Out Houses/Outdoor Latrines?

[Mark Ducati]

Back when I was in the Navy, we a 2 week field exercise and had porta-potty's. But we also had an area where they dug a pit, filled it with a little gravel and then stuck a bunch of 4" PVC pipes into it at an angle, then filled it up the rest of the way with gravel... this was latrine for males to piss in. Taking a crap, they taught us to dig a cat hole with a shovel, do your business and then bury it.

Well, my question relates to our rural property that for now, is nothing more than a glorified campsite on the River....

So my question is, rather than pissing in the bushes and digging a bunch of cat holes on the property as often as I plan to camp, I'd really like to build an "Out House".... I'm sure there are on-line plans out there I can search for to build one out of treated wood and slap a toilet seat on it...

1) Is it as simple as just digging a deep hole in the ground? How deep?

2) I'm sure there's probably an answer from the County or Forestry Service, but any idea in general how far the Out House needs to be from the River?

3) Would it be preferable to use the special bio-degradable toilet paper necessarily?

4) Anything else to add to the hole like baking soda or lime?

[Mark Ducati]

I found this website:

50 ft. from the campsite, etc... but man, 15 ft. deep? Really? That seems a little excessive...

I'm thinking maybe 3-4ft or until my back gives out?

[O.S.O.K.]

I've seen those chemical shipping containers - poly with a cage around them about 3' to a side being used as a receptical for waste at hunting camps - inside toilette coming out of a hunt cabin. I am sure they add the special microbe mix that you can get for your septic - the stuff you flush down the toilette - the microbes break-down the solid waste.

I guess they then take the container to the local NF where they have a black water dump site?

The containers I'm talking about are often cut along the top to make a trash pick-up container in rural areas too - I guess they have rigs to pick them up...

[TomO]

1.Get plastic 55Gal drum & Drill numerous holes.
2.Bury Drum along with gravel surrounding it. (maybe impromptu drainfield with perforated pipes depending on soil porosity)
3.Pipe old toilet to feed into drum...fill toilet tank w/5Gal bucket from river..add enzymes.
4.??????
5.Profit!!

http://www.ehow.com/how_4867856_make-septic-tank-gallon-drum.html

[00RedZX-6R]

On my folks property up north we have two outhouses. One is a hand built wooden one. Goes into just an 8 foot deep hole in the ground. The property is sand so that helps. I just piss where ever I feel like it, but shit it the outhouse. Through a little lime over it to kind kill the smell.

The other one is a plastic outhouse like at a carnival. The bottom wascut out so the shit doen'y get stored. That one we mounted over two steel 55gallon drums welded together. Same method used asthe above one. Piss drawins through the soil, but the solidsbuild up over time. The lime helps break them down, but it does fill up.

The deeper you go the more room you leave for it to get filled up. We 8 people up at a place camping, drinkin and eaten, it doesn't take long for a 3 foot hole to fill up.

The plastic outhouse is alot easier to maintian. No rotting wood or painting ect. The urinal container is good for storing TP.

[Mark Ducati]

I guess with TP, it won't take long for a 3 ft hole to fill up. I think I might make a holder for a stack of brown paper lunch bags and just have folks put the TP in it and toss it in the fire. There's two fire pits at our camp site, one is by the tent area, figured we'd use this one for cooking hot dogs/etc... the other fire pit is by the River, that pit is just for ambiance, that would be suitable for burning the TP bags.

The Out House hole on my property will have to be dug by hand, there's no way I'm going to be able to get any equipment back there any time soon, for that kind of trailer, I'd have to clear more trees.

I think 3-4ft deep is all that I'm going to be worth... and even then, I'm thinking that's going to take me perhaps 2 camping trips to do it too.

So for now, I guess I'll did cat holes.

[00RedZX-6R]

Both of our holes were dug by hand. Your at the campsite with time on your hands. Invite a friend or family member to camp to help you out. Doesn't really take that long once you get moving.

