Where Do You Go to the Bathroom on Camino? (Does a Pilgrim Pee and Poo in the Woods?)
Welcome to the Dare to Draw Down blog! Sine we gained financial independence in 2018 and left our 9-to-5 jobs, we’ve been documenting on journey with nomadic living on this website. We’re glad you’re here!
A quick note—links to the recommended items may be Amazon affiliate links. This is because we make a small affiliate commission whenever you use these links. There is no additional cost when you click the link, but purchasing through the link does support our little blog!
Who Are We?
Darren and I are early retirees who left corporate careers in our late 40s. We are nomadic except for three months a year, when we spend time in our tiny home in the Great Plains of the United States. We spend 40 - 120 days per year through-hiking in the EU and about 90 days per year in the Caribbean and Central America.
Our favorite type of hiking is “slackpacking,” or carrying our things from point A to point B. At each point, a shower (usually warm), a bed (of varying comfort level), and food (from basic to fantastic splurges) awaits at the end of each day.
We are reasonably fit, walking typically four miles a day when we are not on the trail, and between eight and eighteen miles a day when we are preparing for or are on our long walks.
One of the most frequent questions that comes up from new hikers is “where do you go to the bathroom?” This is a very legitimate question! When you’re hiking in areas that are somewhat remote but still relatively populated (which is different than one might experience on a remote trail such as the Appalachian Trail), it makes sense to think about where to relieve yourself. Still, this concern about needing to pee (or poop) in nature should not scare you from taking a Camino or other long through-hike! Read on and we’ll share what we mean.
What Caminos Have You Walked?
In addition to countless day hikes, we have walked Camino Frances (San Juan Pie de Port, France to Santiago de Compostela, Spain) in 2021 and Camino Portugues (Lisbon, Portugal to Santiago) with a combined distance of over 1000 miles (1600 km) in 2022, so we’ve had a lot of experience with needing a bathroom while thru-hiking.
Are there bathrooms on the Camino?
Yes, there are bathrooms with toilets on Camino. They are located in:
Your accommodations (hostel, albergue, hotel)
At bars, cafes, restaurants along The Way (if they are open while you pass by)
In heavily touristed areas like beaches (locked in off-season)
At construction sites (usually locked)
In chain grocery stores
However, this list comes with the caveat that available bathrooms can be quite a distance apart. Also, depending on the time of day or day of the week (Sunday or holidays), bathrooms may not be open when you need to go.
So, there’s always the other option: toileting in nature.
WHAT? You mean to say that I am just supposed to go out in the open or in the woods?
Yes, but it may not be as awful as you think. More info on this and other thru-hiking realities still to come in this blog!
How Women Pee on Camino
On Camino, for the guys (or people with male anatomy below the waist) it is pretty easy to discreetly go pee. They typically have a lifetime of experience finding a place to urinate.
For the ladies (or anyone with female anatomy below the waist), some of us have no experience going to the bathroom in the wilderness.
If you are a female and have never peed or pooped in the woods (or on the open plains), then here’s a quick video on how that is done! This video can also be helpful if you are a man walking with a female who is nervous about going to the bathroom in nature, and want to help her feel comfortable.
In a nutshell, going to the bathroom in nature on Camino typically requires finding a place to go, removing one’s clothes from the waist to below the knees, and assuming a squatting position. This can be awkward without a good degree of privacy. Another convenient option for going pee is to use a female urination aid (more on that below). Once you are done going to the bathroom, you’ll need a way to clean yourself and to dispose of your waste.
Female Urination Aids
For some women, urinating in the wilderness is not a problem, and they can take care of business quite easily by using the squatting method. For other women the squatting method might be challenging because they can’t squat down low enough. A simple tool called a female urination device can help with this as it allows a woman to pee while standing upright. Even for women who have no trouble squatting to pee, there may be times when they find this device useful. Such as:
When the weather is cold or you have limited privacy and so don’t want to disrobe.
When you’re out in the open (mesa, plains) and the only privacy option is to turn and face away from the group.
When the area you are in has thick, itchy, or unknown vegetation (Poison Ivy, nettles, etc).
