National Parks mean it when they say “Leave No Trace.”

Jake Kulju May 22, 2008

National Parks mean it when they say “Leave No Trace.”
By Jake Kulju

From the snowy peaks of Denali National Park to the sun soaked bottomlands of Zion Canyon, an increasing number of national parks are requiring backpackers and campers to carry out their human waste. Sure, it sounds nasty—but no one is expecting you to get your hands dirty.

Before you start shaking your head thinking this is ridiculous, take a minute to consider how this affects our national parks. The Yosemite National Park web site states that many of its most popular backpacking areas are “often littered with stinking tubes” of human waste and instructs campers to carry their waste out with them and empty it into a pit toilet elsewhere in the park. Places like Mount McKinley, Mount Shasta and Mount Ranier have been receiving large numbers of complaints about both the sight and smell of human waste. National Park officials report that some animals have even altered their behavior to avoid the unfamiliar scents.

Waste management in the wilderness is really no joke. With nearly 300 million visitors to national parks each year, the issue is becoming very real.

“A lot of people are offended by the idea and would just like to have someone else take care of their waste,” said Garry Oye, a U.S. Forest Service regional program leader. “But as the world gets more crowded, particularly around the mountains and rivers, people are going to have to pack out their waste.”

Wag Bag

Leading the pack, Philips Environmental Products, Inc. has developed a popular disposable human waste containment system called the Wag Bag. The product is literally a toilet in a bag and is being used by hikers, campers and climbers all over the country. Wag Bags are single-use, zip-close biodegradable human waste bags. Each bag comes in a kit that includes:

-WAG™ waste bag, zip-close storage bag, toilet paper and hand sanitizer

-Disposal bags contain Pooh-Powder™ which quickly turns waste into a stable gel for easy transport and safe disposal

-Odor neutralizers to eliminate unpleasant odors; decay catalyst initiates decomposition

The environmentally friendly technology of the Wag Bag turns liquid waste into a solid for hygenic and spillproof transport. Thankfully, the bags are made from puncture resistant material and are approved by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management for use in Wilderness Areas. Each pack of twelve bags weights only three pounds.

Leave no Trace

Learn more about the Leave No Trace principles: http://www.lnt.org/

Other posts & articles from Jake Kulju

Share This

Comments

Got something to say?

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Close
E-mail It