Commode liners for dry camping

[cpaharley2008]

It has to start with someone, good info Ian&Sue. Out of one, many will grow...........

[Donna D.]

I wonder how hospitals, adult care facilities and childcare facilities handle diapers? Then there's home diaper changes for both adults and children. Do those go into the home trash? How about dead animals. Their bowls are full. We've read a number of individuals interested in composting toilets for RVs. How do they handle the waste while on the road? We're kinda picking at someone who just wants a solution for a once-in-a-while issue because usually the flush toilet would be used.

You know what worries me? The amount of plastic the diapers, etc. are going into the landfill.

[75thRanger]

I was going to fix breakfast. Think I'll wait a bit.

[Ian and Sue]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

I wonder how hospitals, adult care facilities and childcare facilities handle diapers? Then there's home diaper changes for both adults and children. Do those go into the home trash? How about dead animals. Their bowls are full. We've read a number of individuals interested in composting toilets for RVs. How do they handle the waste while on the road? We're kinda picking at someone who just wants a solution for a once-in-a-while issue because usually the flush toilet would be used.

You know what worries me? The amount of plastic the diapers, etc. are going into the landfill.

All valid points Donna. Diapers are a big problem too. Most of the time it is the feces that is a real problem from the standpoint of pathogens...urine is relatively sterile. Urine is full of nutrients especially nitrogen and can be a problem is not disposed of properly. It is also being studied for viability as a fertilizer. Feces on the other hand can really be a vector to spread disease as well as the problem of nutrients. We used to use reusable diapers....remember diaper pails and diapers soaking in the toilet? At least it gets properly treated that way....not as convenient though(it seems like a lot of our conveniences are getting us in trouble though!)

I am very skeptical of composting toilets in campers. There is not enough hold time to break things down or destroy the pathogens. You would need to carry it around in a container in the back of your truck for weeks to get proper composting(it is a viable option if done right). Not sure the weight alone would be worth it. All a composting toilet is really capable of in an RV is desiccation or drying out of the contents. This does not destroy pathogens or compost the contents properly. To destroy pathogens you need the compost to maintain a temperature of 170 degrees for I think three days. Hard to do in that little container that you keep adding to every day!

Before the time of proper understanding of germ theory cities were nasty places full of human and animal manure as well as diseases spread from both. My goal here is not to pick on one person but to debunk the idea that disposal of our untreated fecal waste in a dumpster is clean, ethical or even a good idea. I hope I am doing it via education rather than attack as that is my goal.

[Ian and Sue]

Originally Posted by 75thRanger

I was going to fix breakfast. Think I'll wait a bit.

Sorry about that! I had a boss once that said:" Some say it smells like S#$T but it smells like money to me!" Doesn't bother me a bit...and a pretty good living can be made too!

[cpaharley2008]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

You know what worries me? The amount of plastic the diapers, etc. are going into the landfill.

I refuse to purchase water in disposable plastic bottles, whole another issue....

[medora]

Original poster here.

To be clear, I don’t plan or want to make a habit of pooping in a bag. And I am 100% open to what folks have shared here.I mentioned in an earlier post that I consulted folks that are also educated on this stuff — and they came to different conclusions, advising me based on my situation. As another poster kindly pointed out, there are situations where there IS no dump station, toilet, outhouse, etc, and it’s not safe or appropriate to bury waste. This is true at several DNR-approved camping locations in Michigan - there are no facilities whatsoever, but the sites (which are near rivers and lakes) get moderate use — so if everyone was burying waste in these sites it’d be a real issue.

In those situations, I want to be as responsible as possible. I have done my best to do that, and will continue to do my best, with an open mind.

So don’t assume that just because I asked about bags, I am a habitual plastic pooper. I’m a decent person who just wanted to find a bag that fit my loo for those times when there may be no other option. I’ll be more mindful about the bag itself and how I dispose of it.

Thanks and best wishes to all of you.

[padlin]

Where I fish and on long hikes one has a choice to use disposable Wag Bags or to bury, and not very deeply. A for real question is which is preferable?

[medora]

Bob - excellent question - and it'd be great to get some very practical advice on things just like that.

[Ian and Sue]

Originally Posted by padlin

Where I fish and on long hikes one has a choice to use disposable Wag Bags or to bury, and not very deeply. A for real question is which is preferable?

It really depends on where you are...soil types, depth of soil, runoff characteristics, etc. That being said peeing in the bushes where it will not run off into the water is probably ok in the East. For poop if the soil is deep enough and you are in a remote area dig a small hole in an area where there is no run off or standing water and poop in that then cover it with soil. you can bury the TP with it or burn it if there is no fire danger. This is a single use thing and not for areas that get heavy use like campsites. It also is only a solution for temperate forest areas and does NOT work well for dry environments like the desert. I like the idea of the portable toilet someone else mentioned as you can bring that out and dispose of it in the sewer. Shelters on the Appalachian Trail and Long Trail both have experimented successfully with composting solutions as well as other alternatives to the standard privy but they all take some care by both the users and someone to maintain it.

[padlin]

Thanks

[75thRanger]

Originally Posted by Ian and Sue

Sorry about that! I had a boss once that said:" Some say it smells like S#$T but it smells like money to me!" Doesn't bother me a bit...and a pretty good living can be made too!

