Alternatives to Blackwater treatment packets?

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debit.servus

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ISo I have a porta-potti that I use on trips, and when in use I drop the treatment packs inside the holding tank. I tried the dometic packets, oxy-Kem and even bleach and it still smells when traveling.

 Does anybody successfuly use alternatives and additives that stop the smell? There is a spray available at poopourri.com/ that has essential oils To act as a surfactant. I imagine cooking oil that is later than water will have the same function, which oil? 

Please no posts that say to ditch the porta potti and for a 5 gallon bucket with sawdust or trash-bags and similar advice.
 
debit.servus said:
Please no posts that say to ditch the porta potti and for a 5 gallon bucket with sawdust or trash-bags and similar advice.

Okay, I won't tell you to ditch them!... :D

What I will tell you is that in 41 years of owning a van or an RV and having had innumerable porta potties/holding tanks I have never managed to have one be completely odor free. It smelled either of chemicals or that familiar porta pottie smell.

You either learn to live with it or you don't!

The last year with the C-Head has been the only time I have travelled odor free!
 
Okay, I won't suggest the 5-gallon bucket, but what about the sawdust part as the deodorizer?
 
highdesertranger said:
don't mix the pee and poo,  that helps a lot.  highdesertranger

This is the  best advice given here.  With a little effort, one could build there own 'C-Head' (seperating) toilet...in place of a standard porta potty. 

Link to C-Head model:

 
The 'poo pourri' stuff is an oil that floats on top of the water, as long as you have more water than solids, it'd work, but if your solids rise above the water's surface, no beuno
As far as mixing pee and poo, I've found either has a pretty potent odor on their own, although it's not as bad as mixing them
I had no problems with the odor using these
http://www.cabelas.com/product/Thetford-Campa-Chem-Natural-Toss-In-Packets/732472.uts
but now I have a 40 gallon black tank, so I have to buy the big bottles of liquid
 
I have a Porta Pottie stored under the bed. Odour is a concern for me in that I don't want any. I treat any stored blackwater with Sodium Percarbonate. Mostly I source the chemical in a laundry product for prewash soaking. I look for 330 grams per kilo active ingredient. Two generous tablespoons in a litre of water into the just emptied pottie then one generous tablespoon per deposit plus about 500 ml of flush water. I rarely use the pottie to store urine.

One trick I found is to mimic the S-Bend of the conventional plumbing for making a water seal to the storage container. I usually flush using a small bucket and save about 50 ml to put on the blade after things are closed up. I keep the seal in good condition by frequent cleaning and a dash of olive oil as a lubricant. I find the 50 ml of water forms an effective water seal to keep odour contained. I don't ever remember any noxious odour hitting me on opening the vehicle after being closed up for a while.

Ticklebellly
 

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