Poop in the Backcountry: Wag Bags, Cat Holes, and Statistics with Shari Edelson

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, we are joined by Shari Edelson. Shari is a PhD student researching human impacts in wilderness areas, specifically the impacts of human dookie in the backcountry. We chat about in which circumstances wagbags are warranted, the challenges with compliance when they are, when it's perfectly okay to bury your shit, and how future conservation efforts should be allocated to making this easier to understand for hikers. We also chat about Shari's thru-hike of the TA and are blessed with some plant fun facts, stemming from their background as a horticulturist.

We wrap the show with how to score the most competitive long trail permits in 2025, if farts are pushing out poop or if poop is pushing out farts, and the triple crown of things that happen all the time but no one sees.

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Interview with Shari Edelson

• Shari's Trek author page
• Shari's email: sedelson@psu.edu

Time stamps & Questions

00:02:27 - Reminders: Support us on Patreon for exclusive bonus content, join us in Denver on December 7th and apply to be a 2025 blogger!

00:07:00 - Introducing Shari

00:08:05 - What's the coolest plant fact you know?

00:11:30 - Do you have a favorite house plant?

00:13:16 - Tell us about your career managing public landscapes and gardens

00:16:40 - Is there a different soil type for a vegetable garden versus an arboretum?

00:17:40 - What tips do you have for someone who wants to start a vegetable garden?

00:20:20 - Tell us about hiking the Te Araroa in 2023

00:24:15 - What's your elevator pitch for hiking northbound on the Te Araroa?

00:27:15 - Discussion about Shari blogging for the Trek on the TA

00:28:40 - What's your background in studying poop?

00:35:00 - What were your interviews like on Longs Peak?

00:37:22 - Do people poop on day hikes?

00:42:22 - What did you learn about how many people were burying it?

00:46:20 - Discussion about the usage of wag bags

00:52:00 - What do you know about mycelium tabs?

00:55:06 - What was the conclusion of the Mt. Elbert study?

00:57:40 - Would it be feasible to have maps of poop zones?

00:59:37 - Has this been evaluated on backpacking trails?

01:02:40 - What's the next phase of the study?

01:04:20 - Discussion about where to carry out wag bags

01:06:53 - What do you want the listener's take away to be?

01:10:15 - Kumo Question: If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Segments

Trek Propaganda: How To Score 9 of the Most Competitive US Hiking Permits in 2025 by Ariella Nardizzi

QOTD: Are farts pushing out poop or is poop pushing out farts?

Triple Crown of things that happen all the time but no one sees

Mail Bag

5 Star Review

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