last minute advice....

[thecyclops]

Leaving tomorrow at 6:30 am from Hickory NC,towards Hot Springs NC for 6 days and 5 nights on the Appalachian Trail with a good friend.He is slightly more experienced than myself,but both of us are noobs,and in fact I havent camped in 20+years.
I know we have the basics,and then some,but still slightly nervous about a few things....more about pooping in the woods than anything else.Discuss?

[whiteOak]

well
you have to find a place at least a hundred feet from any running water
then bend down and dig a small hole about six inches deep
poop into the hole and then cover it up with the dirt
you should probably have a small shovel for this purpose
enjoy

[thecyclops]

Hey,you left out the part where I needed to pay special attention to my aim,and my butt to underwear angle;ie to make sure to not poop inside my own underwear like a turd hammock...not saying did that or anything,just may be helpful next time........

[whiteOak]

lol, I didnt think those were the difficult parts of the situation, but I'll make a note of it

[thecyclops]

I thought for a second that I was gonna have to holla at my friend,and ask him to bring the camp tongs over to the woods.

[thecyclops]

Seriously,I had a blast though and learned a LOT.Had some medium to small bears(which still petrified me)in our camp on the 2nd night,about 5 minutes after we got into the tent.Got caught in (what several AT'ers said was gonna be a tropical storm) a 15 minute wind and rain a$$ kicking along a ridge near "hump mountain",realized the importance of waterproof boots,and as much as I hate to admit it....my MOLLEII rifleman pack with gen4 frame is gonna have to go,at12lbs empty its just too heavy.

[Gershon]

Pooping takes some practice. There are 3 or 4 positions.

First for the spot. One of the things I do before going to sleep is pick a spot in case I have to do it in the dark. I look for a place well away from camp in an area people are not likely to go. This may sound dumb, but if you go in the dark, lay a stick or something pointing back towards the tent. A lot of people get lost at night which can be embarrassing.

My preference is a dead tree up to about 6 inches in diameter laying about a foot off the ground. Just hang your butt over it and you are all set. Just don't pee on yourself.

My second preference is holding a tree in front of me and assuming the "thinker" position. It's easier to poop downhill. This is how bears do it according to pictures I've seen.

My third preference is the downhill skier position. This works if you are quick. After that, your knees will start to burn.

In all 3 positions dig a trench maybe 8 inches long parallel to your crack. Then it's hard to miss.

If you choose to bury the TP, bring a water bottle with you or save some pee to make it wet. It's a lot easier to bury this way.

If possible, plan your poops to happen on the trail between campsites. Then it is less likely to be found by others.

Glad you enjoyed your trip. Btw, now we have a trail name for you. "Poop hammock."

[Gershon]

Waterproof boots:

Personally, I use Danner Combat boots which are waterproof, but that's not the most popular approach. I'm also not sure it would work for long rains and muddy trails. We just don't get that much in Colorado. Our deal is more stream crossings in some areas.

The more popular choice is shoes and socks that will dry quickly.

It may be cheaper to experiment with socks than boots. For minor rains, a wicking sock like Smartwool works well. When it stops raining, change your socks. The problem is, these take forever to dry.

These socks work very well with comfortable shoes or boots. They are thin sock liners, but I've never had a problem with them causing blisters or being uncomfortable. I would not use them with a stiff boot. You may find you need a shoe a half size smaller with them.

They hand wash easily and dry quickly. They also don't smell when they get wet like Smartwool socks do.

They are very thin, but wear well.

[thecyclops]

Thanks guys,and gershon?You certainty have some descriptive "poopinisms",lol Think I will try a combo of two of your techniques,Ill call it the "downhill thinker"

[Gershon]

You need to be careful using the downhill skiing position if you don't have something to hang on to in front. If you lose your balance at the wrong time, you will fall backwards into the poop. If you pee in the wrong place, it will run down on you. Hmm, "downhill thinker" would be an obscure trailname.