portaloo

Submitted: Monday, May 27, 2013 at 22:19
ThreadID: 102452 Views:3215 Replies:7 FollowUps:12
This Thread has been Archived
OK got a portaloo, got a shovel to. Doing Birdsville track andall places to Kimberley for the first time. what to use .
Better to keep your mouth shut and be thought stupid than to open it and remove all doubt

Lifetime Member
My Profile  Send Message

Back Expand Un-Read 0 Moderator

Reply By: Motherhen - Monday, May 27, 2013 at 22:34

Monday, May 27, 2013 at 22:34
Hi Ian and Pen; check out My Blog on Toilets. That should tell you all you need to know.

Motherhen
Motherhen

Red desert dreaming

Lifetime Member
My Profile  My Blog  Send Message

AnswerID: 511971

Follow Up By: David16 - Tuesday, May 28, 2013 at 18:29

Tuesday, May 28, 2013 at 18:29
Shovel and folding toilet seat are all you will need. Portaloos take up too much room and use heaps of water to operate properly.
1
FollowupID: 790316

Follow Up By: Motherhen - Tuesday, May 28, 2013 at 18:48

Tuesday, May 28, 2013 at 18:48
Hi David

We have a built in caravan Thetford which uses minimal water, and used bathing or hand wash water can be used.

Mh
Motherhen

Red desert dreaming

Lifetime Member
My Profile  My Blog  Send Message

1
FollowupID: 790318

Follow Up By: David16 - Tuesday, May 28, 2013 at 20:19

Tuesday, May 28, 2013 at 20:19
Hi Motherhen, sorry i didnt mean to post under you earlier, typo error, yes agree but i was more relating to traveling without a camper or van and carrying it in a vehicle.
0
FollowupID: 790334

Follow Up By: Motherhen - Tuesday, May 28, 2013 at 20:26

Tuesday, May 28, 2013 at 20:26
Hi David - I probably would have said the same thing if you had posted separately as my comment was about water usage. I cannot see that a portable toilet would work any different to an in-built one.

With problems of 'sorbent gardens' left in the desert, as well as the privacy aspect, carrying a portable toilet is a good idea and may be a requirement in the future as it is now in some places. Camping is no longer permitted on the Gibb River Road where there are no toilets, regardless of rig, because of these toileting issues.

Mh
Motherhen

Red desert dreaming

Lifetime Member
My Profile  My Blog  Send Message

0
FollowupID: 790335

Reply By: Member - Dirt Princess - Monday, May 27, 2013 at 23:39

Monday, May 27, 2013 at 23:39
Hey Ian and Pen
There are lots of very informative threads on all sorts of things. Type into the search thread box and name the article you want and wamo you would be surprised how many times people have asked the same questions you want to ask. That's what I like about this forum. Lots of experienced people with lots of information. Great people and a good laugh to boot :) Couldn't ask for more in a forum?

Enjoy the reading.
Dirt
AnswerID: 511981

Reply By: Shaker - Tuesday, May 28, 2013 at 09:28

Tuesday, May 28, 2013 at 09:28
The answer is quite simple if you are going remote.
If you take a porta-loo you will need a shovel, if you just take a shovel that's all you will need!

AnswerID: 511992

Reply By: Member - PJR (NSW) - Tuesday, May 28, 2013 at 10:14

Tuesday, May 28, 2013 at 10:14
For driving to the Kimberley and back from Canberra we found that there were plenty of roadhouses and such where one could stop buy fuel, a meal, drink, ice cream or a lolly and use their loo (in that order). When we were in the Kimberley a few years back each place we stayed at or camped at had a toilet.

If I was short of space then I would just take the shovel, and matches. If one had plenty of space and one had a tendency to prefer cleaner toilets then bung the porta-loo in as well. While most bush toilets in The Kimberley were clean a few needed attention.

Phil
AnswerID: 511994

Reply By: bluefella - Tuesday, May 28, 2013 at 13:54

Tuesday, May 28, 2013 at 13:54
I agree with Shaker. The shovel, space required for portaloo = 3x cartons of beer.
AnswerID: 512012

Follow Up By: Ian and Pen - Tuesday, May 28, 2013 at 20:17

Tuesday, May 28, 2013 at 20:17
Great answer bluefella
Better to keep your mouth shut and be thought stupid than to open it and remove all doubt

Lifetime Member
My Profile  Send Message

0
FollowupID: 790332

Reply By: Member - John and Val - Tuesday, May 28, 2013 at 14:03

Tuesday, May 28, 2013 at 14:03
Wow! Only a few weeks ago there was a thread where there were strident calls for it to be compulsory for every traveller to have a portable toilet. Now it seems just a shovel will do! No wonder newbies get confused.