Take the time to do it right or you will be doing it again. Women don't like to see crap in the hole, but can't resist looking at it and then complaining

The reason for the barrels is so you can dig it wide enough to get to the bottom the backfill around the barrels.

[Mark Ducati]

Both of our holes were dug by hand. Your at the campsite with time on your hands. Invite a friend or family member to camp to help you out. Doesn't really take that long once you get moving.

Take the time to do it right or you will be doing it again. Women don't like to see crap in the hole, but can't resist looking at it and then complaining

The reason for the barrels is so you can dig it wide enough to get to the bottom the backfill around the barrels.

Did you make holes in your barrels for drainage? I'm thinking of using my Saiga with Buck Shot at perhaps 30 ft? Or using my AK :)

[Solidus-snake]

Lol every outhouse ive ever seen were only wood stalls with a bench in the back that had a hole cut out in it. If your lucky thered be a toilet seat nailed to the hole.Most had like a 2-3 foot hole in the bottom, but most of these were cabins and camping spots in the sticks. HAHA last one I used had no toilet papaer... but luckily there was an old newspaper there.

EDIT Sooo what does shit never break down over time? Is it the equivelant of plastic? I keep reading about the holes filling up and it makes me wonder. A 5 foot hole would last me a long time I like to think

[old Grump]

Ours was only 6' deep but 4' wide and 6' long with a bench seat. Cut in it were 3 holes, 2 adult size and one kid sized. Even with 7 adults and 8 kids using it regularly it didn't fill up very fast. the lime is much appreciated and toilet paper was a once a month luxury and when it was out it was Monkey Wards catalogs and newspapers. Do not use the funny papers. Black underwear can be explained but red and yellow and green was just weird.

Sand soil and it was off to the side and a little downhill from the house.

Had to be moved and re-dug once and the deeper it got the drunker my dad and Uncle Clarence got. Digging was not their thing. Great Grandpa had to get the rope and the horse and pull them out of the hole because they couldn't climb the ladder. Grandma sure was mad at her two boys. Ah the old days. It was supposed to be deeper but they were better at wider and longer than they were deeper.

[Solidus-snake]

Ours was only 6' deep but 4' wide and 6' long with a bench seat. Cut in it were 3 holes, 2 adult size and one kid sized. Even with 7 adults and 8 kids using it regularly it didn't fill up very fast. the lime is much appreciated and toilet paper was a once a month luxury and when it was out it was Monkey Wards catalogs and newspapers. Do not use the funny papers. Black underwear can be explained but red and yellow and green was just weird.

Sand soil and it was off to the side and a little downhill from the house.

Had to be moved and re-dug once and the deeper it got the drunker my dad and Uncle Clarence got. Digging was not their thing. Great Grandpa had to get the rope and the horse and pull them out of the hole because they couldn't climb the ladder. Grandma sure was mad at her two boys. Ah the old days. It was supposed to be deeper but they were better at wider and longer than they were deeper.

Now THATS what I call a nice outhouse

[O.S.O.K.]

:lol:

I just want to say what a shitty thread this is :hyper:

:D

And I once took a dump at a cowboy action shoot and then after I was done and looked back, I noticed a black widow spider crawling on her web in the corner - very near where my balls had been hanging just a minute earlier.

I think I will be making a septic of some sort with indoor flush toillette thanks very much.

I'd rather just shat in a cat hole than sit on an old and who-knows-what's underneath outhouse hole :)

[Schuetzenman]

I guess with TP, it won't take long for a 3 ft hole to fill up. I think I might make a holder for a stack of brown paper lunch bags and just have folks put the TP in it and toss it in the fire. There's two fire pits at our camp site, one is by the tent area, figured we'd use this one for cooking hot dogs/etc... the other fire pit is by the River, that pit is just for ambiance, that would be suitable for burning the TP bags.

The Out House hole on my property will have to be dug by hand, there's no way I'm going to be able to get any equipment back there any time soon, for that kind of trailer, I'd have to clear more trees.

I think 3-4ft deep is all that I'm going to be worth... and even then, I'm thinking that's going to take me perhaps 2 camping trips to do it too.

