liquid waste question

[rderito]

Hi, just listened to bobs 10 commandments. all were very understandable of coarse for normal people.
I am a newbie camper (male) in a minivan, I have always planned on using a bucket and litter for solid waste and my dogs solid waste and carry it out to a dumpster but what's the best thing to do for liquid waste (urine) is it best to dig a hole and go there for a week, dig a new hole every day or just go behind a tree . or I guess I can go in the litter and carry that out too.
just wondering what you guys do.

 

[Matildas mate]

Here is a related thread that may help...

https://vanlivingforum.com/showthread.php?tid=33392

 

[WanderingCanuck]

More about your pee than you ever needed (and maybe wanted) to know:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urine

 

[rderito]

Ya that's true.
I live near the Application Trail in Ct and have hiked many100s of day and weekend trips and I've yet to smell any human waste there.
most people dig the 6" hole for solid and urinate away from any water source.
That's a pritty confined area for millions of people walking in the same spot with natural vegetation right up to the trail that's mostly 12" wide..

 

[Moxadox]

True, the Appalachian Trail is incredibly densely populated. There are people who actually live in the woods by the trail, too. And with all those humans, trail dogs, bears, etc, peeing mere feet off the trail, you'd think it would stink to high heaven, but it doesn't. So I guess if we humans do our part to dig a good hole for the solids and deposit our liquids a reasonable distance away from traffic, Nature does the rest.

Helpful handy hints: when camping in the wilderness, you can pee outdoors in the daytime, and if you want, use a container at night. Then simply dump it in the morning. I use my pee to mark my camp boundaries, like any other animal. The only time I didn't do that, I got a visit from a herd of javelinas. If you're camping in a developed campground you can put your pee bottle in an opaque bag and discreetly empty it into the campground toilet. While on the road, you can dump your bottle into a gas station toilet.

The Dire Wolfess

 

[Weight]

Pee in bottle. Send it through your Berkey Filter. Use it for bathing.

 

[John61CT]

Fragile arid ecosystems are very different from temperate forests.

 

[lenny flank]

I pee in a bottle, then dump in grass away from water sources. The soil filters it on the way to the water table.

Of course most dudes just pee in a bush someplace. Rather more difficult for dudettes (without a She-Wee).

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

When camped around others I pee in a bottle and deposit in a toilet when I get the chance.
When dispersed camping I mark the perimeter of my campsite either directly or distributing the bottle; keeping in mind how fragile the area is.

 

[QinReno]

Yeah, marking your territory with pee. Not so sure about that one. When I was up in Oregon and got the packrat, I thought to distribute pee around the van, to mark my territory, and the rat would stay away. Just the opposite. I also took 2 pieces of tomato. One I poured some dish soap onto, then covered with olive oil. The other I peed on and then covered with olive oil. Guess which one the rat ate, and which one it threw in the dirt. Guess why.

 

[bullfrog]

Don't you know pack rats love salt on ther tomato?

 

[Moxadox]

Basil and olive oil, with a splash of balsamic. With grilled pack rat and tomatoes, yum yum!

The Dire Wolfess

 

[QinReno]

Don't you know pack rats love salt on ther tomato?

Nailed it!

 

[Dingfelder]

Oh. I had thought it was something to do with the tablecloth.

 

[QinReno]

Oh.  I had thought it was something to do with the tablecloth.

Well known issue,
- https://gizmodo.com/meet-the-animals-that-go-wild-for-your-pee-1829478458

In any case, I think the story is that "marking" your territory to keep the wild animals away is counter-productive. Friggin packrat.

 

[rderito]

LOL. OK I think you guys gave me my answer, although in a minivan when near people I'm going to treat it like living in a camper and pick up one of those military 5 gal water cans to save space, put some of that blue stuff (or something ) in it and use that.
when I throw away the solid waste ill dump the can in a toilet.
when alone ill go outside in different spots away from camp

 

[jasper]

When my wife was proudly showing a friend our pop-up shower and pee/poop tent, he said waste of time and money, just put an eye-hole cutouts bag over your head to go anywhere, anytime.

 

[highdesertranger]

do not use bleach to clean your pee bottle. LOL don't ask. highdesertranger

 

[lenny flank]

Anyone who has camped in the eastern woods knows that porcupines are also attracted to salt. They've been known to chew on backpack straps because of the perspiration.

 

[Moxadox]

Well known issue,
- https://gizmodo.com/meet-the-animals-that-go-wild-for-your-pee-1829478458

In any case, I think the story is that "marking" your territory to keep the wild animals away is counter-productive. Friggin packrat.

Here are a few more "invisible fence" options:
https://www.thepeemart.com/

The Dire Wolfess