Best Camp Toilets and 5 Tips On Best Practices: It Stinks but We Have to Cover It
Updated: Aug 28
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📌 TL;DR // Quick Summary Camp Toilets Save Trips:
Bringing a private, clean commode makes outdoor adventures comfortable—and helps convince hesitant partners to hit the trail.Pack It Out, Don't Bury It: High-traffic and delicate environments cannot handle buried waste; packing it out is essential best practice.Simple Waste Management: Dry chemical coagulants and lined bags neutralize odors and allow for safe, legal disposal in regular trash cans.Right Rig for the Group: Compact setups like the Cleanwaste GO-Anywhere are ideal for couples, while larger tank systems like EcoSafe suit bigger groups.
What You Will Learn In This Post
Heading out into the backcountry doesn't mean you have to subject yourself—or your campmates—to smelly pit toilets, sketchy outhouses, or awkward squats behind a bush. Having a reliable, private camp toilet setup transforms a rugged overland journey into a comfortable retreat, keeping the peace with loved ones who appreciate the comforts of home while keeping our public lands clean.
In this guide, you’ll discover:
The Top Commode Picks: Why the Cleanwaste GO-Anywhere Toilet System reigns as our go-to setup, plus how simple DIY options (like the trusty 5-gallon bucket) hold up.
5 Critical Best Practices: The environmental truths about packing waste out, managing proper disposal legality, and choosing between dry powder gel systems versus RV dump station setups.
Sizing for Your Crew: How to properly match your toilet capacity to your group size—from solo rigs and couples to larger overland crews using heavy-duty tank systems.
Whether you are looking to upgrade your off-grid camp comfort, navigate Leave No Trace ethics responsibly, or simply avoid a midnight trek across a dark campground, this post will give you the practical knowledge and gear recommendations needed to handle camp sanitation like a pro.
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Trip hack: Keep sensitive souls happy by dodging stinky toilets! Say goodbye to pit stops that smell like a science experiment gone wrong!
Avoiding stinky pit toilets, outhouses, porta potties and campground bathrooms. Taking your own toilet along is easy and transporting the waste is sanitary and simple. Here are some toilets and techniques.
Having The Best Camp Toilets and Practices Can Make Staying Outdoors Bearable
My wife loves the outdoors and driving off-road. She also loves the camp food I cook on our Overlanding trips. Even so, she wouldn't go camping if I didn't have a clean, safe, private camp toilet she could use. In my job at a large outdoor store this subject often comes up. Folks want to camp but often have difficulty convincing a significant other to go with them and leave the comforts of home behind. Taking one of the best camp toilets along and knowing how to use it can be a game changer.
The Cleanwaste GO-Anywhere Toilet is Our Go-To Commode
A steady and sturdy base and easy disposal. Here is how it works:
Set up the toilet (A privacy shelter is included in the kit)
Line the toilet with the special plastic bag.
Do your business.
Add the dry chemical coagulant.
Wrap up the bag and toss in a garbage can. (It is perfectly legal method of disposal)
We tested several "thrones" and the Cleanwaste is the winner. It sets up quick, packs well, transports easily and the residual is easy to dispose of.
A Toilet Kit Not Just A Toilet
The Cleanwaste system iincludes the toilet, a very high quality shelter that is easy to set up, a backpack to store it in and transport it and a supply of the dry chemical that coagulates and contains the stink. If you just want the toilet it can be purchased separately.
5 Tips On Best Practices and Best Camp Toilets
Tip #1 - Shovel Is Emergency Toilet System Only Not a Best Camp Toilet And Burying Poop Is Not Best Practices!
Pack it out. Best camp toilet and best practices is taking waste out. Don't make burying your waste a go-to method of disposal. Imagine how many folks have camped at the exact spot. If everyone of them dug a hole that area would soon be inundated with human waste. Desert areas with little rain are particularly vulnerable because of the dry climate. Areas with rain are subject to runoff and contamination of waterways. Burying waste is not close to best practices.
Tip #2 - 5 Gallon Bucket Might Be Your Best Camp Toilet
A best camp toilet system need not be complicated or expensive. Bucket, trash bags and kitty litter in my van was a good emergency system. A good portable camp toilet is compact. Chemicals are available for treating waste. Best practices is to use dry powders that congeal and deodorize. These types can be disposed of like regular garbage. Liquid chemical toilets require a RV dump station of similar method of disposal.
Tip #3 - I Found a Bag Of Poop Behind A Rock At The Most Beautiful Campsite I Ever Stayed At. Ground Is Not Best Camp Toilet.
Have some respect for those who come after you. We recently camped at the most beautiful spot in the famous Alabama Hills, National Scenic Area in California. While hiking around I had the misfortune of finding a bag of poop someone decided to leave near the camp. They may not have been knowledgable of best practices. That being said, they had the means to get to that spot and camp, then they had the ability to bring a best camp toilet. Just no excuse for it. We left the camp cleaner than we found it.
Tip #4 - Number Of People In Your Group Is Biggest Factor In Deciding Which Is Best Camp Toilet For Your Group
2 people camping for a few days. The best simple system like the Cleanwaste Portable Toilet is fine. Using plastic bags and powdered coagulant is all you need. A large family of group might find the Ecosafe Tank system the best camp toilet. Ecosafe uses a tank and special seat that fits on top. Ammo can is for secondary containment. Disposal in RV dump is best practices. Remember the dry powder and bags can go in standard trash. Systems like RV type toilets or the Ecosafe tank require chemicals and a RV dump station.
Tip #5 - Avoid Long Walks To Campground Toilets By Taking Along One Of The Best Camp Toilets
At campgrounds the toilet facility can be a long walk from your campsite. Having your own camp toilet can add best level of convenience. When provided facilities are well maintained it is still a good idea not to have to walk to far. Not having to walk away from camp is also safer. Less potential for encountering dangerous animals. Especially the 2 legged kind.
Conclusion: Why I Won't Camp Without My Personal Throne
So, let’s talk about camp toilets. Yes, you heard me right—those glorious little portable potties that make camping feel a bit less like a survival show and more like a vacation. I’ve tried a few that I consider the crème de la crème, and let me tell you, I wouldn’t dream of heading out into the great outdoors without my trusty toilet in tow. Not just for the sake of my lovely wife (who appreciates indoor plumbing more than she lets on), but for my own sanity, too!
Seriously, folks, packing a camp toilet is like bringing your own slice of luxury into the wild. It's a total game-changer! No more awkward squats behind a tree or dodging those pesky poison ivy plants. Plus, it’s just plain good sense. Think of it as a common-sense upgrade to our camping gear. It’s good for you, and it’s like giving Mother Nature a high-five for best practices. So, let’s keep it clean and green, shall we?
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