I know this is off-topic. Also a very unpleasant topic to think about.
But I’d like a small (for my car) light camping toilet that can be safely and responsibly emptied in a public rest room, such as at a gas station - ideally carried in a non-descript backpack.
I realize that large toilets must be emptied in public dump sites.
But I’m looking for something to hold one - three days personal waste, or just for emergencies on the road.
I saw something online that said toilets connected to sewage systems can work, if one selects the chemicals you use to reduce smells carefully - because some chemicals shouldn’t go to sewage systems. I suppose some public rest rooms at gas stations might use septic tanks, and maybe there are chemicaL issues there, to avoid messing up the septic system.
I don’t want the toilet to leak or smell up my car.
The obvious choice would be a large glass bottle, like a 5 pound pickle bottle, since they seal (I guess - do they reseal well?) - but I’d like something with a wider opening for safety. If it seals well enough maybe I don’t need chemicals. Would a sealed glass bottle lid absorb sewage, so be a bad idea?
I’m aware that there are pee bottles and male or female urinals for medical use, but I’d like to cover #2 type waste too.
I installed a portable camping toilet in my van as a part of the build, but to this day I have never used the storage tank under it…instead, I use a biodegradable bag and dispose of it in the trash.
As opposed to mainland Europe, here in the UK it is difficult to empty chemical toilets outside of the summer season…and even in summer it’ll still cost the price of a camp site overnight stay.
Since it is for my car (Venza station wagon - legally a truck, but really a car with AWD and somewhat high road clearance, but ridiculously little internal space due to the low highly curved roof, plus I had to go to extremes to add a roof rack and tie downs; at least the poor window visibility might make emergency toilet use less embarrassing, though maybe I could set up a screen), and space and weight are very limited, I’d rather something light & compact.
In terms of bagged toilets, I have considered Robot or human? - except I was worried about the bag disposal thing, plus the store where I looked at it didn’t have the bags on hand to sell. I also don’t know whether it would leak on the road between uses.
There don’t seem to be any online discussions or reviews of this product. I guess it just isn’t the type of thing people like to talk about.
I might also consider the lighter and more compact Tex Sport toilet Robot or human?. Again I’m also not sure how to keep the bag closed in a moving car between uses. Some of the online reviews say it collapses underneath you - but maybe those users are heavy?
I’d still like to entertain the idea of something I can put in a small backpack and discretely empty into gas station toilet - like the big pickle bottle - if possible.
I guess it does make sense to carry a urinal bootle too like those at Robot or human?, because that is what I mostly need.
With a bucket toilet, I add my trash on top before tying it off, then carry it in the bucket to the trash, and dump the bag out of the bucket. This ensures the integrity of the bag, since the bucket is supporting the weight on it’s way, not the bag. Never had a bag break yet, and if one does, the bucket will keep everything contained within.
When not in use, the bucket has a air tight, smell proof lid.
Cheers!
"Count your blesssings, for they are many." ~ Unknown
I see my city has rules about disposing of human and animal waste in the trash, so the issue has come up before.
I guess the standard trash containers the city supplies, with swing-top lids, don’t technically qualify - though “everyone” does it for food scraps. But they are right, a racoon or black bear might open the swing-top lids.
I hadn’t thought about diapers, child or adult. This isn’t a problem unique to the camping, RV and vanlife communities. Maybe it’s part of why trash workers wear gloves.
And I guess any wide mouth jar would do as well as a plastic urinal - and a glass one might clean more easily.
I also don’t know whether it would leak on the road between uses.