Camping Toilets

As necessary it is to take loo while camping, as mandatory it is to clean your waste. Firstly, because it is a moral duty to clean the toilet and keep the campsite tidy and a place that does not stink like a public toilet.

Accumulated human waste is a concern as it might cause some serious problems and also some serious diseases like giardiasis, leptospirosis. Well, diseases don’t happen that easily but it might be the initial causes. Precaution better than cure!

You don’t have many options to store the human waste, as you will be using portable toilets, as long as you don’t find an actual public toilet on the campsite of a nearby gas station.

Additionally, human waste might attract wildlife like rodents, deer, and even bears to your campsite. To avoid any of these desirable situations, you need to properly dispose of human waste.

We have a solution on how to DIY portable toilets while camping here. In this article, we will see how to dispose of human waste properly.

Let’s get started, shall we?

Guide To Know Various Camping Toilets And How They Work?

The disposal method is based on the type of toilet you use for camping. Camping toilets range from intricate flushable systems to basic bags. Some come with a double-bag system that you can use to tote away your business.

There are 3 types of camping toilets: Buckets toilet, collapsible and flushable. You can find how to make your bucket toilet for amping in the DIY portable article linked above.

A collapsible toilet looks like a stand holding a toilet seat and bag, it is foldable and is easy for transport. A flushable toilet is the most elaborate type includes a small plumbing system and comes with a waste holding tank that helps to minimize odors.

Bucket Toilet

This toilet uses a bag and this means that the bag collects all of the waste and you don’t have to deep clean it wearing a hazard suit every time you go to empty it.

You can add separate toilet seats to it to increase the comfort and ease to use this toilet. This also comes with one more disadvantage of its inability to separate solid and liquid waste.

Until and unless, you use two portable ones for separate use, you will be left with a bag filled with liquid and solid waste, which might burst anytime while you carry it to the disposal place.

Disposing of this waste is easy, just tie the bag in a knot on the top and find a sewage disposal spot to discard this. Till you find a disposal place, store it in a large bucket/bin with a lid.

The Compost Toilet

These toilets come with a flush. The toilet seat is at a higher position than a bucket toilet that means you have you do not have to squat and strain your thighs. They also come with a toilet seat that means it’s comfortable. Find a model that also has a toilet paper holder so that you do not have to carry it yourself separately.

These model of toilets usually comes with a detachable tank banate the toilet seat and the flesh does the word to push to waste into the tank. That means when the lower tank is filled with the waste you can simply detach the lower tank can empty it into the sewage water for a place appropriate for human waste disposal.

Most of the time these lower tanks are equipped with substances that can compose your waist easily just like sawdust.

Here is an easy guide on how to use compost toilets while camping.

How To Empty The Toilet?

You will have to make sure you get rid of it and with as minimum interaction with the waste as possible.

We all are required to be a responsible camper and find an appropriate place to dispose of that should not cause harm to the natural spots and should also respect the fellow campus in the neighborhood.

Although human waste will decompose over time, it might also contain toxins that can be harmful to nature and humans.

You cannot simply empty it onto the ground it will be hazardous for an amount of time leaving a great stench and a poor fellow camper may have the misfortune of stepping on it. How gross that would be!

Steps To Dispose Of Toilet Waste While Camping

1.Find the disposing sight

• Most of the campsites have a waste disposal spot or pit to clean your toilet.
• Once you reach the campsite and set your tenting area and campfire area, take a walk around and search for the disposal spot.
• If you save the spot searching hunt for the last minute then you will end up wandering around on the campsite carrying a heavy bag of excrement in your hand.
• Once you found the disposal spot, Figure out a short and plane path to go to the spot from your area.
• The last thing you want to do on a camping trip is to trip on a stone with a handful of human excretion.
• Consider getting your portable toilet either early in the morning or just before the sunset when there is less crowd.
• This will save you the time of standing in a queue to empty or toilet while holding a heavy tub of human waste.

