Your privy style?

[FreeGoldRush]

While hiking up to McAfee Knob I stopped at the privy. It's very dark and damp inside and made of all wood, including the part you "sit" on. The damp wooden "seat" is the perfect spot to grow any bacteria someone might carry in there with them.

So what method are you using? I can get over the gross factor, but it seems you may carry more to Katahdin than you had hoped.

[egilbe]

You touched the door handle and used your hand to reach into a bag of trail mix to eat, right? Yeah...


I'm not too worried about touching something that someones skin has touched after everything else I've done on the AT and while hiking.

[Slo-go'en]

If you don't have a good immune system, you should probably stay home.

Slowly but surely, the privies are being converted to moldering/composting types and are typically much more "airy" then the older, poop in a hole type.

[Engine]

It's kinda funny, in a public restroom I make every effort to touch as little as possible, but on the trail I tend not to worry unless it's over the top gross.

[Lone Wolf]

i don't use privys. they're nasty as heck. use the woods. there's millions of acres around you

[-Rush-]

i don't use privys. they're nasty as heck. use the woods. there's millions of acres around you

+1

I knew the first time I saw a privy I'd never use them. Disgusting is putting it lightly.

[Greenlight]

Place one foot on either side of the hole in the privy and bend at the knees until your @ is over the O. You are now in the anatomically correct pooping position, as designed by God/Fate/3 billion years of evolution. If you're of the male persuasion, make sure your little guy is looking into the hole so you don't spray the door or the floor. Now the only part of of you that has touched the privy is the bottoms of your footwear.

[Skyline]

i don't use privys. they're nasty as heck. use the woods. there's millions of acres around you

And you can add most shelters to that.

[MuddyWaters]

I always thought natural surfaces were more hygenic than manmade

[tflaris]

Catholes are more fun and a challenge to hit the hole! ; )


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[Odd Man Out]

I always thought natural surfaces were more hygenic than manmade

Yes +1. There was a study I read a while back comparing plastic and wood cutting boards. In controlled studies the wood had less bacteria than the plastic. We all are familiar with the stink resistance of merino wool compared to nylon, also due to its natural anti microbial property. I'm not saying you should eat off a privy seat, but I would not assume it is particularly contaminated because it's wood. Almost every week there is a story on the news about how any germs there are on something you use every day. But this shouldn't be news. There are germs everywhere. Wash your hands and don't worry.

[FreeGoldRush]

Yes +1. There was a study I read a while back comparing plastic and wood cutting boards. In controlled studies the wood had less bacteria than the plastic. We all are familiar with the stink resistance of merino wool compared to nylon, also due to its natural anti microbial property. I'm not saying you should eat off a privy seat, but I would not assume it is particularly contaminated because it's wood. Almost every week there is a story on the news about how any germs there are on something you use every day. But this shouldn't be news. There are germs everywhere. Wash your hands and don't worry.

This depends entirely on the type of wood. Pine or Black Walnut are good at killing bacteria. Pine? Not so much.

Also keep in mind that the skin on your hands is not nearly as porous as that on the more tender parts of your body. Touching the door handle is nothing compared to... Well.... Use your imagination.

[FreeGoldRush]

This depends entirely on the type of wood. Pine or Black Walnut are good at killing bacteria. Pine?

Typo. Bamboo kills bacteria. They make cutting boards from it. But not a privy.

[Hangfire]

I never cared for the wooden toilet seats, I remember somewhere up in New Hampshire had a wooden chair with a hole cut in the middle I guess trying to be cool and unique or something. For some reason it just looked like they were super grungy as the wood will just soak up all the filth. I liked the plain old white toilet seats, if they looked skidded up I would hit it with a coleman biodegradable wipe before planting myself. I kept my trips into the woods to dig a hole at a minimum, I guess I was more concerned with lyme disease than privy germs.

[Leo L.]

Place one foot on either side of the hole in the privy and bend at the knees until your @ is over the O. You are now in the anatomically correct pooping position, as designed by God/Fate/3 billion years of evolution. If you're of the male persuasion, make sure your little guy is looking into the hole so you don't spray the door or the floor. Now the only part of of you that has touched the privy is the bottoms of your footwear.

And the next person using the privy will thank you for leaving your muddy footprints on the seat...

If you already have your trail legs, you should be able to just hoover over the fithy seat.
I would not be overly concerned about outdoors privy germs, your body should easily be able to deal with them.
Its areas that are (half-hearted?) sanitized on a regular basis that are prone to host super-germs.

[ChuckT]

Add it to your resume: "I survived the privy at xmxmxm Shelter on the AT."?

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[chknfngrs]

i only use privies if I have to, which is almost never. I much prefer a nice hidden spot somewhere in the middle of the woods.

[hikernutcasey]

I don't think many will debate the fact that privies are absolutely disgusting. I try to avoid them but if camping around a shelter I usually use them since those areas are high use areas. I always wash my hands afterwards (small dab of organic soap I carry with me) to try and kill anything I may have carried out that I didn't have when I went in. Yuck.

[Ktaadn]

And the next person using the privy will thank you for leaving your muddy footprints on the seat...

If you already have your trail legs, you should be able to just hoover over the fithy seat.
I would not be overly concerned about outdoors privy germs, your body should easily be able to deal with them.
Its areas that are (half-hearted?) sanitized on a regular basis that are prone to host super-germs.

Don't hover. Greenlight was absolutely right about a full squat being the correct anatomical position for getting the job done.

As for privies, I've always been more concerned about the giant spiders living in there than I am about everything else. I will sometimes use one in the winter, but generally avoid them in the warmer months.

[tiptoe]

The privies in NH maintained by the Dartmouth Outing Club are minor architectural wonders. They made me laugh more than once.