I second the post about learning to do the deed with water rather than paper. I was a volunteer in a developing country and had to learn to adapt to local custom.

The world can be divided into two broad camps--the wipers, who can't believe the people would actually wash their bums with water and the left hand, and the washers, who can't believe that people would actually rub paper against their bums and call that clean.

Both camps have their advantages and disadvantages, but I'd say the washers have the edge when it comes to surival situaions, except perhaps in the desert if water is scarce. Oddly enough, it's the desert people among others that tend to be washers, go figure. ;-)

It's easy to carry a bar of soap, which you should probably have anyway, not as a luxury but for good hygiene to prevent disease, to deal with the consequences of the washer camp.

Improvised Bidet.

Let me elaborate on my previous hiking TP etiquette post - pack it in, pack it out, always. For some reason that gets the Eww factor from some hikers, I've never had a problem with it - dedicated zip lock baggie does the trick. If you're doing it 'right', you're not packing alot of feces. Nothing worse than seeing someone elses TP along the trail. I tend to pack those strays out too...

I will admit the water/left hand method makes more sense, but I can't get used to it myself. That may go back to a traumatic experience with a bidet in the Dutch lowlands many years ago...

In any emergency prep you had better consider where you'll sh&t. A 5 gallon bucket with a top is a start, an outdoor trench may make sense, but bucket with a dedicated toilet seat and anti-odor powder is deluxe. I am considering having a sewage backflow device put on my sewer pipe to prevent sewage in my house should flooding put the nearby sewage treatment plant out of commission. Anyway, think about it, make a plan.

I am reading an interesting book on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, The Forever War, and in one spot the author mentions the dilemma of moving 5,000 troops under fire through an urban area like Fallujah. Any event organizer can tell you, 5,000 folks in 24 hours will invariably require xx porta-potties. These guys are under fire, but nature calls. He says they dedicated an anteroom filled with cardboard boxes.

water + left hand, does this apply only to right handed folks?

Us lefties I imagine should use the right hand?

I mean the idea is keeping contamination away from the mouth etc. right?

Lono, while I fully support taking out what you bring in, however my TP gets buried and usually with a rock over it, the bigger the rock the better, keeps any potential water and wind errosion from exposing it and reduces the chances of it being dug up by animals.

I often pack out several water bottles and assorted trash.

I've used everything from rocks to snow to the yellow pages. You do what you have to do.

As for packing out used TP (et al) I have been using a short paintball tube, plastic with a flip lid. Tried the zip lock baggies and pringles tubes and this is now what works for me.

I thought part of the purpose of packing out your biowaste was to reduce the chance of contaminating the local water supply. Am I mistaken?

Thorough. Nice. Thanks, NightHiker!

Compugeek, bio-waste isn't much of an issue in the middle of no where, for example hiking with no trail or going off a seasonal trail the environmental impact is minimal (this is my opinion and I have no hard evidence backing me up)

I would burn it, but that takes time and smells to high heaven.

Well maybe not as long with just the contaminated tissue.

I just try to leave it as clean as it was before I took a dump.

When you use a cathole, keep in mind that the majority of soil microbes are within 6-7" of the surface of the soil, as they usually need air. Depositing fecal matter deeper than that is often out of range of the microbial activity and just sits there awaiting rain or snow to flush it to the nearest water source.

Sue