Cave Etiquette

The official recomendation by EKZNW for going to the toilet is 100m / 5 minutes from water, campsites, caves and trails. The Leave No Trace policy can be viewed here .

Some noob Qs:
1) Is it ok to leave toilet paper in the berg, as long as its buried? I gather this decomposes

2) What do you use to boil water/heat food with if no fires at all are permitted, take along a little gas cooker?

3) (OT for this thread) Is it generally advisable to walk with a stick in the higher berg?

Smurfatefrog wrote: Some noob Qs:
1) Is it ok to leave toilet paper in the berg, as long as its buried? I gather this decomposes

Yes it is OK. Bury it properly though, nothing worse than seeing bits of toilet paper sticking out from under rocks.

2) What do you use to boil water/heat food with if no fires at all are permitted, take along a little gas cooker?

Gas or liquid fuel cookers, yes. Start new thread or add to existing ones for more discussion.

3) (OT for this thread) Is it generally advisable to walk with a stick in the higher berg?

Sticks are handy for a variety of reasons, yes, but I'm not sure why you are distinguishing between High and Little Berg? Do a search for a thread on hiking poles, there is one somewhere, and discuss more there.

Thanks Intrepid

intrepid wrote: Sticks are handy for a variety of reasons, yes, but I'm not sure why you are distinguishing between High and Little Berg? Do a search for a thread on hiking poles, there is one somewhere, and discuss more there.

Was referring to steeper sections rather then meaning the high berg/escarpment

Hiking poles are a matter of preference, but I find them useful on a variety of terrain, not just steep sections. Please carry on with any pole discussion on this thread .

It really bugs me too Hermann, especially when people go to the toilet right on the trail or in or near a cave. I can't stand it! We can make a difference by nurturing values in a thread like this, and then passing it on to people we meet on the trail.

An idea just occurred to me which I'd like to bounce off you guys.

In the days when Everest expeditions started becoming popular, the sanitation around Base Camp was poor. There was no co-ordination or control of where one should go to the toilet and where one should collect water. As a result things were messy and people also got sick from the water. These days the control is much better and an awareness of where latrines should be vs fresh water supply.

Do you think it is viable to identify and demarcate areas where one should go (or not go) to the toilet around popular caves and campsites? This can be done by creating maps and/or labelling images of the area. One could also build special cairns, different from the normal ones, to mark these areas. Naturally this idea is very dependant on awareness, education and co-operation among hikers, and this takes time and perseverance. And not everyone will know about it or bother with it, in spite of every effort, that is being realistic.

To be free to camp wherever you want and go to the toilet anywhere is a privilege we cannot take for granted. There are several places in the world where a strict policy is in place for carrying out your own business with you. And, for example, in the Canadian Rockies and other popular places in Canada, you cannot simply camp where you wish. There are special campsites which you have to use, and they have latrines where everything is collected in a big barrel, which is disposed of properly when full. Something to think about.

Something I encounter very often in cave: teabags. What's with that?
1. They don't decompose quickly, especially in a cave.
2. It is grose and unsightly for the next visitors.
3. It doesn't belong there.

Don't do it!
And don't try hide it under the grass or under the rocks in the cave either!