It’s a topic that nobody wants to talk about – but someone has got to take one for the team.
Talking about how to correctly dispose of human waste while you’re out enjoying the national park might feel awkward or taboo, but it’s an important topic.
More and more walkers and ranger teams are reporting finding human waste, toilet roll, nappies and sanitary pads discarded in grass or or even stuffed into dry stone walling in the Lake District.
While it may seem straight forward to leave no trace – disposing of human waste and waste products in the fells can be trickier than you might first think.
We spoke with David Eardley, 52, a keen walker and wild camper from the North East, who runs YouTube channel Fellmandave, to ask everything you want to know, but might be too embarrassed to ask, about going to the loo al fresco.
David has been visiting the Lakes since he was a child and as a father and hiking activity leader for his local Scout troop he is passionate about sharing outdoor skills on his YouTube channel.
He covers a wide variety of topics – including correctly disposing of human waste – which he does to help people new to the outdoors and younger generations get outside safely and responsibly.
Why going to the toilet properly outside matters
You might think using the toilet on the fells is relatively harmless – but human faeces can be very harmful to the environment.
It also takes around a year to fully biodegrade, so if it’s left in the open, it can prove a nasty surprise to other walkers and in worse cases, can contaminate water and crops, infect livestock and impact wildlife, flora and fauna.
It also carries parasites, diseases and bacteria like E.coli and salmonella – which can then end up in rivers, lakes and tarns.
According to the Lake District National Park Authority, around 19 million people visit the Lakes every year – so knowing how to use the loo outdoors, and being able to talk about it without shame, is an important part of protecting the county’s outdoor spaces.
David said: “We’ve all come across the odd jobbie at times. It’s often not deliberate harm people do, it’s more a lack of preparedness or ignorance really.
“In any environment, if you put invasive bacteria into the ecosystem it will affect plants, contaminate water and animals will take an interest in it and can be harmed or poisoned by it.
“Things like toilet paper and wipes also take forever to break down.”
David added that the awkwardness around discussing topics like using the toilet when outdoors is something that only causes more problems.
He said: “It’s something that people don’t want to talk about, but we’ve got to get over that embarrassment.
“Okay, we don’t want to think about other people doing it, but we do need to think about what we are going to do in that situation, and how we can be prepared.
“I think we should be sharing this information as much as possible among the Instagram generation, it’s something we certainly do with our Scouts before we head out.”
Planning ahead
Many countries and national parks have the luxury of trailhead toilets and while there are a few across the Lake District, they are not very commonplace.
Before you head out into the fells, check if there’s a toilet on the way to your destination or if the car park you are using has a toilet you can use beforehand. Make sure you also check beforehand to see if the toilet is open.
David said: “On the whole it’s more of a problem on popular paths. I don’t think it’s the proper wild campers who are causing the problems, it’s more those people that are visiting spots like the Priest’s Hole who are more like fly-campers.”
If you’re wild camping – which is when you are camping discretely in the fells high enough up to be above the highest fell wall – you will need to carry a ‘toilet kit’.
Create a toilet kit
David said creating your own outdoor toilet kit is an essential everyone venturing in the fells should have.
He added: “The minimum preparedness is to have a plastic bag to carry toilet paper and wipes away in.
“A step up from that would be to have a trowel or sharp tent peg that you carry every time you hike and definitely while you wild camp.
“There’s a thing called a WAG bag, which is a biodegradable bag that has a powder inside that breaks solids down into a liquid form and it will gel liquids.
“We’re not proposing people should pee into a bag, but if you put solids into it it will break down and can be taken away safely and hygienically.”
If you want to create an outdoor toilet kit, weapons in your arsenal should include:
- Toilet paper or wipes
- A sealable plastic bag to carry toilet roll and wipes home
- A WAG bag – or waste alleviating gel bag – a preferable option for day hikes so you leave no trace. These bags can be bought locally in places like Keswick
- Hand sanitizer
All toilet paper, wipes, nappies and sanitary products should be placed in a sealed bag and taken home for disposal.
Going for a wee
To urinate safely in the fells, avoid going near open water, tarns, lakes or rivers, buildings, campsites or any other kind of shelter, like a bothy.
David said you should aim to walk at least 30 metres away from spots like these and instead, choose a well drained area.
Any used toilet paper should be packed up, placed in a sealed bag like a freezer bag and taken home for disposal.
Do not urinate on the side of busy paths or in popular areas. Try and avoid urinating on patches of flowers or plants and pick a grassy, concealed area instead.
Going for a number two
If you need a number two in the fells, you have two options.
The first is to use a WAG bag to do your business in, before sealing it and taking it home for disposal.
The second is to dig a six inch hole and bury it safely after you are finished.
David said: “The traditional way of doing it is to dig a hole. But if you’ve ever tried to dig a six inch hole on heather, it’s quite hard.
“If you’ve got soft ground it’s not too bad, but you’ve got to have a good sharp tool like a trowel and a bit of strength.
“What many people do is have a little go and maybe dig with the heel of their shoe and then give up and stick their waste under a rock or something.
“Because they haven’t dug a hole, there’s nowhere to put toilet paper, so it also just gets left blowing about.
“When to pack out poo is a bit of grey area, but in popular areas like Styhead Tarn or Sprinkling Tarn, you absolutely should pack it out then and be prepared.”
If you choose to dig a hole, the advice is to not wait until you are desperate, as setting up an outdoor toilet space takes time.
You should also:
- Avoid fell tops and rocky terrain where soil is thinner and can impact the ecosystem more seriously. As the climate is colder here, it also takes the waste longer to biodegrade.
- Make sure you go at least 30 metres away from paths and water bodies
- Stay out of any buildings, bothies or stone structures, caves or tunnels
- Avoid going at the base or large boulders or rock faces where climbers may visit
- Avoid burying toilet paper where possible
- Avoid burying tampons or sanitary towels as animals will dig them up – put them in a sealable bag and take home for disposal
- Avoid burning toilet paper as it poses a fire risk
- Do not wash your hands in a stream or any other water body as it may put bacteria into the water. Use hand sanitiser or bottled water instead away from natural water sources
- Be mindful of ticks and avoid using leaves as toilet paper as they often lurk on vegetation. Check your body for ticks before bed or when you get home.
Practice makes perfect
David said that safely and responsibly using the toilet outdoors should be seen as a skill – just like map reading, or putting up a tent.
He said: “It’s a good idea to practise the whole sequence at home, practice being a bear that poos in the woods.
“It’s interesting when you take groups, because the last thing they want to do is think about having a poo in the outdoors and some of them will fight that urge and hide it.
“But if you take away a little bit of the taboo by talking about it, and make it easier and more accessible, then it becomes more acceptable to deal with.”
David added that responsibly using the toilet outdoors is an important part of leaving no trace when out enjoying the Lake District.
He said: “My adage is to leave no trace, but also leave less trace. So what I’ll try and do is if I’m going somewhere and find a can, I take it away and I’m improving the area.
“If you’re in the Lakes and inevitably see some orange peel shoved in a cairn, take it away with you and leave less trace.”
