Primitive Camping with a DS (some graphic stuff here)

Hey everybody Just got back from a week in Big Bend National Park, camping in a primitive site about 3 miles from the next human beings.  Several DS related observances to share . . .  Last year when I went to Big Bend,  I had lost about 50 pounds, and I thought I was doing GREAT.  And I was, compared to pre-surgery days.  But  this year, just a couple of pounds from goal, I was absolutely astounded by how much easier it was to camp, hike, fit into a sleeping bag and stay warm, get up and down.  I could hike mountain trails with a backpack on my back and barely get out of breath (and I am NOT in shape, I don't exercise regularly except for all the running from building to building I do at work).  I bounced up hills that, last year, I would have had to stop at least four times on just to catch my breath.  I had more energy and stamina than my hiking companion, and that is a definite first.  I could zip up both the sleeping bag liner and the sleeping bag and still turn over while I was inside it.  My poor friend must have gotten sick of hearing me say "I just can't believe how much easier this is."  And "Can you imagine what it would be like to do this trail carrying an extra hundred pounds or so with you???"   My friend of course, never having been overweight, obviously could not.  But I will never forget. And you know what?  I developed a serious sense of pride and admiration in my pre-surgery self.  At my highest weight, I still did the primitive camping and hiking thing.  I clambored up those mountains with a hundred and eighteen extra pounds to carry.  I made it to the end of the trails.  I slept in a tent in an unzipped and not very warm sleeping bag.  I worked, carried groceries, did housework, took care of animals, took part in religious activities, lugging around all that extra weight.  Geesh, I was a really good sport, and a determined one at that!  I didn't even realize how good a sport I was; I guess I thought that was the "normal" way to feel.  Listen, those of you who have not yet had surgery or are early out.  Be proud of yourselves.  You accomplish more every single day than most people accomplish in a week, and you do it carrying more than your share of weight - physical AND emotional.  You are amazing.  And you are going to be even MORE amazing soon!!! OK, enough of the gushing, now for the less pleasant stuff, the bathroom issues.  WARNING:  this is graphic, skip it if you don't want to read that kind of thing.  Primitive camping involves camping with NO facilities.  No water, no bathrooms, nothing but a place to put your tent.  We bring along a little "shower tent" that acts as our latrine, and a portable camping toilet.  Under normal conditions, for 2 people, you can use it for most of a week without having to take it to the composting toilets and empty it.  NOT with a DS.  My "normal" bathroom habits are pretty simple, most everything is handled in the morning most of the time.  Some days my poop is more formed, most days it is an amorphous blob.  The blob days are usually the high volume days.  The first 2 days of camping, there was LOTS of volume, for whatever reason.  The holes in those little portable toilets are not very large and the bowl is not filled with water, the amorphous blob does not naturally go down in those holes the way formed poop does.  So there I was, stuck with a huge blob of poop that would not go down into the tank - multiple times.  I'd have to go find a stick or a rock, pu**** into the hole, get toilet paper or wet wipes and clean out the bowl so my partner would not throw up when attempting to use the toilet. And you all know how hard it is to get that smell off your hands - imagine being out in a camp site with no water or "normal" soap.  I would wipe my hands down with wet wipes, try some waterless hand washing stuff, even rub my hands with vics vapo rub.  Until we reached a park headquarters or an actual campground with ho****er, that smell would NOT go away.  Sigh.  The little toilet had to be emptied several times, and THAT was a pleasant task, I must say.  The good side is I never have any "surprises" or oil slicks, so at least that was not an issue to deal with. Still, bathroom issues and all, I would not have missed it for the world.  I was a good girl and took all my supplements every day, and carried protein snacks on the trail, and had the most wonderful time I can remember having on an outdoor adventure in many years. And yes, I DO love my DS! Jezia

Jezia-

Good for you and you are a better woman than I -- I think I would have just dug a hole, squatted and buried it!

 

Red

It's hard to dig that big a hole in the desert!!!  Hehehehehe

You make me so proud! Big hugs and a big old *smootch* friend!  love, dina

Hey, sweetie!!!!!  Hugs and kisses to you!

I think about as rustic as I could get with the DS would be latrines!   I'm so proud of you.   It's amazing how much our mobility has increased, and humbling to discover how much more difficult it was to pass through life as an MO person. Glad you had a great time, Jezia.

And a bit empowering to realize how amazing we were BEFORE surgery, in the context of realizing how much easier life is now! Love and hugs, Julie

How great!  You sure are a trooper.  We have control of our bodies again.  They do what we say - it is fabulous!  As for the poop, maybe it acts as bear repelent? 

Hehehehehe You are SO right!  And people repellent, too!

The first half of your post almost made me cry.  You were so right.

The second half made me laugh.

I would love to go to Big Bend sometime.  I have a childhood friend who worked there for about 4 years until moving up to Fargo last year.