WAG bag

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A WAG bag is a plastic bag used to carry human feces out of an area which has no toilets. [1] [2] WAG is an acronym that stands for Waste Alleviating Gel [1] or Waste Aggregation and Gelling. [3] Bags have a gel to immobilize liquid waste and surround and disinfect solid waste in a plastic bag, which is then put in the trash.

Contents

They can be used to line a bucket, with a toilet-seat lid. [4] WAG bags are one method of safely packing out human waste from remote areas and places without facilities.

Typically, human feces can be buried in the backcountry. However, in certain places, such as popular hiking areas or in winter, human waste can accumulate and therefore WAG bags are used to carry out the feces to dispose of later. [5] [6]

Use of a WAG bag is a part of the Leave No Trace etiquette.

Examples of use

WAG bags are used in the US Army, [3] in wilderness, [7] and where toilets are not accessible. [8]

They are legally required on the Mount Whitney Trail because it sees so much use. [9] Rock climbers use WAG bags when sleeping in a portaledge. [10]

They are required for Utah river trips. [4]

They have been proposed in Canada for urban areas where unhoused people lack toilets. [11]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Outdoor Poop Etiquette Is Changing (You're Probably Not Going to Like It)". April 25, 2022.
  2. ↑ "Earth Notes: WAG Bags". KNAU Arizona Public Radio. September 22, 2021.
  3. 1 2 McCann, Christina (2007-08-14). "Soldiers, environment love WAG bag". Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS). Retrieved 2025-02-05.
  4. 1 2 Fields, Melissa; P.m, 2021 at 3:00 (2021-08-11). "Coming to terms with the poop problem in Utah's outdoors". www.ksl.com. Retrieved 2025-02-05.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  5. ↑ Hartogh, Frances (10 September 2022). "Curious Nature: Enjoying the outdoors sustainably". www.vaildaily.com.
  6. ↑ Absolon, Molly (June 27, 2022). "Burying Your Poop Is Out, WAG Bags Are In". Adventure Journal.
  7. ↑ Cecco, Leyland (2023-09-15). "When nature calls: Canadian wilderness area offers poop bags to fix fecal furore". The Guardian. Retrieved 2025-02-05.
  8. ↑ Clark, James (2017-02-07). "Vietnam Vet Told To Use Wag Bag In VA Hospital Room With No Toilet". Task & Purpose. Retrieved 2025-02-07.
  9. ↑ "Inyo National Forest - Hiking".
  10. ↑ "Everything You Need to Know for Your First Big Wall". February 23, 2022.
  11. ↑ "The AIH transcript for September 14, 2023". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 2023-09-14. Retrieved 2025-02-06.


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