[pct-l] Ode to TP - The Three P's of pooping in the woods.

[Christopher Baker]

I would strongly, STRONGLY suggest that you not use Rid-X while on the
trail. Rid X is never supposed to come in contact with the ground water
supply. Plus, you may be introducing bacteria and enzymes which are not
"native" to the area. Lastly, during high wind situations, there is no
guarantee that all of the product would actually go in the "hole". The wind
could spread the Rid X to the surrounding environment and/or into your face
and on your hands. It is an irritant and you should have no contact with it.
In the sense of the Leave No Trace philosophy, I couldn't imagine using it.
Hope that helps.

C Bake

On Mon, Jan 26, 2009 at 5:28 PM, At Rerunner <atrerunner at gmail.com> wrote:

> I wonder if a slight sprinkling of something like Rid-X
> http://www.rid-x.com/faq.shtml would speed up the decomposition enough
> to be worthwhile carrying? A little bit would probably go a long way,
> carried in a film-can shaker. Maybe there's an eco/forest resources
> major out there who would like to set up a double-blind study, and
> hand out canisters of Rid-x, placebo, and free Spot transmitters at
> the ADZPCTKO. Somewhere, there is a grant-writer who could get some
> money for this, although probably not from CA.
>
> fenu
>
> On 1/26/09, Ron Moak <ronmoak at sixmoondesigns.com> wrote:
> > A lot has been said over the years of the evils of TP in the backcountry.
> > I'll even admit that it can be an eye sore at times. I didn't find it to
> be
> > particularly problematic on my 2000 PCT hike despite the chorus of TP
> > critic's decrying the desecration of the wilderness with clumps of TP
> > scattered about the landscape.
> >
> > Over the years I've developed my own methodologies of waste disposal
> based
> > upon some unique knowledge. Acquired by actually having a degree in
> Forestry
> > and having once worked for several years at one of the largest wastewater
> > treatment facilities on the East Coast. This somewhat uncommon collection
> of
> > skills allowed me to look beyond the simple bury, burn or pack out
> > philosophies pushed by various camps.
> >
> > Before postulating on my Three P's a few comments are needed to fill in
> the
> > picture of TP.
> >
> > While it's true chemicals are used in the production of TP to both
> breakdown
> > and soften the natural wood fibers and bleach the color, very little of
> it
> > remains in the TP post production. Remember that 99.999999% of your TP
> > travels through large wastewater facilities. The discharge from these
> > facilities is sent back into major rivers. So one town's discharge
> becomes
> > another town's drinking water. Any significant chemicals in TP would
> leach
> > out and become a become a nightmare in our major rivers. The result is
> that
> > TP is little different in cellular composition than that leaf litter upon
> > which it may ultimately reside.
> >
> > Second TP is designed to breakdown and decompose quickly. If it didn't
> you'd
> > get to know your plumber better than your spouse and your local treatment
> > plants would quickly become overwhelmed. The trick is understanding the
> > nature of TP to allow it breakdown quickly and effectively in the dry
> > environment normally found along the PCT.
> >
> > The Poop, Pee and Puree method of Waste Disposal
> >
> > Over the years I started considering both the nature of TP and the
> natural
> > environment to find a suitable method of disposing waste so that it will
> > decay naturally, quickly and eliminate the potential of an unsightly
> mess.
> > The result of too much thought, was the formation of the Poop, Pee and
> Puree
> > method of waste disposal.
> >
> > It's a very simple method that not only eliminates any sign of the TP is
> > also uses the TP to speed up the breakdown of the waste.
> >
> > In practice once you've pooped and wiped off with TP, you pee on the TP.
> Or
> > if you're unable to pee a half cup of water poured on will work fine.
> Then
> > with a stick, stir the poop, pee and TP into a slurry and cover with
> several
> > inches of top soil.
> >
> > The stirring performs several tasks. First it helps break apart the
> fibers
> > of the TP and mix it with the waste. It helps to spread the moisture
> > throughout the poop and the TP. Properly mixed, the TP will  thoroughly
> > incorporated and longer a possible eye sore.
> >
> > The TP also plays and important function in the breakdown of the waste.
> The
> > incorporated TP will hold additional water like a sponge. Without the
> > additional moisture, your poop may dry out before colonies of bacteria
> that
> > break down the poop have a chance to grow. The result is petrified lump
> of
> > poop. The water held with the stands of TP will enhance the opportunity
> of
> > these natural decomposition processes to occur.
> >
> > Now the 3P method may not be your cup of tea, but if you're not in to
> > packing out TP and want to help nature recover faster, it may your ticket
> to
> > a quilt free backcountry purge.
> >
> > --------------------------------------------------
> > Fallingwater
> >
> >
> >
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> >
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