How do you manage trash?

billiebob

Well-known member
I live in bear country so it never gets hung outside and it get disposed of everytime I gas up or go by a rest stop or.... I never have more than 48 hours of trash to manage, and the smallest pastic grocery bag handles it all..... plus do not pack packaging. Get rod of the "packaging" while you shop.

Some of this I learned mountaineering, we never packed "carried" stuff we would throw out.
 

WeLikeCamping

Explorer

One for trash, one for recyclables. When moving, the bags go in the bed of the truck. Don't know of any other way to do it.

Never burn anything in the fire except wood and paper products, and make sure all is completely burned.
 

4000lbsOfGoat

Well-known member

One for trash, one for recyclables. When moving, the bags go in the bed of the truck. Don't know of any other way to do it.

Never burn anything in the fire except wood and paper products, and make sure all is completely burned.
How does that stay put in the wind?
 

dbhost

Well-known member
That makes life easier but I often have 7-10 days worth of trash to manage....

If you are managing to not bring excess packaging, and not wasting food as you go, you should in theory be generating minimal trash to begin with. Just because of how we repackage items for best use in a cooler, I tend to have a plastic grocery store bag worth of trash at the end of a 5 day trip with 2 people. And most of that is recyclable materials. Cans, and crushed plastic bottles / jugs for things like milk, cranberry juice etc...

A burn ban would make things more difficult as I tend to burn off paper products as fire starter material for the campfire, But honestly, again, we would bring the total up to 2 grocery sacks after 5 days paper included...

A MUCH bigger issue is needing to dump the black water from the toilet. By the time the 5th day arrives, we REALLY need to find a place to dump...
 

86scotty

Cynic
Burn ban in place. Next step?

I have burnt a good bit of trash in places with a burn ban. I am not condoning this for everyone everywhere but I tend to camp in places off the beaten path that have a fire ring. Paper trash, I burn there. I am careful. I'm not going to do it in sight of anyone and I make sure it is dead out before I leave. Sure, some teetotallers probably think I'm an awful human but I'm not producing a lot of trash so tit for tat. Plastics and recyclables go in a garbage bag to the next campground, gas station or NP receptacle.
 

JaSAn

Grumpy Old Man
Plastic Folger's coffee 'can' w/ lid, lined with small plastic bag: 1, 2, or 3 lb can depending on time between dumps. If it fills up, garbage bag goes into the gamma seal 5 gallon bucket along with the poop bags.
 

4000lbsOfGoat

Well-known member
If you are managing to not bring excess packaging, and not wasting food as you go, you should in theory be generating minimal trash to begin with. Just because of how we repackage items for best use in a cooler, I tend to have a plastic grocery store bag worth of trash at the end of a 5 day trip with 2 people. And most of that is recyclable materials. Cans, and crushed plastic bottles / jugs for things like milk, cranberry juice etc...

A burn ban would make things more difficult as I tend to burn off paper products as fire starter material for the campfire, But honestly, again, we would bring the total up to 2 grocery sacks after 5 days paper included...

A MUCH bigger issue is needing to dump the black water from the toilet. By the time the 5th day arrives, we REALLY need to find a place to dump...
I would say that in general out trash is on the "minimal" side, I'm just looking for easier ways to deal with it. Rummaging through a rolled up trash bag (which is generally going to be soiled on the inside) every time I need to throw out a tissue is just not ideal. Removing the lid from a bucket doesn't seem much more convenient.

Burning is just not a viable option for us most of the time. Sure, if we're going to be burning at a particular spot then I'll toss all the paper products in the barrel, but I'd say we have a fire *maybe* 1 night out of 10-15 - almost never in the summer.

I'm leaning towards the dry bag solution. I think that just might be the ticket for our setup and for the way we camp.

Thank the goddess that I don't have to deal with black water...I think I would rather just not camp than deal with black water...

Thanks for all the feedback folks!
 

Happy Joe

Apprentice Geezer
RE; spring loaded (overpriced) trashcan;
A trip to the local waly mart will get you a similar item for less than $6,,, its called a hamper.
Mainstays spiral hamper

They have handles on top so they can be bungied to a tree/vehicle put a garbage bag inside to keep it nicer longer... they came in multiple colors when I got mine some years ago.

circled garbage can hamper 50 DSCF0336.jpg
This pic shows it attached to one leg of the canopy.
Naturally they are NOT bear or critter resistant so the are only to be used for non edible waste and packaging.
Think ahead and repackage food items so that the waste is minimal. At the campsite (assuming no fire ban) burn any/all excess food & packaging in the fire pit.

BTW; something investigated my cooler (white box on the right) on the pictured trip (rolled it around a couple of times one night) and ignored the trash can completely. No damage was done to the Pelican cooler (no claw or tooth marks; Its rated bear resistant in any case, sprayed it dwon with windex to kill any scent and there was no further problem... I'm blaming Bigfoot...

Enjoy!
 
Last edited:

JMacs

Observer
BTW; something investigated my cooler (white box on the right) on the pictured trip (rolled it around a couple of times one night) and ignored the trash can completely. No damage was done to the Pelican cooler (no claw or tooth marks; Its rated bear resistant in any case, sprayed it dwon with windex to kill any scent and there was no further problem... I'm blaming Bigfoot...

I would blame Bigfoot's pet raccoons. Many years ago, a couple of newbie campers in our group thought that weighing down the bag with the marshmallows in it with the silverware would keep it from being carried off. The neighboring campsite thought the cans of Mountain Dew would be safe outside too. I'm not really sure what a small group of raccoons hyped up on a pound and a half of marshmallows and a 12-pack of Mountain Dew would be like, but, ....
 

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