​There are plenty of different ways to catch a fish. You can use a fly rod, a cane pole, a net, a trap, a spear, or one of many other techniques depending on your situation. Catching a fish is a great and exciting thing, but, unless you’re practicing catch-and-release, the point of catching a fish is to eat it.

The technique explained here is one that I’ve found to be the simplest and easiest way to cook and eat a fish without the aid of a kitchen. It’s really not that hard to clean, cook, and eat a fish with nothing more than a knife, a stick and a fire.

Clean
When I say “clean the fish”, what I really mean is “gut the fish”. It’s messy and to some people is just plain gross. Described plainly, you’re going to cut the fish’s belly open and pull out it’s guts. With your hand.

Cut
The first step in cleaning the fish is to cut it open. To do this, hold the fish so that it’s belly is facing up and the head is pointing away from you. Look at the tail end and you’ll see a small hole. The exact location is going to be different with each fish, but they’ve all got one. That hole is the fish’s anus. Yup, it’s the fish’s butt. And you’re going to cut it open.

Once you’ve located the fish’s anus, insert the point of the knife so that the sharp edge faces the fish’s head and cut along the ridge of the belly towards the head. Try to keep the point of the blade as shallow as possible to keep from cutting into the fish’s guts. It’s not a big deal, but it helps reduce the mess.

You should cut up to where the fish’s gills meet just behind the jaw. Leave the jaw intact as you’ll need this for later when you cook the fish. Once the fish is cut open, keep the knife handy as there is one more cut to make.

Gut
Here’s where it gets messy. Reach into the cut you just made behind the fish’s jaw and get a grip on whatever you can. Once you have a hold of it, pull it out. It is going to be the fish’s throat and is likely still attached to the fish’s mouth. You can pull hard to tear it out, or you can use your knife to cut it free.

Once you’ve separated the fish’s throat from its mouth, continue pulling the rest of the fish’s guts towards its anus to remove them. A sharp tug should be enough to detach the intestine from the anus.

Scoop
Now that the guts have been removed, open up the fish so you can see inside the body cavity. Notice the dark substance behind a film along the backbone? This is the kidney. To remove this part, run your thumbnail along the ridge to squeeze and scrape it out.

Wash
Now that you’ve removed all the innards, rinse the fish out in the stream so that your meal is cleaned and ready for the fire.

Cook
Cooking the fish over a fire is a very simple thing and only requires minimal attention and technique.

The Stick
The stick is what you are going to use to skewer the fish to hold it over the fire. Select a solid stick that is slightly smaller than the diameter of the fish’s mouth. Sharpen one end of the stick to a point. Insert the pointed end of the stick through the fish’s mouth, down towards the tail and push it into the fish’s tail end so that you have both ends of the fish secured to the stick. It’s ok if the fish rotates on the stick.

The Fire
You can cook a fish in the flames of the fire or in the coals. If you use the flames, be sure to keep the fish below the smoke to avoid getting soot on your meal.

Turn the stick periodically to cook the fish evenly. It’s ok if the fish is loose on the stick and won’t turn with the stick, it will still be worth eating when you’re done.

Keep an eye on the scales of the fish. When they start to turn flaky and peel away from the fish’s belly, start checking the meat to see if you can pull it free. Once you are able to gently remove chunks of meat from inside the fish’s belly, the next step is to enjoy your meal.

​All fire requires three basic components: heat, fuel, and oxygen. Without any one of these things, the fire dies. However, our goal is not to put a fire out. Instead we want to start a fire. The heat will come from a match, a lighter, or some other fire starting device. Fuel will come from the area around you, typically this is logs, branches, kindling, and tinder. Oxygen, thankfully, is in abundance around us so you won’t have to work hard to acquire it.

Preparation
The first step in starting a fire is collecting the fuel. In most cases, this is going to be wood from the area around you. There are three types of fuel that you need to have ready to make sure that your fire is successful.

Tinder
Your tinder is the fuel source that is the most easily set on fire.  Its job is to catch fire quickly and burn long enough to set fire to the kindling. Tinder is typically something small, light, and dry with a lot of surface area to absorb the heat of the spark or flame. It should burn quickly so you’ll need at least a softball sized bundle to catch the kindling on fire.

