Leave no Trace with Restop bags

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Leave no Trace with Restop bags

Lara Usinowicz sent me the following technical seminar notes:
Hello. My name is Lara Usinowicz. I am the Sales and Marketing Manager for a company called Restop. We make a bag containment system for human waste to comply with the outdoor ethics of Leave No Trace. I would like to spend the next hour talking about the issues of human waste in the wilderness and the solution that Restop provides.

There are two primary concerns with the disposal of human waste in the backcountry: human health problems as a consequence of either direct contact or contamination of drinking water, and aesthetic concerns of visitors who find improperly disposed waste—what I like to call the “eeewww” factor. Nothing worse than getting to your pristine camping site in the wilderness to find a pile from the last visitor or “paper flowers”, a ridiculous euphemism for toilet paper left behind. I think one of the problems with dealing with human waste is many people’s discomfort with talking about shit. Maybe if we referred to human waste as “shit” and toilet paper as “shit paper”, it would sound more vulgar and folks would be more apt to think that it is disgusting to leave your pile of shit and shit paper in the woods. As I like to say, “Get your shit together!”

In addition…the transmission of disease-causing pathogens (bacteria, viruses, and protozoans) from human feces is a serious health concern. Over 100 bacteria, protozoans and viruses are potentially present in human feces and capable of causing illness. Common parasites include Giardia lambia, cryptosporidium parvum, and entamoeba histolytica. Viral infections include hepatitis A, gastroenteritis caused by rotavirus, Norwalk-like agents, and viruslike particles.

Giardia appears to be the most common animal parasite affecting humans in the U.S. Giardiasis can be transmitted through fecal contamination of food and water or through direct fecal-oral contact. Though waterborne transmission of Giardia is believed to be the least common mode of transmission overall, it is the primary concern of backcountry travelers because many Giardia infected areas exist in the backcountry. Studies have found that in Colorado, 40-45% of beaver were infected, 48% of muskrats and as many as 20% of cattle were shedding cysts. Dogs may be important reservoirs for human Giardia—they can defecate in or near water and roll in feces, thus helping spread cysts.

However, humans are considered the most important component in the epidemiology of girardisis. One milligram of feces may contain 300 million cysts and ingestion of even a few cysts may lead to infection.

The most common symptoms that one can expect when infected with Giardia are: diarrhea (7-10 days), abdominal cramps, nausea and/or loss of appetite, flatulence or bloating, and fatigue. If Giardia is not treated, it will often go away on its own but it can become a chronic problem—sounds like fun, eh?

Other parasites such as cryptosporidium parvum and entamoeba histolytica have similar epidemiologies and similar fun, enjoyable symptoms.

The National Park Service hosts almost 300 million visitors to the National Parks per year (does that mean 600 million pounds of waste)? Human waste is easily processed where there is power, water, and plumbing. However, the 2,000,000 annual backcountry campers are entering pristine wilderness environments where building flush toilets is not always feasible or desirable. The mission of the NPS is to preserve “unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the national park system for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations.” Based on this mission, removing waste and a “leave no trace” policy is essential to backcountry settings. Siting and maintaining these “backcountry” wastewater disposal systems is complex, expensive, and sometimes physically challenging. Typically the only alternative is to create a collection site where the human waste must be physically removed and transported by backpackers, horse, or helicopters during and after the end of the season.

Human feces can pose a problem not just from a public health perspective, but will also introduce unnatural nutrients into the environment if not contained/removed. To monitor these activities and provide public health consultative services the U.S. Public Health Service entered into a Memorandum of Agreement in November of 1955 with the Department of Interior. This has allowed the NPS to provide routing, monitoring and oversight of wastewater collection and disposal within the National Parks.

The methods used by parks range from cat holes, pit privy, bag systems, or more complex systems such as composting toilets, dehydration or evaporative toilets, septic tanks, centralized collection sites (river trips), and treatment plants. Parks have spent much money, time and effort installing and maintaining these systems in order to prevent disease transmission and provide an unimpaired natural and cultural resource.

The World Health Organization estimates that the average adult produces about one liter—some 2 pounds worth—of excreta per day, half of that being solid waste.

How many people are here? So, as a group, we are producing __ pounds of waste per day. And how many students do you take on each outing? We may each take just a small group but he produces two pounds and she produces two pounds and so on and so on…

For the sake of discussion, consider that in 2005, Grand Canyon National Park counted 238,381 backcountry overnight stays. If most of those visitors stayed in the park for 24 hours, that means that 120 tons of human urine and feces was bequeathed upon the Grand Canyon backcountry in 12 months.

