And germs spoil many an outdoor experience. As any sanitation engineer can tell you, much can be learned about a person by going through their garbage. Same goes for backcountry trash and, in the plus column, the amount of litter has steadily decreased in wilderness areas over the last twenty years despite an increase in litter bearers, thank you very much. But the potential impact of trash ranks low as a health hazard, while the disposition of leftover food and, far more important, human waste products rank as the greatest risk. And, after the deed, wash your hands.
Latrines are out, except in established spots.
They concentrate too much poop in one place. They carry a high risk of water pollution. They invite insect and mammal investigation. They are unsightly, and they stink. If you are ever required to dig a latrine, make it at least a foot deep, and add soil after each deposit, and fill it in when the total excreta lies several inches below the surface.