[pct-l] TP vs Vegetation

[Reinhold Metzger]

You all can use your flat rocks, pine cones, moth, grass, cactus flowers 
and poison ivy to wipe your rear ends...I tried that ones when I ran out 
of TP.
Me,....I stick with TP....it's faster, more sanitary and does a better job.
Flat rocks, pine cones, cactus flowers, grass, etc. does a half ass job.
You guys may not mind running around with messy, smelly behinds.
Me,.....I like a clean odor free rear end.
No wonder long distance hikers have a reputation of smelling bad.

That may also explains why all the good looking hiker babes always hang 
around me at the camp sites instead of staying with their hiking partners.

Also, I would not be surprised if some of you waste precious drinking 
water to wash those smelly behinds or do it at the next lake or creek 
crossing.
That, of course, goes a long way to enhance our drinking water.
I don't like the idea of unknowingly coming in contact with via 
touching, sitting or walking on rocks and vegetation soiled with human 
feces, littering the trail.
At least, exposed TP I can see and avoid....that is not the case with 
feces covered rocks and vegetation, unless they are  buried which very 
often is not the case.
Exposed TP may be less pleasing to look at, but from a health point of 
view is less of a health problem than feces covered rocks and vegetation 
scattered along the trail.

It is  my opinion that the problem with exposed TP along the trail is 
primarily caused by hikers to lazy or unwilling to carry a potty trowel 
to dig a potty hole deep enough to prevent it from being properly 
covered or dug up by animals and far enough from the trail and camp 
sites so it would not be visible even if dug up.
I hear hikers telling me all the time...."ooohhh I don't carry a potty 
trowel, I use a stick, rock or my boot to dig a potty hole.
Yeah,...right...2" deep covered with 1" of dirt, or less.
The evidence of this is very obvious.

I can just imagine a hiker running around in the middle of a rainy night 
looking frantically for a stick or rock to dig a 6"-8" potty hole and a 
flat rock, pine cone or cactus flower to wipe the rear end.
Yeah....most likely the hiker, without a potty trowel or TP, wanting to 
get out of the rain as soon as possible, will abandon his search for the 
stick, right flat rock, pine cone, grass or cactus flower and just duck 
behind the nearest bush and get it over with.....besides, who wants to 
wipe with wet grass?
Same for a hiker on the trail who has a sudden urge to go and is in to 
much distress to take the time to look for the right flat rock, pine 
cone, grass or cactus flower.

There is some gear I will always carry on my hikes, including my sawed 
off potty trowel and TP...even on my JMT fast packs where UL is carried 
to the extreme.
My trusted sawed off potty trowel allows me to dig a 6" - 8" potty hole 
in no time at all and cover it with enough soil and a rock so it will 
not be dug up and I don't have to waste time looking for flat rocks, 
sticks, pine cones, poison ivy leaves or cactus flowers.

JMT Reinhold
Your good smelling, TP loving trail companion
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Ken wrote:
If you can't find vegetation use smooth rocks
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Heather wrote:
I just don't pack TP, but use natural vegetation.
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Diane wrote:
There's way more Tp-able natural material in So-Cal than in the forested 
areas!
The best is sage. White sage works well, rabbit sage is great, purple 
sage and yerba santa work well, coastal sage scrub is good, too.
Bonus is you smell nicer afterwards.
Dry grass works.
Get long, thin dry grass and just fold it over a few times.
Of low- elevation evergreens, chamise is ever-present.
I've used sticks and rocks and evergreen boughs as well.
All that stuff just gets any "residue" off.
The real cleaning takes place when you wash yourself........
I was also quite disturbed by all the TP on the trail in Oregon.