We were pulled up riverside, chairs out, reading after breakfast—the rare no-rush camping morning when you’re out of phone serviceand the only thing you have to do is make it home before tomorrow. I had almost, temporarily, forgotten about the coronavirus. Thenmy boyfriend,T., turned to me. “Did you,” he asked,sheepishly, “happen to bring a blue bag?”
Suddenly, the kind of dried-out eastern-Washington terrain where you don’t want to dig a cathole, located an unknown number of miles from the nearest open publicbathroom,felt like a trap. If I hadn’tfoundan emergency WAG bag stashed in the medical kit, we would have beenin for some type-two fun,if you know what I mean.
Best Portable Toilets: Why YouReally Need One
This has been happening not infrequently. In the first, say, 50 days of theCOVID-19 shutdown, T. and I were good at staying home. We planted a garden in pots, practiced wheelies around the block, anddidn’t stray far. But I’m bad at sitting still. So as close-by public land slowly opened back up and our summer plans crumpled around us, we started trying to figure out how we could safely, socially distantly be outside. With a van to sleep in, and a very high tolerance for meals where the main ingredient is tortilla, I figured we would be fine car camping on open BLM land and avoiding other people andpublic amenities.
That lasted until right after coffee the first morning, when we realized just how much gas-station bathrooms and trailhead pit toilets were part of our dirtbag routine.
We are not alone. As the pandemichas limited other kinds of recreation, . Categorically, none of us are doing a great job about planning for bathroom breaks. Across the country, rangers have had to because of poop. The state of Utah had to build a outlining where and how to relieve yourself, because catholes and human fecesare dotting the landscape. We are literally leavingour shit everywhere.
Like wearing a mask, appropriately dealing with yourwaste is not about your personal experience. It’s about the collective good of the rest of humanityand about not turning our planet into apublic-health crisis.
We need to do better. Portable bathroom options, which range from simple bag setups for fast and light backpacking to fancy full-flush contraptions for long-term campground stays, can help. After two months of backcountry bathroom breaks, here are some of the best portable toilets out there.
Best for Minimalist Camping
Cleanwaste Toilet in a Bag ($31 for 12)
I’m a minimalist, by which I mean I’m lazy and have low standards, so my most used backcountry bathroom is the , formerly known as a WAG bag. This isessentially an extra-strength garbage bag sprinkled with a proprietary mix of kitty litter for humans, which makes your waste solid,less stinky, and OK to deposit in a trash can. Upsides: It’s cheap and fits in a pack, so it’s great as an emergency backup. It also has no parts to clean afterward. Downsides: Using thistakes some quad strength and aim. It also has to go back in your pack after. As with any bag you pack out, you can chuckthe whole thing in the trash when you returnto civilization; that said, because you’rebe dealing withhuman waste, make sure to check local regulations around trashing it.
Best for Camping with Kids
KalencomPotette Plus ($18)
Perhaps you, like me, are at the age where many of your adventure buddies are now parents of small children. Perhaps you have mentioned your camp-bathroom woes in conversation, and perhaps all of your friends, almost without fail, have said, “This might sound weird, but I have definitely usedmy kid’spotty-training toiletin an emergency.” We’re not saying that this is your everyday camp toilet. But we are saying that the , which comes with disposable bag liners,is officially rated to 50 pounds andhas stood up to some parent-sizeemergencies. It’s compact, light, and probably already in the car if you have young kids.
Best for Basic Camping
Reliance Luggable Loo ($25)
Is this essentially a five-gallon bucket with a lid? Yes. Is it really all you need? Alsoyes. The , which comes with optional Double Doodie Bags, wins no points for its cutesy name, but it does have some designdetails that put it ahead of your average Home Depot bucket. We like the snap-on seat andlidand the handle that slides over the top to lock everything in place, tominimizethe potential for spillage and leakage during cleanup and transport.
Best for River Trips (Or Anywhere You Really Don’t Want a Spill)
NRS Eco-Safe Portable Toilet ($240)
Boaters, who have long hauledtheir waste outin spill-proof containers, are way ahead of the pandemic pack-it-out trend. The traditional“river groover” is an ammo can with an airtight top, which cuts ridges in your behind if you sit on it for too long—hence the name. That’s definitely an option, but the , equippedwith a seat and a cleaning hosefor use at the end of your trip,is an upgrade. Some crucial features includeagasket that seals tight when not in useand apressure-relief valve thatallows for venting when the box has been baking in the sun on the back of your boat all day(so you don’t wind up with a waste-bucket explosion). Bothassure nothing is going to spill out, even in Class V whitewater.
Best for Privacy
Cleanwaste Go Anywhere Total System ($303)
You don’t want the whole national forest to be able to see you when you’re at your most human and vulnerable? Weird. Cleanwaste, the makerof our dirtbag-favorite Toilet in a Bag, also sellsa that comes with a seat, tent-style shelter, and backpack to carry the whole operation. If you’re going to be posted up at the same campsite for several days andwant something with walls, it’s a packable, low-frills option that weighs in at 18 pounds. The seat is rated to 500 pounds, so it’s bombproof, too.
Best for Bougie Camping
Dometic 972 Portable Toilet ($235)
Does the idea of flushing your waste make you feel better about taking a dump in public? Great! Mind games are important at this stage in a pandemic. The has two chambers, one that holds eight liters of water to clear the bowl with the touch of a button and one for waste storage (the latterseals tight during transport anddetaches for cleaning). It’s 12 pounds when it’s empty, and takes some forethought to load and set up, so it’s not the most mobile of bathrooms, but it feels the most like an indoor toilet.Andsince it’s one square foot, it’s compact enough to fitin a vehicle pretty easily.