We see there are multiple suggestions for using kitty litter and we agree that is a viable dirt-cheap solution and thank everyone who has made that suggestion. That said, this is the method we like because it does not require us to scoop and transfer our waste to another container for disposal and if we are dry camping with no place to dump our trash immediately, we are not living with an accumulation of waste that is not sealed in an airtight container. We have tried using just a garbage bag, on several bucket and seat methods with different products to catch and absorb odor, some were better than others. The video is not meant to imply this is the cheapest solution to waste disposal, but a cheaper solution to an extremely clean and versatile alternative (the double duty bags) that we found to be what was right for us.
I’ve been living van life for about two years now. The best method I’ve found for an emergency toilet is a 5gal bucket ($5), a bucket toilet lid from Amazon ($25), scented diaper bags from the dollar store ($1.25 for 25bags), and an air tight glass container ($9 IKEA with rubber gasket) in case you can’t dump your garbage right away.
With there being two of us, the issue has been the accumulation. Mr. (mostly) only uses it in emergencies, but I simply prefer using ours over a public facility. (I've got issues! LOL! Storage of both used and unused supplies has been what we have tried to work out for a while now. When we went to making our own bags, we discovered they lasted a lot longer because they were larger, that did help a lot. We've been getting some really great feedback on things to try! A separate air-tight container is an excellent idea. I also imagine the diaper bags you're buying are leak proof considering what they are designed to hold. That's a good tip!
I’ve made a diverting system with a luggable loo, automotive funnel and laundry jug for urine storage. I use double layered trash bags with pine pellets kitty litter or hamster bedding for poop. No powders or gels, and even in my minivan there is no discernible odor. Cost to make: $20 for luggable loo, $6 for funnel, 3 zip tip ties, and probably $6-8 for the dry media.
A lot of people have recommended the pine pellets. We are going to try them and see how they work for us. We used to use a luggable loo and still keep it at the house for emergencies such as the water being out. We went to the foldable toilet when we were traveling in our SUV because we didn't have room for a 5-gallon bucket. When we purchased the van, we found a way to make it work by building the box. We made a video about how we ended up with it and why we still use it. Check it out if you're interested. I like the idea of diverting the liquids. Very smart? How do you keep the funnel sanitary? Do you use a spray?
I just use 4 gallon trash bags with the pull tie. And horse bedding pine pellets from Tractor Supply. Been using this system for 7 years. The pellets soak up the liquids and cover the solids. No leaks because there is no liquid because the pellets soak it up. Works great in my van. Just tie it up, and toss in the garbage.
I have also used peat moss as well as the pine pellets. Once here at Peavey Mart (Canada) I bought pellets for a wood stove and they worked too!. I also sprinkle pine shavings and sometimes some of those smelly things you throw in the wash, they are pink or blue and I love the smell. If I divert my urine then I can keep one bag for a week as I eat usually one meal a day (OMAD) so there isn't much waste.
Our son used a large tide bottle for urine. He uses the toilet at work and the gym where he showers, but for emergencies he has a bucket, seat and lid and bag system. I als gave him some peat moss and lime. But so far he has never used the bucket.
Men definitely have it a little easier than women and especially us older gals with aging knees and hips. We've had a lot of suggestions about what to use to trap odor and catch urine, but peat moss is a new one. If anyone has ever used this, we would love to know how it worked out.
I would just use a reg cheap trash bag from dollar tree, put a little kitty litter and do your business and throw it away in a dumpster. No different then picking up your dog's poop with a poop bad and throwing it in the dumpster. God bless 🙏💞🙏
That works too and we know people that do just that. We use this method because we aren't always near a trash receptacle and the Ziplock system contains any possible leaks or smells if you should have to put a new bag in and hold on to the full one for a few days. Thanks for adding to the conversation. Your solution could also help out many people.
