Van Essential: Going potty

[JD GUMBEE]

We raised two kids and never "flushed the waste from the diaper into the toilet." (It isn't like you can get it all off the thing anyway...so poop ends up in the garbage regardless.)

Same thing with adults who use absorbent products adult briefs. You think CNA's don't toss that in the garbage? LOL

A hippie friend does this: Each time she disposes of a soiled pamper or liner from the potty, she takes a shovel, turns a shovel-ful of dirt at least 18 inches down, then tosses the item into the hole. She then pierces the plastic with the shovel and covers it. 6 inches or so from the top, she plants a seed for that specific ground-style and waters it.

A disposable diaper or newspaper/sawdust will retain water in a desert scenario. Gives the tree a jump-start.

Some may not wish to do this, but it sounded good to me. We need more trees!

Like a miniature hugelkultur berm.

https://richsoil.com/hugelkultur/

 

[WanderingCanuck]

A hippie friend does this: Each time she disposes of a soiled pamper or liner from the potty, she takes a shovel, turns a shovel-ful of dirt at least 18 inches down, then tosses the item into the hole. She then pierces the plastic with the shovel and covers it. 6 inches or so from the top, she plants a seed for that specific ground-style and waters it.

I don't know about the desert, but in my familiar backyard consisting of mixed forest a-la-Canadian Shield, 18" is way too deep for a quick breakdown of biological matter.  That's if you can even dig that far before hitting solid rock.  Here, 6" of cover humus is about right in my experience.  Plenty of distance from any camp, stream, pond, swamp, lake, or what have you.  Recommended distances vary, but consider the terrain and what happens in flood and torrential downpour conditions.  You want your crap to stay put.  Aside from the occasional short-lived drought, we don't have issues with keeping the ground moist.

EDIT: I should add that I would never advocate burying feces in a non-biodegradable plastic bag - pierced or not. I'd even go as far as to check whether the "biodegradable" bag actually is, or if it just falls apart into really small pieces of plastic, like many do.

 

[Motrukdriver]

Was over working on one of the rentals today and the tenant handed us a stack of mail and stuff from the previous occupants. One of the catalogs was from Easy Comforts so I gave it a look. Found this: https://www.easycomforts.com/buy-folding-commode-348710

Height adjustable and looks like a bucket would fit under it nicely. I like how it folds up to save space. Just need to figure out how to incorporate a urine diverter and this would be pretty cool for limited space. I like the arm rests too because it gives you a place to hang on for those days when you eat too much chili or tacos. $65 includes shipping and it supports up to 300 pounds. I might have to look into this further....

 

[RVTravel]

300 hunerd pounds was alot of tacos.

 

[John61CT]

Exactly the design I was thinking of, I like the height adjustability, and they even have a stronger, bigger size too.

I don't think the urine separation is needed, if just disposing of sealed bags in the trash, for us would just be very occasional "emergencies".

 

[GeorgiePorgie]

Exactly the design I was thinking of, I like the height adjustability, and they even have a stronger, bigger size too.

I don't think the urine separation is needed, if just disposing of sealed bags in the trash, for us would just be very occasional "emergencies".

Just pee in a plastic one gallon jug separately.

 

[Motrukdriver]

Just pee in a plastic one gallon jug separately.

That is pretty easy for a fella,  them gals might have to practice a bunch for similar accuracy.

 

[Annie W]

We raised two kids and never "flushed the waste from the diaper into the toilet."
(It isn't like you can get it all off the thing anyway...so poop ends up in the garbage regardless.)
Same thing with adults who use absorbent products adult briefs. You think CNA's don't toss that in the garbage? LOL

A hippie friend does this: Each time she disposes of a soiled pamper or liner from the potty, she takes a shovel, turns a shovel-ful of dirt, then tosses the item into the hole. She then pierces the plastic with the shovel and covers it. 6 inches or so from the top, she plants a seed for that specific ground-style and waters it.

A disposable diaper or newspaper/sawdust will retain water in a desert scenario. Gives the tree a jump-start. `We need more trees!
Like a miniature hugelkultur berm. https://richsoil.com/hugelkultur/

Thanks.

Arriving at 13 in USA, I asked 'What is a toilet ?' oh you mean that pipe in the ground, covered with a rough board, & use paper.
gee,
our Immune systems were strong, & thus we were healthy... principally because 99% of what we ate, 1st. we grew...

Next I asked "environmental protection ?" oh you mean NO herbicides, nor pesticides, nor gmo, nor gov't. interference etc. in How to stay healthy...

Too, how many homeless (the poor sleeping on ground all across this vast land), do you see carrying a shovel ?

And yes, as said in intro here: Trees, & shorter plants make our very life possible. And us all Appreciate... God's bountiful & unending beauty...
so thank you JD GUMBEE for Adding these too ignored agri practices.

