In early season when the terrain is snow-covered, seek dry ground near trees for cathole sites. Human waste buried in snow does not decompose and may be exposed when the snow melts. With a small garden trowel dig a hole four to eight inches deep and four to six inches in diameter. After use, mix some soil into the cathole with a stick, cover it with the soil plug, and disguise it with natural materials. It is inappropriate to deposit human waste under rocks, because the rock inhibits moisture and heat that aid decomposition.
Research indicates that urine poses little threat to human health.
However, the odor of urine can create an aesthetic impact, and animals occasionally paw up ground and defoliate plants to get the salts deposited from urine. Try to urinate on rocky or sandy areas away from camps. Use toilet paper sparingly and use un-dyed and unscented brands. Doing so is really quite simple and requires very little effort. A good methos is to pack it out in doubled plastic bags, which effectively confines odors.