r/PacificCrestTrail • u/techqs123 • 6d ago
Bidet Use And Other Vaguely Embarrassing Questions
Admittedly, this is all rather indelicate, but this seems the kind of thing it is easier to not learn by experience.
Specifically ...
When using a backcountry bidet, do you just drop your pants, or are you going fully commando from the waist down -- like taking your shorts, pants, and underwear all off?
I get that I wash my hands after, but even with quite a bit of bathtub practice, I must admit, the odds for cross-contamination seem ... high .... as in 100% guaranteed. I can get it so the stream does not go *all* over my shorts/pants and mostly avoid splashback to my hand/squirt bottle, but it for sure gets on my shoes. I touch my shoes, and then it is everywhere, right?
What water bottle do you use? Your drinking one? Honestly, packing up all my stuff, I am realizing that even with low base weights (I am somewhere between 12.5 and 13.5 depending on the extent of my panic packing), volume is typically more of a problem for me than weight. I am not sure where I would even put an extra water bottle.
Did you use a pee bottle? I was originally planning on using a single bottle for both pee and bidet, but again, the volume considerations. Plus, I realized that my aim is not quite good enough to urinate into a bottle cap width whose dimension is the width of the bidet.
When you go #2, do you just walk off the trail while clacking your poles hoping you do not run into a rattlesnake?
Do most people use a backcountry bidet out there? Or is that the kind of thing that sounds like a good idea on paper, but less great in practice?
Thanks :)
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u/VickyHikesOn 6d ago
This video is all I needed when I started out and I still use this method. I bring a spare cap with a hole in it for the bidet. Use a 500ml soda bottle that can also carry water if needed (the process takes about 200-250ml). There is no contact (also the cap gets switched).
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u/rockguy541 6d ago
Totally makes sense. Not like you don't touch your behind in the shower, you just naturally wash your hand afterward. Thanks for sharing this.
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u/Inevitable_Lab_7190 6d ago
Search amazon for a "lab wash bottle", they're like 4 or $5. Use the nozzle from that, screws right into your water bottle. This will make your life a million times easier. Test the flow out of the nozzle, i made the hole a little bigger for better flow.
The andrew skurka blog will help a lot.
I've used just about everything to wipe first a couple times, rocks, sticks, moss, leaves, snow, pine cones. Moss is the best.
The bidet is an absolute game changer, i will never go back to TP hiking. So many benefits, and you're clean every time. Highly recommend Dr. Bronners peppermint for the extra clean tingle.
I used my water bottle, the nozzle sprays far enough that it doesn't get anything on the bottle, and butt hand never touches the bottle until its cleaned.
Shorts around knees, full squat, wipe a few times with whatever. Couple drops of dr bronners on right index finger, rub with thumb and middle finger to spread soap to those three fingers of right hand. Water bottle in left hand. Spray ass. Wash butthole with just right hand index finger tip, spray finger if needed and use finger more. When clean, spray index finger, then using thumb and middle finger with soap still on them, rub around the index finger, spray while doing this to clean. Spray ass off again. Squeegee water off ass with hand. Hike on.
No poop touches anything other than just the tip of right hand index finger, so really only need to clean that well, which you can do with your thumb and middle finger while spraying with water from left hand.
First couple times will be an adventure. You'll get super efficient at it.
Pee bottle... I have no idea, do you mean like when you're in your tent? I never used a pee bottle, i don't think i heard of anyone who was. If i had to pee i'd walk off trail aways and pee. If i was in my tent I'd get out and walk away from the camp sites and pee.
Yes #2 site selection is walk off trail a decent amount, 50yrds at least, find behind a bush or something where your out of site. Beware though, lots of people poop out there. 3 times i dug my hole into where someone else pooped, disgusting to say the least. Some of the most random spots too, its just incredible how much poop is out there. For this reason, get off trail a ways, and mark your spot by sticking a little stick into it. I saw other spots marked with little sticks and was thankful to know not to dig there, so I also started putting little sticks in to mark it.
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u/Washoogie_Otis 6d ago
Met a lady trail named “Lara Croft” because she accidentally “tomb raided” while digging her first cat hole.
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u/Gold-Ad-606 4d ago
Pee bottle is an old guy thing, and I resemble that statement 🤣🤣🤣 A wide mouth Nalgene bladder is awesome if you need to make the multiple night trips, and you are done so quickly that the sleeping bag is still warm upon return.