 

[VJG1977]

Was over working on one of the rentals today and the tenant handed us a stack of mail and stuff from the previous occupants.  One of the catalogs was from Easy Comforts so I gave it a look.  Found this:   https://www.easycomforts.com/buy-folding-commode-348710

Height adjustable and looks like a bucket would fit under it nicely.  I like how it folds up to save space.  Just need to figure out how to incorporate a urine diverter and this would be pretty cool for limited space.  I like the arm rests too because it gives you a place to hang on for those days when you eat too much chili or tacos.  $65 includes shipping and it supports up to 300 pounds.  I might have to look into this further....

I've used this one from Amazon for about 2 years now, cost is $33.79 Drive Medical Steel Folding Bedside Commode  It supports up to 350 pounds.

 

[ratfink56]

Nice thing about the bedside commodes is not having to carry a lawn chair.

 

[squid]

My thesis is that separation is everything.  So even if you have a fancy RV or just a lug-able loo, all you have to do is either line the potty bottom with TP or a big coffee filter, or get some sort of funnel you can line with TP or coffee filter, do your biz, then take a biodegradable dog poo bag, put it over your hand, then gather up the doodoo on the TP/filter and invert the bag, tie it off and toss it in the garbage.  The pee can go into a bottle and dumped into a toilet or out in the boonies like the coyotes do.  Or in a regular RV the pee and gray water can be dumped at a dump station which is really not too bad because it gets washed out.  
Anyway I have a rule:  Nobody gets to flush a poop into my black tank!!!

 

[Ms Linda]

Am I the only girl who poops in the woods? Dig a hole, squat and poop. I have a small pale lined with a plastic bag and a dog potty pad for EMERGENCIES only. Other than that I poop in the woods. I do place the TP/wet wipes in a sandwich-size plastic bag and dispose of it in a trash receptacle. Just wished I could come up with an alternative way to prevent unnecessary plastic bag wastage since it's not good for the environment.

 

[hausmutti]

Am I the only girl who poops in the woods? Dig a hole, squat and poop. I have a small pale lined with a plastic bag and a dog potty pad for EMERGENCIES only. Other than that I poop in the woods. I do place the TP/wet wipes in a sandwich-size plastic bag and dispose of it in a trash receptacle. Just wished I could come up with an alternative way to prevent unnecessary plastic bag wastage since it's not good for the environment.

Many people need more private time than that.  IBS can make you suicidal.

 

[Ms Linda]

Hausmutti, Oh yeah I forgot about IBS and other GI issues. Sorry, that was a bit insensitive of me to assume that just because I don't have any health issues that others don't either. Like your name, hausmutti LOL. Are you German by chance?

 

[hausmutti]

Not from Germany, but one side came from Germany and Denmark.  I took German for several years in school and college.  Sadly, much of it has left with old age but sometimes I still think in German LOL
Homemaking, homesteading, home birthing and homeschooling was my life.

 

[Dingfelder]

I bought this folding chair toilet for 40 bucks a month or so ago:  

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MSOWG7U/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I'm about 225 lbs. and it is satisfyingly sturdy.  I wouldn't jump up and down on it, but then again who does that while pooping?  It's enough that I can sit down on it in a hurry without fear.  It folds out and can be made ready for use extremely quickly, and folds together and can be slid into a small space.  I like that part a LOT.  Most of the other solutions take up far more space, especially precious floor space.  

It is a wee bit low for me, a six-footer, but getting below parallel is supposedly very healthy and helpful when doing poopies anyway.  The taller something like this gets, the less sturdy it would be, too.  At least if you didn't use thicker, heavier materials.

I've found 13-gallon trash bags are the right size to fit over the seat securely.  Their bottoms dangle down to the floor, so out of caution I got a plastic bin at the dollar store and put it underneath in case of leaks.  I toss coconut coir in the bag to help absorb moisture after, and before if I have the time.  (Often I don't -- things get pretty rushed with me.)  I can tell you that coir may soak up liquid, but it doesn't soak up smell nearly so well as people often say.  

For pee, I used to use old seltzer water bottles, old milk jugs, etc.  But they both have narrow openings and if you slip even a little or are in a hurry, not all of your pee is going in that bottle.  Now I use old V8 juice bottles.  They have a broader opening, which makes them much safer to use.  They also have thicker plastic, which makes me feel more secure about leaks, and one side is crimped in with little vertical grip indents to help hold the thing.  I keep two just in case I've forgotten to empty one of them.  

I really don't like the idea of emptying my black water tanks.  The bathroom in my little trailer is used for storage only, including the small shower stall.

 

[hausmutti]

I bought this folding chair toilet for 40 bucks a month or so ago:  

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MSOWG7U/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I really don't like the idea of emptying my black water tanks.  The bathroom in my little trailer is used for storage only, including the small shower stall.


Funny name for a toilet seat LOL.   I don't use the toilet in the TT either.