I was recently asked to submit a post to the communications director of the ATC to write a blog post entitled “Things Ridgerunners Wish Hikers Knew.”
Here in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, we have awesome moldering privies that keep pristinely clean and well maintained. They don’t smell badly, and they function perfectly… as long as only a handful of mulch, toilet paper, and poop are thrown in. Trash, clothing, and wipes inhibit the decomposition process.
Unfortunately, wipes are now deceptively marketed as “flushable, compostable, plant-based, or biodegradable,” which is very much not the case in a privy (and from what I hear, not the case in sewer/septic systems either!). When we clean these bins out, we remove an average of 20–25 lbs. of trash (mostly wipes). Yes, we actually dig through the privy bins and remove all the wipes, garbage, and clothing. In ideal conditions, the rest of the material is magically just dirt.
So, prepare ahead of time, and carry an extra zipper bag for your wipes and hygiene products to easily pack them out.
Thank you for helping us keep our privies clean and working properly.
