Outdoor camping is truly a lot of fun, especially when you have all the bases covered for the personal needs of you and your family. How often have you been worried about going to the toilet while you are out camping? If it is only about peeing, things are not that difficult.
But what about managing the proverbial #2. How can you ensure you have your toilet paper secure and handy when you have to relieve yourself in the wilderness? And how you can ensure the comforts of a hygienic toilet to your kids in the outdoors?
In this article, we present some easy to follow tips and Do It Yourself(DIY) hacks that can make your life easier on your next trips. We also list out some commercial options available in the market that you can look at for your needs.
Do it yourself tricks to keep your toilet paper dry while camping
Whether you are camping in the wilderness with your family or car-camping in a campground, ensuring that you have access to a Toilet to take the dump and have the Toilet Paper secure are the two most important things to manage when you have to shit (We know, the proverbial #2 or “have to go” sounds much better!).
In the following sections, we share some of the most popular do it yourself solutions and hacks to follow to make your life easier.
Using a coffee container or a CD case to keep toilet paper dry and secure
Worried about your stored toilet paper getting all soggy and soiled? You can avoid such mishaps by using a family-sized Coffee canister or plastic container on your next trip to store your roll.
The 29.2/30/31 oz. Folgers plastic canister is our favorite as it has enough space for a large toilet paper roll to fit in. And it comes with a handle for easy portability. As per the availability, you can also choose any other metal or plastic canister.
Similarly, if you have any old CD stands lying around, you can use them for your toilet paper. They have an added advantage of having a spindle to keep your roll secure and easy to access.
Both these solutions are much better than carrying the toilet paper roll without any protection or in a Ziploc bag. And in the next solution, we will see how you can go one step up and make a Toilet Paper dispenser using the coffee container.
Making a portable toilet paper dispenser using a coffee container
If you want to get innovative and are willing to go a couple of steps further, you can make a full-fledged toilet paper dispenser with a Plastic coffee can. The simple process to do this is explained below.
What you need
- Empty Coffee Container: As mentioned above the 29.2/30/31 oz. Folgers plastic canister has worked best for us.
- Toilet Paper Roll: Charmin Ultra is our favorite, but you pick what works for you!!
- Some plastic cord/wire: We love those Twisted Tie-ups, but cords or wires work the best.
Process
- Take an empty plastic coffee container.
- Size up the toilet paper on one of the sides, preferably opposite the handle, so that it would be easy to hold and pull the paper when required.
- Using a knife, slit the plastic surface just enough for the Toilet Paper to be able to be pulled out. This is where the precision would come handy.
- Place the roll in the canister and thread it out through the slit. You now have a smart, weatherproof toilet Paper holder/dispenser.
- To make it outdoor friendly, make two holes on the top and bottom or sides perpendicular to the handle and tie up a rope, cord or wire through it. Our favorite is the twisted tie-ups, though you can use whatever is handy. This cord can be used to hang the dispenser/holder with a branch or tent.
That’s it! You have the coffee-can toilet paper dispenser/holder. It takes care of the weather elements and also keeps your TP safe from the critters and crawlers. And to provide added protection, you can even cover the opening in the container with a duct tape and remove it when you want to use the dispenser.
Making a toilet paper dispenser using a plastic soda bottle
You can also make a Toilet Paper Dispenser/Holder using an old soda bottle and a Ziploc bag. The process of accomplishing that is defined below.
What you need
- Toilet Paper Roll: Charmin Ultra is our favorite, but you pick what works for you!!
- Family-Sized Soda Bottle: 2-liter (67.6 fl. oz.) plastic soda bottle* would be ideal.
- Ziploc Bag
- Binder Clip
- Thread/Wire/String
- Scissors or a knife to cut.
Process
- Take a toilet paper roll and remove the cardboard center roll carefully so that you can dispense the paper from the center.
- Cut the empty soda water bottle and cut it from the neck, ensuring that the Toilet Paper can fit in the remaining bottle (around 4 inches + 2 inches of the neck).