Thanks for the great advice on keeping costs down! Any info you could provide for making your toilet setup especially seat and cover would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
Absolutely, glad to help. If you go to the gear page on our website freethemcgees.com/gear/ and scroll down to Sanitation & Hygiene, you'll find an affiliate link to the foldable toilet we use along with the old and new system for bags and solidifying liquid. Unfortunately, I did not make a video when I made the stool we use to conceal the setup, but if you're handy with tools it is pretty simple to do once you get the measurements from the toilet. To make the toilet setup is a relatively small investment compared to a cassette (50-75% less) and way sturdier and more comfortable than a 5-gallon bucket. If you build a nice box like we did, the cost will equal out, but the upsides are (1) not having to deal with dumping and cleaning the holding tank, (2) it's as solid as sitting on your home toilet and does not need to be tied down while traveling - it does not tip, slide, or roll, and (3) it doubles as a stool when not in use. I'll post a short "walk-through" video to show you how it all goes together and explain why we made ours this way. Sorry for the long reply. I hope this helps.
You are very welcome. Yes, you can. But what we do in that situation is another step. We carry with us a bag of cedar shavings to put over the waste to control the smell. Cedar is great because it also repels insects. However, mixing solids and liquids will create a smell that is harder to control (especially in the heat) so I do not recommend holding on to it for long before a change. I think we've gone 2 days max in that situation. Thank you for the question!
This is a great and informative video. I use horse bedding pellets, purchased from Tractor Supply (similar stores also) you get a 40lb bag for about $7-$8 and you only need to use a small amount, it works super great, no smell, no fuss, great … we went numer 1 & Pooh, after a week in FL heat we took the out and still no smell …. I place enough a cup of pellets in bag before 1st use, then sprinkle enough pellets to cover … these pellets are super absorbent, swell up and absorbs all odor, the trick is learning how little you need to use, because it doesn’t take much …. Happy camping ❤
What a great tip! We have a local tractor supply and we're going to try that. How much space do the pellets take up for, say, a week's worth of travel? So we know what size container to store them in.
@@freethemcgees I've also heard people use natural pine cat litter which of course comes in smaller bags and more manageable for people on the road full time.
I appreciate the cost-saving tip... I'm exploring the possibility of camper/RV living - can these bags be disposed in the regular trash dumpster and/or dump station?
They can be disposed of in any trash receptacle that would normally accept Dog/Cat waste bags. We have not encountered a campground that did not allow them to be disposed of in the community dumpster since they are sealed. I hope this helps.
Hey, have you ever tried sawdust? I heard many times that it adsobs very good and it ist of course very cheap. Sorry my english, thank you fpr your vid! Greetings from far away Germany/Cologne-Bonn
Hello to Germany! We are currently testing a formula where we turn the pellets into sawdust (the pellets are a compressed form of sawdust) and mix it with the urine absorbing powder for added moisture absorption. We also threw in a bit of lemon scent using a carpet freshening product scented with essential oil because we really liked the lemon scent of the expensive Eco Gel we used to use. We're allowing the "used" product to sit in the sun in a closed container to see how well it does with odor control long-term. If the test is successful, we'll post a video with the results.
I'm really sorry to hear that. We haven't had a problem with urine odors. If I may help in trying to isolate the issue, I would suggest considering these things: (My apologies for the long reply) --STORAGE LENGTH - Since two of us are using this system together, we are changing the bag frequently (every few days) and we dispose of used bags ASAP since we are space-deficient in our small conversion. Because our use/storage length times are pretty short this may be why we haven't had a problem with odor buildup. A single person will be using the bag for several more days than two people would and BoonDockers would be required to store material for much longer periods of time. (I don't know if this is your situation, - it's just a suggestion.) --INITIAL STRENGTH OF ODORS - Possibly hydration level - I think this one is self-explanatory. 😉 --STORAGE TEMPERATURES - With any organic waste product temperature definitely effects the rate of decay and associated odor level. Hotter temps are not kind to anything stored. (See note below) Adding pine pellets and/or pine shavings for odor control has been discussed by many commentors and maybe for those using/storing for longer periods of time or while boondocking this is a common problem and their solution. We are currently trying many products to cover the odor of solid waste (#2) and have tried both of these items with some success, but neither were great on their own for liquid absorption compared to the gel. We have a separate video on that. Maybe others could chime in and let us know if they have experienced a similar problem and what the solution was for them. NOTE: On one occasion, we forget to empty the potty when we returned from a road trip and a few weeks later we discovered this the hard way when we opened stool storage system for the toilet to get it ready for our next adventure. (YIKES! - IT WAS REALLY BAD!) So, length of storage does make a difference in the performance level of the solidifying gel.