In the month of January, in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, there have been 3,220 overnight stays, 2,311 of those in the backcountry. They’ve only had to deal with one ton of excreta but that is in just one month and, in the month of January, not exactly high season.

During the 2004-2005 season, 4206 people went to Aconcagua National Park in Argentina to climb this 20,886 foot peak. The trek to the summit takes between 10 days and two weeks. I do not have exact statistics on how many people summitted the peak so let’s say half of those people, so about 2000 were on the peak for 10 days. Two pounds per day, 2000 people—4,000 pounds a day for 10 days…that’s going to pile up!

In Zion National Park, day use in the slot canyons totaled 13,365 people, overnight use totaled 1452 people—and 2005 was a low use year due to high water. In 2004, there were 17,166 people for day use and 3065 overnight users. These numbers do not include one of most of the non-technical climbs including day use of the lower Narrows. So the total is actually higher.

The Arkansas River in Colorado is the most heavily rafted river in the world. In 2005, there were 271,180 commercial user days and 30, 127 private boaters. While the figures are for the entire Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area, Browns Canyon, which is the most environmentally sensitive, has the most use.

I could go on and on with statistics but I think you get the idea. As more and more people head into the wilderness, human waste is a growing problem and we need to take responsibility for ourselves in the great outdoors. Recreational use of the backcountry areas in the U.S. has increases significantly and is estimated at 2 million visitor days per year.

There are areas where you can bury your waste. The proper method is to dig a cathole 6 to 8 inches deep at least 200 feet from water, camp, and trails. After use, cover and disguise the cathole and pack out all toilet paper and hygiene products.

While digging a cathole is a viable option, it is interesting to note a wilderness impact study commissioned by the Sierra Club in the 1970s. The nonprofit organization wanted to find out what impact its organized “Sierra Club Outings” backcountry trips were having on California’s Sierra Nevada mountains.

A group of researchers observed (from afar) the defecation practices of the Sierra Club Outings participants—most of whom were traveling in large groups and using latrines to do their business. The group leader would usually determine where the latrine was dug, and the big hole was then the receptacle for all of the group’s waste for, in most cases, less that 24 hours.

The researchers made a note of all of these latrine sites scattered across the Sierras, then they went back anywhere from one to three years later and uncovered the latrines to see what had happened to the feces. The researchers found that the waste, along with the many resident bacteria, was alive and well and had decomposed very little, if at all.

Another study about a decade later in Montana’s Bridger Range unearthed the same truths—except this time the focus was on catholes rather than latrines. Researchers from Montana State University buried bacteria-rich deposits of human waste in cat holes that varied in depth from 2 to 8 inches and were located in six different types of Rocky Mountain soil environments and elevations. When the samples were dug up 51 weeks later, after one winter had passed, all the feces remained a virtual playground for various disease-causing bacteria (namely E. coli and salmonella).

The report, entitled “Potential Health Hazards from Human Wastes in Wilderness” said, “The idea that shallow burial renders feces harmless in a short time is fallacious.” It continued, stating, “Site did not make the difference that we expected. The results seemed to apply to all elevations and exposures on the mountain. From our data, it is unrealistic to hope for a rapid die-off of intestinal bacteria in cat holes. Pathogens might be transferred to later campers in three ways: direct contact with the feces, by insect, or by water.”

Both studies pointed out, however, that putting waste in cat holes was preferable to a latrine because the smaller the fecal deposit, the greater its contact with surrounding soil organisms and air, which are central to the decomposition process.

Of course, there are then many areas where burying your waste is NOT an option. These include:
HEAVY USE AREAS: at trailheads and other areas where digging a cathole might entail digging up someone else’s waste
IN DEEP RIVER GORGES: where it is impossible to travel the required 200 feet away from the river
ALONG ANY WATERWAY WHERE THERE IS ONLY SANDY SOIL which doesn’t have the nutrients to decompose waste
IN CANYONS AND HIGH DESERTS: where the soil is also without the microorganisms necessary to biodegrade human waste
ABOVE THE TREELINE: in any mountaineering or climbing venue where the soil is too rocky to dig the required 6-8 inches fro a proper cathole.

That being said, a cathole is an option in some areas, but is it the best option? Can we teach our students and get them accustomed at a young age to the idea of “packing it out”? If there is a user-friendly and pleasant means to deal with carrying out your waste, why not do it? While I condone any method of carrying out your waste, whether it is a plastic baggie, a PVC tube, or the “blue bag” that is offered on several mountaineering venues, such as Rainer, compliance is an important issue so the method should be as pleasant as possible.

