Mentioning the Unmentionable (or... the camp toilet)

When mentioning the unmentionable, the children’s book Everybody Poops (by Taro Gomi) says it all.  Unfortunately, many people don’t even try the joys of camping or backpacking because they can’t see past this one issue… so let’s talk about it!

David and I have learned over years of backpacking that using the bathroom is an individual (not to mention gender oriented) art form.  Most ladies will agree that the guys definitely have the advantage.  Thankfully, women now have the Freshette (see http://www.freshette.com/… a product so useful that it has become standard issue for all of our wonderful and brave military women).  As for life’s “double duty” during backpacking excursions, it always begins with a trowel.

Since wandering around with a trowel and roll of toilet paper during the middle of the night in bear country has extreme disadvantages, I am happy to report that more “civilized” options are now available… whether you are using your SUV as a RV, a tent, or something like our ultralight camper.  

Because space is at a premium for us, we use the compact, waterless Cleanwaste PETT portable environmental toilet. This potty is basically a fold-up, easy to use, briefcase-sized toilet (see http://www.cleanwaste.com/demo).  Just pop the legs down, add a “wag bag,” and you’re ready to do business.  

Wag bags (see http://www.rei.com/product/692303/cleanwaste-wag-bag-toilet-in-a-bag-waste-kit) are heavy-duty plastic bags that fit over the rim of the toilet.  The bag includes “poo powder,” a product developed by NASA to congeal liquids and minimize odors.  Wag bags also include toilet paper and hand sanitizer.  Extremely convenient, they are also quite expensive, costing nearly $3 a bag.

As an alternative to the wag bag system, you can purchase the environmentally friendly “poo powder” separately, often at your nearest outdoor store.  (UPDATE 2011:  We have discovered that not all poo powders are made equal.  During our 2011 trip, we learned first-hand that off-brands may require double the amount suggested in order to congeal liquids.  We have determined that we would rather pay the higher price for Cleanwaste's high quality poo powder rather than deal with the odor and less congealed mess left by less potent powders.  Additionally, we learned that the large, 70-ounce Cleanwaste poo powder container is sufficient to last approximately two to three months of travel.)

After securing your own plastic bag around the toilet rim, just sprinkle in a scoop of poo powder before doing your business.  Whenever possible, we use compostable garbage bags (tall kitchen size and scent free).  Because the bio bags sometimes tear, we double-bag them (there are some contents best not left to chance!).  Once your business is done, just knot the bag and toss it in the garbage.  Voilà!  No worries about hoses, clogs, or dumping stations.


The PETT is also great when you're camping with children.  It is so much easier and more sanitary for them to use the portable toilet rather than running off to a pit toilet.  When recently camping with two young ones, we found that one bag lasted most of the day without unpleasant odors... until someone did "number two."  As an added bonus, our third grader easily learned how to change the bag by herself.

There are a wide number of other portable toilets available.  Many are rather unique (see http://www.bumperdumper.com/bumper2.htm as an example).  For us, it was essential to find one that was easy and convenient to use and would fit in our car top carrier.  It can also double as a portable toilet during hurricane emergencies.  

Depending on your rig configuration, you can set up your bathroom in a little pop-up privacy tent.   The tent can double as a shower.  Cleanwaste offers a tent.  If you would like to see the pop up tent that we use, visit http://www.evergreen-outdoors.net/outback/porta_privy.htm (the site includes a video for how it works).  The tent is a little tricky to close until you get the hang of it… after that, it’s as easy as pie.  

UPDATE 2012:  When we upgraded to our new Four Wheel camper, the Luggable Loo met our space configuration very nicely.  After using the Loo for three months during 2012, however, we plan to reconfigure the legs of our Cleanwaste Pett toilet so that it will fit into the allotted space of our new camper and ditch the Loo.  Why?  Basically, the Cleanwaste Pett toilet feels more like a regular toilet.  Additionally, while they are both waterless bag toilets and operate almost identically, the Luggable Loo seat is round rather than having the Pett's elongated seat.  The Loo's rounded seat has noticeably more condensate than the elongated seat... and because the Loo's seat lid does not stay upright on its own, the condensate can touch your clothing, which feels pretty icky.  The underside of the Loo's lid and seat must be wiped down frequently to eliminate as much condensate as possible.  This action uses more paper towels than we care to environmentally and with our infrequent reprovisioning.  Additionally, the rounded seat is very compact, basically a tad smaller than the width of a five-gallon bucket.  Men in particular may find the Loo a challenge to use.  While we feel that the Loo would be great for a weekend campout, for our extended trips, we definitely prefer the comfort of an elongated seat, lower condensate, and the more sanitary feel of the Cleanwaste Pett toilet.  

We'll continue our quest to find a satisfactory solution to all of our bathroom needs in our next post...