So for now, I guess I'll did cat holes.

See if you can buy some legal explosives and blast yourself a hole. Do the Ampho maybe. If nothing else it would break up the soil so that digging would be a lot easier, especially if rocks and tree roots are in your way. A gas powered post hole digging auger could put in your pilot hole. Not sure of the laws in GA but in TN if you had 10 acres I think you were allowed to purchase dyanamite and caps.

[Solidus-snake]

:lol:

I just want to say what a shitty thread this is :hyper:

:D

And I once took a dump at a cowboy action shoot and then after I was done and looked back, I noticed a black widow spider crawling on her web in the corner - very near where my balls had been hanging just a minute earlier.

I think I will be making a septic of some sort with indoor flush toillette thanks very much.

I'd rather just shat in a cat hole than sit on an old and who-knows-what's underneath outhouse hole :)

LOL wow that would SUCK... a black widow bite on the testicles? OUCH.

I always wondered about if a snake could bite my ass while on one. He may bite me but since I only use outhouses in emergencies by God id take a massive shit on him!

[Schuetzenman]

LOL wow that would SUCK... a black widow bite on the testicles? OUCH.

I always wondered about if a snake could bite my ass while on one. He may bite me but since I only use outhouses in emergencies by God id take a massive shit on him!

That would have to be one looooong snake or one shallow outhouse for a snake to get your ass.:laugh:

[Solidus-snake]

That would have to be one looooong snake or one shallow outhouse for a snake to get your ass.:laugh:

Ive had to use some preeeetty shallow ones. The one at my local range is like, 3 ft or less.... pretty nasty and I wont lie, its a good thing I do alot of dips at the gym because I gotta hold myself up on that one and I dont often sit shit and get!

[mrkalashnikov]

Had to be moved and re-dug once and the deeper it got the drunker my dad and Uncle Clarence got. Digging was not their thing. Great Grandpa had to get the rope and the horse and pull them out of the hole because they couldn't climb the ladder. Grandma sure was mad at her two boys. Ah the old days. It was supposed to be deeper but they were better at wider and longer than they were deeper.

Jeez, were Huck Finn & Tom Sawyer on hand to help with this project? :cigarsmoking::wink:

[O.S.O.K.]

I remember when I did the trek at Philmont with my oldest son - boy scouts. This was a 100 mile, 10-day treck with 45 and 50 pound packs (depending on how much food you had on you = or had eaten) and they had outhouses at the campsites. The standard procedure we instructed the boys one was to use the curved stick/twig that was in them to go aournd the inside of the hole before you sat down - the idea was to dislodge any vermin - spiders in particular....

This probably developed after somebody's arse got bit...

We also had to make noise as we traveled to warn the bears of our presence. Only saw two the whole time - pretty cool actually. One was when I was with three boys coming back from the resupply - we were all carrying big bags of food :lool: Fortunately, the bear was taking a drink in the little stream the crossed the trail - up wind... A good sized cinnamon bear. I have a vid of this actually...

[00RedZX-6R]

Did you make holes in your barrels for drainage? I'm thinking of using my Saiga with Buck Shot at perhaps 30 ft? Or using my AK :)


There were a few holes. The ground we had was sand though, so the liquids disperse quickly.

[00RedZX-6R]

Ours was only 6' deep but 4' wide and 6' long with a bench seat. Cut in it were 3 holes, 2 adult size and one kid sized. Even with 7 adults and 8 kids using it regularly it didn't fill up very fast. the lime is much appreciated and toilet paper was a once a month luxury and when it was out it was Monkey Wards catalogs and newspapers. Do not use the funny papers. Black underwear can be explained but red and yellow and green was just weird.

Sand soil and it was off to the side and a little downhill from the house.

Had to be moved and re-dug once and the deeper it got the drunker my dad and Uncle Clarence got. Digging was not their thing. Great Grandpa had to get the rope and the horse and pull them out of the hole because they couldn't climb the ladder. Grandma sure was mad at her two boys. Ah the old days. It was supposed to be deeper but they were better at wider and longer than they were deeper.


