Portable Toilet Types

Bathrooms are not always conveniently located when on the move.

Bathrooms are not always available in remote locations. Portable toilets, or pack-it-out toilets, are important not only for convenience but also for serious health and sanitation concerns. According to the Oregon Bureau of Land Management, public places may lawfully require visitors to use accepted portable systems for human waste in order to decrease incidences of environmental contamination. Thankfully, there are a wide variety of portable toilets tailored to specific types of outdoor activities. Does this Spark an idea?

Print this article

Overview
- Portable toilet laws help protect health and environment.
  
  All portable toilet units are expected to contain and transport human waste to a proper disposal site. Each should have a leak proof container made of sturdy material and have a dry or liquid base of material to control odor, ease cleaning and break down waste material. Water and chemicals without formaldehyde form most liquid bases. Dry portable toilets are usually lighter, have less leakage and use ingredients like kitty litter and soil. Check with local disposal laws in visiting areas to determine what is legal.
Outhouse
- Large crowds have many portable outhouses available.
  
  Portable outhouses are commonly seen at concerts, public festivals and work sites. Like many other portable toilet laws, public outhouse rules are also decided on a state by state basis. For instance, in Arkansas, outhouse company owners and employees must be registered as a licensed septic tank cleaner. There must be one outhouse for every 100 people at an event, and all refuse must be disposed of according to state regulations.
Buckets
- Campers find portable bucket units handy.
  
  Bucket units are reminiscent of common home toilets. Camping and RV recreationists benefit from plastic or metal buckets used as portable toilets. A 5 gallon bucket fitted with gasket lids or even a toilet seat for comfort works well for an improvised or commercial human waste collection unit. All types are sound as long as disinfecting base material is included and the lid does not seep during transportation.
Bags
- Athletic outdoors people may find bag type portable toilets convenient.
  
  Those engaged in outdoor recreation such as bicycling, kayaking, hiking and ATV riding, can benefit from lightweight potable toilet systems. These are often bag type portable toilets. These heavy duty bags zip lock and have a gel inside to neutralize odors and begin waste breakdown. An extra, sturdy transport system to deter animals from tearing holes in the bags may be needed.