This is actually a perfect comfort level issue. I suspect that the private outhouse you refer to is no cleaner or dirtier than an average port-o-pottie. Last year when I was at the Montreal Jazz Festival on the festival grounds they had many of them and that is what I used. If you think they are filthy then that is a personal comfort level issue, but personally that alone would not stop me.

Regarding getting up in the middle of the night to stray into the woods to use an outhouse: I have a friend that goes to a family home in Maine during the summer. A few years ago he got up early in the a.m. to use a similar private outhouse in a wooded, secluded area on the Maine property. As he was leaving the outhouse he was startled by a black bear. Fortunately he was closer to the house than the bear was and he sprinted to safety. He was scared to use the outhouse after that. In a situation like that the bear will likely only attack if you are between it and its cubs. Which of course you can't control where the bear is in relation to its cubs, but the chances of that happening are not likely.

You just need to decide what your own personal comfort level is with nature. You might also want to bring along some Depends Adult Diapers and change them in the morning, should you be frightened by a bear, moose or skunk and need to go in your pants.

Let us know what you decide to do and have fun if you go on the trip. BTW, as a kid my parents used to take me and my sister on vacations to Christmas Island on Lake Winnipesaukee in Laconia, New Hampshire. I recall seeing the movie "Star Wars" as a kid on vacation in Laconia when it came out in 1977. I went fishing there quite a bit on these vacations.

The reason why I chose to have surgery was to get my life back. I have no problem using public restrooms, and I have no problem using the great outdoors when I'm hiking or backpacking. I even shared a 1-bathroom house with 14 people in Turkey, and the biggest problem was waiting in line in the middle of the night to use the bathroom!

I think you should get out and enjoy life when you have the opportunity. You probably opted for surgery to get your life back, right? Use the outdoors if you want; most critters are afraid of humans and will meander away.

Sue

Your post really got me thinking, PSJ. I gave up tent camping when I got sick, and never resumed it, mainly due to bathroom concerns. On the other hand I've taken up all kinds of challenging things since the surgery - scuba diving, martial arts, etc. and haven't regretted it. Maybe I ought to start camping again (my older joints are shrieking at me as I write this!).

I'd encourage you to go, if you think you'll be able to enjoy yourself. Eat moderately (and as wisely as you can), be generous with Lomotil (or whatever works for you), and have fun! Even if you need to sit something out, if you do it with a smile and a good book everyone (including you) can be easy about it.

Personally I still like my creature comforts (indoor plumbing, electricity etc...)my husband wanted to build a small hunting cabin. Well after I got involved in the plans we now have a septic system with "real" bathroom and since my surgery I have the bidet toilet seat up there too. I can still enjoy nature and walk in the woods etc... but for me just the comfort of knowing a decent bathroom is near puts my mind at ease. I wish for you that the first outing you were invited too would have been something more in your comfort zone. Let us know what you decide.

My j-pouch has not altered my life at all in that regard. Actually, it has given me MORE opportunities to explore and expand my options. Granted, I was diagnosed with a rip roaring case of UC when I was a young teen. But even then I went back-packing and car camping with my family and friends. I just had to get over myself and deal with it. Part of camping and being in nature is accepting a less than sterile environment for toileting. And, since I used the toilet more than some people, I just accepted it. Now, tent camping is more about my arthritis and physical pain, than sharing a toilet. But, we are going camping in a tent cabin in the Redwoods in a few months, with a shared restroom and coin operated showers. I just hope I can sleep!

Of course, like mentioned before, everyone has their own comfort level, so that is probably more of an issue than how often you need to use the facilities.

Jan

Thanks for all the great replies. I defintely am not afraid to try things. I play in a band once a month and those bar room bathrooms are pretty scary on their own. Nevermind playing in front of a bunch of strangers and wondering if I ever jump too high or something what might happen
Anyway aside from being eaten by a bear it's more getting up in the middle of the night at -30 degrees than it is a skunk or racoon. If I see a bear all bets are off. Chances are the bathroom would not be needed at that point anyways.

Also since this place can only be reached by boat and I wouldbe traveling with a friend that owns the place I would be stuck there more or less. I have never let this guide my life before so I don't think I will start now. I really appreciate everyones support. Nobody else understands so it is tough to talk to my wife even about it. She has been my rock through all of this and I owe her everything.

thank you!

Pete

quote:

I play in a band once a month and those bar room bathrooms are pretty scary on their own.

