Re: "suggestion" or "rule."

I don't recall the rangers at Prairie Portage mentioning anything about this when we breezed through in mid-September.

-- kypaddler

intrepid_camper wrote on Oct 8^th, 2014 at 1:22pm:


That's the big unknown isn't it.
Considering what's going on with the Ebola thing, people catching it even though their disinfecting everything with chorine and burning the bodies, you just don't know "what" anyone may have or who they've been in contact with.

I don't know if virus's like Hepatitis which is fairly common, are killed by heat completely or if anything less than a certain time/temp could contaminate the burning area.

I'd say that solo, you do what you feel okay/safe with and leave zero trace, and in a group situation, you ask and IF anyone objects, you don't doo-doo it.

I'd prefer people kept their "bathroom" facilities separate from their "kitchen" ones, but IF your going to do it, I'd again ask first in a group situation and either way have the common sense to make damn sure you burn it completely so the next person there doesn't know about it.

Burn, bury, pack out, it seems depending on everyones point of view and their "squemish level",
how to deal with TP is  controversial.

But things could always be worse.
Imagine if we were all bound by these rules of personal hygiene.

Shake hands, I don't think so.

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Hey folks,

Don't want to belabor this point but thought I'd chip in again. Living in the northeast for a stint and backpacking the Appalachians, the common practice and understanding was that one dug the hole, did their business, and then pulled out a lighter to burn off the TP. Cover with moss or douse first with water from an H20 bottle then cover, tamp down and forget about it. Maybe that's not the expectation or practice here, but I still do this...maybe more out of habit. Just thought I'd add 2 cents.

Not so squeamish myself, but I have heard that people have gotten poison ivy from breathing the smoke while burning brush.

As an additional side topic here, what are some of the natural materials historically used. Sphagnum moss works well IMO.

Less TP to burn  up