A three holer. The outhouse on the farm is an old three holer. I refuse to use an outhouse with someone else in there though.

[00RedZX-6R]

:lol:

I just want to say what a shitty thread this is :hyper:

:D

And I once took a dump at a cowboy action shoot and then after I was done and looked back, I noticed a black widow spider crawling on her web in the corner - very near where my balls had been hanging just a minute earlier.

I think I will be making a septic of some sort with indoor flush toillette thanks very much.

I'd rather just shat in a cat hole than sit on an old and who-knows-what's underneath outhouse hole :)


Something lives underneath the three hole'r on the farm. You make sure to bang you feet when you get in there to scare it out from underneath. It is pretty scary when you hear something move underneath your bare ass. If itis living in shit, it can't be too clean.

[O.S.O.K.]

Possum I bet. Greasy critters...

You'd think that the strong smell of human scat would keep such away...

[old Grump]

A three holer. The outhouse on the farm is an old three holer. I refuse to use an outhouse with someone else in there though.City kid?

[Integratedj]

City kid?

That doesn't matter at all man. I grew up in the sticks and there's no way in hell I would share a shitter with some one else at the same time. Have you smelt the ass bombs some people drop? Shit, my Dad would clear an outhouse for at least 30 minutes after he was done with it. Imagine being stuck in one trying to finish up with that smell crushing in around you and all you can think of is to run like hell from it.

[Solidus-snake]

:lol:

[Viking350]

That doesn't matter at all man. I grew up in the sticks and there's no way in hell I would share a shitter with some one else at the same time. Have you smelt the ass bombs some people drop? Shit, my Dad would clear an outhouse for at least 30 minutes after he was done with it. Imagine being stuck in one trying to finish up with that smell crushing in around you and all you can think of is to run like hell from it.

Let me get this straight. Your Dad's ass bomb is so potent it stinks worse than the outhouse itself?

[Integratedj]

Let me get this straight. Your Dad's ass bomb is so potent it stinks worse than the outhouse itself?

Let me put it this way. Any combination of Beans, Beer, Beef, and my Father... Get the fuck away from him for the night, and most of the next morning. It's like a bear that burps up spiced sewage plant stink.

And our outhouses never really smelled that bad other than when he was in them. At least not that I remember from them.

[Viking350]

Let me put it this way. Any combination of Beans, Beer, Beef, and my Father... Get the fuck away from him for the night, and most of the next morning. It's like a bear that burps up spiced sewage plant stink.

And our outhouses never really smelled that bad other than when he was in them. At least not that I remember from them.

Man I read this and about pi$$ed myself laffin.:laugh:

[old Grump]

With as many people as we had using it and the way we ate sometimes there was no holding back, you shared the outhouse or headed for the woods. Most of the time that was no problem but we lived in porcupine, skunk, black bear, coyote country and getting caught with your pants down with mama skunk raising her tail was not a good thing.

Then you add the city kids who came to visit who refused to use the outhouse and could not believe we didn't have an indoor toilet. Some of them were a little ignorant about what they could grab for wiping with. You ever hear a 9 year old boy screaming right after taking a swipe down there in the tender region with a handful of nettles. That would be my cousin Larry and he came back minus his pants and didn't give a damn. Took his dad, my dad and my Grandpa to hold him still while my grandma cleaned him up and poured some white stuff out of a bottle on him to stop the stinging. Only then did he realize he was half naked in front of about 30 people. Life might have been hard sometimes but it was never boring. Communal out house was just a fact of life. Crapping in the woods we left for the bears.

[00RedZX-6R]

City kid?

I never had to go bad enough to share an outhouse I guess. I like my family and friends, but not that much to shit in the same outhouse as them.

[old Grump]

Did you ever share a public restroom with 20 strangers and have to stand in line behind somebody in a row of 6 urinals. Sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do. We never liked it either because somehow the other person always stunk worse than you did.