Whether you are in a private outhouse in the New Hampshire woods or an Irish pub in New York City, bathrooms can be downright scary. Reminds me of an incident that happened back in the 1990s. Back then UConn would play St. John's in basketball at Madison Square Garden and a friend and I would go to NYC for the game every year. After the game my friend, who is Irish, insisted we go to some bar called the Molly Wee Pub, down in the lower 20s somewhere, about 10 blocks away from MSG. At the time I was a new poucher (got mine in 1992). I was kind of nervous and by the time we got there I really had to go. I went to the men's room and there was only one stall, and someone had vomited all over the place, I mean I have never seen more vomit in a restroom, all over the seat, all over the floor, everywhere. I was so sickened by the smell I had to leave. I do not remember where I ended up going to the bathroom but I found someplace else.

I would bring Depends Diapers and use them at night as a back up plan/insurance plan if the outhouse is too far or you are scared of running into an animal. As far as bears, don't keep food around or they will be attracted to your campsite. Even if a bear meandered into camp, chances are it would run away if it saw you and only attack if its cubs are around. However studies show that black bears are more likely to commit predatory attacks than Grizzlies. Grizzlies are more territorial and make "faux charges" which are designed to scare the hell out of you (usually succeeding) and get you the hell out of their perceived piece of real estate - so that they and their young ones can roam without intrusion and interference by interlopers. The Grizzlie will break off the charge before it gets to you and will utter a tremendous roar that will scare you beyond belief. There are only black bears in New Hampshire.

We share the wild with these animals and you just have to respect them and reduce the chance for an encounter. New Hampshire is not known for fatal bear attacks so I would not worry too much about it. Also, if it is a small island there might not be any bears out there at all. Bears need space and room to roam plus they hibernate in winter.

Okay, this will be my last time trying to persuade you to use the woods. Unless you are wandering around a berry patch in the middle of the night, you aren't going to encounter a bear. They are out foraging for food (hopefully yours is well-secured)or sleeping. I backpack/camp a lot in the High Sierras where we are riddled with bear. And I am up 2-3X per night and have never run into one. A flashlight is all you need to scope the area. And getting up in 30 degree weather isn't a problem either.......and everyone can tell you I hate cold weather.

If this is an activity you really enjoy and miss, take a chance..you might be pleasantly surprised that it's not as bad as you think.

Sue

I've been very lucky through all of my years. Though I had "bad" ulcerative colitis from age 11 to 19, I never had pain, though I was (during my numerous and unrelenting flares) a slave to the bathroom.

That changed with my J pouch. I'm very lucky to have had 22 years of very little problems with my pouch. I'm not the slave to the bathroom that I was as a girl, and I never need the bathroom overnight unless I've been indiscriminate or possibly eaten way later than I should have, and there's maybe one mini nighttime accident a year, if that...

I say go for it, though. Life is short, right? If you're able to get yourself there, and have your own transportation, perhaps if it all seems too much for you, you could leave early. I'd at least give it a shot.

I have gone backbacking in the Tetons - grizzly country. I've gone camping all over California - black and brown bear country.

Don't worry about bears, especially black bears. Startled black bears run away, often to a tree. By contrast, startled grizzlies may charge and occasionally attack, making grizzlies over 20 times more dangerous than black bears. Black bears have killed 61 people across North America since 1900. By contrast, grizzlies killed 50 in 2010 alone!

Regarding bathroom trips - look into the various Portable Environmental Toilets systems like Cleanwaste WAG BAGs, RESTOP. or TravelJohn. I haven't used any of them but they sound pretty awesome.

So go and have a blast! No worries.

kathy

Grizzlies are more dangerous but if they launch an attack it is more likely to be defensive/territorial whereas if a black bear launches an attack it is more likely to be predatory (meaning it wants to eat you). More on this in this book which is written by an expert on safety with bears (which I have read and can recommend):

http://www.amazon.com/Bear-Att...-Truth/dp/0969809913

In any event these are what the stats show and we live in the US northeast where the only bears one need be concerned with is the black bear. An encounter of any kind is unlikely and if there is an encounter chances are the bear runs away, but attacks have happened. If you want to read more, order the book I linked above. I would say don't dwell on it but be informed.

