How to dig a cathole
- 1Pick the spot — pace off at least 200 ft (~80 adult steps) from any water, camp, or trail; find an inconspicuous place with deep, dark organic soil.
- 2Dig the cathole — trowel a hole 6–8 in deep, 4–6 in wide (desert exception: 4–6 in deep, so sun and heat break it down).
- 3Use it, then handle toilet paper — bury it deep in the hole, or bag it to pack out; pack out wipes and hygiene products. Never burn it.
- 4Fill and disguise — replace the original dirt and cover with leaves and sticks so no one can tell it's there.
- 5For urine, go on rock or bare ground away from plants and camp, so the salt doesn't draw wildlife.
- 6For a group, spread individual catholes over a wide area, or dig one trench latrine (same siting) and toss a scoop of soil after each use.
- 7Wash your hands afterward.
When to use it
- Any backcountry camping without toilets — the core of Leave No Trace Principle 3.
- Group camps, where dispersed catholes or a trench keep a heavily-used site clean.
- Fragile or arid environments, where the desert-depth and pack-out rules change the method.
Common mistakes & safety
- This is disease and water-quality protection. Improperly disposed waste pollutes water, spreads illness, and fouls the site — the 200-ft rule and burial exist to prevent exactly that.
- Distance from water is non-negotiable. 200 ft keeps waste out of the streams and lakes people drink from downstream.
- Wash hands after. Waste handling is a direct route to spreading GI illness through a whole patrol — handwashing is part of the procedure, not optional.
- Follow local rules. Some areas (alpine, canyons, high-use, snow) require packing out solid waste in a WAG bag — a cathole is wrong there. Check before the trip.
- Disguise the site so animals and people don't dig it up — an uncovered cathole defeats the purpose.
Going deeper
- "200 feet is about 80 big steps." The pace conversion lets scouts estimate it in the field instead of guessing.
- A trowel blade is your depth gauge. 6–8 inches is roughly one garden-trowel length, so you don't need a ruler.
- Deserts flip the depth rule. Shallower (4–6 in) is better in true desert, because sun and heat, not soil organisms, do the decomposing there.
Official source
Catholes: proper disposal of human waste — Scouting America →Leave No Trace Principle 3. Check local regulations — some areas require packing out solid waste.