HOW TO SHIT IN THE WOODS
by Kathleen Meyer. 2nd edition. USA, Ten Speed Press, 1994.
i'd long heard about this book & was initially pleased to finally find a copy of it. the format & cover gave off a good whiff, though, of what was to be found within.
want some helpful information or at least outside confirmations of yr own ideas on how to most usefully deal with yr various wastes?
you won't find any here.
there are 3 strains to this book:
1) a logorrhœa of cutesy circumlocutions for the group of words based on the root "shit" (with handy glossary up the rear), along with inspirationally insipid anal anecdotery;
2) enough environmental scare stories to bung yr sphincter for the duration of any outdoor trek;
3) endless advertisements for plastic products so you can carry all yr shit around with you.
really, the third point here is the heart of the book, several lists of pricey products of varying sophistication that enable you to not have to deal with yr shit atall other than to make space in yr bag for it so it can go en masse into the comforting toilet of yr own home at yr later convenience. they're pretty much all made outta plastic. i wonder how heavy a month or 2's worth of shit gets.
interestingly, Bradford Angier's otherwise excellent How To Stay Alive In The Woods doesn't even consider it an issue worth bothering with, which i can't quite agree with.
for the record, i've found 2 good ways to deal with shit, depending on yr length of stay anywhere.
protracted campings: select an open-but-contained composting site in a bit of a dirt divot away from any water where all yr organic waste can go, including yr shit with liberal sprinklings of further dirt & dead grasses/leaves &, most importantly, ash from yr fireplace & always pee on the pile. between the wood ash & the urine (& throwing a handful or 1o of worms on there won't hurt, either), the decomposition rate is significantly sped up.
overnighting it: burn everything. just stay upwind until it's over (& you might not wanta watch the actual spectacle of its boiling; then again, you might: it was a pleasure to watch the coverplastic shrink to a brown blop & boil into flame).
apparently, a 3rd edition has appeared with no doubt further appeals to Little Miss Poop-A-Lot, shades of brown lipstick heretofore undreamed.
HOW TO SHIT IN THE WOODS
by Kathleen Meyer. 2nd edition. USA, Ten Speed Press, 1994.
i'd long heard about this book & was initially pleased to finally find a copy of it. the format & cover gave off a good whiff, though, of what was to be found within.
want some helpful information or at least outside confirmations of yr own ideas on how to most usefully deal with yr various wastes?
you won't find any here.
there are 3 strains to this book:
1) a logorrhœa of cutesy circumlocutions for the group of words based on the root "shit" (with handy glossary up the rear), along with inspirationally insipid anal anecdotery;
2) enough environmental scare stories to bung yr sphincter for the duration of any outdoor trek;
3) endless advertisements for plastic products so you can carry all yr shit around with you.
really, the third point here is the heart of the book, several lists of pricey products of varying sophistication that enable you to not have to deal with yr shit atall other than to make space in yr bag for it so it can go en masse into the comforting toilet of yr own home at yr later convenience. they're pretty much all made outta plastic. i wonder how heavy a month or 2's worth of shit gets.
interestingly, Bradford Angier's otherwise excellent How To Stay Alive In The Woods doesn't even consider it an issue worth bothering with, which i can't quite agree with.
for the record, i've found 2 good ways to deal with shit, depending on yr length of stay anywhere.
protracted campings: select an open-but-contained composting site in a bit of a dirt divot away from any water where all yr organic waste can go, including yr shit with liberal sprinklings of further dirt & dead grasses/leaves &, most importantly, ash from yr fireplace & always pee on the pile. between the wood ash & the urine (& throwing a handful or 1o of worms on there won't hurt, either), the decomposition rate is significantly sped up.
overnighting it: burn everything. just stay upwind until it's over (& you might not wanta watch the actual spectacle of its boiling; then again, you might: it was a pleasure to watch the coverplastic shrink to a brown blop & boil into flame).
apparently, a 3rd edition has appeared with no doubt further appeals to Little Miss Poop-A-Lot, shades of brown lipstick heretofore undreamed.