I am planning to hike the first 1000 miles from Springer to Harpers Ferry this summer and my question is: Do I have to bring TP or can I use baby wipes. I know there may be a rather disgusting packing out issue with the wipes (is there a biodegradable wipe?), but I want to know the “pros” thoughts on it.
Thanks,
Mudbug
mudbug
I’d recommend using TP in the nether region and save the wipes for other parts of the body. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE be sure to either pack out used TP(Use a separate gallon Ziploc placed inside a brown paper bag) or PROPERLY bury TP in a cathole at least 6-8" deep. There’s no bigger disappointment for me than spotting a clump of white and brown TP on the trail. Here’s LNT’s page on proper disposal. http://www.lnt.org/programs/lnt7/dispose.html
Tiki
I started hiking with TP and switched to wipes. Makes you feel SOOOO much cleaner. For sure though you should pack out which ever you choose to use. For the females, check out the Pee Rag thread that was posted here a few weeks ago. I have since tried the PR and will use it, in combination with wipes, on my upcoming AT hike. It really worked well.
Stick Chick
Stick Chick
I carry both on l/d hikes and pack out both. I don’t find it to be an issue at all, just drop them in a ziplock and seal it up. You find that you can live with using a lot less TP than you think when you have to carry it!
Bluebearee
i tried baby wipes once, but i also have a problem chafing there, so the alcohol in those things burned a lot.
TP worked fine for me. heck, leaves did, too. only met one hiker who carried out her TP. seemed pretty gross to me. I just cover mine with leaves, but I also walk pretty far away off of the Trail.
0101
Carrying out used TP isn’t that gross. All you do is use it and put it in a ziplock baggie right away. Gross is coming across someone’s used TP. From this thread it seems like most people don’t pack it out. It adds up quickly along a trail and should be buried in a cathole at the very least!
gmg
above treeline i’m perfectly happy packing it out because it won’t degrade well up there, but otherwise don’t see the point when TP will degrade pretty quickly in normal weather conditions. I packed out every single cig butt, but anything that degrades like TP or orange peels or what have you is going on the ground. not near the Trail, mind you, but out of sight, sure.
0101
Mos tshelters have privies but I rmember one particulalry bad shelter in the smokies. There was a flat area that half-buried tp every 4 feet. It was exteremely disgusting.
I usually try to use th eprivies, otherwise a cathole would do. Remember, there are thousands of people using the trail and TP takes a lot longer to degrade then you’d think.
I was actually wondering the other day if someone ever thought to make quickly degrading TP.
Striker
TP takes a long time to degrade, and just making sure you are off the trail isn’t enough to make sure it stays out of sight. Animals can dig up TP, especially if it is just covered by leaves rather than buried in a cathole, and erosion and other natural causes will bring TP to the surface as well. And coming across someone else’s used TP along the trail or off the trail in the “backcountry” is just GROSS!
Packing out used TP really doesn’t take much effort, and it isn’t gross either as long as you drop it in a ziplock bag as soon as you use it (instead of dropping it on the ground or in a cathole). And it is a lot faster than digging a cathole if all you are planning to bury in it is used TP.
Kanga
I say forego using TP all togehter. As I would travel north I would use pages out of my data book and handbook for areas to the south. This saves a bit of weight and makes the actual toilet stops in town feel like total bliss!
parm
I normally use the cat-hole method, if thats not available I’ll pack it out, or atleast get to a point where I can dispose of it properly. But my advice is, don’t get lazy, make sure your well away from the trail.
Also to the people who say find TP is gross, your right. But I bet the same people have stood over a turd on the trail from an animal and contimplated what made it. :lol
Daniel