[pct-l] TP usage

[Bill Thoms]

It seems that the LNT purists will urge others to go thru all kinds of odd
practices - like carrying their own poop, etc., to avoid using TP.  In a
place like the Whitney Zone, with almost no soil, vey heavy usage and no or
not enough latrines then poop bags and carrying out makes sense.  On the AT
in New Hampshire, however, the AMC maintains latrines, and even helicopters
out the sealed latrine tanks from AMC huts.  California ought to do the same
in high-use areas.

I happen to think that poo on the hands is the cause of disease and death
from disease in many parts of the world, and that Eastern customs of wiping
oneself with the left hand is unsanitary and unhealthy.  Millions of people
in said Eastern countries die each year from communicable diseases related
to poor sanitation and fecal transmission of disease. To me TP and water
sanitation is a huge leap forward for mankind in its battle against
communicable disease.  I love TP, the extra soft luxury TP, and I pack it
and use on the trail.

This will not only horrify the LNT purists but when I tell you that I
usually burn it in the cat hole I will be outraging the fire prevention
folks too.  But if you visit my JMT hike web album at
http://picasaweb.google.com/wthomsjr/2009JMTHikeAndWesternExcursions# and
look at photos #102 thru #105 you will see what the Le Conte Canyon Rangers
do with their TP.  They burn it, at the same time as they urge hikers to
pack out theirs.  Mmm.  No doubt this is because they don't trust us moronic
hikers with fire, even though open fires are legal below certain altitudes
that the authorities in their various fiefdoms cannot agree on.

Here's what I do to ensure sanitation, cleanliness and proper disposal.  I
pack in a gallon zip lock bag my roll of extra soft luxurious TP, a BIC
lighter, a very small vial of liquid soap and a small vial of alcohol-based
hand sanitizer.  I also bring a water bottle.

I dig my 6 inch cat hole far, far from human activity. I really take a walk
away from the trail if I can.  Keep in mind that this isn't going to work in
places like Guitar Lake or Muir Pass, where there's very little soil or none
at all.  But then it's so open in these areas that if you're half smart you
won't be there without having first relieved yourself elsewhere.

I dig the hole.  I open the zip lock bag. I take out the supplies and
arrange them with lids off so I don't have to open them with potentially
poo-covered hands.  I do my business in the hole, using a few sheets of my
luxury TP.  I then wash and sanitize my hands. Then I light and burn the TP
in the hole, carefully watching.  I then use the water remaining from hand
washing to thoroughly extinguish any embers remaining in the hole.  Finally,
I carefully fill in and disguise the hole and pack up my kit and return to
the trail or campsite.