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TomChum
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# Posted: 16 Mar 2012 09:33pm - Edited by: TomChum
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When we were kids, we had plumbing, but if the yard was closer than the bathroom, we peed in the yard. My parents never asked about the grass but all us kids knew why it was so green just off the porch. Of course all the neighbor boys did as we did (at our house) too. There were no girls around.
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Lots of cabins have no plumbing. And even if they do, there is something 'right' about watering the plants. Especially when it's dry, in the summertime I kinda feel like playing God to a thirsty plant, and typically bless the plants that bloom wildflowers in view of the the cabin.
Guys: (other than Martian) Do you just go outside your cabin and pee anywhere and anytime?
Gals: (Other than TB) Do you walk to the outhouse every time you need to go?
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The only time I go in the outhouse is if there are guests milling around, and the type from whom I need to hide my activity. And only if the trees nearby are not big enough to hide behind.
My 'girls' walk away from the cabin into a small stand of trees, about 50 feet away, which is closer than the outhouse. But when it's snowy this can be a hassle, so I got them a bedpan to use near the porch. Then I empty it in the woods in the morning.
I just got it a few weeks ago. With only a couple nights' experience, they are still in the grumbling stage. However, I know they prefer it over walking out in the woods at night. Maybe there is a better shape or size but assessing it is not something I'm gonna get out my tapemeasure for.....
Would be better to hear from some 'girls'. If they are willing to share techniques. My girls are not afraid to pee in the woods, for that I'm lucky.
NOTE: The "bedpan" is the white thing at the left. The coffeepot, ladle and jar are for the kitchen.
Here's a bedpan that I purchased recently.
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trollbridge
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# Posted: 16 Mar 2012 10:29pm - Edited by: trollbridge
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Ok TomChum....I know you don't want to hear from me but wouldn't ya know you're going to anyways. LOL!
There is a product called a " go girl" and it is basically a little rubbery contraption that allows girls to stand up and pee while outside! Kinda clever but not the most convenient cause then you have to clean it.
Of course there is always the "squat" which doesn't always work very well if the ground is sloping at all towards your feet or the ground is frozen or you have such an incredibly full bladder (cause you put off going in hopes you could just make it till morning) that it won't sink into the ground fast enough,
and the "sit and lean against a tree" but it is very cold in the winter leaning against a frozen tree trunk.
I maintain that the "Luggable Loo" is the easiest and most convenient girls best friend...and if you can find a place inside the cabin to keep it warm your girls will love daddy forever!!!!! 
As far as guys...don't care during the warm weather months but when there is snow on the ground if the same spot could be used it would be great. That way we don't have to look at a million different "yellow" spots scattered around wrecking all that pristine white snow!!!!!  
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toyota_mdt_tech
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# Posted: 16 Mar 2012 11:32pm
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I do the same as the original poster. Go right outside anywhere unless ladies or company is present, then the outhouse.
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groingo
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# Posted: 16 Mar 2012 11:43pm - Edited by: groingo
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As far as drinking water, I boil and store it in a couple of five gallon coolers and then fill a smaller 3 gallon container just above the removeable sink (which is actually an old roaster pan).
Sink water is rated good, bad and really bad, each type dictates where and how far to throw.
The toilet is a common Coleman Porta Potty type and is emptied once weekly into a composting bin 100 feet away from the cabin while whizzing is done at least 100 feet from the cabin and doubles as a territory marker (depending on what you et)!
Human wash water (sponge bath water) is minimal...typically a wet rag and towel.
Clothing wash is done in a five gallon bucket that leaks and a modified toilet plunger (that doesn't squirt UP into your face when pushed down), the leaking part is intentional to assure clean water is cycled through the wash and rinses (gotta keep refilling)...this can be stream water or rain water.
Nice, simple and effective.
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rayyy
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# Posted: 17 Mar 2012 07:46am
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I use one of those fancy hi-tech ecofriendly engineered externaly elevated excrament encapsolating evacuation elimination gagets otherwise known as a plastic bucket.
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spicyacres
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# Posted: 17 Mar 2012 08:35am
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Haven't "gone" yet, at the land at least  , but this is our plan: We're hauling in an old travel trailer, it has a 3pc bathroom. Until I get my well dug and figure out how to manage the filling/emptying of the storage tanks, we'll use a small bucket stuck into the toilet. It'll be lined with a compostable trash bag. After each time we'll scoop in some peat moss or sawdust for odor control. When it's full, we'll take the bucket out to a compost bin, tie up the bag and dump it in. Rinse and repeat. That's the theory anyhow.
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trollbridge
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# Posted: 17 Mar 2012 10:00am - Edited by: trollbridge
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I forgot about our original "Luggable Loo" that we used when we only had the bunkhouse. That one we cut the bottom out of-----that would work for your girls TomChum if it can't be inside!
 oh and rayyy...............too funny!!!!!!
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bugs
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# Posted: 17 Mar 2012 06:01pm
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We use a composting toilet system similar to what spiceyacres is describing. Only we use aspen shavings aka pet bedding and leaf mold we collect from our bush to aid in the composting.