Your collected tinder should be arranged into roughly the shape of a bird’s nest. Once you have collected and arranged the other types of fuel, this is what you will ignite first and will require a great deal of care and attention to succeed.

Kindling
Pieces of kindling are sticks that are roughly the size and thickness of a pen or pencil. Collect as much as you can as this is what will feed your fire and get it to transition from a small spark to a roaring fire. Kindling will catch fire after a short exposure to the flame created by the tinder and should be able to burn long enough to set the fuel logs on fire.

Your collected kindling should be arranged so that it can be quickly added to the tinder once it has sparked a flame. Lay out some kindling in the center of the fire ring to form something of a floor onto which you can place the lit tinder bundle. As the tinder begins to burn, add more kindling to the tinder bundle to form a pyramid or cone shape with the tinder in the middle.

Fuel Logs
These are the larger branches and logs that will require a long exposure to the flame before they ignite, but will also burn for a longer time. They are typically about the size of your forearm or lower leg. Once these start burning, you will have a good base of flame that should be able to continue burning with minimal attention.

The arrangement of the fuel logs is a source of much discussion. Some people recommend stacking about three layers of logs perpendicular to each other to form something that looks like a log cabin. Other people recommend a pyramid arrangement with one end of each log in the center.

The important principals of both techniques is good airflow and a vertical arrangement. Heat goes up and in order to catch fuel logs on fire, you need to have them exposed to heat for an extended period. Arranging your fuel logs so that they are exposed to the rising heat created by your tinder and kindling while still allowing for oxygen to easily feed the flames will greatly assist in starting your fire.

Execution
Once you’ve arranged all your fuel logs, it’s time to spark and care for the flame.

The Spark
Whether you use a match or a lighter or some other fire starting device, your goal is to catch your tinder bundle on fire and keep it going long enough to set fire to the kindling. The best way to do this is to be close to your fire ring with all the fuel logs arranged and the kindling ready. Have the kindling bundle on the ground next to the arrangement and spark the bundle.

Once the bundle catches the spark and starts smoking, blow gently on it to nurture the spark to become a flame. Notice how the spark behaves immediately when you start and stop blowing. With enough tinder and patience, the spark will jump up and become a flame.

The Flame
Once you have a small flame in your tinder bundle, quickly place it on the tinder floor in the center of your fire ring underneath your arrangement of fuel logs. Lean a few small pieces of kindling vertically along the side of the bundle and continue blowing to feed oxygen into the bundle. When the kindling catches fire, start slowly adding more and larger pieces to nurture your flame.

The heat created by your burning kindling will rise up and transfer into the fuel logs which will make it much easier for them to catch on fire as well. Stay focused on caring for your small flame and keep feeding it and blowing it until your fuel logs start burning.

The Fire
Once the fuel logs are ablaze, you’ve started your fire, but you’re not done yet. Keep a close eye on your fire to make sure that the fire doesn’t burn out. If you notice that the fuel logs are starting to die out, add more kindling to the fire to add to the heat and encourage your fuel logs to keep burning.

If your fire dies altogether, you can build it back up again by following the same process as you did initially to start it. Add more tinder and kindling, blow gently to nurture the flame, and keep at it. Once you get your fire going strong, you’ll only have to keep an eye on it to know when you need to add a new fuel log.

​Changing a soiled diaper can be a messy business depending on your experience. You will likely get poop or pee on you at some point. This is ok. Use a baby wipe to clean yourself up as best you can, finish changing the baby, then you can do a more thorough job of cleaning yourself.

If it helps, think of changing a diaper as an act of rescuing the baby from the very real risk of getting diaper rash. That way, you’re not just cleaning up a poopy baby, you’re saving the baby from harm. Or you can just suck it up, do the right thing, and take care of your kid.

Preparation
Arranging the supplies that you’ll be using to accomplish this task before you begin can greatly aid in making things go smoothly. I’ve found that it’s most convenient to have all of the supplies on the side of my strong hand. I’m right-handed so I have the baby on the left and the supplies on the right. I use my left hand to lift the baby’s legs up and my right hand to do most of the work of cleaning.

