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Best practices for dealing with human waste in the great outdoors

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76 points rntn | 3 comments | 31 Aug 25 19:48 UTC | HN request time: 0s | source
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benjbrooks ◴[01 Sep 25 02:25 UTC] No.45088873[source]▶
I summited Mt Whitney last fall, a trail that 1) is notoriously hard to get a permit for and 2) requires all waste to be packed out via Wag Bags.

I was surprised to see a dozen or so wag bags tossed to the side of the trail over the course of my trip. You’d think that visitors would either poop on the ground with no regard for others or pack out their waste, not take all the effort to bring the bag but leave the remnants. It really left a sour taste in my mouth (and smell in my nostrils).

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e40 ◴[01 Sep 25 03:37 UTC] No.45089218[source]▶
I feel the same about dog owners who bag their dog’s crap and then leave the bag in the middle of the sidewalk.
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1. kleiba ◴[01 Sep 25 07:12 UTC] No.45090271[source]▶
I'm not a dog person but I think that one is totally explainable: if you're walking your dog in the neighborhood and it just did its business on the side walk, sharp eyes will be watching you to make sure you pick up after Milo or Daisy.

But who likes to walk around with a bag of fresh dog goodies in their hand? So it seems to be only natural that once out of sight enough, mommy is just gonna drop that gift bag at the nearest occasion.

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2. arethuza ◴[01 Sep 25 07:34 UTC] No.45090392[source]▶
My approach is to make sure to buy good quality waste bags, double bag it (or even triple bag it) and then either carry it in my pocket or in a side pocket of a pack and then dispose sensibly when you have an opportunity.
3. e40 ◴[01 Sep 25 23:06 UTC] No.45097395[source]▶
Probably correct. I was coming out of my house and saw a lady about 7-8 houses away. Her dog was just finishing up and then she looked around. When she saw me, she dipped into her pocket for a bag. It was absolutely hilarious. She probably dropped it somewhere on the way home.