WAG Bags for Poop Packing

[Jerry Adams]

that makes sense, good points

[Terran Terran]

Please don’t dry your poop on the rocks.

[Matthew / BPL]

I think the question here is “Why not dry poop on the rocks overnight?” and I don’t have answer for that personally other than I’d rather not be the person who is in charge of the poop loading/unloading. Also, attracting animals seems like a potential issue.

[Jon Fong / Flat Cat Gear]

Leave poop out overnight? Well, some animals would enjoy that like Marmots. A number of animals would do a lot for a little bit of salt. It probably isn’t going to dry out that well at night, are you going to leave it out in the sun during the daytime? I suggest that you try this out at home for a week or so and let everyone know how it goes for you. My 2 cents.

[John P]

As I said I’ve done this many times. In the desert. Not on mountain tops. I’ve never seen marmots in these areas. It dries out. I’ve never put it in containers though. My plan is to have it in containers maybe 5-6 hours a day which would be the hottest time of day so perhaps that might be an issue but I doubt it. Humidity in the desert area around 4 corners is nearly always below 20% and often 10%. I might go out next week and do an experiment. Set up a game camera. As I said though, while the poop goes away completely over a month’s time, I’ve never seen any sign of animals messing with it during 3-4 days.

[Ben H.]

You should probably start a new thread since your reply is not directed at the original post.

When I think of desert boating I think of rafting down the Grand Canyon. I know they have considerable problems with animals getting into anything resembling food. I would think this would be true in most desert boating environs, because water attracts animals, particularly in the desert. The local humidity near water could also significantly alter your dry time estimates. If it works that would be great. I agree that getting away from the need for WAG bags is good for the environment (as I said a couple years back up-thread).

[John P]

That’s a good point on the local humidity although I suspect it isn’t that much an issue. N=1 sample near river: The first time I did this was 50 years ago at the break in the Mariscal Canyon on the Rio Grande although we weren’t packing up the poop and transporting it. We camped in one spot for  4 or 5 days. We had a designated poop place. After a few days the original poops were a fraction of their original size and pretty innocuous. They weren’t molested by animals.  I’m going out to the Colorado next week. I think I’ll bring a hygrometer with me. I’m thinking it might be more important whether the poop is in an open environment or shielded by vegetation. My gut feeling is that humidity is higher around and under vegetation than on rock that is exposed to the sky. I’m spitballing here but soil can definitely hold moisture and if it’s under trees or other vegetation I think it will be substantially cooler than rock that is in the sun all day.

[Terran Terran]

Through Utah? Use a bucket.

[obx hiker]

Hey Guys! Good to “see” you all!. What an interesting and basically human topic.  I’m planning a trip thru Salt Creek Needles with some rookies in October and checking out how to help them get “schooled” up on wag bags.

Anyway lots of good info! I guess John P was going on a float down the San Juan? Lucky to get a permit! How’d that experimental excremental dry-out plan work out John? Enquiring minds long to know!

On the topic of Backcountry Johns; If I remember correctly there’ve been outhouses in the Enchantments for decades. Thank Goodness! Some had spectacular views as I recall.

Places like Salt Creek where the corridor is narrow and the use continuous and relatively high can get pretty poopie one way or the other. There’s still cow patties in there like 70 ? years or maybe more since cattle were in Salt Creek best I can discover. You’d be (translation I’ve been!) unpleasantly surprised in what nooks and crannies wayyyy off the trail you can dig up evidence of evacuatory activity.

[Jerry Adams]

Yeah, those enchantments outhouse are great.  Excellent views. They’re basically just boxes with a seat and hole on top.  Placed behind trees for privacy.  They must use helicopter to take out.

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