2. Preparing Your Portable Toilet For Unloading

• As we discussed earlier, the majority of portable toilets come with two tanks or they come in a bag system.
• If you are using a portable bag system toilet then you don’t have to worry about emptying it or carrying it.
• If you have a tank system toilet, Light the compost toilet for the toilet in RVs. There are usually two tanks one is the freshwater tank and another is a wastewater tank. The wastewater tank contains the waste that is to be disposed of.
• If you do not want your tank to be too heavy consider emptying them from time to time.

3. Take Your Tank To The Disposal Area

• Carefully take your tank or bag filled with human waste to the disposal spot.
• The path to the spot is too rocky or full of stone take your time and walk slowly.
• Get your rubber gloves or safety gloves to avoid any bacterial infection to your skin.
• Are different kinds of disposal areas like some of them have open grids that you pour your waist onto and others come in a format that is like a trash dispenser with the lid on.
• Remove the cap from the top of the spout of your waste holding tank and hold it carefully preparing it for emptying.
• Some tanks come with a rotating spout. The rotating spout forces the waste further away from your hands and standing position, minimizing the risk of getting splashed.
• If your tank does not have a spout then make sure to take a further step back as to not risk getting splashed. simply pour out the waste onto the grid or disposal tank under which the waste has subsided.

4. Washing Your Waste Tank

• Make sure to close the waste disposal area.
• Should be a tab or host to clean out your tank.
• Fill the tank with clean water, put the lid back on, and shake it a little to remove any bits that have stuck to the side.
• Mote back into the disposal area and keep repeating the process until the water starts to run clear.

5. Return The Tank

• If you were still in the middle of a camping trip leave a little bit of freshwater inside and mixed in the disinfectant toilet chemical to it is ready to be used again.
• If it is a cleanup at the end of a trip then don’t follow this step.
• Carry the waste holding tank back to your portable toilet and replace it as it was before.
• If your water tank needs to be refilled then now is the ideal time to take it over to the tank or host to do so.
• Dispose of your gloves and wash your hands thoroughly to ensure you haven’t picked up any harmful bacteria.

If you are confused about How to set up your camping toilet or how to maintain the cleanliness of your toilet then click on this link.

FAQs

Conclusion

I hope this article helped you with your problems about how to dispose of human waste while camping. we also looked into how to get through this process without hurting your dignity.

There is nothing to be ashamed of in your area or Campsite. some campsites even have stick guidelines that are required to be followed or otherwise they take strict actions.

You have any different creative ways to dispose of human waste then please let us know in the comment section below. We would love to hear those.

Check out our other camping guides on a website.

Until then happy camping!

Want to hear some interesting about the portable toilet and its advantage? According to the Portable Sanitation Association, portable restrooms save 125 million gallons of freshwater each day, or 45 billion gallons each year. Americans use 100 gallons of water every day, and flushing the toilet uses more water than any other activity, including showering.

I don’t need to emphasize the fact of the necessity of a lavatory while we travel or go camping. You don’t have to worry about it if you have an RV or a camper with you. Some campsites do have a WC facility in the restricted areas, but what if you decided to go boondocking and in a tent?

Where there is a will, there is a way. Well, in this situation you would not require much encouragement, to DIY your lavatory facilities.

There are multiple portable toilets available in the market but why would go around and hunt for portable toilets when you can make one for yourself and at a much less price than the market one.

Let’s get started, shall we?

How To DIY Portable Toilet For Camping?

It might sound to you that building your portable toilet is very difficult and requires a lot of skills. This article is here to prove that the previous sentence is wrong.

Some people think it’s disgusting and some also get amazed, but in case of emergency, a man has got to do what he is got to do. It is as much important as any other camping gear.

