Replies

I have a bunch of stuff written up that I have to put on my very neglected blog and when it’s up I’ll post a link on my profile page. A compendium of home remedies, from scratch simple recipes from bulk foods, first aid, hygiene, alternative toilets, herb stuff, super nutrition without supplements or expensive ingredients, and so on. Survival stuff for the poor! :-) But it’s not on this computer right now, so here goes.

The best online or regular book is Humanure, do a search and it’s for sale on Amazon and all online as well.

1. Pit outhouse - dig a pit, put an out house on the top. The very worst just about since a big pit filled with excrement does not compost well at all, takes a long, long time, and stinks.

2. Trench latrine - works very well, composts quickly. Dig long trenches, by hand if necessary, or with trencher. About 1 1/2 to 2 feet deep I’d say, and not so wide that you can’t squat over it, or for non-squatters, a movable box with a toilet seat on it. Sometimes we’ve shored up the sides with boards or something similar. Or you can put two boards crosswise and just move them along.

After each deposit, put some dirt on it - use the dirt that came out of the trench, with a trowel kept nearby. Usually a few deposits can be put on top of each other, then move along a few inches to the next spot. As long as the excrement is covered with dirt, there is absolutely no smell at all. In non freezing weather, it composts in a few weeks to a couple of months.

For privacy a movable booth can be constructed, say of tarps, and roof if it’s rainy. Actually trench latrines are one of my favorite alternative toilets because they are so easy.

3. Composting toilet that can be used inside the house - described in detail in Humanure. Simply put, make a box with an open front (three sides and an top with a hole the size of a toilet seat, or you could get those portable commodes often used for invalids). Get several 5 gallon buckets to use underneath.

The trick is to get composting material and first put a layer on the bottom, and after each deposit. It also helps to put a layer of paper on the bottom, helps with cleaning.

Some composting materials - leaf mould, dry leaves, dirt, sawdust (only from raw lumber or wood, NOT kiln dried lumber, the microbes are dead), even chipper shredded materials. Have a bucket of such materials and scoop next to the toilet and cover each deposit.

When the bucket is full, take it outside and compost it. When we did this, we had about 10 buckets, and let them sit for sometime with a lid on but not tight, a bit ajar for air. Then hub dumped them all at once, and many were quite composted already. If dumping one by one, or any way, make sure plenty of composting material covers everything well. Have a pile of dirt next to the outside composting bin or pile to add as needed.

It’s good to have two bins to dump everything in. That way, the pile that is all composted completely can be used on ornamentals or fruit trees, they say not to use on food plants, but IMO if you know that no one has parasites or diseases and is not taking drugs legal or illegal, then once it’s composted it’s safe. YMMV. And then you can be adding to the other pile.

Then wash buckets well, and use again. This method can be used inside the house or in an outbuilding. If outside (or for any other outside toilet) it’s important to have a handwashing station right next to the toilet. In any kind of hardship/collapse situation good hygiene is absolutely imperative to avoid disease and parasites.

3. Simplest of all - individual holes dug with a trowel. This works if you have a lot of property with plenty of privacy. Still it’s a good idea to have an area set aside for this, and make holes in rows or whatever. I’ve used this method and it’s amazing how fast it composts. Someone needs to “go” - just hand them a trowel and TP and water if needed. Voila.

4. On some disaster sites they say to put a plastic bag into the toilet, or get a camping toilet and put the deposits in plastic bags. I think this is the very worst thing in the world. If the situation is so bad that there is no water, for sure there will be no garbage pickup. Can you imagine piled up bags full of non-composting ****????!!!!

It has been noted that lime or ashes can be used in outhouses to cover the smell. I don’t like these as the smell isn’t really diminished that well, and they don’t help to compost the excrement. Dirt, leaf mould, leaves, saw dust and chipper shredded stuff work very well, you just have to have a lot.

There is a sawmill not far from here and we got a big load of sawdust when we did the composting toilet thing. Lasted a long time. Or rake up leaves in the fall and use them. Or just regular old dirt.

When composting toilets using the bucket method are done right (and it’s very easy), there is virtually no bad odor at all, as long as the deposits are covered each time.

It is best to urinate separately when feasible, as too much liquid inhibits the composting process. Urine is easy to dispose of. If poured consistently in the same place it will smell bad, so it’s best to have a few places to dump it, and put some dirt on it.

It’s important not to dispose of human waste anywhere near any bodies of water or shallow wells, or any wells if possible.