Solid waste does present its own set of problems for odor containment. You could try switching to a thick mylar bag as your outer containment bag. This setup will more closely mimic the Reliance double duty system. Myler is designed to contain odor. I would recommend a thick mil as not all mylar bags are created equal. However, this will increase the per unit cost putting the setup more on scale with the cost of the premade bags. The next suggestion would be to try adding the pine pellets, but the trade-off will be (as we have discovered) that they interfere with the absorption rates of the Lysal powder and alone the pine pellets underperform in comparison. So you will find yourself adding more powder or using pellets alone and which will decrease the length of time you can use one bag because they take up a lot more volume. We have a video comparing products if you're interested. If you are not using your toilet for urine (guys sometimes don't) changing to pellets or switching to mylar are both possible solutions.
😎 Are these one time use bags with #2 and #1 in it or how many uses would you say of both #1 and #2 does your system give you before you change out the bag? Thanks! ✌️
How long you can use them is a personal preference, depending on how many people are using the system and if you take extra measures for odor control when #2 is involved. Personally we use them for 2-3 days before changing the bag and try to limit using them for solid waste when possible. When #2 is involved, we usually change the bag ASAP as a courtesy to the other sharing the space. Hope this helps.
@@freethemcgees Yes that helps quite well. So what is your containment solution if you are out boondocking for a week and cannot dispose of the bags. Let's say you don't have any other bathroom situation and you go #2 each day, which gives you several bags to contain onboard your van. How do you handle this?
The situation dictates. If we're not near a disposal receptacle, we use cedar shavings and use the bag more than once for #2 if necessary. But usually we just put the used bags by the back tire outside the van until we move on. It's not a perfect solution, that would be a class A, B, or C with holding tanks and chemicals and deodorizers, but we're not ready to make that investment yet!. Maybe when we're older and full-time. Lol!
We put out a video last week detailing why we chose this style with pros and cons of other styles of toilets. In that video I show a little of the inside of the box and a quick rundown of materials used to make it, but unfortunately, I did not make a video of the actual construction process. If you're handy with tools, once you look inside and listen to why I did certain things (like the bracing for support) you could easily figure it out. 🙂
Unfortunately the answer is no. The opening of the 8-gallon Triptips bag is not wide enough to fit completely around the bowl rim on a standard American toilet. Perhaps a larger bag might work. Thanks for the question.
We plan to test the puppy pads against the gel and a few other products that have been suggested in a head-to-head, ounce per ounce absorption and odor control battle. We're curious to see which product comes out on top. We're not opposed to changing things up if there are comparable products that don't take up any more space and cost less. Thank for the suggestion!
@@freethemcgees There are also commode pads (for use in medical bedside toilets). I'd love to see a head to head comparison between pads, powders, and pellets!
We see there are multiple suggestions for using kitty litter and we agree that is a viable dirt-cheap solution and thank everyone who has made that suggestion. That said, this is the method we like because it does not require us to scoop and transfer our waste to another container for disposal and if we are dry camping with no place to dump our trash immediately, we are not living with an accumulation of waste that is not sealed in an airtight container. We have tried using just a garbage bag, on several bucket and seat methods with different products to catch and absorb odor, some were better than others. The video is not meant to imply this is the cheapest solution to waste disposal, but a cheaper solution to an extremely clean and versatile alternative (the double duty bags) that we found to be what was right for us.
Big bucket and two bags kitty litter 1.39 from walmart. Super clean. Scoop out and toss
I’ve been living van life for about two years now. The best method I’ve found for an emergency toilet is a 5gal bucket ($5), a bucket toilet lid from Amazon ($25), scented diaper bags from the dollar store ($1.25 for 25bags), and an air tight glass container ($9 IKEA with rubber gasket) in case you can’t dump your garbage right away.
