CATHOLES AND LATRINES

Getting rid of human Waste outdoors requires special care. If the camp- ground has rest rooms or outhouses, be sure to use them. If it doesn't, dig a cathole or a latrine. Completely bury used toilet paper. Always wash your hands with soap and water when you are finished.

Cathole
Find a private spot at least two hundred feet (seventy-five steps) from water, campsites, and trails. Dig a hole six to eight inches deep with your heel, a stick, or a shovel. Organisms in the top layers of earth will break down human waste. Fill the cathole with soil when you are finished, and any ground cover. Push a stick into the earth to warn others against digging in th essame area.

Latrine
A patrol, troop, or other large group camping in the same place for two nights or more can help lessen its impact on the land by digging a single latrine rather than making dozens of catholes. Check with a ranger or other local expert for guidance. With a shovel, dig a shallow trench a foot wide and three to four feet long. Remove and save any ground cover. As with a cathole, dig no deeper than the topsoil so that the waste will be buried in organic earth where it will turn into soil nutrients. Sprinkle a layer of dirt in the latrine after each use to keep away flies and hold down odors. Return all the soil to the latrine when you break camp, and put back the ground cover.