In addition to simply having all the supplies on the right side, I like to arrange them in the order that I’ll use them with the wipes closest to me and the new diaper farthest from me. Doing this isn’t critical, but I find that having a routine helps me get things done.

Remove the Soiled Diaper
The first thing you have to do is open the diaper. Doing this will release the stink and give you the first glimpse of what you’re dealing with. For the first several days of life, a newborn will produce a substance called meconium which is a black, sticky tar-like substance. Don’t worry, that’s normal. You’ll clean that stuff up just like anything else that comes out of a baby’s bottom. It just looks very different.

After opening the diaper and inspecting the task in front of you, quickly close the diaper again. Exposure to the cool air can trigger a urination response in the baby. Closing the diaper again after a brief exposure will protect you from being peed on.

Give the baby about 30 seconds to finish any peeing and then open the diaper up again. At this point, the baby’s bottom should still be on the back half of the diaper and the front half should be in your hand and relatively clean. If the front half of the diaper is free of poop, hold the baby by both ankles and lift it so that it’s bottom is off the back half of the diaper. Use the clean front half to give a first wipe of the baby’s bottom.

Once the front half of the diaper is all used up, pull the whole diaper away from the baby’s bottom and leave it lying closed and out of the way. You should still be holding the baby’s legs in the air with your other hand so for the moment all you should do is move the diaper out of the way so that you can keep working. Using the dirty diaper as a temporary garbage can for the soiled wipes helps keep things tidy.

Clean the Baby
While holding the baby by the ankles and lifting it’s bottom off the changing table, it’s time to take hold of the wipes and start cleaning the outside of it’s cheeks. After making the first pass with a wipe, fold it over and make a second and third if you can. Once the wipe is all used up, place it on the dirty diaper and continue wiping. Once you’ve cleaned the baby’s bottom cheeks, lower the ankles and move them so that the baby’s knees are near it’s chest. This will cause the baby’s cheeks to spread and give you access to it’s crack

With baby girls, it’s important to wipe from front to back away from their genitals. With baby boys, it’s not so important, but it’s good to be in the habit so I’d recommend front to back for them as well.

Wipe along the baby’s crack until it is free of any remaining poop using the same wipe-and-fold technique you used to clean the baby’s cheeks. Once all the poop has been removed, you can apply either baby cream or baby powder to the baby’s bottom to help ward off diaper rash. If you’re using cream, you can use one more wipe to apply it or, if you trust your cleaning work, simply use your finger.

Put On a Clean Diaper
With a clean and powdered or creamed baby, the next step is to put a clean diaper back on. Open the diaper and stretch it so that it will lay as flat as you can get it to. Also, open the attachment flaps on the back side.

Lift the baby’s legs back into the air and slip the diaper under its bottom. Lay the baby back down and spread its legs so that you can fold the front half up towards its belly. Hold the front half of the diaper down and bring the flaps from the back half forward so that they attach to the front side. You can peel them off and reattach them as necessary until you get them to be relatively even.

Many diapers have a frilly edge around the legs. After attaching the diaper, make sure that the frill is not trapped in the lining to give you the best chance of not having a blow-out. If the frill is tucked in, the seal is weakened and poop can escape.

Clean Yourself
Once your baby is all cleaned and diapered, you can clean yourself up too. While this seems like a fairly self-explanatory step, I put it here to emphasize that it’s OK to get baby poop and pee on you when you’re changing them. Sure, it might be gross and, while it might be hard for people without kids to understand, it’s not a big deal. When it happens, give a quick wipe so that you can keep working without making more of a mess, and stay on mission.

In the world of backpacking, the topic that gets comparatively very little attention or discussion is the mechanics of pooping without the aid of a toilet. As with many tasks in life, there isn’t necessarily a ‘right’ way to do it. There are, however, effective and ineffective ways to do it. The technique described here is one that I’ve found to be effective.

Site Selection
Choosing where you are going to poop is the first step and there are several important considerations. Rarely will you ever find the ‘perfect’ place to vacate your bowels, so you’ll likely have to make the best of it.

Distance
You’ll want to find a spot that is 50-100 yards from camp or the trail. You can’t always get this kind of distance, but it’s a good idea to keep the stink as far away from where you’ll be sleeping as possible.

