Trail Hygiene
How to go to the toilet outdoors
Paper that is not too wet can be burnt. NB! Must not be done if the ground is very dry.
- Bring the necessary equipment
- toilet paper
- hand sanitiser
- a small shovel
- a plastic bag – ideally a ziplock, for used paper, sanitary towels and tampons.
- Go well away from the path
- find a spot where it is unlikely that others will go.
- Keep a good distance from water
- Go at least 100 metres away from streams, rivers and lakes where people swim and fill their water bottles, to prevent contamination of streams or lakes.
- Dig a hole in the ground
- If possible, dig a hole about 20 cm deep. Fill it in afterwards with soil, stones, moss or twigs.
Photo: Gina Wigestrand
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Take the toilet paper home
- Nature takes a long time to break down toilet paper. It is also not pleasant for others to come across used toilet paper. If you build a campfire, the paper can also be burnt there.
(Jakhelln, 2021)
- Pack toilet paper in a small plastic bag together with antibac. This is a handy hygiene measure.
- Take the cardboard out of the toilet roll and pull the paper out from the middle. That saves space, and the toilet paper can stay inside the plastic bag while you pull out what you need.
- Use a small plastic bag you can close as a rubbish bag during the toilet visit. This one is of thicker plastic and therefore stands up to more; it is also easy to open and close.
(Furuly, 2020)
Latrine
If you are a larger group staying in one place over a longer period, set up a good latrine:
Find a log that works as a seat, and dig a deep hole. When we are finished, we put soil and moss back over the hole.
NB! The toilet paper should not go in the hole, as it takes a long time to break down. Take used toilet paper away in a bag and burn it on the campfire, if you build one, or throw it in the rubbish when you get home.
Remember to keep hand sanitiser easily accessible, and wash your hands with lukewarm water and soap afterwards.
The water is heated on a storm stove (stormkjøkken), or you can use water from a thermos mixed with cold water.
Photo: Gina Wigestrand
Photo: Gina Wigestrand
Next steps
- Hygiene on a tur — the hub
- Sustainability and leave-no-trace travel — the same principle in a broader context
- The Outdoor Recreation Act (friluftsloven) — the duties under allemannsretten