There are many steps and precautions that must be taken when installing a composting toilet. When going on a picnic, or to that long-awaited camp trip, portable toilets are your best option. In general, portable toilets are very hygienic, have a sufficient amount of design created to make it durable, and are effortless to install. Below are five must-know steps to keep in mind when you are installing a composting toilet.
Prepping
Firstly, prepping is a very essential step when you are out there camping and about to install the toilet. There are questions to be asked, like the placement (which we’ll get to later on), the equipment, and time needed. Firstly, this is a task that does not take more than 20 minutes to assemble. Depending on the type of toilet you’ve created/ purchased, there should be a “top” or the seat, the absorbent, which is usually made up of coco coir (made of the outer layer of a coconut), a bucket, and water. Of course you do not have to create a toilet yourself, you have some options. There are toilets that can be purchased to make your camping trip much easier and less of a hassle. Some toilets are extremely hefty and can endure the harshest of weathers, some are extremely sanitary, and some come with the full works, including a large tent for the toilet.
What to do with the “liquids” tank
As far as compost toilets go, there are usually, not always, two separate tanks. The first one is for the liquids and the other is for solids. Like recycling trash, these two must be kept separate as they function differently when used for composting. Urine is actually full of nutrients and depending on the type of toilet you have purchased; it is sometimes departed directly into a separate tank for immediate use.
What to do with the “solids” tank
The solids tank on the other side need time before it can be released since the nutrients take time to break down and become safe. Therefore, a composting pile, which will also be discussed later, is essential.
Ventilation is necessary
Ventilation for both the toilet and the pile is necessary. Discharge can create odors that, well, we could go without, so making the tent that the toilet is in ventilated should be one of the first steps taken.
The compost pile
The compost pile, as mentioned before, is extremely important. Wherever you are, if you have that separate tank for feces, then you should look for a place, preferably far away from the tents, and create a ventilated area that the compost can take its time to fully break down.
Composting can sometimes sound like a hard task, but if the right measures and steps are taken, it can become much easier. Purchasing the right toilet is not a hard task, as long as you know exactly what you want, and where you will put it, the rest is a cakewalk.