With there being two of us, the issue has been the accumulation. Mr. (mostly) only uses it in emergencies, but I simply prefer using ours over a public facility. (I've got issues! LOL! Storage of both used and unused supplies has been what we have tried to work out for a while now. When we went to making our own bags, we discovered they lasted a lot longer because they were larger, that did help a lot. We've been getting some really great feedback on things to try! A separate air-tight container is an excellent idea. I also imagine the diaper bags you're buying are leak proof considering what they are designed to hold. That's a good tip!
I’ve made a diverting system with a luggable loo, automotive funnel and laundry jug for urine storage. I use double layered trash bags with pine pellets kitty litter or hamster bedding for poop. No powders or gels, and even in my minivan there is no discernible odor. Cost to make: $20 for luggable loo, $6 for funnel, 3 zip tip ties, and probably $6-8 for the dry media.
A lot of people have recommended the pine pellets. We are going to try them and see how they work for us. We used to use a luggable loo and still keep it at the house for emergencies such as the water being out. We went to the foldable toilet when we were traveling in our SUV because we didn't have room for a 5-gallon bucket. When we purchased the van, we found a way to make it work by building the box. We made a video about how we ended up with it and why we still use it. Check it out if you're interested. I like the idea of diverting the liquids. Very smart? How do you keep the funnel sanitary? Do you use a spray?
I just use 4 gallon trash bags with the pull tie. And horse bedding pine pellets from Tractor Supply. Been using this system for 7 years. The pellets soak up the liquids and cover the solids. No leaks because there is no liquid because the pellets soak it up. Works great in my van. Just tie it up, and toss in the garbage.
👍💝Thank you for a respectable alternative cost saving solution. 🙏💝
You are welcome 😊
This is the best option I have found to date! Tried many different ones and yours is the best! Thank you! Thank you!
Great to hear! Thank you for the positive feedback! 😁❤️
I have also used peat moss as well as the pine pellets. Once here at Peavey Mart (Canada) I bought pellets for a wood stove and they worked too!. I also sprinkle pine shavings and sometimes some of those smelly things you throw in the wash, they are pink or blue and I love the smell. If I divert my urine then I can keep one bag for a week as I eat usually one meal a day (OMAD) so there isn't much waste.
Thanks 👍😊! Who would've thought to use the wood stove pellets!
Like your whole system there 👍 like the enclosed covered box.
Thank you! We get a lot of use from the extra seating.
Our son used a large tide bottle for urine. He uses the toilet at work and the gym where he showers, but for emergencies he has a bucket, seat and lid and bag system. I als gave him some peat moss and lime. But so far he has never used the bucket.
Men definitely have it a little easier than women and especially us older gals with aging knees and hips. We've had a lot of suggestions about what to use to trap odor and catch urine, but peat moss is a new one. If anyone has ever used this, we would love to know how it worked out.
Gina, I accidentally hide your comment while hiding spam comments. Please feel free to post again if you like. I apologize for the error.
Thank you very much, it was quite enjoyable, watching and learning your methods. Looking forward for More.
Our has never used the emergency system yet, but you never know!
thanks- vanlife4ever!
Very clever! 💡 Thanks for sharing!✨
You know the old saying, “Necessity is the mother of invention!” Or something like that. Thank you for visiting and commenting. :)
I would just use a reg cheap trash bag from dollar tree, put a little kitty litter and do your business and throw it away in a dumpster. No different then picking up your dog's poop with a poop bad and throwing it in the dumpster. God bless 🙏💞🙏
That works too and we know people that do just that. We use this method because we aren't always near a trash receptacle and the Ziplock system contains any possible leaks or smells if you should have to put a new bag in and hold on to the full one for a few days. Thanks for adding to the conversation. Your solution could also help out many people.
Me too. Been working fine for six years now
This is a really helpful. Thanks!
We're happy to help! Thank you for the positive feedback!
