For good but cheap wag bags I'm now using left over coffee bags for carrying my used TP. 1 lb. bags seem to be OK for TP. They are the kind that are lined W/ aluminized plastic and will keep odor in very well, plus they have more secure wire reinforced closure strips.
I'm saving my big Costco Kirkland coffee bags for the rare trip where I' required to carry out even my feces. (GAK!) I've purchased some "poo powder" from an RV "camping" store to put in the big bags for odor and "fluid" absorption. These get Gorilla Tape duct tape for closure.
I DO refuse to carry out my pee and if that's required I won't hike there.
If this solution for above mentioned sanitary problem has already been posted I failed to find it but apologize in advance for repeating a post.
Eric
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"There are no comfortable backpacks. Some are just less uncomfortable than others."
Not too sure I'd trust the closure on a coffee bag - I suppose if it was only for TP.
If I had to pack out the poop too, man, I'd be seriously considering if I really wanted to go there, and, if I still did, I think I might be using a ziplock in a bear canister. (Maybe I could get a rental canister!!! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> )
I neglected to say that, in the Paria Canyon, Utah I put the coffee bag W/ TP inside a ziploc bag. This is when it PAYS to be anal retentive about packaging!
Eric
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"There are no comfortable backpacks. Some are just less uncomfortable than others."
Have you considered just cleaning with water -- and then applying a few dabs of Purell to your hands afterwards? It's both cleaner and lighter than TP. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />
Ben, in areas where WAG bags are required such as the Paria, I'd think it would also not be allowed to clean with water leaving feces on the ground next to a water source?
Sorry, as an American raised W/ TP I culturally can't even begin to do the Middle Eastern style of wiping W/ my bare hands & water. EEeeewwww! Then there's the "poo-under-the-fingernails" problem too with the bare hand method.
But, as stated, my "final" wipes W/ TP use hand sanitizer on the TP. Plus, of course, hand sanitizer on my hands for a final cleanup. So It's TP or leaves but no bare hands & water for me.
Now having said that Ben I'll probably still shake your hand if I ever meet you. (hee, hee)
Eric
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"There are no comfortable backpacks. Some are just less uncomfortable than others."
You are supposed to pack out the poo on Whitney and Shasta. The Forest Service gives you poo bags with cat litter along with your permit. So far they do not check your bag upon leaving! I can just see it -- busted and fined if you do not bring out a certain amount of poo!
You can buy plastic bags that are odor proof. They are intended for things like fish guts in bear country- but should work for TP and poo also. You should be able to find them in a fishing store.
The original WAG bags can be had from REI for less than $2.50 each which includes TP and hand sanitizer. The difference, aside from the convenience of the waste being turned into a non-offensive gel, is that the used bags can be disposed of in any trash container/landfill. Not so with untreated waste...
Two and a half bucks may, or may not, be expensive but it's OK by me given the convenience and sanitation factors. FYI, we use 'em in our barn which doesn't have a bathroom and is a long cold walk from the nearest toilet.
FB
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"...inalienable rights...include the right to a clean and healthful environment..." Montana Constitution
Am I right in assuming that wag bags are given out for free at Whitney (meaning they're included in the permit fee)? Are these bags the same as the REI ones?
I don't know...haven't been there, yet. I have read that the original WAG bags, by Phillips Environmental Products here in Montana, are used/recommended by the NPS and FS. And they are the ones offered by REI.
FB
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"...inalienable rights...include the right to a clean and healthful environment..." Montana Constitution
Now having said that Ben I'll probably still shake your hand if I ever meet you. (hee, hee)
Just shake his right hand.
OK, let me explain. In countries where they wash instead of using various absorbent products, custom dictates that you use your LEFT hand to perform personal cleansing functions. It's considered to be a real insult to offer food to someone with your left hand.
I know it's a bit difficult to get over the "Eww, gross! I'm touching my own poo!" syndrome, but I used to carry TP and then baby wipes to prevent "monkey butt" syndrome. That's 4 fewer ounces I have to carry now, I never get monkey butt, and I don't have to bury my turds very deep because there's no TP to decompose.
For those looking to join the TP-less club, here's my method:
Before the trip, get a zip-closure sandwich bag. Cut off a bottom corner - enough so that when you fill the bag with water you get a narrow stream of water. Now fold the corner over and clip it with a bobby pin.
So now you're in the boonies and gotta go. Dig your cat hole, pour some water in the baggie, do your business. Hold the baggie in your RIGHT hand and unclip the bobby pin. Wet your LEFT hand and then squeeze the bag with your RIGHT hand, directing the stream of water from the bag onto the soiled area. You don't have to squeeze hard - too much water pressure will lead to spattering! Now use your LEFT hand to continue the cleansing.
If you do this correctly, your RIGHT hand and the baggie remains clean. A little soap and water will clean up the LEFT one, although in my experience the LEFT remains quite clean provided that you wet it before touching yourself. I've never had a problem with poop under the fingernails, but if it bothers you, use a latex/nitrile glove.
The added benefits are that your derrier will never become sore - even if you have a bad case of the squirts and it's your fifth time today - and you can say good-bye to the "sticky/messy poop" that would have consumed nearly your entire roll of TP to clean up.
Registered: 01/10/06
Posts: 679
Loc: Central Texas
NiyatOwl, Good for you! I use the same method and often do a broader range wash up while I have the water and soap out. Sure cuts down on the hiker funk.
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