How to Shit in the Woods, 4th Edition: An Environmentally Sound Approach to a Lost Art

The definitive guide to eco-friendly outdoor defecation--fully revised with a new introduction by renowned author and environmental activist Bill McKibben.

More than thirty years since its first publication, Kathleen Meyer delivers an update to the beloved guide to relieving yourself responsibly. Meyer's delightfully shameless discussion of a once-secretive activity examines the environmental impact of too much crap (organic and otherwise) on our ever-shrinking wild outdoors.

With the rising popularity of hiking and off-the-grid backpacking as well as the current climate crisis, How to Shit in the Woods provides timely techniques for keeping trails, bushes, and wild waters clean and protected when indoor plumbing is not an option. Meyer shares proper procedures in a way that is approachable and comprehensible for all audiences, from beginner to expert.

The fourth edition features updates to outdoor laws and regulations, health statistics, and recommendations for equipment such as special trowels, funnels, and portable toilets. With more than three million copies sold, How to Shit in the Woods is the backcountry backpacker's bible, crucial for anyone looking to be wiser with their waste.

Kathleen Meyer is a longtime environmental activist. She was the founding editor of Headwaters, published by Friends of the River; her travel essays have appeared in the Travelers' Tales anthologies; and she's the author of the memoir Barefoot-Hearted: A Wild Life Among Wildlife. A sailor, sea-kayaker, and white-water rafting guide, Meyer has also traversed three Rocky Mountain states in a restored horse-drawn covered wagon. She lives in a former dairy barn in Montana's Bitterroot Valley.