I’d like to introduce you to the Restop line of personal sanitation products…

Zion National Park hands out the Restop product with your backcountry permit. They switched to another product, the Wagbag, due to its degradability but then switched back to Restop because of problems with compliance. They were finding that people were trying to “do the right thing” but, because of the odor issue, were now leaving their bags of waste in the wilderness.

Mount Rainier provides a system known as “the blue bag.” It is basically a blue plastic bag and the method is to defecate on the snow and then use the bag as a mitt to pick up your waste. Then, you are to throw these bags into receptacles on the mountain. This is a fine system but why should the National Park be responsible for carrying out canisters of human waste. Why not empower the individual to be responsible for him or herself and provide them with an effective and inexpensive solution? In Grand Teton National Park, they used to use the “blue bag” system. When the canisters were full, the Park Service would helicopter them out. That came to a halt when one of the canisters was accidentally dropped and the backcountry was littered with blue bags of human waste. They now hand out the Restop product to visitors.

Western State College was involved with a cleanup expedition to Aconcagua last January. Currently, the Park Service provides climbers with a cheap plastic bag which has proven highly ineffective. The bags leak, stink and therefore, there are issues with compliance—the bags of waste are often left behind. Who wants to carry a smelly, leaking bag of shit in their backpack? This peak in Argentina has become a virtual minefield of human waste and Restop provided the WSC students with 250 Restop 2 bags to help educate climbers and guides. I am currently working with the Park Service at Aconcagua to see if we can make the Restop product part of the permit.

There are similar problems on other high peaks such as Mt. Everest and Kilimanjaro as well as domestic areas like the 14ers (the peaks over 14,000 feet) in Colorado. In addition to high peaks, many rock climbing areas are starting to put in requirements or suggestions to “pack it out.” There are often facilities near sport climbing areas but “near” is still a quarter- or half-mile away and “when nature calls”, often a half-mile walk is too far away. Restop offers a great solution, “just in case”.

River runners (rafters, kayakers, and canoeists) have grown accustomed to the idea of packing out their waste as it has been required for years. We need to see a shift in consciousness in other outdoor communities before more of our mountain, desert, and climbing areas turn into an “Aconca-ca”.

The Restop bags retail for $14.95 for a five-pack so they are an effective, accessible means for everyone to take things into their own hands, so to speak. We can each take responsibility for the wilderness or we can let it go to…well, you get the idea.

Well, then, as environmental educators, I call on you to spread the word about the effective and inexpensive means that Restop provides for you to “get your shit together”

Note: I met Lara at the American Alpine Club's Annual Meeting in Bend Oregon in 2007. She was talking to everyone about . . well you know. I think that Restop is a great product, technically better than the traditional blue bag. I have been trying to figure out how I could write this article for many weeks. I finally decided to print the entire technical story.

Lara pointed out that it was not necessary to have a companion hold the bag while you did your business. This had proved to be a difficult arrangement. It is now practical to poop on the paper provide and then bag the result, all while maintaining perfect privacy ;-)) It is best to carry the bagged poop safely on the outside of your pack, thereby proclaiming your Leave no Trace Ethics ;-)) --Webmeister Speik

American Mountain Guides Association writes the following:

When Nature Calls
As sponsors of Leave No Trace, The American Mountain Guides Association is committed to minimizing impact on the backcountry when on their outings. As more and more people head into the backcountry, the issue of human waste is a growing problem and must be confronted.

The World Health Organization estimates that the average adult products about one liter—some 2 pounds worth—of excreta per day, half of that being solid waste.

For the sake of discussion, consider that in 2005, Grand Canyon National Park had 238,381 backcountry overnight stays. If most of the visitors stayed in the park for 24 hours, that means 120 tons of human urine and feces fell upon the Grand Canyon backcountry in 12 months.

In the month of January, in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, there have been 3,220 overnight stays, 2,311 of those in the backcountry. They’ve only had to deal with one ton of excreta but that is in just one month and, in the month of January, not exactly high season.

Then there is the case of Aconcagua, nicknamed “Acon ca-ca,” due to the minefield of human feces upon the mountain. During the 2004-2005 season, 4206 people went to Aconcagua National Park in Argentina to climb this 20,886 foot peak. The trek to the summit takes between 10 days and two weeks. If half of those people summitted, that means about 2000 people were on the peak for 10 days. Two pounds per day, 2000 people at ten days each…that is going to pile up!

There are countless other areas that are being heavily impacted by human waste and all of us have the responsibility to prevent another “Acon ca-ca.”