• These are not only convenient but very pocket friendly too. Here are some advantages of portable toilets:
• These costs literally under 20$ sometimes.
• Are very easy to make and need very few supplies.
• These can be used in severe emergencies like natural calamity and hence these are also called Emergency Relief System (ERS).
• Are very convenient due to its portability and ease to use.
• Conservation of water is a factor that is important to be looked forward to and also a necessity because there is not much water available while camping. Check out our article on how to refill your RV tanks.

1. Toilet In A Bucket

We will tell you how can use just a bucket to your loo advantage. This is very easy to use, carry, and requires very little material to build.

• Material required
• Empty 5-gallon bucket with lid
• 10-13 gallon trash bags
• Extra plastic grocery store trash bags
• Big trash can with a tight-fitting lid (optional: if you have excess to a nearby dumpster or some sewage disposal system near your campsite, then you don’t need to carry this)
• Absorption medium- sawdust, pine chips, peat moss, or newspaper torn into thin strips also works
• Pool noodle or pipe insulation- ( for pool noodle, cut a slit through one side of the noodle down. pipe insulation comes with a slit in place)
• Toilet paper ( of course)

Instruction to build the portable toilet:

1. Lay the 10-gallon trash bag in the 5-gallon bucket
2. Put a handful of absorption medium in the bottom of the trash bag.
3. Insert the plastic grocery store bag over the absorption material, and fold it over the rim of the bucket.
4. Slide the pool noodle or pipe insulation over and along the rim.
5. Add some absorbing material to the bag.
6. Your portable toilet is ready to go.

How to use a portable bucket toilet?

• After using the toilet, close the plastic bag by closing it and drop it in the bottom of the 5-gallon bucket.
• When the bucket is full, transfer all content to the large dumpster with a lid. The lid is important to control the smell of the excretion.
• Sanitize the 5-gallon bucket and you can repeat it’s used.

Yes, they have ERP in markets. Here is the amazon link to the bucket style portable toilet.
If you just want the comfort of a commode and fine with the bucket then, here is the amazon link to a comfortable makeshift toilet seat.

2. Recycle An Old Chair Or Stool

This method is also straightforward to make, you may also see this as an alternative for the bucket, and it is good for short camping trips. You can finally get some use out of the old plastic chair/stool kept in the garage.

Steps:

• Cut out a hole from the base of the chair/stool.
• Insert a large trash bag into the hole and fold its end along the rim of the hole.
• You can fix the trash bag and the hole with temporary clay.
• Or you may also buy a toilet seat from a hardware store and fix it around the hole of the chair.
• The trash bag will easily be fixed with the toilet seat on.
• Fill 1/4th of the trash bag with absorptive material, and voila you are ready.
• Don’t forget to change the trash bag and absorptive material after every use.
• Dispose of the bags with poop in them far away in a sewage drain or a large dumpster with a lid.
• Here is a simple guide to fix the toilet seat on a bucket or chair.

How To Dump A Portable Toilet?

• Make sure the excretion/trash bag is not in contact with water.
• Do not store these bags for too long in your accommodation, this will create a stinky atmosphere around.
• Remove the trash bag after every use and tie the top of the trash. The intention is it close the mouth of the bag so that no smell can escape.
• Dispose of these off in a dumpster or a sewage drain system, if you have access to it.’
• If you do not have a dumpster around, then carry a large dumping bin/bucket to store these used trash bags in a separate place. Make sure these bins should have lids on them.
• You do not have to worry about clogged toilets anymore.

Tips And Tricks For Portable Toilets

1. Your RV toilet will also be considered as a portable toilet and it comes with a flush.
2. But to avoid wastage of water try spraying water or cleansing liquid after you pee. The cleansing liquid will also take care of the smell.
3. Never leave the lid of your portable toilet open. It attracts insects and flies and they will attract other wildlife like spiders and snakes. Check our article on how to get rid of spiders and snakes while camping.
4. Leaving the lid open will also be the reason behind the foul smell around your campsite.
5. Use a toilet liner for your toilet.
6. Try to cut down on water wastes as much as possible.
7. You can also clean/ sanitize the bucket with baby wipes and a disinfectant.
8. In an RV toilet cleaning process also, baby wipes can be used.
9. Don’t flush the wipes in the RV toilet, it will clog the drain.

