Toilets

Try these bags

www.ferno.com.au/

Cheers Kev

You could always buy a Porta Potty and use it.

They don't cost much and can be emptied at most caravan parks.

Dig a hole and burn your paper in the hole before refilling.
No stuffing around with chemicals or plastic bags.

I don't know what your toilet seat is like but mine is just a seat and frame to hold it up, I dig a deep hole under it and don't use any bags, just burn the paper and fill in the hole bit by bit as I go along, digging a new hole if I stay long enough to need it. I don't have a posh tent, just a bit of tarp nailed onto three broomhandles like the old fashioned beach windbreaks.

Mind you, I have had the odd accident with a leg of the toilet slipping into the hole!

Another vote for deep hole away from creeks, dams etc.
We have 2 pop-up tents - one for shower, one for toilet.
Suppose you could always dispose of bag at the next rubbish tip/refuse station when you move on. Plenty of other crap ends in in those :-)

We have used the chem toilet (porta-potti) for years. The white tablets totally eliminate smell, and degrade all the waste. The seals have never leaked, and emptying is simple.
The height is similar to the home loo - so again convenient.

As more and more people take to the the great outdoors, toilet waste is becoming a problem. On a recent trip, we came across several free camping spots which were un-usable due to toilet paper and smells (& bacteria).

The chem toilet is a small cost, convenient and hygienic, and helps keep these camping spots useable - (no risk of bush fires either)..................Keith.

We use a Jimmy's Thunderbox www.2daloo.com/ . Dig a hole put the popup tent over it and then place the thunderbox over the hole. It hardly takes up any space in the car or trailer since it folds away flat. Cost around $80 i think. We have used your setup in the past and also own a porta-loo, but find this suits us best. In fact we upgrade from a porta-loo to a thunderbox.

I would have to give my vote to the porta-potti. We purchased one several years ago and now I don't think I could get my family to camp without it. We place it in a large garbage bag when travelling but have never had a problem. We have travelled over some pretty rough tracks with it. IMHO I reckon the sloshing around when travelling actually helps break things down quicker than when it is just free standing. The idea of using a bag as a toilet just brings back bad memories of the not so good old days.

GG, we carry both a Porta Pottie and a Jimmy's Thunderbox.

We use the Thunderbox whenever possible, but sometimes it has to be the Porta Pottie. Wife also likes the Porta Pottie for if she gets up in the night.

There are plenty of places to empty the Porta Pottie, but occasionally you might have to bury it. Nice deep hole and its done.

For chemicals (if you get a Porta Pottie) I reckon the best is Bio Magic
www.biomagic.com.au/PRODUCTS.CFM

We also carry a small privy tent. Very light and doesn't take up a lot of space, but we often just set up in the bush with no tent.

Georgie, I noticed you didn't reply about your camper battery connection problem and maybe not being charged. How did you get on?. Rus.

Again, thank you very much for all the advice.

It looks like I will buy a port a porti. My 9 & 7 year old will really appreciate it. I know I will, I hate walking to loo in the middle of the night in particular in a caravan park.

I will need to measure the space in the little lockable area which is accessed from the outside of the campervan to see what size will fit. I like the idea of putting in a garbage bag while travelling to ensure no spillage - thanks for that tip.

The more I read these threads the more money I spend but if it means that our 5 month trip will be more comfortable for all of us, then a more enjoyable trip will be had.

Thanks again.

GeorgieGirl

I can put a female perspective on this discussion - from an experienced point of view if you like. I am more than happy with the bush toilet method, ie. "squat" for No. 1s or 2s, and I've taught my 2 daughers (now 3 and 6 yrs) how to do the same. I've travelled extensively, done very long terms trips (2 years) and short term trips. I've never used the toilet seat with bag option, but last year we purchased a porta pottie due to regulations for where we wished to camp.

The porta pottie is a very good option - if you use it right you will find it is both convenient and offers a choice of disposal options. They all come with a storage resourvour so after doing your business you close the lid and pump the waste into the storage bay and the solution cleans the bowl and closes the value so you don't see anything. Depending on the size of the storage bay and how many people using it, you can get up to week of storage. The waste is all broken down into a slurry by the solution (non-harmful biodegradable options available). You can choose to either bury the slurry waste in hole away from the camps, and creeks or take it with you or tip it down the next toilet you come to (if you've used the proper solution). If you use the chemicals that are not biodegradble you are limited to ONLY tip it down a chemical disposal point found at caravan parks.

I think they are a great idea that more of us should embrace when bush camping more than 1 night in a bush camp - you can still tip it down a deep hole you would dig in an appropriate spot, but it will degrade quicker due to the active solution and the loo paper can't be dug up by animals. If camping with a group, the "disposers" can prepare a communal hole and tip it all in one area and then cover it up properly - thus limiting the number of "holes".

They aren't really practical for driving legs due the storage issue, unless you have a secure storage bay say on a trailer. In general, on driving legs we find that we may be passing public facilities for No 2's, so No.1s we find are perfectly ok for doing behind shrubs. If emergency No. 2's are needed with no public facilties we take a break - park properly, make a tea break out of it, and go for a walk with the spake, a gas igniter (the long handle makes it easier than a match and less anoying when the wind wants to blow it out), and toilet paper. There are some trips - choose ground that is soft, even in hard ground the soil around the base of a tree or shrub will be softer, then dig the hole as deeply as you can, keeping the soil in a neat pile on the edge of the hole. Straddle the hole with your feet on either side, do your business but put the paper on top last and avoid wetting the toilet paper. Ignite the edge of the paper with a flame and watch to ensure the paper turns to black completely and then extinguish it fully by tipping some soil/sand over it. Then back fill your hole and stamp on the ground to make it level. You can make it look like you've never been there - there is nothing wrong with organic waste disposed of properly in remote areas when necessary.

When disposing of porta pottie waste in a hole, the toilet paper will not be distinguishable as it will have become part of the slurry so there is no need to burn anything. Just make sure the hole is deep enough and away from waterways and traffic areas in camp spots.

I guess it is personal, but I thought I put in my opinion and experiences on the mater as both a lady and a mum (ok, and a rough bush chick too when I have to be).

Georgie,

My wife prefers a "bushie" rather than using bags or going to the drop dunnies. She gags everytime she goes near a drop dunny. Over years of educating she is good at digging the hole now (minimum 30 cm's) and burning the toilet paper and then covering up.

We are looking however at a Porta dunny thing and change shelter for longer trips now that we have purchased the Camper Trailer

Jimmy's Thunderbox is hard to beat! They fold flat & very easy to use.

Check out Jimmy's Thunderbox, very portable & comfortable, all you need is a small shovel paper & your matches. We take a portapotti and Jimmy and hardly ever use the potti Any good camping shop has them or check out on the net

Hi, whatever we take in we take out, so it has to be a porta potty, we do not leave anything behind.
Have fun

Craig

We use Jimmy's Thunderbox, when ever we can.

Dig a deep hole ( as deep as the shovel allows ), and to kill the smell we sprinkle lime over everything ,, 2 desert spoons per deposit .
It works a treat !

We also have porta potty, if we go into areas that require them. ( Like beaches ) that do not have their own toilets.
Cheers
Bucky

Just watched an episode of Star Trek Voyager (Season 2) last night when Captain Kathryn Janeway and Chocotay were "camping" - they had sonic showers - wow. I wonder if we'll ever see such modern advancements? They didn't talk about sonic toilets but I guess the possibilities are endless!

Being farmers and paranoid about fire, we wouldn't strike a match, but take a plastic freezer bag and seal the paper in it to be disposed of next time we empty our bin.