The hole in the ground for bodily waste when camping

There are just things you have to know in order to properly camp out in the wild. These things include anything from starting a fire with flint and steel to pointing the tent stakes the right way. One of the most important things to know how to do in a no-latrine situation is dig a big fucking hole for bodily waste. Some call it a ditch, but they rarely are. It largely depends on who digs it.

Back in the early days of Israel, the Israelites were instructed (by God, via his earth servants) to do just that. It was quite a smart thing to do actually; a lot of the nations around them didn't and ended up sick because of it.

I think the big ol' hole is starting to get bad press from the granola types who end up tripping on the hole while playing hacky sack or something.

There is a book called "How to Shit in the Woods" that advocates smearing, burying, and/or bagging it out--depending on the terrain.

When camping, I prefer the tender caress of a clean rock or fir cone on my satisfied sphincter. None about? Leaves. In the desert at Burning Man? Hmmmm.

The term for this is "Cathole".

---

The proper use of a cathole:
Use a 6-8 inch deep hole away from the campsite, and at least 100 feet from the nearest water. After use, cover the hole with soil. DO NOT put toilet paper in the cathole.

---

The logic behind this is that nature will take care of breaking down your waste products over time, just like it does with the wastes of all other animals.

Most toilet paper will not break down the same way, that's why you don't put it in the hole.

In basic training they told us to carry a bag to put waste in that wouldn't break down naturaly. Also, leaving nothing behind but a covered-up hole with poop in it made it harder for the enemy to detect you were in the area.