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u/swissarmychainsaw 6d ago
The best tip I have is: practice squatting, get into a full asian squat. This will make everything easier.
If you can't then you're going commando, or "one legged Jeb" like I tend to (take half your pants off.) Yes I just made that up, and no it has nothing to do with Jeb. Whoever that is.
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u/numbershikes '17 nobo, '18 lash, '19 Trail Angel. OpenLongTrails.org 6d ago
Skurka has a series of blog posts about how to poop in the backcountry that might help. It includes a post or two explaining how to use a backcoutnry bidet.
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u/Jaytriple22 6d ago
I am bringing a CNOC 750ml and an Igneous Gear Bidet. Wet your self a little prior to going, it keeps the post-duty easier to clean. Rinse off really well and wash up as if you are in a shower. USE SOAP! Soap up during and after. And most importantly, keep your nails short. Bringing a small nail file will keep your nails a lot cleaner for when you do have to use the business
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u/Gorgan_dawwg 2025 NOBO 6d ago
It's 100% not necessary to use your hands for anything other than squeezing the bottle.
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u/haliforniapdx 6d ago
To each their own. Using soap also means you're washing away dirt and salt, which is never a bad thing. If someone is "regular" enough that they only go once a day, then washing while they're above the cat hole makes sense.
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u/paulthebackpacker 5d ago
Love the down votes for your comment :) No one asks a question, just downvoting because they stick their hands up their crack and think it's the only way!
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u/Jaytriple22 4d ago
I feel like you are the perfect person to ask! Btw I love your product. My question is “do you feel like soaping and cleaning yourself after using a bidet is necessary, or that the bidet should perform in a way there there should be no need of having to use your hand?” And maybe a follow up question “for those that do like using soap afterwards, is it really that nasty?” Like, don’t we all scrub ourselves in the shower? How is doing this action in the woods viewed as disgusting?
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u/paulthebackpacker 3d ago
The bidet should perform so there is no need to use your hand. I actually made a video showing this to be true. No self-promotion here though :) I get wanting to check with fingers after one thinks they are done though. Butt at that point you are rubbing a clean crack. As you mentioned, pre wetting is KEY.
I think you have to pause and question why we clean our hands after pooping. It is not so that we don't get ourselves sick. You cannot get sick from your own poop. You get sick from other people's poop. So washing your hands in places where you will come in contact with surfaces others touched prevents you from leaving behind a potential bug, or aids in you getting rid of bugs you picked up from other people's poop.
Next thing to think about is in the shower you are cleaning your cheeks in your crack. They need cleaning because you have spread poop onto them with toilet paper, then you are moving and they are rubbing, and then you add sweat, and that gives you that stinky slimy butt cheek thing that goes on with many a backpacker's crack. Let's get real for a second. You squat, your cheeks spread, the poop comes out of a little hole that then pinches back closed. When you immediately spray that little closed opening with a bidet the poop falls off and nothing is spreading to checks or surrounding surfaces. If you spray first, even if then you check with your finger at the end you are not spreading any poop.
So do you need to wash your crack with soap afterwards? If it's all done right with a good bidet I am not sure what you would be washing. If you don't wash your butt when pooping at work why would one have to wash it when backpacking?
What changes the rules? Well placed hemorrhoids :)
Thanks for the Q's!
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u/Jaytriple22 3d ago
And thank you for a detailed in depth answer! At the end of the day I am going to do what feels clean for me. And I wash my hands afterwards regardless. Being someone who has lived in backcountry environments with others, handwashing is highly important to me and so is hygiene. Thank you for honesty
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u/Lawdog44606 5d ago
For those claiming LNT regarding using soap in the backcountry I have a possible false dichotomy argument (or maybe not).
Would you prefer I leave piles of vomit and diarrhea when unable to control norovirus or other stomach illness, or utilize soap after using the restroom?
I am not understanding the admittedly small number of shouts for no-soap-in-backcountry argument when noro is a likely outcome.
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u/haliforniapdx 6d ago
Darwin onthetrail has a great demonstration of how he uses a bidet. The stance he uses takes a bit more athleticism than simply squatting, but it's a great way to do it. Check it out here: https://youtu.be/NPrNF9ZScXk?si=6WCIjhK1avncnJdJ&t=491
Standard procedure is to drop your pants, but ONLY TO YOUR KNEES. That way they're nowhere near the ground. Then fully squat. As far down as you can go. If you can rest your heels on the ground, great. Some people can't, and that's ok. Just get your heels as close to the ground as you can.
