Reliable camping toilets for when nature calls

A beautiful place to do business. (Kevin Ianeselli via Unsplash/)

When you need a camping toilet, you really need one. Outdoorsmen who might be tempted to scoff at portable commodes have clearly never tried to dig a latrine in ground that’s rock-solid frozen, or been stuck in an ice-fishing shack over a long weekend, with the nearest port-a-john nowhere in sight. Besides, there’s no shame in enjoying some comforts from home while in the woods. Whatever the occasion, we’ve compiled four camping toilets or toilet accessories that will make taking care of business in nature a little more pleasant.

The GigaTent Pop Up Pod, a portable outhouse when privacy is a problem. (Amazon/)

Nature doesn’t always provide enough seclusion when, well, nature calls. The 6-foot-tall Pop Up Pod is a portable tent outhouse that can solve this problem by providing you plenty of privacy, whether you’re using a latrine or a portable camping toilet. This 3-pound, wind-resistant tent can also double as a changing room or shower stall, and would be particularly handy at crowded big deer or fish camps.

The Reliance Products Luggable Loo, a no-fuss toilet setup. (Amazon/)

Admittedly, there’s not a lot to this product. It’s basically a 5-gallon bucket with a toilet seat that snaps to the top. But sometimes that’s all you need, luxury be darned. The Luggable Loo is marketed toward outdoorsmen but is apparently pretty popular among long-haul truck drivers, too. Don’t forget to pick up some heavy-duty trash bags to use as liners.

The Porta Potti Thetford, a toilet that flushes and holds 5.5 gallons of waste. (Amazon/)

Sometimes a 5-gallon-bucket setup, like the Luggable Loo, doesn’t cut it, especially if you’re significant other isn’t accustomed to roughing it. The reasonably priced Porta Potti Thetford is a major step up, in terms of comfort and cleanliness. It flushes like a normal toilet, holds 4-gallon of fresh water and 5.5 gallons of waste, and averages 56 flushes before needing to be emptied. It also has a neat built-in toilet-paper compartment, and an easy-to-pour detachable waste tank.

The Cleanwaste Portable Toilet, a 7-pound toilet seat that folds up for easy carry. (Amazon/)

If bringing an entire toilet to camp, even a portable one, seems like a lot of trouble, not to mention a bit cumbersome, there’s the Cleanwaste Portable Toilet, which, despite the name, is not really a toilet but a toilet seat. The 7-pound contraption folds down to the size of a briefcase, and includes a carry handle to boot. To use it, you just secure one of Cleanwaste’s biodegradable toilet bags (sold separately) and go to town.