- Snuggly fit in the toilet roll in the bottle, pulling a piece through the bottle mouth.
- Place the Bottle section with Roll in a Ziploc bag and create an opening big enough for the neck to stick out.
- Close the Ziploc bag from and use the binder clip to create a hanger as desired using a string or wire.
And you are good to go with your ingenious toilet paper holder/dispenser.
The Instructables site has an excellent variant for the soda bottle toilet paper dispenser. You may want to check that out as well and see if that one works better for you.
Bonus: Do it yourself bucket toilet
Making a portable bucket toilet
Sitting down by folding your knees can be a problem for many, especially kids. So how do you work around it? Try out the ingenious do-it-yourself bucket toilet idea that we explain below.
What you need
- A foam roll: Pool noodles are an excellent inexpensive option. Hollow one is better.
- Round 5-gallon bucket: An old paint bucket, bathing bucket or an empty ice-cream frosting bucket should fit the bill. You can even get one from the nearest hardware store.
- Some superglue, electric wire, a trash bag (Toilet trash bags are a better option), Tool Knife or Saw.
Process
- Take the empty bucket and cut off the lid, leaving the lining/rim on the side. This would give more surface to the foam roll to settle.
- Run the electric wire through the hollow part of the foam roll.
- Smartly place the foam roll/pool noodle on the rim of the bucket and cut off the extra length. Tie down both the ends of the wire. This way you would have a secure circle which would be easy to manage.
- Use superglue or tape to securely attach the foam to the top rim of the bucket. You can also join the ends of the foam with it if required.
- Cover the foam and the bucket with the trash bag and you have the toilet bucket ready. You may also choose to cut off the base of the bucket so that the poop can directly go into the hole in the ground.
And if you are looking for another classic DIY solution, check out the variant on Instructables site here.
Commercial Products
If you are looking for some commercial products for camping toilets or for keeping the toilet paper secure, there are some excellent options available in the market. Some of these products are listed below:
Toilet Paper Carriers
Some of the most popular waterproof toilet paper roll cases and dispensers available in the market are listed below. You can use them as carriers as well as toilet paper dispensers as they come with hangers to hang over the tree, tent or ridge-line:
- VBestLife Toilet Roll Case: This folding toilet paper carrier is made with polyester with PU coating and water-resistant coating. It has a dispenser opening on one side and comes with a hanger for hanging it on tree or tent.
- Olve Toilet Roll Case: Smartly designed waterproof toilet roll carrier is made with 60D PU-coated polyester with a water-resistant coating. It is a handy item to store your small or standard-sized toilet paper rolls.
Portable Camping Toilets
Portable camping toilets are excellent hygienic products to help you relieve yourself in the outdoors. Portable toilets come in three different types – Bucket Toilets, Folding Toilets and Portable Flush Toilets.
Bucket Toilets are bulkier than the folding ones, but still considerably lighter than the flush toilets. So they make an excellent choice for family car-camping. Reliance Products Luggable Loo is one such popular bucket toilet in the market.
Folding Toilets are the most convenient lightweight option for hikers and backpackers. They essentially consist of a chair type structure with a hole in the middle and are collapsible. Cleanwaste Go Anywhere Portable Toilet is one such popular choice.
Portable Flush Toilets are actual variants of the household flush toilets and only suitable for RVs and Campers. There are a lot of options available in the market – Camco 41541 Toilet being one of the most popular options.
Check out our article for a detailed discussion on the best portable camping toilets available in the market. You would find some great recommendations there along with some useful accessories to make your life easier.
Final thoughts
In this interesting article, we looked at some of the camping toilet solutions for times when you “just have to go” – the proverbial #2. We looked at the ways how you can better manage your toilet paper and toilet and try out some DIY solutions. We also briefly listed out some of the commercial products available in the market that can help you better manage your toilet needs.
We hope that you found this article useful and would try out some of the hacks we shared here. Do not forget to share your feedback by commenting below. Also, check out our article on camping tips and tricks for some more tips, tricks and hacks to try out on your next outdoor trip.
Image credits:Amazon.com
