A NORMAL HUMAN UNLOADS ABOUT 2000g OF EXCREMENT A DAY, SPENT ROUGHLY AS A 1:2 RATIO OF WEIGHT BETWEEN FECES AND URINE.
CONSIDER THEN THAT A CAMP LIKE K2 SOUTH SIDE MAY HAVE A FEW HUNDRED PEOPLE ON ANY GIVEN DAY DURING THE SEASON AND IT’S NOT HARD TO SEE THAT EVEN THE BEST EFFORTS OF RETRIEVAL CANNOT BE MET, AND EVEN A HOTEL OF THE SAME SIZE WILL NEED AN EXTENSIVE SYSTEM. EXTRAPOLATE THIS TO EVEREST AND YOU REALIZE ANY REPORTS OF REMOVING SEVERAL TONNES OF HUMAN WASTE OF THE MOUNTAIN PER SEASON WOULDN’T MAKE ANY REAL IMPACT IN A SINGLE WEEK LET ALONE ACROSS 2 ANNUAL SEASONS.
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AND YET EXAMPLES OF DOING IT RIGHT EXIST COMMONLY ELSEWHERE. CLIMBERS ON DENALI DO IT, AND THE 75,0000 STRONG CROWDS AT BURNING MAN DO IT AS WELL. THE SYSTEMS EXIST, SO LONG AS THE WILL TO IMPLEMENT THEM DOES TOO, AND THE ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES TO PREVENT THE PROBLEM BEFORE IT SETS IN.
ALL OUR TRIPS ARE ZERO IMPACT, SIMPLY TO NOT CORRUPT THE WORLDS HIGHEST AND MOST FRAGILE PLACES. WE COULD DO ALL THIS TO PROVE A POINT, BUT WE CONSIDER THE PROBLEMS OF PLACES LIKE THE BALTORO TO NOT BE OURS, AND TO FOCUS OUR EFFORTS INTO WHERE WE ARE DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE.
THIS IS HOW WE DO IT. OF COURSE OUR TEAMS ARE FAR, FAR SMALLER, BUT THESE THINGS ARE UP-SCALABLE AS BURNING MAN SHOWS.
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PISS BOTTLES
NOT JUST FOR THE TENT. AROUND CAMPS EVERYONE HAS A SECOND BOTTLE THEY HAVE IN EASY REACH THAT THEY USE WHENEVER THEY WANT THEN POUR IT INTO A COLLECTION CONTAINER.
UP HIGH, THE CONTENTS GO INTO THE DUMP SET.
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CAMP TOILETS
THE SYSTEMS FOR THIS HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR DECADES. THEY ARE SIMPLY SMALLER VERSIONS OF OUR 120L BLUE BARRELS, RIGGED WITH SEATS AND CONTAINING HYGENIC MATERIAL THAT ABSORBS AND DECOMPOSES WASTE. THEY SEAL HERMETICALLY ONCE FILLED TO BE TAKEN OUT.
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DUMP SETS
DUMP SETS ARE SEMI-RIGID, SELF STANDING, CONTAINERS THAT CONTAIN A BAG THAT HAS ABSORBANT MATERIAL INSIDE TO SOLIDIFY WHAT GOES INTO IT, RESEALS TO BE HYGENIC, AND HAS A CLIP LOOP FOR USE IN DIFFICULT PLACES. IT IS NO DIFFERENT TO TAKING A SHIT ANYWHERE ELSE, IS HANDS FREE WHEN IT NEEDS TO BE, WEIGHS ONLY 150g WHEN NOT FULL, AND ACCEPTS 2 OR 3 USES. THEY ARE DUMPED INTO THE LARGER CAMP TOILETS WHEN BOUGHT DOWN.
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NO SCAR COLLECTION
NONE OF OUR TOILETS GO ONTO THE GROUND, AND ARE EASILY MOVED TO PREVENT GROUND SCARS FROM USE.
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RETRIEVAL
LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE, EVERYTHING IS LOADED AS BLUE BARRELS AND TAKEN BACK OUT BY CAMEL. FROM THERE IT IS LOADED INTO THE EXISTING CHINESE WASTE DISPOSAL SYSTEM THAT MAY NOT BE PERFECT EVERYWHERE ALL THE TIME, BUT CAN FACILITATE THIS SORT OF THING BETTER THAN THE SMALL VILLAGES FOUND IN UP-COUNTRY PAKISTAN OR NEPAL.
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SO THERE IS NOTHING MAGIC OR EVEN HIGH TECH IN ANY OF THAT, SORRY IF ANYONE WAS EXPECTING SURPRISES. WE ACTUALLY BELIEVE WE COULD EVEN GET AWAY WITH EXCRETING DIRECTLY INTO THE ENVIRONMENT AS THE CLIMATE WOULD TOLERATE IT IN THE TINY NUMBERS WE HAVE ON OUR TEAMS, BUT THEN IT MAY NOT, WE DON’T KNOW, SO WE ERR ON THE SIDE OF BEST PRACTICE.
WE DON’T COME TO THE MOUNTAINS TO SHIT ON THEM, AND CONSIDER THE NORTH SIDE OF THE KARAKORAM TO BE EFFECTIVELY A BLANK DRAWING BOARD FROM WHICH TO START AGAIN, DOING THINGS THE RIGHT WAY. WE KNOW OVER THE RIDGE IT’S GROWN INTO A CIRCUS OF BAD BUSINESS PRACTICES, DUBIOUS BEHAVIOUR, OVER-COMMERCIALIZATION, BUT THAT’S A WORLD AWAY FROM THE WILDERNESS AREAS WE FEEL WE HAVE TO DEFEND.