For #1 we use the bush altho I had to change my favourite tree when we set up the trail camera. Tad bit of over exposure could occur. #2 is the outhouse.
We are hoping to use our composted (2 years old) "lou poo" to amend our soil for some fruit trees we hope to plant around the cabin this year.
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jeffgreef
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# Posted: 17 Mar 2012 06:23pm
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I use a plastic portable toilet. Forget the name, got it on Amazon. It has two chambers, one above for flush water and one below to hold the dirty water. It's about 20 inches square. Uses very little water to 'flush'. Convenient, but you gotta dump it somewhere....Let's see....There's a hole in the ground over here....
But now I dump it into my nice new expensive septic system.
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tnky03
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# Posted: 17 Mar 2012 11:56pm
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Having some really good laughs reading these. I have to confess that five years ago if anyone had told me I would be researching how to compost "such things", I would have told them they were crazy. Yet here I am, and wow have I learned so much from this site. But back to the topic... while living the simple life a gals best friend on a cold night, or any other night for that matter is a good sized bucket. It can be concealed in a nice wooden box with a "seat" or a plain bucket with a lid. I like to have water added first to provide dilution and then happily water trees and bushes in the woods the next day.
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trollbridge
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# Posted: 18 Mar 2012 02:28pm - Edited by: trollbridge
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Quoting: tnky03 I have to confess that five years ago if anyone had told me I would be researching how to compost "such things", I would have told them they were crazy.
LOL...isn't it funny how cabin life can dement an otherwise sane person????
Just give in to it though.........the benefits far outweigh the dementia!
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ErinsMom
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# Posted: 18 Mar 2012 06:32pm
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I grew up poor in the mountains of TN. We had an outhouse but at night, we had a paint can with lid. Emptied it each morning.
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Seto
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# Posted: 19 Mar 2012 12:50pm
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I built a 4'x4' outhouse style building with a solid floor. i made a saw dust toilet with 5 gallon bucket that i keep in the "outhouse" and empty once a week. i water the flowers on the ground directly, or keep an old 1 gallon jug in the cabin if i don't want to go out in the winter at night. I pour it out on the ground outside. Human urine is mostly water, Nitrogen, potasium, and a little salt. unless doused in the same spot for salt to build up its a good plant fertilizer.
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tnky03
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# Posted: 19 Mar 2012 11:29pm
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Quoting: trollbridge LOL...isn't it funny how cabin life can dement an otherwise sane person????
Oh my, I'm still in our RV (dry but with electric), not even in our cabin yet (still not started, but will be totally off grid)... I may really get crazy then, lol! Lovin' it but I do wish I had my grandpa's old "chamber pot" he set under his bed at night, even though I'd still go for the "bucket in a box".
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trollbridge
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# Posted: 20 Mar 2012 07:50am
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tnky03.......when you build your cabin you will be off grid----will you have an outhouse or an indoor bathroom with some sort of system?
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tnky03
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# Posted: 20 Mar 2012 10:12am
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Yes, we do plan to be off grid. We have decided to build farther back on our property... a bit more out of sight. We will go with a compost system of some type, not sure yet. I hope sometime we can afford one of the incinerating toilets as they would be easiest for us as we are getting older. We plan to maintain a camper where we are now which gives us a "contained" system which is legal and also it will be by the electric pole on the property giving a place to charge laptop batteries and such. We can also keep our small freezer there for extra food storage. Solar seems to be coming down a lot in prices and we feel that will be best for us. We don't use a lot of power, even in the RV. Electric is in $30/mo. range now. I am so loving not having all the utility expense and no mortgage payments. Life is good!
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AU2009
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# Posted: 21 Mar 2012 11:13pm
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tree, downhill, toilet paper, lighter. BOOM done.
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trollbridge
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# Posted: 24 Mar 2012 01:02pm
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so simple AU2009
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larryh
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# Posted: 24 Mar 2012 06:04pm
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I have close to it now days. After all the plumbing in the house failed as well as the drain lines I reverted to things I liked anyway. I built a dry sink in the kitchen and empty the pans outside or in a bucket under it. I constructed the famous Sawdust Potty and its now a standard feature of the old bathroom and the water toilet is coming out soon. I use a "combo" bucket as they call them among amish retailers and the liquids go in there and then are either tossed on the lawn or around new trees or the compost pile which now a year old an about to be switched to a new one to let the old one age for a year or two. I see the temperature is up to 100 in it now, more than ever so I guess its gotten big enough to start working as they call it. I would love to have a cistern again with a pitcher pump but am making do for now with a outlet a just about floor level for the "city" water that I have but no longer have plumbed to the house other than that. I am very pleased with the sawdust potty, the use of Peat Moss has been the best thing. I tired the wood chips you buy for pets but they were still smelly after a bit, the peat mose if you get the more like dirt type works perfectly. It took a bit to realize I could sprinkle it with water to help to avoid the dust which was rather bothersome to clean up until I hit on dampening the peat.
I have photos of both the sink and sawdust potty up here somewhere.
Larry
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