As outdoor recreation continues to grow throughout the U.S., effects with mis-handled human waste continue to rise. Public land access restrictions, waterway contamination, and land management burdens are just a few of the effects. PACT Outdoors, creator of award-winning all-in-one bathroom kits, is trying to help this problem with their new Pack Out Kit. The kit includes all the essentials: a durable outer bag for transporting everything safely; an inner bag that you poop in, a deodorizing and dehydrating “poop powder”, two PACT Wipes, and a hand wipe.
Outdoor enthusiasts are increasingly needing an additional solution in their backcountry bathroom toolkit. Packing out is important in fragile ecosystems like arid deserts, alpine environments, and in ultra-high use areas where the soil can’t keep up with the volume of users. The Pack Out Kit will make packing out poop easier and more convenient in these situations.
“Human waste pack out bags have traditionally been the solution for situations where packing out your poop is necessary,” says PACT Outdoors, Co-Founder Jake Thomas. “Unfortunately, the majority of outdoor enthusiasts are either unfamiliar with this practice or unwilling to consider it. PACT wanted to make a disposable pack out kit that is more approachable to users, so we addressed some common psychological and functional barriers to use…and we made it fun.”
The packaging of the Pack Out Kit is intentionally bright and vibrant to make the product more recognizable. The outer bag is designed to be more durable to address concerns many users have with leakage and smell. The back of the packaging features a mock newspaper with a comic, a poop bingo game, and an overview of why packing out poop is such an important skill set.
In true PACT form, they’re not stopping here. In July, the company launched a research project and pilot program called The Clean Fourteen, an effort to study poop on Colorado’s 14,000 foot peaks. PACT partnered with The Colorado Fourteeners Initiative, Leave No Trace, and researchers from Penn State University to study current attitudes and behaviors around packing out poop; what factors persuade hikers to pack out; and to test a first-of-its-kind pack out kit kiosk and disposal station. The Ultimate goal is to help land managers design and implement better systems for waste management in the backcountry.
For more information on PACT, and to order your Pack Out Kit today, visit pactoutdoors.com.
About PACT:
PACT Outdoors is the creator of award-winning all-in-one bathroom kits for outdoor adventures. Designed in the mountains and tested in all environments, their kits reinvent the backcountry bathroom experience. PACT Outdoors is headquartered in Crested Butte, Colorado. For more information, visit: pactoutdoors.com.
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