Very helpful, thank you🙌
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks for the great advice on keeping costs down! Any info you could provide for making your toilet setup especially seat and cover would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
Absolutely, glad to help. If you go to the gear page on our website freethemcgees.com/gear/ and scroll down to Sanitation & Hygiene, you'll find an affiliate link to the foldable toilet we use along with the old and new system for bags and solidifying liquid. Unfortunately, I did not make a video when I made the stool we use to conceal the setup, but if you're handy with tools it is pretty simple to do once you get the measurements from the toilet. To make the toilet setup is a relatively small investment compared to a cassette (50-75% less) and way sturdier and more comfortable than a 5-gallon bucket. If you build a nice box like we did, the cost will equal out, but the upsides are (1) not having to deal with dumping and cleaning the holding tank, (2) it's as solid as sitting on your home toilet and does not need to be tied down while traveling - it does not tip, slide, or roll, and (3) it doubles as a stool when not in use. I'll post a short "walk-through" video to show you how it all goes together and explain why we made ours this way. Sorry for the long reply. I hope this helps.
I love your channel name ! 😀
Thank you! 😁
Thank you for this helpful video. Sorry for the indelicate question, but can you go number two more than once in the bag before tossing it or not?
You are very welcome. Yes, you can. But what we do in that situation is another step. We carry with us a bag of cedar shavings to put over the waste to control the smell. Cedar is great because it also repels insects. However, mixing solids and liquids will create a smell that is harder to control (especially in the heat) so I do not recommend holding on to it for long before a change. I think we've gone 2 days max in that situation. Thank you for the question!
This is a great and informative video. I use horse bedding pellets, purchased from Tractor Supply (similar stores also) you get a 40lb bag for about $7-$8 and you only need to use a small amount, it works super great, no smell, no fuss, great … we went numer 1 & Pooh, after a week in FL heat we took the out and still no smell …. I place enough a cup of pellets in bag before 1st use, then sprinkle enough pellets to cover … these pellets are super absorbent, swell up and absorbs all odor, the trick is learning how little you need to use, because it doesn’t take much …. Happy camping ❤
What a great tip! We have a local tractor supply and we're going to try that. How much space do the pellets take up for, say, a week's worth of travel? So we know what size container to store them in.
@@freethemcgees I've also heard people use natural pine cat litter which of course comes in smaller bags and more manageable for people on the road full time.
@@Kismet-cx7fe that's what I use, but not for #2.
Nice thank you
I appreciate the cost-saving tip... I'm exploring the possibility of camper/RV living - can these bags be disposed in the regular trash dumpster and/or dump station?
They can be disposed of in any trash receptacle that would normally accept Dog/Cat waste bags. We have not encountered a campground that did not allow them to be disposed of in the community dumpster since they are sealed. I hope this helps.
@@freethemcgees Thanks for the response...blessings🙂
Hey, have you ever tried sawdust?
I heard many times that it adsobs very good and it ist of course very cheap.
Sorry my english, thank you fpr your vid!
Greetings from far away Germany/Cologne-Bonn
Hello to Germany! We are currently testing a formula where we turn the pellets into sawdust (the pellets are a compressed form of sawdust) and mix it with the urine absorbing powder for added moisture absorption. We also threw in a bit of lemon scent using a carpet freshening product scented with essential oil because we really liked the lemon scent of the expensive Eco Gel we used to use. We're allowing the "used" product to sit in the sun in a closed container to see how well it does with odor control long-term. If the test is successful, we'll post a video with the results.
i did all the steps it smells terrible even in both bags with extra bag over it , what did i do wrong ?
I'm really sorry to hear that. We haven't had a problem with urine odors. If I may help in trying to isolate the issue, I would suggest considering these things: (My apologies for the long reply)
--STORAGE LENGTH - Since two of us are using this system together, we are changing the bag frequently (every few days) and we dispose of used bags ASAP since we are space-deficient in our small conversion. Because our use/storage length times are pretty short this may be why we haven't had a problem with odor buildup. A single person will be using the bag for several more days than two people would and BoonDockers would be required to store material for much longer periods of time. (I don't know if this is your situation, - it's just a suggestion.)
--INITIAL STRENGTH OF ODORS - Possibly hydration level - I think this one is self-explanatory. 😉
--STORAGE TEMPERATURES - With any organic waste product temperature definitely effects the rate of decay and associated odor level. Hotter temps are not kind to anything stored. (See note below)
Adding pine pellets and/or pine shavings for odor control has been discussed by many commentors and maybe for those using/storing for longer periods of time or while boondocking this is a common problem and their solution. We are currently trying many products to cover the odor of solid waste (#2) and have tried both of these items with some success, but neither were great on their own for liquid absorption compared to the gel. We have a separate video on that. Maybe others could chime in and let us know if they have experienced a similar problem and what the solution was for them.
