Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Imodium A-D vs. Wag Bag

Disclaimer: I have not tried this, nor do I condone it but I have heard about it and I'm curious if others have as well and what the consensus is on this one.
I have heard of folks taking Imodium A-D A.K.A Loperamide in order to shut down the bowels/fecal dispenser in order to avoid the whole WagBag scenerio. Has anyone heard of this? Is it a good idea? I can see how it might work for a 2 day 1 night trip or maybe a 3 day 2 night trip but anything longer seems inpractical. Let me know.

Rafael...

Or you can sneak your wag bag into a buddies pack.

A few of us (Yes, we talk about this sort of thing out on the trail. (Come on, we're out there for long hours.)) have a certain knack for having the body shut down for extended periods of time. In my younger days, I did week long trips where I never pooped. It wasn't a pretty sight when I got back to civilization and my body realized it needed to empty. (Read that as extended periods on the commode. It was painful if I forgot to bring in a book, or a couple of magazines. :-)

On another note, TT was nice enough to bring a box of the stuff up to the Portal a few weeks ago when I was running to the outhouse like clockwork. :-) Fortunately, the problem cleared up before the climb the next day. And, no, I didn't need a wag bag that day either. :-)

Yeah..I have the same thing happen. My body somehow "anticipates" that I'm going to be stressing it..and I shut down for about 3 days. Really odd. It only happens on strenuous climbs though...

Chris

Same thing happens automatically for me (usually). Only time I ever used a wag bag was on Grand Teton. I've got a whole collection of wag bags at home. I've never gone a week though. That's impressive Richard!

I can not believe how this discussion keeps coming up.
1. Has the ridiculous amount of people hiking this trail actually caused people to contemplate temporarily changing their body chemistry for fear of a small little baggie. What's next, a really long extension cord to trail camp so we can use a communal hair dryer the morning we summit so our photos on top are sans tent hair?
2. I carried a wag bag out from Trail Camp. BFD. It's a bag. Look around at the scenery and don't freaking worry about the little bag.
3. Have a kid! Your entire poopophobia will disappear.
4. As far as Immodium, and everybody's body is different, I used it once before for illness and didn't go for about a week. That was even worse. Never again.
5. Be aware of your diet and you can be surprisingly tidy.

Oh, I forgot. I used one on Aconcagua too.

Hint: Bring a bunch of extra zip lock bags. I think I triple bagged mine.

The first time I carried out a wag bag it did stink. The second time, I read the directions where it says that the deodorant is activated by moisture. I had no trouble adding a little moisture to the bag and there was no stink. I bet you all can find a little "moisture" to add to the wag bag. I have bought a box of wag bags and carry one on non-Whitney hikes because I never thought I really buried the s(tuff) deep enough in stony hillsides to keep varmints from digging it up and scattering the toilet paper around. I really like to leave a wilderness area in as good condition as I find it.

stand on the edge until you are scared sheetless.

IMHO & speaking as a nurse (worked as one for nearly a decade), it is not a wise idea to alter your body as a work-around for a situation. We should try to remain as natural as possible, just as the surroundings into which we are venturing. I recently tried to modify my body's natural ways by taking this new bcp to eliminate my mensus so I wouldn't have to deal with it while on Denali (cramps, bloating, tiredness, and the by-product mess). Needless to say, it has turned into a major disaster and has forced me to d/c the magic pill ~ only to now have messed up my system prior to leaving for the trip! I have learned my lesson!

Actually, they have a system all set to go, according to their comprehensive EIR, still up on their website:

"Monitoring of water quality and user compliance will be instituted to assure the system is effective. If a mandatory pack it out system fails, the Forest Service will implement further use limits and/or designated sites camping system."

That's a really salient point: it's not necessarily wise to mess with your body in these sorts of things! I know I tend to turn into a bit of a camel when I'm initially out (hell, I drank almost 6L during the MR a few weeks ago and never felt a need!), but I know I kind of rely on my body to be "regular" in order to perform.

And as someone who recently carried out someone else's bag: get real people. Just suck it up and carry it out! I was totally repulsed by a pile just under the rock we ate our lunch on a few weeks ago! Bring a few extra baggies to seal it up.

-L

Gotta admit i wouldn't do the immodium thing either - save it for the times you really need it.

I agree on the smell thing - it can be a nightmare. so i stuff the bags in a pooptube - a short length of 3 inch plastic drain pipe with caps on both ends and a duct tape hanger. A touch more weight - but bombproof.

It isn't nice to fool mother nature


I try to take care of bidness before I do the MR dayhike thing....

I recall on some extended backpacking trips the change in diet and routine would throw things off for the first day or so, but after that ...well.....when ya gotta go ya gotta go

Too bad we can't be like some of the stupid dogs I've seen that eat their own poop. There you'd be killing two birds with one stone.

"Nah..I don't need a bear cannister..I'm carrying my food internally thanks.."



Chris

Yes..I'm a cat person..

Beach, my dad used to pour bacon grease on dogpiles in our yard. Overnite removal.

In polar travel with dogs, I have read that human waste disappears from campsites. The dogs are ravenous. Aside from the image, apparently they do actually absorb some residual nutrients.

My husband claims to have "Camper Colon"...the ability to turn it on & off as needed. It's become quite the family joke over the years. Unfortunately, the rest of us haven't quite got the system down yet.

I don't quite understand this either....I know it is not a nice thing to have to deal with and carry out..but in this area I think it is a must.

I once suggested carrying it out in a wide mouth Nalgene bottle..wrap it in duck tape so you can't see whats inside... You can bring along a small thing of either oil of cloves, cinnamon, or lavender oil to help mask the smell...im sure some might laugh at this idea, but for those who are dead set on not dealing with a waggy baggy it's an alternative.

I have heard of people taking imodium so they don't have to do the poopy thing out in the wilds!...I myself would never take it..I agree with not messing with our bodies!

I used kitty litter when backpacking in Rocky Mountain National Park last summer and peakbagging in the Long's Peak area. I think it was recommended if you didn't buy the bag.

I hiked for 3 days with 20 people all with wag bags hanging from their packs. Everyone read the instructions, and used the bags multiple times with no major odour problems. If your poop stinks that bad perhaps you should reexamine your diet?

Douglas Adams wrote about a fictional planet with such a fragile ecosystem that tourists were weighed before and after their vacation. If they gained any weight (thus reducing precious resources) then body parts were removed until balance was obtained. Maybe they found wag bags too difficult, too?