Surprisingly, you can also rent portable toilets for outdoor trips. Here are some tips to keep in mind while renting a portable toilet, that will help you to save money and decide what type is best suited for you.

• On average, a portable toilet costs for renting will take you anywhere from $50- $175 for a single day.
• You should always know about the model and the type of toilet you need for your requirement.
• A basic portable toilet is equipped with a few sanitary amenities like tissue paper, seat cover, holding tank, dispenser, and door lock and with “In Use†and “Open†indicators.
• A deluxe flushing toilet has more sanitary amenities besides having the amenities of a basic restroom. It includes a hand soap dispenser, a mirror, and also a washing station. VIP self-contained porta potty has all the amenities that are listed above along with interior light.
• The deluxe ones are equipped in a cabin.
• More the facilities with the toilet more will be the price of it.
• You can get a discount if you are a regular customer at the rental agency.
• They will charge you more if you ask them to deliver it to you or deliver at a long distance.
• Avoid ordering extra or more than your use to control hidden costs.

FAQs

Conclusion

I hope this article helped you in deciding what type of toilet do you need? If you need it or not? Also, the DIY of portable toilets is very easy with these hacks.

You should always be prepared for whatever type of emergency you face. What if you ate bad food? Oh, now you are worried about your food going bad. We have the solution to that too. Read our articles on how to pack bread, milk, and fish for camping.

If you have any new innovative ideas for portable toilets, that we may have missed, just let us know in the comment section. We would love to hear from you.

Check out other guides on our websites on camping.

Until then happy camping!

Did you know there is a type of toilet that can be carried around from place to place? Further, it doesn’t even require any water in the process. Sounds great, right?

But do you want to know how such a thing is possible? How can you flush without water and move a toilet around?

Well, for someone who owns an RV, which is short for a Recreational Vehicle, it is more important to know about the process involved in Composting Toilet For Camping because it can improve your lifestyle!

Let’s get into the article.

What Is A Camping Composting Toilet?

A composting toilet, from what the name suggests is a toilet that turns the human waste into compost. It isn’t rocket science but a simple procedure that is followed inside the toilet.

A composting toilet is a type of dry toilet that treats human waste by decomposing the waste in the presence of oxygen. Since oxygen is present in the process, it is called an aerobic process.

The waste entering the toilet usually contains 90% water. This water is evaporated and carried to the environment through a vent system. The rest of the 10% is solid waste. The decomposing of that waste is usually carried out by microorganisms, mainly bacteria, and fungi.

Why Use A Camping Composting Toilet In RV

Inside an RV, you can cook, sleep, watch tv, and everything else you do at home. Well this everything should surely include doing the toilet, right? These days the RVs have the facility of a toilet, but a traditional toilet causes a major issue in this case. 

• Firstly, you need a supply of water for flushing. 
• Secondly, you have to assign a separate place for a septic tank. 
• Finally, there is also an issue of smell with the traditional toilets. 

 With a composting toilet, all these issues become non-existent. Composting toilets are dry, so flushing doesn’t require water. 

The decomposition takes place inside the toilet setup itself, so there is no requirement for a septic tank and finally, the composting toilets are odorless. 

Types Of Camping Composting Toilets

Composting toilets can be classified based on two criteria:

Based on the location of the Composting Chamber:

Self-Contained: In a self-contained composting toilet, the compost chamber is usually beneath the bowl. Flushing the toilet immediately puts the waste in a chamber where the decomposition starts. There is a fan to regulate the airflow. 

Central or remote: In a Central or remote composting toilet, the dump is carried to a central or remote composter somewhere. The remote composter has to be placed somewhere. Because of this reason, it is not very useful for RVs. 

