I use a sawdust bucket with the Travel John seat. I like the seat because it is not hard plastic- it is softer, more flexible, and much less chance of breaking. It also doesn't snap onto the bucket, so taking it off is easy-peasey.
Covering up your waste with sawdust kills the odor. I can't explain it, but covering it up works just as well as bagging it every time with three bags. The sawdust does a great job of keeping the bugs out, too, but I don't live in the South, so bugs may be a problem in warmer, more insect laden environments.
I line the 5 gallon bucket with a compostable, 13 gallon trash bag. Then after three days to a week, I empty the bucket. Keeps clean up much easier, too.
I prefer screened pine shavings. They aren't dusty and compress to a small space. When you scoop the shavings out, they poof up a lot. A large bag will last me 6 to 12 weeks depending on how much I use other bathrooms.
http://www.amazon.com/Kaytee-Aspen-..._UL160_SR160,160_&refRID=13VK7T8F63HE6WCQCHMR The sawdust I use is about $8.00 or less at hardware or ranch supply stores. Aspen shavings work, too, but pine works the best for insect control.
Peat Moss works very well, too, but it is heavy and doesn't compress as much as wood shavings. And it is DUSTY! Filthy. Using peat moss is trading one problem for another. Not recommended.
Wood pellets (the 40 pound bags for pellet stoves) work very well, but they are heavy and last only about a week. At $5.00 a bag, that is much more than wood shavings. I've used wood pellets as kitty litter and it is by far my favorite choice for kitties.
I've used porta potty type devices and they need to be cleaned like a regular toilet. A 5 gallon bucket with a liner saves time on clean up and saves on cleaning supplies. Carrying a porta potty is awkward and heavy. The waste sloshes around and does splash around a bit when emptying. It isn't all that bad, but much harder than a 5 gallon bucket. Both need to be emptied about the same amount of times.
Holding tanks require an RV dump. Sawdust buckets require at least a Dumpster. Dumpsters have more easy access and are cheaper or at least the same cost (free) as an RV dump. I recommend composting, but that isn't an option for everyone that's for sure. Would be nice to see an infrastructure that accommodated composting waste instead of using bunches of water, time, and money for a sewage treatment plant.
You use less water with a sawdust bucket; hauling and storing water sucks. Water is heavy and sloshy and it likes to freeze when it can. Sawdust doesn't slosh around. A small child can empty a 5 gallon bucket of sawdust after being filled with waste. A small child would not be able to empty a porta potty or empty a holding tank. Holding tanks also require drain hoses (that get nasty) that take up space with stored. 5 gallon buckets, while taking up space, are a cleaner, more environmentally friendly option.
If you have access to tree bark that you could break up or tree moss, you could gather your own carbon material for covering up your waste. That may be an option for a select few.
Fixing plumbing sucks. That is hard work. Replacing a holding tank is expensive, too. When a 5 gallon bucket breaks, you just get a new one. If a bag tears, you put a new one in. I like simple and cheap as long as it works. In this case, buckets work better than trying to adapt household plumbing to an RV type setting.
I wouldn't want to stay at a place that required an RV style toilet. Seems like living in a place that has an HOA. Not my cup of tea.
