[pct-l] TP or no TP

[Diane Soini of Santa Barbara Hikes]

On Nov 20, 2010, at 10:00 AM, pct-l-request at backcountry.net wrote:

> TP or no TP

smooth rocks
smooth sticks
fir boughs
sage
grass
rabbit bush
snow
decomposing pine cones
a good squirt of water

You can collect what you need in small quantities as you hike up the  
trail scouting for a good place to leave the trail to find your spot.

The thing about thru-hikers is that a large amount of the time,  
pooping and camping are not done in the same area. And since you  
never know if someone isn't going to come up behind you soon, you do  
tend to stealth poop somewhere totally random and far from the trail.  
Sometimes the places I went were so steep and awful there's no chance  
anybody would ever camp or even attempt to climb up there. The  
chances of coming across your poop are much lower than the chances of  
coming across typical backpacker poop. Those folks will be camping  
and pooping by some pretty lake or stream. (Lakes on the JMT give me  
the willies. Turn over any lakeside rock and guess what you'll find.  
Eww.)