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Waterless Crapper

Posted: Sat Jan 24, 2009 1:32 pm
by cuisto
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These pics are of a waterless toilet I built for use at my little wilderness cabin up north.
I has preformed well for us and I will now be designing one for use in our Mac.

Urine us diverted to a hose that can lead to a container or diverted to the heads thru-hull fitting.
# 2 is collected in a 4 gallon pail lined with compostable plastic bag, and covered with a scoop of sawdust after each deposit.
As needed the bag is tied and at the cabin placed in a backyard composter, at the marina will be deposited in the DUMPSTER.

This system is near odourless due to the sealed lid, had been much less offensive than the marine porta potty and pump out system we have had the last 5 years on the mac.

Re: Waterless Crapper

Posted: Sat Jan 24, 2009 6:24 pm
by dvideohd
Somehow, it just does not seem that the job is done until the Thunder Mug sings.... But you are probably painting a picture of the future... I saw a short video piece on an "electric flush" that one can buy in Japan. Push the button - and a (or one of several?) recorded water flushes are played back.... Kind of like a very neat, very fancy horn....

--jerry

Re: Waterless Crapper

Posted: Sat Jan 24, 2009 8:20 pm
by kmclemore
The only issue I see here is that a boat is not a cabin in the woods - it rolls, rolls and heaves. If this baby tips over, it's gonna be *very* messy. Whereas if a Sanipotty tips, it's sealed. Just a thought.

Re: Waterless Crapper

Posted: Sat Jan 24, 2009 9:29 pm
by Navyvet
I know these things where a life saver in the military. http://www.thepett.com/index.php?PageLa ... &pageID=53
The wag bags where great you can put them just about anywhere and the lid locks up on them the powder is a life saver to. Just a thought insead of saw dust cost more but this stuff is like nonsmelling jello even if god forbid there is a tip ove and the lid is off all you need is some papertowels to clean it up. Just a thought.

Re: Waterless Crapper

Posted: Sat Jan 24, 2009 11:05 pm
by K9Kampers
When sailing with a dog, I'd dump the wag bags in the porta potty. Kept the used bags in a bucket over the stern. After 5 days, I could've used some sawdust or that powder for that bucket!

Re: Waterless Crapper

Posted: Sun Jan 25, 2009 2:34 pm
by John McDonough
Similar Toilet. I bought a plastic toilet seat which snaps onto a 5 gallon dry-wall bucket. $10.00.
It is mostly for the Females so I dont have to clean my Porta-Potti
Males use a large mouth detergent container for #1.

It was just noted at the Mac Sailing Pages that one of the main causes of drowning is men Peeing overboard.

When you posted Waterless Crapper, I thought it was a NASA microwave toilet. It was designed for spaceships. Hit the button and it turns waste into dust. cost over $1,000.oo.

Re: Waterless Crapper

Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2009 5:16 pm
by Sumner
As needed the bag is tied and at the cabin placed in a backyard composter, at the marina will be deposited in the DUMPSTER...
You might want to check the local laws on depositing human waste into a dumpster.

I do hate dealing with porta potties and once considered a composting toilet for my house in Wyoming, but stayed conventional.

c ya,

Sum

Re: Waterless Crapper

Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2009 7:26 pm
by cuisto
You might want to check the local laws on depositing human waste into a dumpster.
Where do diapers go?

Re: Waterless Crapper

Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2009 12:12 am
by c130king
Sumner wrote: You might want to check the local laws on depositing human waste into a dumpster.
I use the PETT toilet (link is in the post a few above this one). I think it works just fine...no carrying a sloshing, smelly, tank off the boat. Just throw the WAG BAG in the trash which I take off the boat anyway. Dump it in a dumpster.

From the PETT website:
Clean & spill proof. The WAG BAG waste bag fits over or under the seat. Everything stays in the bag. Completely hygienic. Changes liquid to solid - Landfill approved.

Protect Our Environment. After use, simply remove the bag, zip it up and dispose of it in the trash. Biodegradable.
But in the spirit of full disclosure...I have not taken any long trips where the toilet was used multiple times...yet.

But sure seems clean and easy to me.

Jim

Re: Waterless Crapper

Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2009 2:58 pm
by Sumner
Thanks for the link to the Wag Bags. Learn about something new every day.

I checked the laws at Lake Powell were we will probably be doing most of our sailing and they are:
It's the Law.
If you are camping within one quarter-mile of Lake Powell's shoreline, or more than 200 yards from a designated restroom facility, you are required to possess and utilize a human sanitation device (portable toilet) that does not use plastic bags to contain the waste. This waste may not be disposed of in the trash, but only at pumpout/dump stations located on the lake and at the marinas. As an alternative, you may use a commercial Waste Bag Containment System, that can be disposed of in the trash. Portable toilets and Waste Bag Systems are available at camping and fishing supply stores.
From that it looks like the Wag Bags would be perfectly fine, but normal plastic bags wouldn't. We will think about this as an alternative to the porta pottie, which I don't like to clean either.

c ya,

Sum and Ruth

Re: Waterless Crapper

Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2009 2:11 pm
by Russ
Funny thread title.

You know the saying, "In these Isles of sun and fun, we never flush for number one."

My wife found these things called Travel John that pilots often use. It works on the principle of the Wag Bags described above. It uses a gel crystals that absorb liquid and make it spill proof.

She has used them in certain situations and she thinks they are great. She said it's a bit unnerving because you have to trust it will absorb, but it does.
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Re: Waterless Crapper

Posted: Sun Feb 01, 2009 12:40 am
by rockman
Good idea - but at $5.50 a pee, I think I will keep using the bucket.

Re: Waterless Crapper

Posted: Sun Feb 01, 2009 3:16 am
by David Mellon
That's three for $5.45 but still expensive in my opinion. A Little John as seen on that site or from Waste Marine with an adaptor for the ladies is what I stock onboard. For myself, any handy container will do. I also have a few hospital urinals left over from a surgery I had last year.

Re: Waterless Crapper

Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2009 9:21 am
by Sumner
This is just a follow up to let you guys know that because of this thread and what Scott has done we are trying the Wag Bag/Double Doodie Bag route in our Mac....

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We move the head to the cabin.....

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....and like Scott we are going to enlarge the V-berth back into where the head was.

If you are interested you can find the complete......

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....build of the new head here:

New Head Install Build Diary

c ya,

Sum

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Re: Waterless Crapper

Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2009 2:38 pm
by Y.B.Normal
Proctor & Gamble uses the dry jell in its adult and baby diapers. We used to demo the absorption concept by
pouring 2 cups of water into one-half cup of the dry jell. The jell absorbed every drop and the jell stayed dry.
It's some pretty neat stuff.
Our closing comment was "You can tell when the diaper is full: the baby can't walk."