It should be noted that sawdust, peat moss, and rotting leaves are NOT
nitrogen rich. It's the poop & pee that are nitrogen rich. The sawdust
dilutes the nitrate and probably achieves a better balance for
composting; but in the short run it probably absorbs moisture, slows
the fermentation, and to some extent absorbs odors, at least for a
while.
The deodorizing chemicals available for porta potties probably are way
more effective.
--Gary Hyde
N24 'Sailabration'
M17 #637 'Hydeaway2'
M15 #235 'Vanilla'
On Aug 19, 2005, at 10:20 AM, Brian Gilbert wrote:
Hi all:
I know this particular topic is a little gross, but I'd like to hear
more
about other folks' solutions to the head problem as well. I've been
trying
to come up with something for my boat that would be similar to a very
small
composting toilet. I've read a little bit of The Humanure Handbook
(available online, I think) and it seems that it's possible, but needs
experimentation (yech!) to see if one can make or adapt a sawdust
toilet for
boat use.
A sawdust toilet is commonly used in no-septic cabins. It's just a
5-gal
bucket. As long as deposits are covered with sawdust, peat moss, rotted
leaves, or other nitrogen-rich cover it doesn't smell. I would guess
they
mean it doesn't smell THAT bad, as sleeping with my head two inches
away
from a bucket full of rotten leaves and poop has got to have some sort
of
smell. According to the book, if the contents are heated to 140
degrees,
pathogens are killed and it's safe to bury. It seems to get almost
that hot
in my car when the windows are rolled up...maybe some kind of black
bucket
with a glass or plexi top? Still, I think I may opt for some heavy-duty
plastic bags and a clandestine trip to a dumpster whenever possible.
On commercial composting heads (about $1200!) there's some kind of way
to
divert urine into a separate container. A teaspoon of sugar added to
this
reportedly gets rid of odors from urine. My M17 came with with a head
that
really isn't much more than a glorified bucket with a toilet seat on
top. I
might try to modify that somehow.
Has anyone else though about this a lot, or should I seek counseling?
Best
BG
--
Brian Gilbert
Marine Media
M17 "Tiny Dancer" (ex "Stargazer")
(423)876-9990
3404 Hartford Drive
Chattanooga, TN 37415
www.sailingsmall.com
on 8/19/05 12:22 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] at
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
Hi Tom,
I carry a portable crapper called a boom box rather than the potti
that
came with the M15...
We use it for extended whitewater trips on rivers
were carrying out all waste is a requirement...
I'd like to hear more about this (sorry if it's a bit indelicate...).
I've been considering the simple bucket for my next boat (not a Monty,
but still space-challenged and the head is in some prime real estate
right now). I was remembering back to my whitewater days, during
which
I took a raft-supported trip down the Salmon River and we used
5-gallon
buckets.
We used some sort of mixture (lime?) that we sprinkled in to the
bucket
between uses and it actually wasn't too hideous. I mean, the first
person to use the bucket has it just fine, but assuming you can't
immediately jettison the contents, then what? This powder kind of ...
stabilized things since in that case we actually had to use each
bucket
until it was full. Of course a smaller container would be much better
for a small boat with one or two people on it...
So, I'm curious to know more about the boom box, and also if you use
the powder I remember and what was it, actually? I never knew.
In the case of the river trips (in case anyone's still reading ;-), we
had to pack *everything* out, so we just used the buckets until they
were full, then put the lid on and ran a bead or two of duct tape
around the joint between lid and bucket, just for extra security.
Then
we started a new bucket...
And to think I was writing about ice cream and 20-year-old port just
yesterday :-)
--- R.
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