Compostable bags for sawdust toilet?

[Tool Amour]

I'm planning a trip with my son to do some rockhounding.  We'll take our mini-bus and dry camp. 

The last time we did this we used a pail with cat litter, and it wasn't a resounding success.  Smelled awful, even though he'd go off and use the bushes half the time.  Fortunately I didn't have to carry the stink bucket and its triple bagged load inside the van.

This time I want to have separate buckets for pee and poo, and use sawdust instead of cat litter.  We recently moved to a city that mandates recycling and food composting, and now have a compost pail and the requisite green bags to line it.  Changing out the food waste can yesterday, it occurred to me that this bag could be used inside the poop pail, sawdust used to cover the poop, swap the bag out every couple of poops, and then the whole bag could be buried on site using the same guidelines as camping, ie not near water or in watersheds, off the path, etc.

Has anyone tried this?  Any thoughts? 

Thanks,
TA

 

[DuneElliot]

I have some but haven't had the chance to use them. I had in mind the same thing you do. I don't think I'd bury them though...even being biodegradable I'm pretty sure they don't adhere to LNT principles. If you're going to be burying poop anyway, why not just dig and hole and go use it?

 

[Tool Amour]

I have some but haven't had the chance to use them. I had in mind the same thing you do. I don't think I'd bury them though...even being biodegradable I'm pretty sure they don't adhere to LNT principles. If you're going to be burying poop anyway, why not just dig and hole and go use it?

I'd probably fall over and land in my own poo!  No thanks!!
Although your idea of burying just the poo and sawdust is a good one.
We are planning on a 4 day trip so there will be a fair amount of poo-that's why I thought of doing maybe a day's worth at a time in one bag.

 

[Jerry1088]

Most large pet stores sell large dog biodegradable poop bags.  I use them on long kayak trips where you are required to pack the poop out.

 

[DuneElliot]

I'd probably fall over and land in my own poo!  No thanks!!
Although your idea of burying just the poo and sawdust is a good one.
We are planning on a 4 day trip so there will be a fair amount of poo-that's why I thought of doing maybe a day's worth at a time in one bag.

So get a portable toilet seat (minus the bag). If my 74 year old father can use this while camping anyone can:

https://www.amazon.com/Reliance-Pro...qid=1493146938&sr=8-7&keywords=camping+toilet

Or a flushable porta-potty:

http://tuffstuff4x4.com/products/5-...r-camping-toilet-with-removable-holding-tank/

 

[TMG51]

My understanding is that even "biodegradable" plastic bags still take a long time to decompose. Years?

If you want to bag it and immediately bury it, maybe a paper bag with sawdust in the bottom...

 

[highdesertranger]

if you are going to bury it I wouldn't use a plastic bag even a biodegradable one. I am with Dune Elliot on this. if you are going to bury it skip the bucket. eliminate a lot of hassle. highdesertranger

 

[Every Road Leads Home]

Gotta learn to poop outside. Use a tree as a backrest while in the sitting position, nearly as comfortable as sitting on a toilet and leaves very little weight on your legs. Or just cut the bottom out of a bucket, dig a small hole, place bucket over it and do your business as normal.

 

[TrainChaser]

Put some sawdust in the bottom of the bucket so nothing sticks to the bottom. Defecate. Carry bucket to hole. Empty bucket. Fill hole with dirt. But check the local soil to see if you CAN dig in it -- some desert areas have a hard caliche (lime) layer. If you make the hole too shallow, creatures may dig up the contents.

 

[caretaker]

actually you want the tree in front,,preferably a sapling,,,you hang on to it,,i don't think i wanna be leaning back against,,,,,well you can see the problem,,,well maybe not see it,,,,feel it maybe,,,,nuff said