Nationwide
Outdoor toilet stops: keeping campsites and water clean
Plan toilets and a small waste kit for outdoor trips, follow local disposal rules and keep paper and waste out of waterways.
Use a toilet whenever one is available, and plan for the gaps between them. A small toilet kit keeps an awkward situation manageable and helps protect waterways and campsites.
Pack a simple kit
Take toilet paper, hand-cleaning supplies and bags for carrying used paper or other waste where required. Wipes and sanitary products belong in your rubbish, not buried in the ground or dropped into a backcountry toilet.
Follow the place's disposal instructions
Some environments require waste to be packed out. Use a suitable sealed system and an approved disposal point; do not assume every rubbish bin or toilet accepts the contents. Where burial is permitted and appropriate, DOC advises a hole at least 15 centimetres deep and at least 50 metres from water, tracks and campsites. Local requirements take priority.
Make the plan before it is urgent
- Locate toilets on the official route information.
- Use one before leaving the trailhead when available.
- Explain the plan to children or new walkers.
- Keep the kit accessible rather than under the sleeping bag.
Leave no paper visible and do not wash waste into a stream. In thin alpine soils or heavily visited places, packing out may be the appropriate option even when digging looks possible. Check the land manager's guidance for the trip you are actually taking.
Read next: Your first DOC hut night: what to bring and how it works.
Sources and photo credit
Information checked 29 September 2026.
Photo: Michal Klajban. Original photograph; CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized for web display.