When you found a toilet but the seat is filthy or you only have access to a traditional men’s urinal, which has resulted in urine on underwear, pants, skirt or shoes when trying the old fashioned way!
So What is a Female Urination Device?
A female urination aid (FUDs), also known as a stand-to-pee device, is simply a device that enables women to pee while standing up— eliminating the need to squat and disrobe. Essentially, these devices are elongated funnels that allow a woman to direct urine from the urethra to the ground, urinal, or toilet while standing up and staying dry.
These pee funnels have become more popular since the 1990s, so there’s been some design modification over the years. Since female bodies come in all shapes and sizes, there are several different model types, shapes, and sizes one can try out to find the one that works best for your anatomy.
The Silicone Funnel Design
The female urination device I’ve used over the last two years is the Sunany Silicone Funnel. It is reusable, easy to clean with water and normal hand sanitizer, and comes in different colors. Water comes off of it very quickly so you can simply rinse it off then shake to dry. I’ve had no issues putting it in a bag not completely dry. I like that it is flexible, easy to fold to store, and has a large opening.
There are two downsides compared to other brands:
May be too large for very petite women.
Accompanying bag is quite flimsy & may need to be replaced with better one that attaches to your bag with a carabiner.
Smaller Funnel Design
If you think that the Sunany is too large for you, you may like the lower profile urethra receptacle area of the Tinkle Belle. The Tinkle Belle is made in the USA and has a high quality bag with carabiner. Buyers should also be aware that purchase of Tinkle Belle supports evangelical Christian missionaries, which may be attractive to some buyers and a turn-off for others.
Trough Design for All Genders
A similar shaped product as the Tinkle Belle—and usable by cis women, trans men, non binary, and intersex people who want to pee standing up—is the pStyle. This device is also made in the USA and comes in a variety of colors. You will need to purchase a separate bag (below) with a carabiner to attach the pStyle to your backpack.
PStyle Case with Carabiner
Straw Design - Minimalist and Lightweight
Those more experienced with using female urination devices and wanting the most minimalist and lightweight product should consider the Pibella. It’s the top pick by experienced backpackers at Backpacker.com
Disposable Female Urination Device Option
If you’re still on the fence regarding one of these plastic or silicone FUDs, then perhaps you would want to start with a degradable, disposable option. These disposable options, like SaniGirl, might also be a good option even if you do end up getting a silicone option. These disposable ones are good to keep around as “backups” in convenient locations such as in your car, purse, boat, or cabin.
Toilet Paper
When using one of these FUDs in the wild, you’ll probably won’t need to pack toilet paper since they are so easy to clean. When hiking Camino, you’ll likely be sweaty and dirty, so many of us may not use toilet paper with or without a female urination device. In the immortal words of Taylor Swift, many of us just “Shake It Off”.
However, there may be occasions when toilet paper is required. And since many places where you might find a toilet along your hike are short staffed, replacing toilet paper in cafes, bars, and hostels may get placed on the bottom of the to-do list for staff. For those occasions, I simply bring a partially used roll of toilet paper and place it in the bag with my Sunany urination device.
Plastic Bags for #2
Going pee in the wild when on a long hike is one thing. Having to go poo is another. With overnight lodging, cafes, restaurants, and occasional other toilets along the way, many hikers will seldom need to go #2 along the trail. That said, the urge can unexpectedly arise at inconvenient times. Perhaps your normal schedule is off due to jet-lag or your digestive track is having difficulty adapting to a different diet (e.g. excellent bread with every meal and frequently not a vegetable in sight!). Or, maybe you enjoyed too many Padron peppers the night before. In short, you should always be prepared just in case.
On each Camino we bring with us a couple of “doggie bags” or petite bathroom trash bags and a small roll of TP in case we need to poop in the woods. If you don’t have access to a doggie bag before the trip, consider getting a biodegradable doggie bag like these, made in the USA.
Any plastic doggie bag with #2 in it should be disposed of in a trash receptacle on Camino. If you use one of these biodegradable bags, then you have the option to bury your doggie bag in a cat hole. On Camino, there’s no need to purchase a shovel for disposing of this bag, as there are plenty of trash bins available at the conclusion of your day at your accommodations.
