Thread: Dunnies

spade & a bush for me. Warning, maintaining balance is paramount!

Next time you drive to a favourite camping spot and find **** stained toilet paper streamers all over the place might convince you that a Porta-Potti is the way to go.
They are totally sealed so no smells or liquids get out and they can be emptied at home or most decent rest areas have dump points. I keep mine in the original plastic bag packing and box and have never had a problem.
My worry is that NPWS will start shutting down some of the more popular campsites because of people leaving their mess behind, even if you bury it, you will still get animals digging it up, esp. Goannas. A lot of places the ground is too hard and a hole can't be dug, unless you have a backhoe, $90 to $100 for a decent Porta-Potti makes for a cleaner and more comfortable camp, Regards Frank.

I use a folding toilet seat, from rays outdoors, it folds flat ans stores well, the bags I use for them are the little green ones the council deliver for free for kitchen greenwaste, as all my food scraps go to the chooks I had no use for them until it occurred to me that they break down in the ground, there compact, there is no smell ones sealed so if you cant bury it then its easy to dispose of at the first rubbish stop on way home and best of all there home delivered

Pity you've got a camper trailer, otherwise you could use a bumper dumper.

I dig a hole, and when finished burn the toilet paper in the hole, also when possible put a large rock or similar on top of the filled hole when finished. If stopping for a few days, the hole is dug fairly deep and filled in stages with use, then filled in when leaving. By burning the paper, if animals dig for the smell there will not be streamers festooning the area which is a disgusting side-effect of many camping areas. Another option, in areas where it is safe to do so, is to put a shovel-full of burning coals from the fire into the hole after use, then cover that with dirt- further covers the scent.

For years I just had a shovel and buried it deep, but these days with my daughter in tow I have a porta potty and a toilet tent.

Porta Potti = huge "brownie" points with the fairer sex..
I was always sceptical with these things as I was always a dig/squat/bury person, but purchased one a couple of years ago to accommodate my wife and daughters needs and am now a convert.. They are pretty easy and clean to empty if you do the right things.
Couple of pointers..
*make a landing pad of loo paper in the pan - helps to keep it cleaner and prevent skid marks
*use the home-brand nappy soaker powder in the holding tanks rather than the expensive fluids - it works a treat...

I bought a book a couple of years ago called "How to S#it in the Woods" which is actually a pretty serious book which among the instructions on the various methods, goes on to outline the problem of outdoor defecation is having on the wilderness areas of the States (and would apply here as well) They have in most cases had to adopt a carry-out approach at nearly all of the national parks as the popular areas are literally filling up with crap..

The biggest thing was if you do have to go in a hole, mix in a bit of dirt from the surface and stir it in with a stick (to encourage the good bacteria to start breaking it down - there aren't as many good bacteria in the dirt under the surface as on top) and burn the paper after use... oh and as said earlier, balance is paramount!

Cheers
Chookie
'98 300Tdi Disco

When we had the Disco the porta-loo was behind my head, the other of the cargo barrier, never smelt anything or had an oopps And that was on the rough Cape York trip.

We have travelled all over Aus, never had a problem. The loo is now stored in the "boot" of the camper with tarps etc, no problem.

I have recipe for the the stuff you put in the top and botton tank.

Mrs hh