Do You Need a WAG Bag?

Events Calendar

instructional video- how to use a WAG bag

compiled from multiple sources

For years the recommended method of dealing with human solid waste in the backcountry has been to bury it in a "cathole." However, this method is not suitable in some situations, particularly rocky terrain and deserts. Michigan doesn't have much of either of those, so why should we care?

WAG stands for Waste Alleviation and Gelling. It is basically a double bag that comes packaged with toilet paper, a germicical wipe, and a NASA-developed powder that gels human solid waste and makes it inert and deodorizes it. One bag is large enough to spread between rocks or branches and easily "do your business." You then add the gel, wrap it all up in the smaller, puncture-resistant outer bag, and dispose of it when returning to civilization. Some sources say you can dispose of it in any trash can. Others list recommended drop-off sites. There is debate as to whether the bags will eventually break down in landfills.

Because of a huge increase in backcountry visits, many places in the U.S. West now require their use. Some national parks are providing them free to hikers. The requirement is usually to have one WAG bag per person per day. Mt. Everest (and other peaks) climbers are now required to use them.

On Mt. Whitney, they have been a requirement since 2006.

Some studies show that burying waste doesn't really break it down well. And human waste is likely to contain food-additive chemicals and medicines that can spread to the environment. Pathogens can remain active for over a year.

Is there a place for WAG bags in eastern forests? Probably. Burying waste in the winter if the snow is deep can be problematic. There are environments even in the East that are best characterized as "rocky."

Maybe keeping one in the day pack during the winter would be a sensible idea. Also in the non-frozen seasons for those locations where you just can't find a place to dig a hole (roots, rocks, water too close like in wetland areas).

Cost per set runs about $3.

See a good article on the topic from Atlas and Boots


These links are checked on the date of the article. As the article ages, some links may become invalid

Go To www.getoffthecouchnews.blogspot.com for all the news
See Get Off The Couch