I live in coastal Connecticut and they are very rare here but they have been seen in residential neighborhoods rummaging through trashcans for food and not hurting anyone. Check out these pics taken in Madison CT last summer:

http://madison-ct.patch.com/ar...rnoon#video-10717963

There is nothing in an outhouse to attract a bear, so that shouldn't be a concern, unless people are throwing picnic baskets in there. Skunks are no problem either. I've run into them in Ghirardelli Square in San Francisco at night and in my own back yard. Just like a rat, they run the other way. They only spray you if they are cornered. Going out in the cold would bother me the most, mostly because I would have to put on a coat and "think ahead" a bit.

Jan

I eat, sleep, and breathe hunting and fishing! I do a lot of wilderness backpack hunting in my home state of Wyoming where I may be 20 miles in the backcountry with just my bow, rifle, or fishing rod and the supplies I can carry in a hiking pack. I have stayed alone in the backcountry for up to a week at a time. The only difference the j-pouch has made is that I now carry baby wipes instead of normal TP. The area I hunt is known for grizzlies and wolves but most of the time they would rather avoid humans. As far as a bathroom goes I just find a friendly tree or bush to hide behind and do my business as normal I think if u have the luxury of an outhouse u should be fine and have a good time! The baby wipes help me feel a little cleaner and are soothing. I hope u take the opportunity to go have a great time with friends and just live life!

Hi PSJ,

Much like Kline, I spend as much time in the outdoors and each fall try to do a couple 7-10 day hunting trips here in Alaska where depending on where I am and facilities include no more than a hole in the ground. Also, for three years now I have been living in a cabin in Fairbanks with no running water, outhouse and all, with temperatures sometimes reaching -50F in the darkest part of winter. Here, having a close encounter with a moose while making a deposit is a right of passage!

Anyways, if fishing is something you like to do, don't let your j-pouch worry you, you will find a way to make it work! While you might be cold and uncomfortable in the middle of the night in an outhouse, the rest of your experience out there should overshadow that by far. Just be mindful of what you eat and use the tricks of the trade that you've learned over the years since your takedown. For me, eating less at night to lower your chance of trips in the middle of the night and eating foods that I have found have a longer transit time help me avoid excess trips to to the outhouse. I imagine that wildlife will be of little worry to you but if you are worried bear spray works quite well on all critters with fur and 4 legs. Having a can could give you a little more confidence at the outhouse in the middle of the night. If you decide to use it just make sure the wind is in your favor or your in for a miserable few hours.

quote:

if you are worried bear spray works quite well on all critters with fur and 4 legs.

The book I linked to earlier indicates bear spray is an effective deterrent to stop attacks in 88% of the cases in which it was used. If I was in bear country and did not have a firearm with me, I would certainly carry spray. It's not really clear that the Island PSJ is going to qualifies as "bear country"; although certainly Alaska and Wyoming would.

I love the bear comments. Really I am not at all afraid of bears or skunks. I just mentioned it as in I would be sharing the woods with them. I have done a lot of camping and almost got to pet a skunk it got so close to our campfire (my wife almost walked into it because she thought I was kidding!) and I actually pet a moose while snowmobiling in Maine. You have convinced me to take a chance and live life. I have done plenty of embarrasing things in life and lived through it, this should be a cake walk. Thanks again to everyone and I hope this thread may inspire others to take a chance. It's really not that big of a deal but sometimes it seems that way if you let it get to you.

Yay!!! Be sure to post an update......so glad you are taking the opportunity.

Sue

PSJ-

Regarding skunks, the main issue with them apart from getting sprayed if you corner one is that they are known rabies carriers, along with raccoons. One time when I was at UConn at the dairy farm I saw a rabid raccoon which was walking in circles and teetering to keep its balance, as if it was punch-drunk. I contacted the authorities. Don't go near or pet any animals if they are behaving oddly, walking in circles or walking as if drunk as that is a sign of rabies.

Let us know how you enjoyed your return to nature after the trip is completed! Good luck fishing, if you after bass try rapala plugs. I always had good success with those lures, catching bass and pickerel with them.

Update:
I went Nd had a great time. Not one bite for fish but thats OK. I did get really tired trying to keep up but other than that it went great. I did get up in the middle of the night but it was not so bad. I am really glad I went and I would do it again. Actually one of the guys wife has colitis and I was telling him what I went through.
Ate tons of venison and drank more than usual but thats what guys in the woods will do

Thanks again for l the support, I hope I can give it back on occasion.

Best,

PSJ

That's awesome to hear you had a great time! I find that when in the mountains I am usually more relaxed and stress free and so focused on the hunt that I don't even remember I have a pouch. I am actually headed up to the bighorn mountains tomorrow to snowshoe in for a bear hunt! I can't wait!