Knowing where to pee or poo is a great relief to have if you’re planning to go camping.
Forget thinking that you might need to do it behind the bushes or need to dig the ground as there are 100% nature-friendly composting toilets you can bring on your trip!
But before deciding what composting toilet to bring to your next adventure, you should know first how a composting toilet works and which parts of the waterless eco-toilet are essential to make it work perfectly.
What is a Composting Toilet?
Simply put, a composting toilet is a dry toilet that transforms our human waste into compost material.
If you want to go green, this type of toilet is the best option to go to. You can save a lot of water compared to using traditional toilets and you can use the compost in creating your own sustainable garden in your backyard.
BUT a composting toilet isn’t only suitable for people who want to have an eco-friendly lifestyle. This is also the best choice for those who only want to go camping as this toilet is a portable lightweight which does not need any kind of plumbing.
And as it does not require any water or – God forbid – chemicals, it’s a 100% nature-friendly toilet you can bring anywhere outdoors.
Different Parts of a Composting Toilet
There are different styles of composting toilets you can research online but what are the important parts of a composting toilet that you should look out for and what are they actually for?
So, to make your research a lot easier, we listed it up for you!
Toilet Seat
This is the first part you are going to see when you are about to do your business and of course the one that will touch your bum if you are going for a number two.
Therefore, it should definitely be comfortable to make your business as pleasant as possible.
But even more importantly, this part of the toilet should be easy to clean so that you are sure it will not inhibit any bacteria.
Ensuring this, seats that are fixed with magnets to the toilet offer less ground for bacteria than seats with hinges.
Urine Separator
Basically, this is the heart of the composting toilet as this will separate your urine from your solid waste.
It is important in a composting toilet since you have to make sure your urine and solid waste are separated to make sure that your composting toilet is odor-free and easy to maintain.
Your urine will be collected at the front hole of the urine separator and will lead to the urine canister while the back hole will lead to the solid tanks.
Urine Canister and Solid Tanks
The urine canister and solid tanks are the two canisters that collect your waste. Both of them are located directly under the corresponding hole of the urine separator.
Make sure that the composting toilet you buy has a reliable urine canister and solid tanks.
Urine canisters and solid tanks should be durable, leak-proof, and have the right capacity as not to disappoint you during your camping trip. It is also advisable that it has a handle so you can easily lift it and can easily dispose of its content.
Litter
This item is more of an add-on for your solid tank than a component of your toilet.
Because even though composting toilets emit very little odor, we recommend using the litter in order to absorb the moisture out of your solid waste, hence ensuring no odor comes out of it. Litter can be wood shavings/sawdust, chopped straw, wood chips, peat moss, coco coir.
You can also choose a Miscanthus Eco Litter if you are looking for eco-friendly litter for your composting toilet as it is made from elephant grass or giant miscanthus.
When deciding what is the best cover material for your composting toilet, you should be looking if it is highly absorbent to help control moisture levels of your waste, porous enough to allow oxygen into the mixture, and good at controlling odors.
Types of DIY Toilets for Your Camping Adventure
Before buying a composting toilet, you should first identify what type of composting toilet is fit for your hobbies.
Kildwick Composting Toilets, a company located in Germany, is dedicated to creating products that make a positive impact on the environment while enjoying comfort in your adventures, offers a diverse line of eco-friendly toilets.
Here are three options from their product line that you can choose from for your camping adventure:
HappyLoo
HappyLoo, a foldable and portable camping toilet is made from sustainable cardboard that makes it lightweight. The difference of this product is that, unlike other composting toilets, it does not have a urine separator.
In order to avoid unwanted odors, this kit comes with a super absorbent straw pellet for urine and Miscanthus bedding for solid waste.
This is the best option to use if you are planning to commute in order to go camping or if you are planning on a hike while on your camping trip as it is easy to carry.
PiccoLoo
PiccoLoo is the perfect DIY dry toilet for campers with VW T5/T6 California and Micro-Camper like VW Caddy, Citroen Berlingo, Opel Combo, Ford Transit Courier, and other Models as it fits into the toilet compartment.
It is also suitable for families on the road with kids, households with limited space and only one bathroom, and truckers who want to integrate more comfort into their daily working life.
This particular toilet was made to be a biological alternative for portable chemical toilets like the Porta Potti and was specially made for the toilet compartment of Micro-campers.
MiniLoo
The MiniLoo DIY dry toilet kit takes just a small amount of space and is made of sturdy, high-quality, robust, and easy-to-clean materials made of recyclable plastics.
It is tiny, light, and an eye-catcher thanks to its unique design. It supports campers’ independence due to its emptying flexibility.
It is made out of laser-cut birch plywood, guaranteeing a perfect fit for your vans. It has an interlocking kit system that can support the heaviest user despite being small and compact. It can also become an additional seat with its soft cushion on the top.
This is suitable for owners of vans, boats, tiny houses, and of course mini campers! It can also be used by people who love multifunctional furniture and want a toilet to be part of the interior.
Final Thoughts
That’s it! There are a lot of things to cover about composting toilets but we hope we gave you enough background on how composting toilets work and were able to give you an insight as campers on what is the perfect toilet to fit your needs.
Have that worry-free feeling while enjoying your time with nature! Just make sure to have a composting toilet on your trip so you can relieve yourself wherever you are and dispose of your waste later.
Just find the nearest public toilet or any composting pit near the area you are currently in and empty your urine and solid container there.
And the best part? It occupies little space and less weight! Just make sure to find a composting toilet that meets your individual needs or to make it simple just check out the options we gave as it is guaranteed to work perfectly for you!
We hope with this information, you can pick the toilet that fits your need for your camping trip and have that comfort for your adventures.