For years, people have been lamenting the death of the dirtbag. People on social media complain about how outdoor recreation has become the playground of the wealthy, that luxury has replaced “roughing it,” and that climbers and backpackers aren’t as hardcore as they used to be. While elements of that are true, as a former dirtbag, I still see plenty of vestiges of this no-frills, do-it-on-the-cheap mentality in outdoor culture.
My favorite example of late has been people making their own WAG Bags. Instead of shelling out a few dollars for kits to properly dispose of their poop (a key part of Leave No Trace ethics), they’re making their own waste bags from household items. While using a dog poop bag or ziplock for your waste might be cheap, is it actually safe? Here’s what you need to know.
How a WAG Bag Works
A WAG Bag consists of two key components: a sealable, durable bag and a “poo powder.” Initially developed by NASA for use in space, this powder gels and solidifies waste while controlling odor. Human poop is a biohazard, so we can’t just put it in a bag and throw it in the trash; the powder makes it safe to toss your poop. They typically also come with toilet paper and hand sanitizer.
Depending on the size of your bulk order, you can purchase WAG Bags for $1.73 to $3 per bag. For the diehard budgeters out there, however, that’s apparently too steep a price to pay.
Folks on Mountain Project, a popular climbing website, have various methods for dealing with their waste. Some swear by dog poop bags, while others endorse ziplocks or old trail mix bags. One person recommends storing the bagged waste in a cleaned peanut butter jar for extra safety. To control the odor, folks carry kitty litter or powdered laundry detergent and add it to their waste.
There’s a whole Reddit thread devoted to the question of making your own poop containment systems. One user suggests lining an empty Pringles can with a plastic grocery bag, while another uses a cleaned-out protein powder container.
Another endorses this method: “Get some of those flimsy plastic grocery bags and a Ziploc bag. Pull open the grocery back by the handles, get flush with your butt, squat, and do your business. When you’re done, tie up the bag and put it in a Ziploc bag. Depending on the size of the Ziploc bag, you can fit a few grocery bags inside. It will smell on day 2. You can instead put it in a screw top container such as a peanut butter jar to reduce smell. If you have quite a long time to go, you can build a PVC container.”
Is a DIY WAG Bag Safe?
To see if the DIY method is legit, GearJunkie reached out to Leave No Trace, the nonprofit that educates people on protecting the outdoors. In an email, Office and Program Coordinator Shae McEnroe didn’t dismiss DIYing waste bags, but cautioned folks on a few key points.
“The primary concern would be containing human waste securely to prevent leakage or spillage. If someone chooses to make their own waste bag system, we would recommend using a durable, sealable bag or container that can securely contain both the waste and any absorbent or solidifying material being used,” she said.
McEnroe said it’s totally fine to use kitty litter or detergent as your absorption material. It’s worth noting that you can also buy the poo powder that comes in WAG Bags in bulk.
Whether you buy a WAG Bag or make your own, what happens to it when you finish your trip matters too. You can’t just toss a bag into a public trash can or throw it in a dumpster.
These bags “ultimately enter the waste stream … and introducing materials that aren’t compatible with those systems could create challenges further down the waste stream,” McEnroe said. Be sure to check your local land manager for information on regulations and proper disposal. No matter how you set up your poop kit, where you throw it out matters.
