Camping Bathroom Guide: Toilets, Digging Catholes and Hygiene Tips

For nearly all backcountry trips, a properly dug cathole is the standard way to handle #2. Dig 6–8 inches deep, at least 200 feet from water, trails, and camp. For car camping or places where digging isn’t allowed, bring a portable toilet or use campground facilities. Hygiene is simple: pack out used toilet paper or wipes, and carry hand sanitizer or biodegradable soap. The sections below cover the options, the correct digging technique, and the supplies you’ll actually need.

Types of Camping Toilets: Which One Fits Your Trip?

No single solution works for every scenario. The table below compares the four most common methods based on effort, cost, and where each is required or recommended.

Method	Best For	Cost	Effort	Disposal
Cathole	Backpacking, low-traffic areas	$5–20 (trowel)	Low	Buried in place
WAG bag / pack-out bag	Deserts, alpine, high-use zones	$3–8 per bag	Medium	Must carry out
Portable bucket toilet	Car camping, basecamps	$40–150	Low	Dump at RV station or trash
Composting toilet	Long stays, van/RV life	$800–1,000+	Medium	Compost solids, empty liquids

When to choose each:

• Cathole – your default for forest, meadow, or soil-based backcountry. Carry a lightweight trowel (the Deuce #2 is a popular 0.6-oz option).
• WAG bag – mandatory in places like the Grand Canyon corridor, Mount Whitney’s trail, and some alpine zones above treeline. No digging required; you do your business in a bag, seal it, and pack it out.
• Portable bucket toilet – ideal if you’re car camping with a group or staying at a site with no flush toilets. A bucket with a snap-on seat and double-bag system costs around $50. Add a small bottle of RV-grade toilet chemical to control odor.

• Composting toilet – only makes sense for a home-on-wheels or a semi-permanent basecamp. It separates liquids and solids, saves money on dump station fees, but requires regular maintenance.

How to Dig a Cathole the Right Way

A cathole is a hole you dig, use, and then fill so the site looks undisturbed. This isn’t optional technique – done wrong, it attracts animals and contaminates water. Follow these steps exactly.

Before You Start: Check Your Site

• Check regulations – some areas require packing everything out (popular national parks, river corridors). If in doubt, carry a WAG bag as a backup.
• Test the soil – look for dark, crumbly topsoil. If you hit rock or dry clay within 3 inches, you cannot dig a proper cathole here. In that case, stop digging and use a WAG bag instead.
• Pick your spot – at least 200 feet (about 70 adult paces) from any water source, trail, campsite, or depression where water could run. On a slope, choose a higher spot to avoid runoff washing waste downhill.

Step-by-Step

1. Scout and clear – scrape away loose leaves or duff with your boot or trowel, set them aside.
2. Dig the hole – use a trowel to cut a clean hole 6–8 inches deep and 4–6 inches wide. The depth is critical: too shallow and animals dig it up; too deep and the waste won’t break down aerobically.
3. Do your business – squat low over the hole. If you use toilet paper, drop it into the hole too. Feminine products and wipes must be packed out (they don’t decompose).
4. Cover and mix – use a stick to mix the waste with a few handfuls of the dirt you dug out. This speeds decomposition and masks odor.
5. Fill and disguise – replace all the soil and the leaf litter you set aside. Tamp it down lightly. The site should look like no one was there. If you see white toilet paper fluttering, you didn’t bury deep enough.

Verify Your Cathole Is Done Right

After filling, do these checks:

• Visual: The ground should be flush with no mound. No toilet paper, wipes, or disturbed leaves visible.
• Smell: Put your nose within 6 inches of the spot. If you smell any odor, you need to add more soil and mix again. A properly covered cathole has zero smell after 30 seconds.
• Tamp test: Step on the filled hole gently. If your foot sinks, add more dirt and repeat.

Stop threshold: If you cannot reach 6 inches of depth because of rock or roots, you must stop digging and pack out the waste. Do not use a shallow hole – it will be dug up, and bacteria will not work. A WAG bag is your next move.

