Just gear: part 3

Dimetic portable toilet, bathroom with a great view, Punta Arenas, Chile off in the distance.

I understand that talking about 'bodily functions' not of interest to most, but it is when you live in your van and wild camp quite a lot. Having a dependable toilet is important. Guys, well we have it a bit easier than women, we can pee almost anywhere, including in a bottle if paddling (women can as well, just not as easily). But when it comes to taking care of other business, I for one am not of fan of just finding the nearest tree, especially when you are in so many places where there are no trees. You need a portable toilet. After some research, I bought a Dimetic, a small, portable, chemical toilet. The bottom reservoir holds 5 gallons, enough for 45 flushes or more, according to the manufacturer. The top container holds 3 gals, I think, and I add little chemical pillow packs to the bottom reservoir each time I empty the bottom. Well first, it works great, you take care of business (and be sure to use the special toilet paper designed for these toilets, any RV or marine service stores sell it), then you simply pump it up to pressurize, hit the button, and the contents of the top bowl flush into the bottom. You then close off the bottom storage reservoir, and secure so that things do not bounce around too much. Also, especially when you are climbing in altitude, be sure to occasionally open the slide between top and bottom, with the lid closed, this depressurized the bottom reservoir, helps avoid a bit of mess later when you need to use the toilet. And that is it. It is easy to empty, you simply detach the bottom reservoir, proceed to a dump station or even a regular toilet (I often use those nasty pit toilets you find at some campgrounds), and empty. There is a swing arm pipe, swings out to make emptying every easy. There are other portable toilets out there, but this one works great, is easy to use, and even if it does not last 45 flushes (more like 30 or so), I am very happy so far. Because as we all know, sometimes, you just have to go.
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