going to the toilet on a trek

[DiR]

Hello everyone
Sorry to ask such a basic question but, as a female with a weak bladder, this issue is of great concern, especially on a trek where you have to drink a lot of water. Where does one go to the toilet on a popular trek such as Jonsom-Pokhara? Obviously the lodges where you stay have toilets, but are there available facilities at tea houses when you stop for drinks and lunches? How acceptable is it to just go at the side of a track which is busy with other trekkers and locals going about their daily business (obviously when wearing a skirt), especially on very crowded sections such as Poon Hill? I assume at times the track is narrow and exposed, so there'd be no ducking behind rocks and trees. There'll also be a lot of people around at times, but when I gotta go, I gotta go.
I don't want to offend anyone by doing the wrong thing. Should I buy one of those funnel in a bottle things?
Thanks very much for any advice.

[Escher]

I wouldn't be too concerned. Nearly every tea house, lodge and house in every village has a toilet and where there aren't any buildings it is pretty easy to nip off behind a bush where no-one can see you. It is rare to be on a trail which is so steep and exposed that you can't find anywhere in 5 or 10 minutes and even that won't happen much if at all along that trail. As for Poon hill if you stay in Ghorepani you will hike up to the top in an hour or a bit longer through rhodendron jungle and bush and you can easily sneak off the trail there and not be seen. The only places it is a little more difficult is above the treeline much higher up when it is sometimes necessary to find a massive boulder to do you business behind and hope no-one can see around the boulder! But you won't be in that sort of terrain on the Jomsom trek. And in any case if you fly into Jomsom and head down once you are acclimatised you won't need to drink THAT much as you are only going to 3500 around Kagbeni and Ghorepani and around that will be lower. Good luck and don't worry you'll be fine.

[Sharon]

I have been on 7 treks. Don't worry there really are toilets/ outhouses everywhere. Take TP, wet ones and you'll have a wonderful time

[DiR]

Thanks once again for your advice, guys, you've set my mind at rest

[Sharon]

A headlamp is handy for those evening trips. I usually have a small flashlight for back up just in cae the head lamp gets lost or something.

[kegarne]

A headlamp is an absolute must for the nightly trips, I regard it as one of most important accessories for trekking in the Himalaya.

[yakshaver]

Let's all repeat after Sharon and Kegarne: a headlamp is priceless while trying to go to the loo at night in the cold.
Not too cool on one's head, but hey, everyone's using it. And you can safely manipulate the twenty pairs of Earth Sea Sky thermal underwear, the toilet paper and the bookmark for Marcel Proust's A la Recherche du Temp Perdu all at the same time. Ah, and the trekking pole to ward off the advences of the LYW, who always lurks around somewhere between Portse Tenga and Marchermo. No head-lamp in these situations and you'll be in more trouble that you can whipe off in a lifetime.

[PFC]

Dear Mr Yakshaver,
May I take the time out to once again thank you on your witty and incisive humour! I always thought it was only us Brits that could have a long and serious conversation about toilets, toilet activities and "movements", seriously, common sense says, when walking around at night carry a torch, which type, style and effectivness is obviously really important to some people! me i have no trouble "going" in the dark, getting to and from however................

PFC