Using the bathroom outdoors
When nature calls during outdoor adventures, it's important to handle it responsibly. To protect the environment and respect other visitors, follow these simple guidelines when using the bathroom outdoors.
If no toilets or latrines are available, move away from trails, buildings, farm animals, and water sources like lakes, rivers, or streams. For feces, dig a hole and cover it with soil or rocks. Toilet paper should be buried, burned (if fire restrictions allow), or packed out in your waste bag.
Keep in mind
- A small spade makes it easier to dig a hole – a tip is to bring a garden spade on your nature walk.
- Always take wet wipes with you when you leave – never leave them in nature.
- Dog waste bags take up little space – use them to collect your toilet paper and bring it back with you.
- Boating without a toilet? Use a bucket with a tight lid.
Avoid water sources
Even though urine and feces are not harmful in themselves, it's important to avoid relieving yourself in or near bodies of water. Urine and feces can contain bacteria, such as E. coli, which can spread through water and affect its quality.
This is especially important in protected, shallow bays where water circulation is low — repeated discharge of urine and feces in such areas can have negative effects. Urine contains nitrogen, a nutrient that can promote the growth of algae and aquatic plants. Increased nutrient levels in the water can lead to eutrophication, which in turn may cause oxygen depletion and negatively impact the local ecosystem
When nature calls at sea
To reduce the impact on lakes and seas, it is better to urinate on land, for example in a bush, rather than directly into the water. When boating without access to a toilet with a holding tank, it's recommended to use a bucket with a tight-fitting lid. The contents should then be emptied at an appropriate location — such as an outhouse, a land-based toilet, or in the forest in a way that does not disturb others.
Toilet paper should never be left in nature — it should either be buried or taken with you and disposed of in a proper waste bin.