Bathroom Etiquette while Hiking

     Okay so let's talk about the nitty gritty of it all, going to the bathroom while out on a hiking trail. Yes I know its a bit weird to discuss but it actually is pretty important to understand.

     Before going on our Approach Hike on the AT, we did some research on bathroom etiquette. Like many of you, we had only done hikes that were day hikes that didn’t require figuring out the bathroom situation. So once we decided to go for a trail that would be overnight I found myself thinking about it. My thought was, "Oh wait what do you do for the bathroom while out there?" Obviously there will not be luxury bathrooms with gold crusted towels. So make sure you do some research before heading out overnight on any given trail. I will say when we were researching the AT, we discovered that it offered some outhouses along the way. The AT is a longer term trail for long-distance hiking so that particular one is a bit special on what it offers. If you are wanting more information, please check out the AT website here. 

     So let me begin with this: when in doubt, walk it out. Meaning: if you have doubts where to do your business, walk very far away from the trail itself to do so. The preferred method of proper disposal of your business is to walk at least 60- 80 paces away from anything. That includes the trail itself, any water source, and any campsite. Also don’t go to the bathroom right beside a shelter because, A. that is just gross and B. seriously are you that lazy? Not to be harsh but come on, do it the right way. You will also need a trowel, aka a small shovel, and some biodegradable wipes. Try and find some wet wipes/toilet paper that is environmental friendly if you can.

Here is what you do:

• Step one: you walk very far from anything

• Step two: choose your ideal spot

• Step three: dig a hole at least 6-9 inches deep. (if you don’t have a ruler on you, dig the hole as deep as the length of your hand to almost your elbow)

• Step four: do your business

• Step five: fill it back up with the dirt you dug out

• Step six: proceed to walk away

     It's that simple. I will admit my first experience doing this was odd. I felt suuuppperrr weird about it. But you gotta do what you gotta do. Also very important, bring hand sanitizer to “wash” your hands afterward!

**Side note**- You might want to work on your squat game before going overnight hiking. When it comes time to doing your business, you will be squatting for a while so just putting that out there! Especially for us ladies :)