There are areas where you can bury your waste. The proper method is to dig a cathole 6 to 8 inches deep at least 200 feet from water, camp and trails. After use, cover and disguise the cathole and pack out all toilet paper and hygiene products.

While digging a cathole is a viable option, it is interesting to note a wilderness impact study commissioned by the Sierra Club in the 1970s. The nonprofit organization wanted to find out what impact its organized “Sierra Club Outings” backcountry trips were having on California’s Sierra Nevada outings.

A group of researchers observed the defecation methods of the Sierra Club Outings participants—most of whom were traveling in large groups and using latrines to do their business. The group leader would determine where the latrine was dug, and this was then a receptacle for all of the group’s waste for, in most cases, less that 24 hours.

The researchers made a note of all the latrine sites scattered across the Sierras, then they went back anywhere from one to three years later and uncovered the latrines to see what had happened to the feces. The researchers found that the waste, along with the bacteria, was alive and well and had decomposed very little, if at all.

Another study about a decade later in Montana’s Bridger Range discovered the same truths—except this time the focus was on catholes rather than latrines. Researchers from Montana State University buried bacteria-rich deposits of human waste in catholes that varied in depth from 2 to 8 inches and were located in six different types of Rocky Mountain soil environments and elevations. When the samples were dug up a year later, after one winter had passed, all the feces remained alive with various disease-causing bacteria (namely E. coli and salmonella).

The report, entitled “Potential Health Hazards from Human Wastes in Wilderness” said, “The idea that shallow burial renders feces harmless in a short time is fallacious.” It continued, stating, “Site did not make the difference that we expected. The results seemed to apply to all elevations and exposures on the mountain. From our data, it is unrealistic to hope for a rapid die-off of intestinal bacteria in catholes. Pathogens might be transferred to later campers in three ways: direct contact with the feces, by insect, or by water.”

Both studies pointed out, however, that putting waste in catholes was preferable to a latrine because the smaller the fecal deposit, the greater its contact with surrounding soil, organisms, and air, which are central to the decomposition process.

There are many areas where burying your waste is not an option. These include:
heavy use areas: at trailheads and other areas where digging a cathole might entail digging up someone else’s waste; in deep river gorges: where it is impossible to travel the required 200 feet away from the river, along any waterway where there is only sandy soil which doesn’t have the nutrients to decompose waste; in canyons and high deserts where the soil is also without the microorganisms necessary to biodegrade human waste; above the treeline: in any mountaineering or climbing venue where the soil is too rocky to dig the required 6-8 inches for a proper cathole.

While any method of carrying out your waste is better than the alternative, whether it is a plastic baggie, a PVC tube, or the “blue bag” that is offered in several mountaineering venues, such as Rainier, compliance is an important issue so the method should be as pleasant as possible.

The Restop products offer a safe and sanitary means to deal with human waste in the wilderness. The Restop 2 solid waste bag contains the odor as well as the waste. Inside the bag is a powder, a polymer/enzyme blend, which biodegrades and gels the waste, giving it EPA approval to be simply thrown away in the trash after use. Restop provides the user with an inexpensive and effective means to comply with the outdoor ethics of Leave No Trace.

The Restop bags retail for $14.95 for a five-pack so they are an effective, accessible means for everyone to take things into their own hands. We can each take responsibility for ourselves in the wilderness or we can let it go to shit…

The American Mountain Guides Association

American Alpine Club reports the following:

Waste Bag Programs Expanding
July 2007
The AAC's Restop human-waste bag dispenser at Lumpy Ridge, Colorado. The AAC-built human-waste bag dispenser installed at the old Twin Owls parking lot at Lumpy Ridge in Colorado is going through about 20 bags a week, according to the National Park Service. Now, the NPS has approved a second dispenser for Rocky Mountain National Park, to be installed at Chasm Lake, below the Diamond on Longs Peak, in August. Greg Sievers, leader of the AAC’s Central Rockies Section, commissioned the construction of two oak boxes for the bags, and the section donated the first two cases of Restop 2 human-waste bags for the pilot program. For more info, contact Greg Sievers.

The AAC is also working with Grand Teton National Park, hoping to provide carry-it-out waste bags at the Grand Teton Climbers’ Ranch and the Lupine Meadows trailhead, the primary access for the central Teton peaks. And this fall discussions will be held with Yosemite National Park.

The AAC has been a leader in human waste-removal efforts for climbers since 2001, when the club provided seed funding for Denali’s Clean Mountain Cans program. Climbers are now required to carry down their waste from Denali’s high camp. The AAC also was a key backer of the Friends of Indian Creek’s carry-it-out waste program.

http://www.americanalpineclub.org/pages/story/6/35

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