NOTE: On one occasion, we forget to empty the potty when we returned from a road trip and a few weeks later we discovered this the hard way when we opened stool storage system for the toilet to get it ready for our next adventure. (YIKES! - IT WAS REALLY BAD!) So, length of storage does make a difference in the performance level of the solidifying gel.
@@freethemcgees i only had solid waste for 8 hours i dont think wrapping tighter would seal the smell ether i had same bags in your link
Solid waste does present its own set of problems for odor containment. You could try switching to a thick mylar bag as your outer containment bag. This setup will more closely mimic the Reliance double duty system. Myler is designed to contain odor. I would recommend a thick mil as not all mylar bags are created equal. However, this will increase the per unit cost putting the setup more on scale with the cost of the premade bags. The next suggestion would be to try adding the pine pellets, but the trade-off will be (as we have discovered) that they interfere with the absorption rates of the Lysal powder and alone the pine pellets underperform in comparison. So you will find yourself adding more powder or using pellets alone and which will decrease the length of time you can use one bag because they take up a lot more volume. We have a video comparing products if you're interested. If you are not using your toilet for urine (guys sometimes don't) changing to pellets or switching to mylar are both possible solutions.
@@freethemcgees myler and iron to melt it closed hahahah
@@freethemcgees yep mylar is perfit thanks for the idea been month that method best way
Ty
Our pleasure!
What came of the poo odor nuetralizer tests?
😎 Are these one time use bags with #2 and #1 in it or how many uses would you say of both #1 and #2 does your system give you before you change out the bag? Thanks! ✌️
How long you can use them is a personal preference, depending on how many people are using the system and if you take extra measures for odor control when #2 is involved. Personally we use them for 2-3 days before changing the bag and try to limit using them for solid waste when possible. When #2 is involved, we usually change the bag ASAP as a courtesy to the other sharing the space. Hope this helps.
@@freethemcgees Yes that helps quite well. So what is your containment solution if you are out boondocking for a week and cannot dispose of the bags. Let's say you don't have any other bathroom situation and you go #2 each day, which gives you several bags to contain onboard your van. How do you handle this?
The situation dictates. If we're not near a disposal receptacle, we use cedar shavings and use the bag more than once for #2 if necessary. But usually we just put the used bags by the back tire outside the van until we move on. It's not a perfect solution, that would be a class A, B, or C with holding tanks and chemicals and deodorizers, but we're not ready to make that investment yet!. Maybe when we're older and full-time. Lol!
Brilliant
Just those bags ought be biodegradable and not dumped, in d.master, but buried in bush or forest or vacant land
Do you have a video on how you made your van toilet?
We put out a video last week detailing why we chose this style with pros and cons of other styles of toilets. In that video I show a little of the inside of the box and a quick rundown of materials used to make it, but unfortunately, I did not make a video of the actual construction process. If you're handy with tools, once you look inside and listen to why I did certain things (like the bracing for support) you could easily figure it out. 🙂
Not a fan of having to dump daily or even dumping after every use.
Will these bags fit my standard toilet at home in case of no water in an emergency?
Unfortunately the answer is no. The opening of the 8-gallon Triptips bag is not wide enough to fit completely around the bowl rim on a standard American toilet. Perhaps a larger bag might work. Thanks for the question.
I just use a dog pee pad from costco which i lay in the toilet before and sit.
We plan to test the puppy pads against the gel and a few other products that have been suggested in a head-to-head, ounce per ounce absorption and odor control battle. We're curious to see which product comes out on top. We're not opposed to changing things up if there are comparable products that don't take up any more space and cost less. Thank for the suggestion!
@@freethemcgees There are also commode pads (for use in medical bedside toilets). I'd love to see a head to head comparison between pads, powders, and pellets!
Heads up! We just finished filming that video and it should be coming out next friday.
No sound on this video
10 cent a bag at the grocery store. It used to be free.
Cost of dying is also expensive?
Cassette toilet , cheapest way overall.
Is she serious/luggable loo
Thank you for such really good tips!