What a Maine paddling trip taught about taking care of business
A companion to my Maine tastic story of our five day paddle in Muscongus Bay.
There are things people want to hear about a kayak trip in Maine. Islands. Seals. Cold water. What we cooked.
Then there is the question nobody puts on the brochure.
Where do you go to the bathroom?
Fair question. If you are taking a group out for five days, you had better have an answer before someone needs one.
When Mark and I guided a Scout troop through Muscongus Bay, we carried out our solid human waste. No digging cat holes on the islands where we camped. Each paddler had a personal collection system and a solid black dry bag that stayed with their kayak.
Everybody carried their own business.
Newspaper had another job
Our system was simple. Several sheets of newspaper laid out on the ground. Squat over the paper, make the deposit in the center, then fold the newspaper around it.
The wrapped deposit went into a gallon size resealable plastic storage bag and was double bagged. We used Ziploc bags. I did not want to discover the limitations of a bargain storage bag while unloading a kayak.
The sealed bags went into that paddler’s designated black dry bag. Afterward, we used hand sanitizer.
That was our homemade waste collection system. We called them our WAG bags, although I should make a distinction here: newspaper and storage bags are not the same thing as a commercial human waste collection product.
This is how we handled it on that trip.
For urinating, our practice was to use rocks or sandy areas away from camp, or below the high tide line. That was the approach we followed there. It should not be carried from this story to another shoreline without checking the guidance for that particular place.
That is part of planning a trip. You learn where you can land, where you can camp, and what you are expected to carry away.
The black bag stays out of the kitchen
I am particular about keeping toilet equipment away from food and cooking equipment.
A kayak has limited storage. That does not make everything suitable neighbors.
In my own boat, I have carried my designated waste bag in the cockpit, in front of my feet. I do not want it sharing space with the food or cook kit. A dry bag gives you another layer of containment. It does not relieve you of the responsibility to pack carefully.
On the Maine trip, each paddler had their own black bag in their own kayak. The color made the purpose easy to recognize. There was no reason to open it while looking for lunch.
This is ordinary camp management. It belongs in the same conversation as drinking water, clean dishes, and washing your hands before preparing supper. You cannot teach a good camp kitchen and skip what happens after the meal.
The people you feed are trusting you with more than the seasoning.
Give the Scouts the responsibility
What I remember about that troop is how much the young people did for themselves.
Their Senior Patrol Leader had studied the charts before the trip. They organized their equipment, helped get the boats packed, and understood that camp needed attention before we went paddling again. They prepared meals and cleaned up afterward. Mark and I had the pleasure of watching the patrol method work.
Sanitation belonged among those responsibilities.
If a young person can help navigate a kayak, manage equipment, and prepare food for a patrol, we can explain how to collect and carry out waste. Explain it plainly. Give them the equipment. Make sure they understand the job.
Adults sometimes make a subject more awkward by acting as though it cannot be discussed.
We were going to eat for five days. The rest was fairly predictable.
I have spent much of my life in Scouting and outdoor education. Taking responsibility for the unglamorous jobs is part of learning to live comfortably outside. Someone has to clean the pot. Everyone has to take care of their own sanitation.
The island should not have to absorb what we neglected to plan for.
What I would clarify today
At the end of that trip, the black bags containing our collected waste went into a dumpster.
That is what happened. It is not a disposal instruction I would give someone planning a trip today without first checking the destination and the receiving waste facility.
The Maine Island Trail Association asks visitors to carry solid human waste off the islands and dispose of it safely on the mainland. Its published guidance describes disposal methods that differ from our dumpster approach. Before leaving home, confirm the current requirements for the islands you intend to visit and arrange an accepted disposal method. Carrying waste back to the launch is only part of the job.
I would also strengthen the handwashing part of our system.
We used hand sanitizer after toilet use. Today, I would plan for washing with soap and water after using the toilet and before handling food. Sanitizer containing at least 60 percent alcohol is a fallback when soap and water are unavailable. It does not work as well on visibly dirty hands, and it is not a substitute for soap and water against norovirus.
Experience is worth writing down. It is also worth looking at again.
Leave the campsite ready for someone else
I wrote about packing out human waste years ago because it was already part of my paddling kit. I still think it deserves a plain conversation. Hiding waste under a rock does not make it disappear. Leaving it for someone else to discover is a poor thank you for a place that let you spend the night.
Our Maine trip had plenty of things worth remembering. The Scouts took care of camp. We paddled among islands. We watched seals. We ate together.
There was also a black bag in every kayak.
It was not the part anyone came to Maine for. But it was part of taking care of the place, and of one another.
Bring what you need. Know how to use it. Have a plan for bringing it home.
Then wash your hands. Supper is coming.
Jeff
Read the Maine tastic series
Maine tastic: the beginning
Maine tastic: the five day paddle
Maine tastic: the problem at home
More on camp sanitation
Leave No Trace: human waste
Leave No Trace: cleaning pots
These earlier articles record my practices and equipment at the time of writing. Check current destination requirements and sanitation guidance when planning your own trip.