Realistic Failure Mode: Digging Too Close to Water Even at 200 Feet

A common mistake is assuming the 200-foot rule is always safe. If the ground slopes toward a stream, rain can carry waste particles through the soil into the water. Symptom: You find muddy runoff or standing water near your cathole site after a rainstorm. Cause: You dug in a low spot or on a slope without checking the drainage path. Safer next move: Always dig on high ground, away from any downhill depression. If you are in a canyon bottom, pack out waste instead.

Quick Check: Is Your Cathole Plan Ready?

Use this five-item decision checklist before you squat:

• Soil type is dark and crumbly (not sand or clay) – yes/no
• You have a trowel that can reach 6 inches – yes/no
• Distance from water is at least 200 paces – yes/no
• You have a WAG bag backup if the ground fails – yes/no
• All wipes and non-organic items are in a ziplock bag to pack out – yes/no

If any answer is no, adjust your method or carry a pack-out bag.

Personal Hygiene and Hand Washing

Germs from camp waste can cause serious illness. The rule is: wash or sanitize your hands immediately after going to the bathroom and before handling food.

• Hand sanitizer – 60% alcohol or higher. Use a generous squirt (about the size of a quarter) and rub until dry. This is the bare minimum for backcountry.
• Biodegradable soap – for car camping or when you have a water source. Use it sparingly (a drop or two). Scrub for at least 20 seconds, then rinse water at least 200 feet from streams or lakes. Best is to rinse into a shallow hole (a “catwash”) away from water.
• Pack out wipes – even “flushable” or “biodegradable” wipes do not break down in a cathole. Put used wipes in a doubled ziplock bag and carry them out.

Stop threshold: If you have no sanitizer and no soap, do not eat or touch food until you find a washing station. Skipping handwashing after using a cathole increases your risk of Giardia infection, which can cause diarrhea lasting weeks.

Failure mode: Washing hands directly in a stream. Even biodegradable soap harms aquatic life and is illegal in most backcountry areas. Instead, carry a small collapsible water container and wash away from water, then scatter the used water over a wide area.

When Packing Out Is the Only Option

In several environments, a cathole is not acceptable. Plan to pack out all solid waste (and sometimes urine-soaked pads) in these situations:

• Desert canyons – no soil, only sand and rock. Waste never breaks down. Pack out in WAG bags.
• Alpine tundra – thin soil, slow decomposition, high visitor traffic. Many ranger districts require pack-out.
• River corridors (e.g., Grand Canyon, Colorado River) – human waste is packed out on commercial trips. Even private boaters must use portable toilets or WAG bags.
• Popular peak summits – the summit of Mount Whitney or Longs Peak has zero soil. WAG bags are often issued free at trailheads.
• Areas with heavy use – if a ranger station or sign says “pack out your waste,” do it. Fines can exceed $500.

WAG bags (sometimes called “blue bags”) contain a powder or gel that solidifies waste and neutralizes odor. You place the bag inside a reusable outer pouch, use it, seal it, and carry it out. A typical 3-bag kit weighs about 2 oz and fits in a pocket. You can dispose of sealed bags in regular trash bins at the trailhead or ranger station.

Verification: Before you leave the site, check that your pack-out bag is double-bagged and sealed. Shake it gently – if you hear liquid, add more powder or gel (if provided) and reseal. Odor means the seal leaked; place the bag inside a second ziplock.

Frequently Asked Questions

How deep should a cathole be?
6 to 8 inches. Too shallow and animals will dig up the waste; too deep and the bacteria can’t decompose it properly.

Can I bury toilet paper in a cathole?
Yes, if you are in a remote, low-use area. Use unbleached, plain toilet paper (no lotion, no perfume). In high-traffic zones or fragile environments, pack out all TP in a ziplock bag.

What if the ground is too hard to dig?
You cannot dig a cathole in solid rock or dry clay. Use a WAG bag instead, or find an area with loose soil farther from camp. A rock or a sturdy stick can help break up hard-packed soil, but don’t force it – stop if you can’t reach 6 inches.

Do I need a trowel?
Yes, a lightweight trowel makes digging a proper depth consistent. A stick might work in soft soil, but it rarely reaches 6 inches. The Deuce #2 trowel weighs 0.6 oz and has a serrated edge for prying roots.

How do I wash dishes after going to the bathroom?
Wash your hands first with sanitizer. Then boil or treat your dishwater and wash at least 200 feet from any water source. Never wash dishes in a stream or lake.