I feel the need to write an entry about the privies on trail because the recent ones have been so bad. During the course of the first 1408 miles I have come across many privies, in all shapes and sizes and qualities. Some are composting, some are mouldering, some are solar activated, and some are just holes in the ground. Some are completely enclosed, others are open, fully or partially. Some have roofs, others do not. Some are very hard to find or far away from the shelter, others are in plain site of the shelter or the
trail. There have been privies with 0,1,3, or 4 walls. But I have not seen any with 2. The 1 wall is supposed to block the view from the shelter, but the 1 wall is not always well placed. Some walls go all the way to the roof, others do not. I have even come across some that are handicapped accessible. Since the AT is frequently on federal lands any new improvements to federal buildings have to be ADA compliant. These are nice because they have the ramp, and the handles to get up and there is always plenty of inside room. However, I am just not sure how anyone in a wheelchair could get there. In PA most of the privies were completely enclosed. I am not a big fan of this. Even in the middle of the day there is
not enough light to see so you have to prop the door open. These also tend to smell the worst and have the most animals living in them. You would be hard pressed to find one of these without a couple of spiders and/or mice living inside. NJ however has the worst privies. Most of them have no walls. This makes them slightly harder to find unless someone is sitting on it. I was able to talk to people passing on the trail from one of the privies in NJ.
Some of the privies in NJ were simply a box with a toilet seat above a hole. Two of the boxes were rotting away. One was so bad that you did not want to put your full weight on the seat because it looked like you might fall in. This was worse than in TN when all you had was a shovel or a trowel at the shelter. At least there you knew what you were getting into, or should I say onto? My worst experience was at a privy where the door and the lid had been left open. A number of flies had then descended into
the hole. When I sat down they were now trapped. They all buzzed straight under my butt and tickled as things were dropping. I had to lift a leg to let them escape. Right now I will just appreciate my parent's flush toilets and make sure I have a full roll of trail tickets, or mountain money, or TP or whatever you want to call it.
I feel the need to write an entry about the privies on trail because the recent ones have been so bad. During the course of the first 1408 miles I have come across many privies, in all shapes and sizes and qualities. Some are composting, some are mouldering, some are solar activated, and some are just holes in the ground. Some are completely enclosed, others are open, fully or partially. Some have roofs, others do not. Some are very hard to find or far away from the shelter, others are in plain site of the shelter or the
trail. There have been privies with 0,1,3, or 4 walls. But I have not seen any with 2. The 1 wall is supposed to block the view from the shelter, but the 1 wall is not always well placed. Some walls go all the way to the roof, others do not. I have even come across some that are handicapped accessible. Since the AT is frequently on federal lands any new improvements to federal buildings have to be ADA compliant. These are nice because they have the ramp, and the handles to get up and there is always plenty of inside room. However, I am just not sure how anyone in a wheelchair could get there. In PA most of the privies were completely enclosed. I am not a big fan of this. Even in the middle of the day there is
not enough light to see so you have to prop the door open. These also tend to smell the worst and have the most animals living in them. You would be hard pressed to find one of these without a couple of spiders and/or mice living inside. NJ however has the worst privies. Most of them have no walls. This makes them slightly harder to find unless someone is sitting on it. I was able to talk to people passing on the trail from one of the privies in NJ.
Some of the privies in NJ were simply a box with a toilet seat above a hole. Two of the boxes were rotting away. One was so bad that you did not want to put your full weight on the seat because it looked like you might fall in. This was worse than in TN when all you had was a shovel or a trowel at the shelter. At least there you knew what you were getting into, or should I say onto? My worst experience was at a privy where the door and the lid had been left open. A number of flies had then descended into
the hole. When I sat down they were now trapped. They all buzzed straight under my butt and tickled as things were dropping. I had to lift a leg to let them escape. Right now I will just appreciate my parent's flush toilets and make sure I have a full roll of trail tickets, or mountain money, or TP or whatever you want to call it.
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