The dirty business: Best portable toilets for camping
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Like it or not, taking a dump???? will be an important part of your day when camping… You don’t have to plan it at home – you just go. But going to the toilet outside is a different thing for many reasons. This post will outline them and will give you good portable toilets for camping to choose from. Your dirty business will not be such a big deal after all!
In this article:
Top Camping portable toilet solutions
Here are the top picks (I’ve verified these by running a poll in the Small Vehicle Campers Facebook group (32,000 members).
If you’d like to read more about each one of them, you’ll find more info further down this post.
In a rush? Here are the best options
You can read more about each one of them further down the post.
FOLDING CAMPING SHOVEL/PICK
Camping toilet bucket – DIY
£20+
- Does the job and very cheap
- Possible to use multiple times before emptying
- Can use inside the car too – but some smell might escape…
- Great for emergencies, even inside a city (curtains recommended though…)
- Read below on how to make your own, or:
Portable Camping Toilet: OUTWELL 20L PORTABLE
£103.99
Outwells 20 liter portable toilet with flushing pump and buildt-in carry handle is designed to be both practical and easy to use. The large waste outlet and detachable holding tank makes the portable toilet easy to empty Featuresand Specifications: Built-in carry handle Detachable holding tank Compact design Left and right rim water flow on flush Material: Plastic Size: 35.5 x 41 x 39 cm (WxDxH) Volume: 20 L Colour: Grey Weight: 5 kg
Why is going to the toilet such an issue when camping?
When I say camping, I mean mostly wild camping – spots where there are no public toilets of course. Without a real toilet to use, you have to either go in the wild or do it in a way so that you can dispose of the “result” easily later (meaning you carry it in the car and dump it later in the garbage) and avoid the smell.
How do you dispose of the stuff properly? Here are your best camping toilet options – pick one that fits your car size and type of travel the most (I’ve indicated that in each Pros and Cons section).
1. You might not need a portable toilet – use a good travel / camping shovel instead:
If you’re out in the wild, your best option is to dig a hole and leave it???? there. Use biodegradable and non-scented or coloured paper. A camping shovel makes it easy to dig a hole, do your business and cover it up properly – so no other unlucky camper steps into it. Don’t do this in a busier camping area where there’s a good chance someone will walk across that spot and put their foot in it. Better suited for wild camping in remote areas (and the deer won’t mind).
It also helps to know the local regulations and rules. Don’t get caught or fined with your pants down.
FOLDING CAMPING SHOVEL/PICK
£12.99
- Best if you camp in forests and green areas
- I’d recommend a foldable camping shovel – takes up much less space
- Will come in handy for other purposes too (level the ground for your camping table, tent, car etc).
Pros
- Cheap
- Easy to carry
- Clean – as in you don’t have to deal with it later
- Useful not only for the potty – use it to prepare/level the camping ground, secure the tent etc.
Cons
- Not usable if there are other campers around
- You have to go outside – not usable in any populated area
- Not usable on solid ground (frozen, concrete etc).
2. Toilet bags (toilet in a bag)
Just like you would for your dog in a city, you can do for yourself (or your ????) – with the only difference that you do the business directly into the bag. Not a bad quick option that also leaves no trace.
Toilet in a bag – Go Anywhere toilet kit (or use recyclable bin bags)
Pros
- Easy to carry
- Clean enough – pack it up, throw it away
- Doesn’t leave anything behind
- Can be used anywhere – frozen ground, concrete (unlike a shovel)
Cons
- Not usable if there’s other campers around
- You have to go outside – not usable in any populated area
- You have to deal with the result somehow later – take it to a bin, maybe keep it in the car for a bit, might require a bucket just for that anyway
3. Portable camping toilets
There are various types of portable toilets:
- chemical (cassette) camping toilets equipped with a container section at the bottom filled with a chemical solution that helps sanitize waste
- compostable (dry) camping toilets – usually bucket-like that is filled with sawdust or other similar material that is easy to compost and also helps sanitize and deodorize the waste
- bucket camping toilets – a bucket with (or without) a toilet seat, usually lined with a toilet bag or standard bin liner. You have to dispose of the bag each time to get rid of the smell
- folding camping toilet – a helper if you don’t want to (or can’t) squat. A toilet seat with legs most of the time, can be used with a toilet bag or just over a hole that you will cover up responsibly when done
Portable Camping Toilet: OUTWELL 20L PORTABLE
£103.99
Outwells 20 liter portable toilet with flushing pump and buildt-in carry handle is designed to be both practical and easy to use. The large waste outlet and detachable holding tank makes the portable toilet easy to empty Featuresand Specifications: Built-in carry handle Detachable holding tank Compact design Left and right rim water flow on flush Material: Plastic Size: 35.5 x 41 x 39 cm (WxDxH) Volume: 20 L Colour: Grey Weight: 5 kg
Pros
- Private – usable if there’s other campers around – inside your car
- More convenient – no need to go out into the cold or search a good spot for a long time (especially useful in urgent cases!)
