Going camping soon….Don’t forget the toilet
Friday, May 15th, 2009Going camping often leaves you wondering where to use the can at…“should I use a tree, what about a hole in the ground?”, but there is no need to wonder any longer with a project that is not only a great way to reuse items you more than likely already own, it’s also a fantastic idea for composting your own stool.
What you will need:
1. A wooden toilet seat. You can use one that’s already made that is available through hardware stores or your can fashion up your own with scrap wood and a jigsaw.
2. An old water hose container. Similar to the one pictured below.
There is also ones made out of cedar or other wood that would work just as well. Make sure it is a sturdy one though so you don’t break it when you are sitting on it for long periods of time. You can also make your own box out of scrap wood as well.
3. 5-gallon bucket with the lid. You want to make sure that the lid will fit the bucket securely.
4. Sawdust and top soil. The top soil will be under the sawdust. It can be any grade of top soil.
What you will need to do:
First things first, you need to remove all of the insides of the hose box and leave nothing but the handle on the outside, if you choose, you can remove it and cap it off if you like, and the outer walls need to be intact. The handle does work well with holding your recycled toilet paper though, so keep that in mind.
Next, Cut a hole, about the size of a soccer ball in the lid of the top of the hose box. If it is plastic you can use a hand saw, but if it’s wood, remove the lid and cut with a jigsaw. Drill two holes, making sure to line them up with the seat into the lid where you want to mount it and then mount as you normally would to your toilet.
Next, add top soil to the bottom of the bucket and add till it’s about 1/3 full then top off with sawdust. Don’t add the sawdust right to the top; you will need some room to lay down the goods.
Finally, place the bucket inside the hose box and close the lid. When you head out to camping take along your bucket and remove the bucket lid and bombs away. When you are finished cover the goods with the sawdust inside the bucket. Or keep a small container on the side to help cover the problem. When the camping trip is over, dig a hole and dump the bucket into the hole. This is where the top soil comes in handy in helping to cover the hole as well.
*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: When in doubt go recycled paper options. Nothing beats adding back into the recycled paper line and giving back to the company that supports these endeavors.
