Portable Restrooms

Almost all campgrounds have a bathroom of some sort, even government campgrounds. Granted, most of these are not the best facilities, but they will do. When you're really out in the wilderness, you will have to come up with something yourself. The whole portable potty industry is booming. There are several options available to people. You can also develop your own system very cheaply.

First off, there is a portable toilet that is basically a plastic square box. It is divided into two sections that are clamped together. The top has a hinged door and tiny toilet bowl. Between the inner bowl and the outer surface, there is an area for rinse water. A pumping mechanism brings out some of the water when you flush. To flush, you pull a handle that opens the bottom of the bowl. This allows the waste to fall into the bottom section. When the tank is full you disconnect it and take it to the "dump station." These toilets do need a treatment and there are several treatments that are available as a powder, tablet or liquid. These treatments can be purchased at most camping supply stores.

There are several versions of these that are also bucket type toilets. You can also use a 5-gallon bucket with a snap on lid. You line the bucket with a plastic liner and then you pour powdered absorbent in to the toilet after use. To dump, you simply twisty tie and double-bag it and throw it away. Wilderness campers do not urinate in these types of toilets. Urine does no damage to soil or plants, just be sure to go as far away from camp as possible.

Tissue is specially made for these types of portable toilets. It can also be specially priced, so if you don't want to purchase it you can use very thin 1-ply toilet paper. It is even better if you use tissue that is made from recycled paper. It will begin to disintegrate on contact with water.

If you are camping in the wilderness, you will want to set-up a "back tent." This is a place for a bathroom, where no bathroom exists. You will want to place the back tent downwind from main camp and you should keep it 200 feet from the nearest natural water source. After you have set this area up, you can use a portable toilet or you can dig your own toilet. Dig a pit about 6 to 8 inches deep. For a toilet seat, you can use an extra-large flowerpot with a hole cut out in the bottom. Remove sharp edges, as this is your toilet seat. You can use the base of the flowerpot as a lid. When you leave your campsite, cover the pit up with dirt.

Using the restroom has always been a touchy subject amongst campers, as it is just unnatural for us to do so. A great tip to ensure that your toilet paper makes it through the rain or other weather, place it in a Ziploc bag or other plastic container. You can also save "end of rolls" from home so that everybody has their own little roll of toilet paper.

Children may be reluctant to use this new toilet system, especially because there is no reassuring flush. On the flip side, some children will want to use it way too much. If they are leery, then you can try it out at home first.

Enjoy your camping trip and portable restrooms.