{"id":40654,"date":"2022-11-11T07:25:31","date_gmt":"2022-11-11T06:25:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/test-01.bergfreunde.de\/blog\/how-poop-woods\/"},"modified":"2022-12-30T08:44:39","modified_gmt":"2022-12-30T07:44:39","slug":"how-poop-woods","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.alpinetrek.co.uk\/blog\/how-poop-woods\/","title":{"rendered":"The best way to poop in the woods"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It\u2019s a perfect day: the sun is shining and you\u2019re going climbing with some friends. You arrive at the foot of the wall, unpack your things and get climbing. It\u2019s your turn to belay first, which isn\u2019t too bad because the sun is so beautiful and a bumblebee is flying around entertaining you as your friends tell stories; life is beautiful. Then suddenly the wind turns and you think Hm, that\u2019s not wildflowers that I can smell.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

At some point during the morning, you feel a twinge in your bladder. You run a few metres into the forest and behind the next bush hides a frightening sight – it\u2019s a minefield! White \u2018flags\u2019 lined up in rows warn against continuing along this path. You realise where that smell was coming from. Going any further is not an option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The more people climbing, the greater the problem of what they leave behind. But while it\u2019s relatively easy to dispose of cigarette butts, bottles, paper waste and other rubbish, and these kinds of things will often be picked up by kind passers by, getting rid of poo is a little… harder. Yet this waste is more problematic; not only does it look and smell bad, it can also become a real threat to the environment as well as human and animal health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some Facts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s completely natural and will decay, so why clean it up?\u201d This is true, but few people realise that it takes a long time for these things to decay. Tissue, for example, takes about three months. Excrement doesn\u2019t take so long, but will still be lingering after about two weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"\"
Basic knowledge: How to shit in the woods<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Let\u2019s do a simple calculation. We are at a beautiful climbing wall. Every weekend, about 100 people come here to climb. If everyone left their business, that would be 100 dumps and 100 tissues. As these dumps take a long time to disappear, that\u2019s 400 dumps a month. Just think about how the forest will look and smell after one season. Admittedly, unbleached toilet paper decays faster, but even that takes a few weeks and it doesn’t look nice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tissues are also questionable from a sustainability standpoint because of the manufacturing process. A lot of water, energy and wood is used in their manufacturing. In addition, dangerous substances are discharged into water bodies through chemical treatments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The unhealthy business…<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Actually, there is not much negative to discover about excrement, stool or faeces – apart from the fact it\u2019s just gross. In the ecosystem, faeces play an important role, for instance as fertiliser or as food for fungi and mites. The scarab beetle even uses excrement to reproduce by laying its eggs in it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However – and this is where it becomes problematic – excrement can also transport a lot of nasty substances. Simply put, it contains everything that our body either cannot digest or simply wants to get rid of very quickly. Therefore, countless bacteria, viruses, bacilli, parasites and other unpleasant things can be found in faeces. It becomes particularly unpleasant when pathogens travel and enter areas where they are not actually native.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But animals do it?<\/h2>\n\n\n
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\"How<\/a>
A wide barrel can serve as a container.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Yes, animals also poop in the woods, but that\u2019s not a reason we should; the comparison is flawed. Animals also transport pathogens in their faeces, so water from streams near grazing fields should not be drunk unless it\u2019s been filtered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And, animals usually spread their excrement over large areas. A deer has the whole forest at its disposal, while climbers are usually limited to a few square metres near the wall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And, animal waste can also be pretty nasty. Many farmers have to deal with dog poo which contaminates their hay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, what should you do?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n