Microblog: Winter Hiking Considerations

Today we’re going to talk about an aspect of winter hiking that people don’t always think about until, well, it’s too late. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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As a general rule, using a wag bag (sometimes called a blue bag or a biffy bag) and packing out human waste is always the best way to make sure you’re leaving no trace. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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But, in the spring and summer when the soil is softer, some folks opt to dig a 6 to 8-inch “cat hole” (far away from the trail and any water sources) in which to do their business. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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However, in the wintertime, the ground is hard and frozen which can make digging a sufficiently-deep cat hole next to impossible. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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That means that trailside toilet paper and unfortunate poop-stepping incidents are much more common in the wintertime because of hikers not planning ahead. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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You might think it’s gross to pack out your poo the first few times, but wag bags (sometimes called blue bags) are thick and opaque with a sturdy, odor-proof seal and are really much less gross than picking someone’s poo off the bottom of your boot with a stick. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ⠀⠀⠀