Line of Sight
Once you think you’ve found a good spot, be sure to look back towards camp or the trail to see if you can still see it. A small depression or a fallen or standing tree are great options for providing privacy. Also, be sure to look all around to see if you’ve accidentally walked towards another trail by mistake.

Despite your best efforts, there is a good chance that eventually someone is going to see you pooping and that you’ll see someone else pooping. If you’re caught in the act, smile and wave. Don’t try to cover up, you’ll just make a mess. If you see someone else, give them a nod that lets them know that you acknowledge their existence and recognize their humanity, then turn around or back track to give the their privacy.

Ground Condition
Soft, flat earth next to a fallen tree is the best for pooping. You need to be able to dig a small hole that is about 6 inches deep and 4 inches in diameter and soft dirt is the easiest to dig in. If you can’t find level ground, it’s best to poop facing uphill. A nearby tree will offer privacy as well as something to hold on to for extra stability.

Supplies
To get the job done, you really don’t need anything. Humans have been pooping in the woods for thousands of years. However, there are a few things that will make the experience less unpleasant that are well worth the weight in your pack.

Toilet Paper
Also known as “Mountain Money”, toilet paper is the most basic and helpful item to aid you in your journey to poop in nature. When you go backpacking, you don’t need to bring an entire roll. On the high side, most people poop twice a day. If you figure that you use three squares of TP for each wipe and need four wipes per poop, you’re looking at 24 squares of TP per day as a high average.

Hand Shovel (Trowel)
Your trowel is what you’ll use to dig the hole. This can be anything, but I like to use a small, bright orange plastic trowel. Lighter is better, but the most important characteristic is that it is able to dig a small hole.

Baby Wipes
While optional, baby wipes provide a sense of luxury that is incredibly revitalizing. You can use these instead of TP, but as they’re moistened, they tend to weigh a lot more. One or two wipes per poop should do the trick.

The Act
You’ve selected your site and you’ve got your supplies. Now it’s time to do the deed.

Dig a Hole
Use your trowel to dig a hole about 6 inches deep and 4 inches in diameter. Then plant the trowel nearby with your roll of TP on it so that you can reach it when you squat.

Drop Your Pants
Lower your pants so that the waist is about at your knees. Any lower and you risk impairing your ability to balance. Any higher and you run the risk of soiling the waistline.

Squat
Squat down so that your butt cheeks rest on your heels. This will help with balance and by turning your heels out slightly, you can reduce the risk of smearing your cheeks.

Aim
Every single time I poop, I first have to pee. Be ready for this by using your hand to aim your pee away from your pants or boots. Down at the ground is a good option and try to reduce the pressure as much as you can to avoid splash-back.

Fire
I find that leaning forward slightly and bracing myself with a hand on the ground in front of me helps stabilize me and reduces the risk of falling backwards into my poop.

Wipe
Having emptied your bowel, it’s time to start cleaning up. Using the TP that is on your trowel, use however many squares you need, but remember that what you’ve got is all you’ve got. After each wipe, drop the used toilet paper into the hole.

Wipe Again
If you have baby wipes, now is a good time to use one. Holding it open flat in your hand and with each wipe, fold it in half to use a clean portion of the wipe. You can typically get 2 or 3 good passes with one fresh wipe if you use toilet paper first.

Stand
While at first this may seem like a silly thing to have to call out, things can go horribly wrong here. When you stand up, be sure to lean forward so that if you lose your balance you end up on the ground in front of you rather than sitting in your own poop. Once you’re upright, pull up your pants and button up.

Cover Up
If your bombing run missed the target, you’ll need to get a stick or rock to push the poop and toilet paper back into the hole. Cover the hole with the dirt that you dug out to make it. Try to avoid having your trowel come into direct contact with your poop as you’ll need to put it back in your pack.

Flag It
There’s a good chance that since you found this spot to be a good place for pooping, that someone else will also. Do the next guy a favor and find some way to make it clear that a human pooped there. Placing a stick vertically in the freshly covered hole is a good way to let the next guy know to avoid digging right there. Alternatively, stacking two rocks over the hole can also serve as an effective warning.