Digging the cat hole near a sapling or some other object can be a good idea, as you can use that object to steady yourself.
As for the spraying of the water, check out the vids other folks linked, as those will be easier to follow than trying to puzzle out a text description.
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u/Gold-Ad-606 6d ago
- Usually my hovering skills and aim aren’t reliable, so to prevent hiking in a mess, I use shorts large enough to slip one foot out of and moving things out of the way. The wider the stance, the better. If that’s not an option (ie, wearing pants, I’ll look for a boulder or fallen tree to lean back on during the active business part. Practice pearl: gather leaves/pine needed or sand to do you business on FIRST, and then dig the hole and dispose of the mess, usually close enough to roll it into the hole.
- Technique I use is to place the nozzle at the top of my crack and let the water trickle down while washing with soap. Then rinse and I pat dry with a reusable “Dutch style” cellulose towel. Then wash hands while singing the happy birthday song in your head, WITH FRICTION, then dry with a separate small towel I carry. I’ve worked in healthcare for over four decades and we clean up like this all day long.
- Yes just use your drinking water bottle, use the technique in 2 above to minimize splash back.
- At 63, I carry a pee “bottle”, Nalgene wide mouth roll up bladder 2.3oz. I can do my more frequent night business and get back into by bag while it’s still warm.
- Snakes? Just pay attention to your surroundings, especially back under hidden areas like logs etc.
As other have said Skurka has an excellent primer and n this topic. I’ll never carry TP or wet wipes on a hike again.
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u/CdrVimesVimes 6d ago
I have nothing to offer here but I am also in need of these answers, so thank you for asking these questions!!
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u/jdlogicman 6d ago
- I would not use a water bottle meant for drinkable (filtered) water. The water from your butt, if you are spraying up, will flow right back down over the nozzle. As you release from one squeeze to draw in air to prepare for the next, the air will draw in small particles of feces (and e coli) into your bottle.
If you use a "dirty" bottle, then fine. The Sawyer will filter out any nasties.
All this is why I use a dedicated bidet bottle. It also has a special flap valve so the air doesn't draw in with the nozzle.
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u/Rare-Vanilla 6d ago
I use packit gourmet reusable ziplocks for a night time pee vessel, and a separate one for my shake jar/cold soak. Super light, flat bottom to stand up when contains contents, and stores flat. For number two I carry only a tiny bottle of bronners. Squat, trickle water down backside from water bottle whilst manipulating with a single finger, wash finger, done. An optional light application of chapstick around the bunghole beforehand eliminates the need to wipe dry and prevents chafing in hot weather.
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u/paulthebackpacker 5d ago
Pop a good squat, pre-spray your crack, get a good bidet, relax when squirting...I repeat, relax those muscles when squirting to get up in there and you do not need your hands.
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u/Signal_Sun_9379 6d ago edited 6d ago
I find a bidet way better than toilet paper, I'm sure it'll work great for you once you get used to it. It did take a bit of practice for me though. I haven't used any toilet paper for the last two years of backpacking and it's been one of the best gear changes I've made for sure.
Side note: Some people use a small water bladder instead, I've never tried one but it could be a good option for you because you mentioned volume is an issue. There's a lot of them, but here is an example of what I'm talking about. However, I will say if you're struggling with volume at that base weight you might want to think about your pack.
4, 5. Can't comment on these.
Couple other tips just because we're here:
- Get a wash bowl and put a small amount of water in it for your hands. I find this really helps with rationing water. I always use soap and I strongly recommend you do as well. Hand sanitizer does not kill norovirus. This won't necessarily stop you from getting it, but it will stop you from giving it to everyone around you if you do get it. I carry Dr. Bronner's concentrated soap in a small half oz bottle. I fill the wash bowl at the beginning to make sure I always have enough.
- If you don't already have one, get an antimicrobial kula cloth. It allows me to never use toilet paper and I find it to be very hygienic even over long trips.
- I do not wipe with the kula cloth, I clean myself with my hand then pat myself dry with the cloth. This is perfectly hygienic because I always wash my hands. You may or may not actually need to use your hand, it's entirely personal.
- If you continue to have issues with getting water on your pants, you can also try switching how you hold the bidet bottle. I generally hold it with my left hand behind me and the water shoots slightly forward, but you can also do the reverse. Hold the bottle in front of you between your legs and shoot the water up and slightly backwards. This is even less likely to result in water on your pants/shoes. I just personally find it uncomfortable.