Find The Right Portable Camping Toilet For Your Next Trip
No matter where you are or what you’re doing, you will eventually need to use the bathroom.
It’s a simple fact of nature: people poop.
In our day-to-day life, that fact doesn’t tend to cause many problems (although they aren’t unheard of).
But in survival, traveling or camping can present a unique challenge.
Most often, people dig a hole in the ground, do their business, and call it a day.
But that doesn’t have to be your only option.
Maybe you’re not so fond of squatting in the woods over a hand-dug-turd-grave. Trying to quickly take care of business before some random hiker spots you.
You don’t have to forsake the comfort of a toilet seat when there’s no access to a bathroom, porter john, or outhouse. You can bring that comfort with you.
Emergencies happen, right?
Poop Emergency!!!!!
So instead, why not take some peace of mind by investing in a portable camping toilet?
Today we’re going to cover all aspects of camping toilets, the good, the bad, and yes, the ugly:
This is one of the most straightforward, versatile options out there.
This simple snap-on toilet seat can be attached to almost any regular 5-gallon bucket or pail.
It transforms any receptacle into a toilet!
And it’s about as minimalistic as these things get. Just snap your Emergency Brand toilet seat onto a bucket, do your thing, and tuck it back into storage.
The TRIPTIPS Retractable Portable Toilet is a camping toilet designed to provide a convenient and comfortable solution for outdoor activities.
It has a retractable design that makes it easy to store and transport, and it features a large seat and a sturdy base for added stability.
It can support up to 440 pounds of weight, making it suitable for people of all sizes.
The toilet also has a removable waste tank that can hold up to 5.3 gallons of waste, which can be easily emptied and cleaned.
One of the key features is its retractable design. When not in use, the toilet can be collapsed and stored in a compact and easy-to-carry size, making it perfect for camping, hiking, and other outdoor activities.
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Alpcour Portable Toilet for Camping, RV, Truck, Boat, Etc.
Camping Toilet Accessories: Tents, Bags, And T.P.
Portable Camping Toilet Tents
Camping toilets allow you to sit while doing your duty, but they’re not private.
You’ll still need to carry it outside your campground or use it inside your RV or tent for privacy. But none of those options are very appealing to me.
It’s a lightweight, portable tent designed specifically for portable toilets.
Plus, you can use this privacy tent to change clothes standing up or even take a private camping shower (remove the toilet first, ok!)
Camping Toilet Bags
Now, as far as camping toilet bags go, any plastic bag will get the job done. But if you want to buy some camping toilet-specific waste bags, there are some decent options.
Cleanwaste also makes some good options. Be sure to look at your camping toilet’s specs before you buy waste bags all willie-nillie.
Not all bags will fit all toilets. Some camping toilets need specially shaped and designed bags to hold the waste.
Otherwise, you could be looking at a leaky situation, and that’s a nightmare when poop is involved.
Camping Toilet T.P.
No, there’s nothing wrong with bringing a roll of your favorite “at home” toilet paper.
But a pack of Coleman Camper’s Toilet Paper might interest you if you’re trying to be a minimalist camper and keep weight down.
They’re a compact roll that helps to minimize pack bulk and the packaging doubles as an easy-to-use dispenser.
Each case contains at least 65 squares of soft, premium biodegradable tissue2-ply tissue.
Or you can use one of these camping hacks to build your own coffee can toilet paper storage kit.
But whatever you do decide, don’t forget to pack it. No one wants to revert to using leaves and corn cobs!
Why You Should Get A Portable Camping Toilet
Camping toilets are quickly becoming camping essential among campers, RV-ers, and survivalists. They make pooping in the wild an easy, mess-free, carefree, worry-free experience.
Camping toilets have been around for a long time. But only in recent years have they come into their own as useful survival sanitation and outdoor utility item.
Our advancing technology has made it possible to craft portable camping toilets. Nowadays, they are light, compact, and extremely useful in the bush.
So no matter what neck of the woods you’re in, you can do it from the comfort of your own throne.
There’s one thing you need to keep in mind. We’re talking about camping gear you’ll become intimately familiar with.
So don’t throw your money at the first camping toilet you find. NOT ALL TOILETS ARE CREATED EQUAL. And with so many options, it can be a tough choice to make.
Especially if you’re buying one online and don’t get a chance to try out your camping toilet in person.
You can’t “try” a camping toilet until after you buy it.
Still, research and find one that meets all your needs. This guide has everything you need to enter the world of portable camping toilets.
How Portable Camping Toilets Work
The idea of a portable, lightweight, compact camping toilet is groundbreaking to some. And, perhaps, even life-changing for others.
But the tech behind these camping toilets is not earth-shattering – they’re insanely simple.
Most camping toilets consist of just:
a seat
something which props the seat up above the ground
a catching system
and…that’s about it!