Cons
- Expensive
- Takes up much more space
- Requires maintenance (chemicals, emptying) and cleaning
- Has to be emptied in a designated chemical toilet empty point (not standard septic tanks as the chemicals would kill the bacteria that make a septic tank work)
DIY Bucket camping toilet
- get a big & tall paint bucket with sealed lid (one that clips on tight)
- line it with a bin liner (biodegradable is always best, but make sure it’s sturdy enough – we don’t want any acciddents!)
- do your business, then cover it with prepared sawdust or cat litter or any other (again, best biodegradable) smell preventing magic dust. The bigger the bucket and the better the sawdust (or other material), the more times you can use a single bin bag – i.e. don’t have to empty it after single use.
- dispose of the whole bag later in a bin, just like you would with a dog poo bag for example.
Can’t be bothered to DIY? Get a ready-made one with a toilet seat:
Pros
- Private – usable if there’s other campers around – inside your car
- More convenient – no need to go out into the cold or search a good spot for a long time (especially useful in urgent cases!) But you have to either use a composting toilet system (f.e. sawdust), or have a very tight lid that doesn’t let the smell out
- Cheap
- Ecological (if you use sawdust or other compostable material)
- Can be emptied in more places (even responsibly in nature if you dig a big enough hole for the stuff and you’re using ecological materials)
- Dry – no spillage risk
Cons
- Takes up much more space
- Requires maintenance (emptying, sawdust replacement or bin bags) and cleaning
- Has to be emptied in a designated chemical toilet empty point (not standard septic tanks as the chemicals would kill the bacteria that make a septic tank work)
- A composting version does require quite a bit of work – see this video (not a bucket toilet, but the amount of prep work + maintenance is about the same)
Foldable camping toilets
These provide support when squatting, well, you can sit and don’t have to squat with them. They are not a toilet solution, but a helper – they need additional toilet bags (see Toilet Bags above). There are more expensive options like Cleanwaste D119PET Go Anywhere Portable Toilet – £154, but you can also find much cheaper ones that do the job just as well in my opinion:
Shrinkable urinal, Shewee / Gogirl for Women
Sometimes you don’t want to put your pants down – early in the morning, during rain or in cold weather. Men have it easier in this case, but there are some gadgets that enable the ladies to pee standing up with their pants on too. Good solutions for the quick wee during the night or also during a hike when you have to be quick.
You can either use a portable urinal (I’d recommend a unisex one), which can even be used inside the car if you have enough room or a Shewee that needs to be used outside. Another category is shrinkable urinals.
Need privacy? Camping toilet tent might help
If you have nowhere to hide and there are no public toilets, these pop-up camping toilet tents are a lifesaver. They don’t take up too much space and provide complete (visual) privacy. Can also be used for washing yourself or changing clothes.
Camping toilet / shower tent
£49.99
2Seconds shower cubicle to shelter you from indiscreet looks and the wind, so you can have a shower or change while camping.
A great product in which you can shower or change comfortably wherever you want. It is extremely compact when packed away. It also mounts instantly, thanks to 2Seconds technology.
Lukas
Founder of NimbleCamper.com, avid traveler and outdoor enthusiast. Car camping and microcamping allows me to keep traveling and exploring with a much greater level of freedom & privacy – to go anywhere and sleep anywhere. I didn’t have 30K to buy a VW Multivan, so found my way to the world of everyday car camping conversions. Here I share my experiences and what I learn.
Check out my thoughts on a balanced life: sensimism.com
Thanks for the tip about how I should also be mindful of the chemical composition when it comes to getting a portable toilet. I’d like to rent one soon because I plan to hold a camping tutorial for me nieces and nephews soon. Having a portable toilet for that event might be a good idea since the site would be quite far from any sort of facility that has a restroom.