Good for you Ian and Pen, take both, and maybe add a folding toilet seat too, use both responsibly, and read Mothhens advice on how to use the PL.

Have a great trip.

Cheers,

Val

J and V
"Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted."
- Albert Einstein

Lifetime Member
My Profile  My Blog  Send Message

AnswerID: 512014

Follow Up By: Shaker - Tuesday, May 28, 2013 at 18:10

Tuesday, May 28, 2013 at 18:10
Where do you empty a Porta loo if you are remote?
1
FollowupID: 790314

Follow Up By: Member - John and Val - Tuesday, May 28, 2013 at 19:08

Tuesday, May 28, 2013 at 19:08
Hi Shaker,

Read Motherhen's blog :-)

Since the contents are reduced to a slurry it can be emptied into a decent hole - so you do need a shovel if going remote. But maybe you only need to dig a hole every few days.

Cheers,

Val.
J and V
"Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted."
- Albert Einstein

Lifetime Member
My Profile  My Blog  Send Message

1
FollowupID: 790320

Follow Up By: Shaker - Tuesday, May 28, 2013 at 19:50

Tuesday, May 28, 2013 at 19:50
Slurry or no slurry, it's still the same amount, except that you are introducing chemicals into the soil.
I really don't need a blog to help take care of one of life's most basic necessities.
1
FollowupID: 790330

Follow Up By: Member - PJR (NSW) - Tuesday, May 28, 2013 at 21:12

Tuesday, May 28, 2013 at 21:12
When we carry the portaloo we don't wait until it's full to empty it. We empty it when we are at the last available dump before going remote and hope to make it to the next dump. When necessary we also limit it's use to No 2's for even longer times between dump points.

I believe the slurry is also less damaging to the environment anyway. Is it? No 1's don't hurt it. Except anyone's for a few days after chemo will as it can still be quite toxic.

As far as a shovel is concerned, we always carry a shovel. It has other uses apart from latrine duty.

Phil
0
FollowupID: 790341

Follow Up By: Member - John and Val - Tuesday, May 28, 2013 at 21:58

Tuesday, May 28, 2013 at 21:58
Shaker

You said "you are introducing chemicals into the soil.". If portaloo users stick to the sodium percarbonate products like napisan etc all you are introducing is sodium, oxygen, and hydrogen. Cant see any issue with any of those (given the amount of salt naturally already in our soils).

For me the upside of more people using portaloos is that there just possibly might be fewer white butterflies decorating roadside stops.

A shovel is fine by me, but times do seem to be a-changin'

Cheers,

Val
J and V
"Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted."
- Albert Einstein

Lifetime Member
My Profile  My Blog  Send Message

0
FollowupID: 790345

Reply By: Honky - Wednesday, May 29, 2013 at 11:19

Wednesday, May 29, 2013 at 11:19
There are chemicals out there that are environmentaly friendly so now I just tip it in the gutter or the river.


Honky
AnswerID: 512085

Follow Up By: Member - John and Val - Wednesday, May 29, 2013 at 21:57

Wednesday, May 29, 2013 at 21:57
Honky, please say that you don't really do that. Would you care to drink/swim/wash just downstream? There is more in that slurry that just some environmentally friendly chemicals - isn't there?

If you cant find a dump point or toilet to empty your portaloo into, please dig a hole a reasonable distance from a watercourse and bury the sludge in that. That way soil bugs can break everything down before too much gets into waterways.

Val.

J and V
"Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted."
- Albert Einstein

Lifetime Member
My Profile  My Blog  Send Message

0
FollowupID: 790440

Follow Up By: Honky - Thursday, May 30, 2013 at 10:26

Thursday, May 30, 2013 at 10:26
I was only kidding as I have not used it yet.
It is mainly for a few days set up in remote and is part of the shower tent kit.
It is for the women/girls and number 2's for the blokes.

Honky
0
FollowupID: 790463

Sponsored Links