How do portable camping toilets work?
Almost every portable camping toilet on the market requires that you use waste bags.
That way, you can easily remove the deposits. Otherwise, you’d have to clean the inside of the toilet, which can be a nasty task.
Set the toilet up, sit yourself down, do what you gotta do, then remove the waste bag afterward. That is it.
Easy, efficient, and comfortable all at once.
Best Camping Toilet Features To Look For
As with any tool, there are some key characteristics every good survival toilet will have.
Portability
The portability of a camping toilet is one of its most essential features.
If it were easy to bring your own toilet straight from home, you would, right? But the fact is, traditional toilets are not portable.
And even among those claiming to be “portable,” they’re still cumbersome.
That’s why finding a compact and portable camping toilet is so important. Because f it’s too heavy, you won’t take it with you.
For example –
Can you fold it down?
Is it small enough to pack away into a cabinet or closet?
How much space will it take up inside your vehicle?
You should ask these questions while shopping for the right camping toilet.
Lightweight
This goes along with portability (it’s basically the same thing), but a heavy camping toilet is no good.
Even at a modern campsite, and more so in the backcountry or a survival situation – the lighter, the better!
Minimalistic Design
The more bells and whistles your camping toilet has, the higher the odds of malfunctioning. Also, the fancier the toilet is, the more cumbersome and less packable it will be.
No wobbly thrones allowed. The last place you want to worry about balance and support is on the toilet.
A camping toilet needs to be robust and handle your weight without question.
Low Maintenance
This is one camping tool that NEEDS to be easy to clean. If it has nooks and crannies or requires washing instructions, it will not be an enjoyable toilet to own.
The easier it is to clean and keep clean, the happier and healthier you’ll be.
Benefits Of Using A Camping Toilet
There are too many situations when a portable camping toilet is useful.
There are millions of circumstances when these little porter-pots can save your butt. But here are just a few of the best reasons why using a camping toilet is so beneficial.
No More Digging Cat Holes
If you’ve been camping and woke at night with a bowel emergency, you know what a desperate situation that is. Time is of the essence!
Good luck finding a shovel, hiking to the bush, locating a spot, digging a hole, squatting, and relieving yourself. With a portable camping toilet, all those difficulties are avoided.
No holes, shovels, or running off into the woods to find a spot. Just grab the toilet take a seat, and take care of business.
Avoid Nasty Public Outhouses
Porta-Johns and outhouses can be disgusting places.
Occasionally you’ll find a decent one – but everyone’s been in one of those foul and repulsive ones.
The ones that wreak of human waste and are teaming with flies and spiders. Perhaps it was so disgusting you couldn’t do it and held it until you got home.
With a camping toilet, you no longer have to rely on those places because you’ve got your own private toilet.
Familiar and Comfortable
Everyone likes to be comfortable when they’re pooping. And toilet seats make a big difference in this department.
Especially when you have a toilet seat you have known and used for a long time. You’ll build a unique relationship with your camping toilet.
It’s like traveling with an old friend who knows exactly how to put you at ease.
The DIY Camping Toilet
For those of you out there who want to make your own dookie bucket – here ya go:
How To Make The Business Bucket
Pooping In A Pinch: Creative Camping Toilets
Okay, it’s time to address the elephant in the room: you can poop in just about anything if you are desperate enough.
And, if you are outside, you don’t need anything except maybe a bit of privacy.
But you DO NOT NEED a toilet seat with a waste management bag. It’s nice, it’s comfortable, and it’s convenient, but it is not necessary.
However, if you are ever desperate, with no time to get anywhere else, here’s a short list of last-resort toilet options:
Trash Can
You probably won’t want to reuse one after you use it as a toilet. But in an emergency with no toilet or time, grab that sucker and do your worst.
Helmet
In the trenches of WWI, soldiers had few options and nowhere great to do their business. So, they took to crapping in the helmets of dead German soldiers.
They would squat, crap, and chuck the helmet over the banks of the trenches. They became makeshift poop grenades lobbed into no-mans-land.
Problem solved.
PVC Poop Tubes
PVC “poop tubes” are a popular option for climbers and hikers.
They are lightweight and easily fit in a backpack or climbing bag while you continue to ascend. Open the tube up, position it carefully, and do your business.
When finished, seal the tube back up and pack it out of the wilderness with you. No mess, no pollution, and no bags necessary.
Poop Tube 101
Final Thoughts
Few things will change your remote camping experience more than a portable toilet.
It brings the comfort of a toilet into the wilderness. It eliminates the need to crap in the woods like a barbarian.
Stay civilized, regular, and classy – buy yourself a camping toilet. Trust me; this is one piece of camping gear you won’t regret buying.
Will Brendza
P.s. Do you know where the closest nuclear bunker is from your home?