps but kids seem to need to go when they need to go. Those drinks and snacks prime the pump and when the urge happens, it happens. Plan for routine and unannounced potty stops.
The National Park Service is trying to keep things “Clean and Classy.” They have increased potty patrols so that their facilities are clean, healthy, and fully stocked. Some sites even have hand sanitizer.
PACK IT IN, PACK IT OUT!
Proper waste disposal is easy! This means provided facilities, open spaces, campsites, and along trails.
Waste is more than Number 1, and 2. Dishwater, and other hygiene products are a concern. Everything must be addressed to avoid health issues, animal encounters, and insect attacks.
Here are 4 tips to Leave No Trace
- Inspect your campsite and rest areas for trash, litter, waste, or spilled or leftover foods. Place these attractants in a sealed container or bag. This includes coffee grinds, paper, plastic, and food waste. Transport to a disposal facility.
- Human waste, in remote areas needs to be buried in a Cathole, at least a foot deep. Doing this duty needs to be at least 100 feet from camp, off trail, or away from water. Cover and disguise the site. Placing a rock or log on top will help to prevent critters from digging it up.
- Pack out toilet paper and hygiene products. Use a sealed container/ bag.
- Wash water, dishwater, needs to be carried at least 100 feet from camp, the trail, or watershed. Biodegradable soap is best. Scatter the strained water.
If this sounds like too much work, stay in a developed area. Don’t go into the wilderness. The wilderness doesn’t want or need you! This goes for your pet poop packages as well. Pack them out, don’t leave them hanging in a tree, along the trail, or just where it lands.
Sadly, the problem with poopin and waste is increasing. Park users take their selfies, brag about the area’s beauty and wonderful wild places, then they leave their trash, poop and pee in it where others get to see where they marked their territory, and attract carnivores, scavengers, and insects into places for others to deal with.
What is with the toilet vandals? Why is it so important to destroy public facilities, throw trash into the toilets, graffiti the walls and just be so discourteous to others.
Humans are mammals and we have needs for health and waste. The Earth’s parks and wild places are becoming more crowded. Leave our wild places clean and healthy for everyone. If this is too much work, stay home.
Treat it like you own it!
Montana Grant