Covering Your Tracks and Disposing Waste
Once you are done going to the bathroom in the wilderness on Camino, you will need to dispose of your toilet paper waste or
”doggie bag.” Here are a few tips.
For toilet tissue, use the side of your shoe to clear a small area of soil, deposit the toilet paper in that area, and gently cover the used toilet tissue with soil, leaf debris, grass, or moss enough that the tissue will not be exposed to wind or visible to the eye. It will degrade quickly.
For a doggie bag, place it in a trash receptacle.
For a doggie bag in complete wilderness, use a biodegradable bag like the one mentioned above. Use the side of your shoe, your hiking pole, or a stick to dig a small hole and deposit it in the hole, covering the doggie bag and hole well with leaves, sticks, grass, moss, leaf debris. You don’t want another hiker coming along and stepping in your stuff.
Cleaning Up
All of the FUDs reviewed here are cleanable with basic hand sanitizer (which is mostly alcohol) and water. Simply apply cleaner and rinse with water. If you don’t have the cleaner with you, simply rinse with water and clean later when you get to your lodging.
Additionally, at some point you are going to get some pee or something else on your hands while going to the bathroom in the wilderness. Simply wash with water (and soap if you have it) and then use some hand sanitizer.
If you don’t already have a lifetime supply of hand sanitizer after the pandemic, here’s a link to some Purell that easily attaches to your backpack and is airline friendly.
Practice Peeing Before You Leave For Camino
For your first-ever time trying one of these devices, use it at home in your toilet or shower. I’d recommend doing this unclothed or in comfortable athletic clothing as it does take a couple of tries to know if you like it. If you’ve never tried squatting to pee outside, or the last time you did so was in the 80s or 90s, then also try squatting to pee first in a shower. Check for discomfort and balance. Now that you’ve tried both methods indoors and behind closed doors, it’s time to practice outside—like in a park or pasture. Take a friend with you if you like, for safety, for support, or a good laugh!
Once you have decided your method (squatting or using a female urination device) then also practice your method with the clothes you will be wearing on Camino. Different people like different bottoms while hiking (shorts, skorts, or hiking pants). Know if your clothes will interfere with either way of going in the woods.
Do I Need to Practice Pooping in the Woods?
We usually don’t start our hikes until 48 hours after we arrive in a destination. This allows our biological rhythms to start to acclimate to the time zone and get on a regular schedule.
If you already have an unpredictable #2 schedule and you anticipate pooping in the wilderness will come up, then yes, also practice pooping in the woods before your Camino so that you are not winging it the first time! Not the most pleasant way to poo, but you’ll get used to it.
You’ve Got This!
Humans have been peeing and pooping in the wild for thousands of years. However with today’s conveniences, going to the bathroom on the Camino may be your first planned outdoor experience. We hope our helpful tips prevent you from having a bad experience the first time you need to go and there’s not a toilet available. Here’s a round-up of our best tips:
Keep an eye out for public bathrooms in restaurants, pubs, and grocery stores! Even with these FUDs, my primary preference is to go to the bathroom inside in the many facilities you typically find on The Way.
Ask about the available toilets in your lodging when you check in. Even if you have a private room, the room may or may not include a private bathroom. In those cases you’ll have a shared bathroom somewhere in the facility. Sometimes these will be marked as gender-specific. However, if you have an urgent need and the one for your gender is busy, don’t be afraid to go to one designated for the other gender. Darren and I have each used the other gender bathroom without problems, and many places have all-gender bathrooms or family bathrooms.
When visiting cafes or bars, always have 2-3 Euros with you to buy a coffee, water, or gum at an establishment that you use. Many will have signs “for customers only.”
Try a female urinary device, and if you don’t end up using it on your Camino, you can give it to a friend who camps, goes to large outdoor concerts or boats.
Pack toilet paper, a couple of plastic doggie bags, and hand cleaner.
And last, but not least, practice, practice, practice… and soon, toileting in the wild will be old hat!