Based on the number of Composting Chambers:

Single and Multiple Chamber:

In a single chamber composting system, the solid and liquid waste goes into the same chamber. In a multi-chamber composting system, the solid and liquid wastes go into two separate chambers. There is a handle that you can rotate for the chambers to be connected to the bowl. So, if you are peeing, you can keep the handle for the liquid waste chamber to connect. And for taking a dump, you can rotate the handle, so that the solid waste chamber gets connected to the bowl. 

Which is more suited for RV?

A self-contained multiple chamber toilet is the best if you own an RV. The self-contained composting toilet requires less space as compared to the remote composting toilet, and since space is limited in RV, it is more suitable. Also, a multiple chamber system is easier to clean and the disposal of waste is better suited for an RV. 

So, if you are looking for the type of toilet you need for an RV, go for a self-contained multiple chamber composting toilet. 

Parts of Composting Toilet For Camping

Steps By Step: How Does A Camping Composting Toilet Work In An RV

1. Firstly, you have to fill the composting chamber with carbon materials like dried sphagnum moss or coconut fibers. 

2. Separation of solid and liquid waste: Liquid waste goes into a removable container. Some models use a heated evaporation chamber below the compost area to eliminate liquids. The solid waste drops into the composting chamber by manual flushing. 

3. Keeping a spray bottle, with a mix of water and vinegar can keep the bowl clean and also assist in the passage of the waste. 

4. A handle called spider handle is provided, rotating of which results in the mixing of solid waste with existing compost. 

Once it is full,

5. Remove the liquid container and empty it safely. This has to be done regularly. 

6. Once the compost chamber is full, it has to be disposed of as per the state and/or local guidelines. 

Variables For Optimal Composting:

1. Temperature:

The temperature has to be maintained within a certain range so that the aerobic bacteria remain active. The decomposition process accelerates if the temperature is warm. Usually, a temperature between 60 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit is the best for optimal composting.

2. Balance of Carbon and Nitrogen:

Proper disposal of urine can maintain the carbon-nitrogen balance since excess nitrogen cannot buildup in the compost pile, but adding carbon-rich material is an effective measure to maintain the balance. Sawdust, coconut fibers, etc. are some carbo rich materials used. 

3. Moisture content:

The composting chamber has to be rich in moisture but it also cannot be wet, or else it can drown the oxygen breathing aerobic bacteria. The proper disposal of urine from its container is usually enough to maintain the required moisture content. 

Should You Choose Composting Toilet For Camping

To know about the pros and cons in details, you can click here.

Final Say

So, as we saw, a portable composting toilet for camping is the best option for an RV. More specifically, self-constrained multiple chambers composting toilet is the best option for an RV. 

You can choose which composting toilet you wanted basing on the size of your RVC, or your other requirements, but all of them are way better than a traditional toilet. 

Some of you may say that it requires some maintenance and a traditional toilet just needs to be set up, but the maintenance is a small price to pay for a toilet that will not smell, take way less amount of space and cost less than the traditional toilet in the long run. 

Finally, composting toilets are ecofriendly. so, keeping the environment in mind, the composting toilets should be installed more and more replacing the traditional permanent ones, not only in RVs but also in homes, offices and other places. 

Thinking of buying a composting toilet for your RV, but worried about the Pros and Cons of an RV Composting Toilet? Or maybe you are still considering whether a composting toilet is the one you want to buy.

This article will provide you with everything you need to know about a composting toilet, from what it is, where to use it, to why to use it.

Composting Toilet!! What is that?

With the emphasis of the world currently on the environment, this is the time for you to replace your old traditional toilet with a new portable composting toilet. It separates the solid and liquid wastes coming in and decompose them through microorganisms. 

The decomposed matter or the compost can be then used as a fertilizer or can be dumped into the ground and it will breakdown easily and mix with the soil.

Composting Toilets in RV

RVs are like a second home for those who have it. It is a combination of kitchen, bedroom, drawing room, and bathroom inside one vehicle. Just like it sounds, the RVs have very limited space and this space needs to be optimized for everything to fit. 

