Forum: outdoors.stackexchange.com
Tags: <wilderness><hygiene><human-waste>
Title: What are some toilet paper alternatives you could use in the woods?
Question: When in the great outdoors, nature is bound to come calling, so what are some good natural toilet paper substitutes when the real thing isn't available?

Answers:
sents: text: The options: Smooth oval rocks (from river beds if possible) Snowball Rounded sticks Leaves (as said elsewhere, be careful of which kinds) soft pine cones (relatively rare, but plentiful where they exist!)
text: handful of grass Carry a piece of cloth specifically designed for this purpose and be sure to do two more things: 1 - Don't use the cloth for anything else, and 2 - Wash it clean as regularly as possible.
answer_details: author: outdoors.stackexchange.com/users/19/Ryley
score: 22
sents: text: Species in the forest will vary by locale.
text: Here in the Pacific Northwest , Thimbleberry
text: aka Salmonberry leaves are thick and soft, so they make a good wiping implement.
text: The subtly-named How to Shit in the Woods is a good primer on this topic.
text: One option described there is to use urine.
text: Basically, you hold back the urine until you're done with the bowel movement, then use the pee to wash up.
text: To clean your hands afterwards, cedar can help.
text: Take a bite of cedar scales (leaves) straight from a tree.
text: Chew it up & mix with saliva.
text: Spit it out on to your hands and rub all over.
answer_details: author: outdoors.stackexchange.com/users/23/Jay Bazuzi
score: 11
sents: text: In short, leaves.
text: But as per the comment, make sure it's nothing that's going to cause skin irritations!
text: Also worth mentioning along the same lines that when doing your business, be sensitive in where you do it - not near
text: bodies of water people might drink from for instance.
answer_details: author: outdoors.stackexchange.com/users/74/berry120
score: 7
sents: text: Water is also an option, especially if there are no leaves of desirable properties.
text: Deeper puddles, streams, etc.
text: (That you should think twice about consequences for other people goes without saying.)
answer_details: author: outdoors.stackexchange.com/users/103/zoul
score: 4
sents: text: You can carry an empty water bottle for this purpose, fill it up in some stream when you know you have to go in a while and wash up like in many Asian countries.
text: I wouldn't recommend doing it in the stream itself for hygienic reasons, plus using a bottle is also a lot easier when you're used to it.
text: I can refer you to this other stackexchange site: https://travel.stackexchange.com/questions/3080/ok-were-all-adults-here-so-really-how-on-earth-should-i-use-a-squat-toilet
answer_details: author: outdoors.stackexchange.com/users/5816/Sebastiaan van den Broek
score: 1
sents: text: Compressed toilet paper coins.
text: These are made of plant cellulose and are biodegradable.
text: Just add about a teaspoon of water or less and they unfold into the most comfortable toilet paper you can imagine.
text: They are about the size of a stack of five US nickles each and are strong enough for washing off your face or other areas.
text: Strict places like the AppTrail you can not use these but other places
text: these are just fine
text: just treat them like TP and bury it.
answer_details: author: outdoors.stackexchange.com/users/13633/Sam Sam
score: 0
sents: text: You will find many of the smaller palm trees have a soft inner fiber if split open & dug out with a flat stick.
text: Or coconut fiber removed from green coconuts.
text: Some like silk.
text: Leaves
text: I do not use most have a sharp edge to them
text: so does grass.
text: Just split them open remove soft fibers wad them up & use.
text: Will be slightly damp.
text: Often better than toiletpaper.
text: A squat in the river is not bad use left hand to clean.
answer_details: author: outdoors.stackexchange.com/users/12302/J Bergen
score: 0

Summary of the answers:
Suggestions include smooth rocks, snowballs, stick, soft pine cones and leaves. Compressed toilet paper coins are also available. Carrying an empty water bottle is an option, to fill from streams and wash as in many Asian countries.
Water, rocks, leaves and toilet paper coins can be used.