Used to smell like money to me too. Been over 50 years since we were in the beef business here. My grandfather got out of the business and my father and then myself stayed out of it.

My son runs the place now and mentions the beef lot business now and then but not while I still own the place. Totally nasty operation!

I'm not an animal rights type but keeping the animals in those pens just doesn't suit me.

[75thRanger]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

I refuse to purchase water in disposable plastic bottles, whole another issue....

The WalMart in Kingsville has a container at the entrance for recycling plastic bags and bottles. My guess is very few people actually use it tho.

[Ian and Sue]

Yeah I deal with mostly the human kind of manure. I hear you on the raising animals in pens thing.

[C&G in FL]

Originally Posted by medora

Original poster here.

To be clear, I don’t plan or want to make a habit of pooping in a bag. And I am 100% open to what folks have shared here.I mentioned in an earlier post that I consulted folks that are also educated on this stuff — and they came to different conclusions, advising me based on my situation.

Elizabeth.......not picking or intending to pick on you but educational credentials are often questionable. I mean, I’ve never pooped in a bag but I did stay at a Holiday Inn last night.....

There is a common expression that anyone with a briefcase more than fifty miles from home is an expert.

Having spent my last 22 working years at one of Florida’s Water Management Districts which are a subdivision of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and frequently working with municipal water and wastewater professionals, I can affirm to the accuracy of the information posted by Ian and Sue. And I would strongly question your “experts” who say otherwise. As suggested, it would be safer to meander off into the woods, dig and straddle a hole, then cover it up, a process typically followed by through hikers along trails such as the Appalachian Trail. And if dry camping, if your tank gets full, hook up and drive to a dump station; it is the correct and sanitary way to dispose of fecal waste.

[cedar688]

Originally Posted by Ian and Sue

While landfill disposal of fecal material (animal or human) MAY be legal it is NOT ok or conscientious. A landfill is not designed to treat fecal material for pathogens or the nutrient loading it represents. Let alone the danger to the people who have to handle it along the way. This is an expensive and potentially dangerous and/or polluting way to dispose of your waste. I have 30 years in the Environmental Field, drinking water and wastewater operator licenses and a Masters Degree and would not encourage, condone or cite literature that promoted the disposal of untreated fecal material(treatment being totally elimination of all pathogens at least, which WAG bags do not do) in landfills or dumpsters. Unless you are camping in the dead of winter your tanks should do just fine. If you are worried about water use or freezing, do it in a bucket toilet and dump the contents in a real toilet when you get the chance NOT a dumpster. There are viable options besides standard septic systems or municipal treatment systems BUT they do have minimum standards to eliminate pathogens and just as important eliminate or use up the nutrient loading that human manure represents on our local water bodies.

BTW pet and farm manure is a real problem as well and is often a significant contributor to pollution of our freshwater systems.

I am sorry you only want info on using bags for your waste but this is NOT OK and should NOT be represented as a viable or sound option if your final disposal method is a dumpster or landfill. Honestly it would be better option to go off in the woods and dig a hole and do your daily business there covering up the waste each day of course and dig a new hole somewhere else tomorrow. There are even standards for how to do this properly though.

I so appreciate you speaking out about this very important issue. I plan on getting a composting toilet because I really don’t want to deal with the black tank. But I plan on composting my waste on my property in the appropriate way. I would never want to throw it in a bag and have it end up in the landfill. Keep speaking out because it educates all of us.

[gbaglo]

Originally Posted by cedar688

I plan on getting a composting toilet because I really don’t want to deal with the black tank.

Have to ask. I'm curious. Do you wipe your bum?

[cedar688]

Originally Posted by gbaglo

Have to ask. I'm curious. Do you wipe your bum?

Yikes! That was personal ;-) I know not to put TP into the toilet if that's what you were going to follow up with! I compost my dog poop and can adapt that system with the compost from the toilet. As critical as some folks are, I think in many situations it can work very well.

[gbaglo]

I just don't understand this fear of poop in a black tank and having to use a sani-dump. How is driving a container of poop around and waiting for it to compost better?

[salmo7000]

Originally Posted by cedar688

Yikes! That was personal ;-) I know not to put TP into the toilet if that's what you were going to follow up with! I compost my dog poop and can adapt that system with the compost from the toilet. As critical as some folks are, I think in many situations it can work very well.

I thought that question was a little over the top too. Everyone wipes their bum, unless they have a bidet. So far I'm not seeing that as an option on any RV.

My main issue with composters in RVs is the disposal of untreated, bagged waste into dumpsters. If your plan is to bring it home and put it in a compost bin on your own property, kudos to you! And kudos for composting your dog's waste! That's totally awesome.

I personally wouldn't spend an extra $1,200.00 for this option, but that's my preference. For what's it's worth, the black tank on my 19 has been the ultimate no fuss, no muss system. I've not had odors getting into the trailer, nor have I ever perceived a need to clean it, other than normal dumping. There has never appeared to be any residual material in the tank, based on cursory inspection through the toilet valve. Admittedly, I haven't stuck my head into the thing with a flashlight and looked around either

All I would say at this point, as long as one is planning to put the waste into a composting bin on their own property and not into a dumpster, a composter is a reasonable alternative. The only little bit of advice I'd give is watch the video linked back on page 2 or 3 of this thread first, so you know exactly what is entailed with managing one. Best of luck!