One thing that can optimize the space for a bathroom is the portable composting toilet. They take up significantly less space than a regular toilet that has to assign a place for its septic tank. 

Not only in terms of space, but there are also other perks for which a portable composting toilet should in your RV. Let’s look at some of them.

Features Of Composting Toilets

The composting toilet is a must-have addition to your RV because:

1.It is odorless: It is a common belief that composting toilets smell a lot or that because there is no water the wastes don’t get cleared away. But that is not the case. Portable composting toilets produce no foul smell and they are very clean.

2.It is light in weight: Whereas traditional toilets are heavier with all the attachments and the setup, composting toilets are relatively light in weight with simple design and construction. A composting toilet weighs around 24-30 pounds.

3.It won’t get clogged: Since there is no flushing involved, you don’t have to worry about clogging. Also, since there is no plumbing action, no pipes are involved, so you don’t need to worry about cleaning them.

4.It doesn’t make noise: With no water involved, it is very silent as the flushing and splashing noise of the water isn’t there anymore.

Pros and Cons Of An RV Composting Toilet

So far, we have seen that a composting toilet will be a great addition to your RV but for a deeper understanding of whether a composting toilet is the one for you, let’s look at some of the pros and cons of a composting toilet. 

Pros of RV Composting Toilet:

1. Environment friendly

First and foremost, the best thing about a composting toilet is that it is eco-friendly. The human waste is acted upon by bacteria or fungi to produce compost. This compost can be used as fertilizer in gardens or farms. Even if they are released into the environment, they easily mix with the soil.

So, considering the positive effect on the environment, a composting toilet should replace traditional toilets, not only in RVs but also in households or any other place.

2. Plumbing is not necessary

The composting toilets do not require water for flushing or carrying the waste to the septic tank. Since there is no water required, there is also no need for plumbing.

Hence, there is no risk of clogging or attending to the cleanliness of any sort of pipe.

3. Convenience

A composting toilet can be used for 4 to n6 weeks before needing to clear the compost. So it is great for long trips.

Also, you don’t want to dump in the woods or worry about someone catching you peeing. So, it is better to keep a composting toilet in your RV.

4. Cheap for the long run

Composting toilets are affordable and easily available in the market. You don’t have to worry about installing the plumbing system. The toilet in itself may be costlier than a traditional toilet but there is no additional cost to the setup of a composting toilet.

Since composting toilets are waterless, the long-term cost of water is saved by using a composting toilet.

5. Space saving

As we have seen before, a composting toilet saves a lot of space for you in an RV. On that space where you might have installed a septic tank, you can now install a TV or a cupboard.

As an owner of an RV, you must know that this is a very important thing. The key to an effective RV is the management of space. So, a composting toilet ticks the box in this category.

Cons Of RV Composting Toilet:

1. Practicality

It seems from the reader’s point of view that a composting toilet is a very practical way of addressing the environment and cutting the cost of toilets, but the truth is we live in a world where this is still an alternative and not a mainstream.

There are a large number of states here in the United States where a composting toilet can pose a challenge to environmental codes and so are not permitted to be used in those areas. 

2. Installation may take time

Although a simple composting toilet is very easy to set up, a little complex and a good composting toilet may require some time and effort to set up.

3. Electricity may be required

The composting toilet has a ventilation fan that is necessary to remove the evaporated liquid and also speed up the process of composting.

Usually, 12 V is enough but since the fan is to be kept on for the whole day, it is better if the RV has an electricals system in it.

What do you think?

So, we have shown you both sides of the coin of a composting toilet, where they can be used and where they can’t. If yes, why they can be used, and if no, why can’t they be used?

What did you decide after going through all the pros and cons of a composting toilet? We are sure you have made up your mind on whether to buy a composting toilet or not.

If you have decided to buy one, you can find the best portable composting toilets here.

Also, let us know in the comments if you think there are some other pros and cons of an RV Composting toilet.