Wednesday, September 23, 2009

PortaPee

I do not pee in my composting toilet. The sawdust composting toilet is great...no smell and easy to maintain. If you add urine though it becomes a sloppy mess that requires twice the cover material reducing the number of times you can use the 5 gallon unit between trips to the compost pile.

So I took to peeing outside which is fine in the warmer months but really a drag in winter plus remember pee stinks. Wherever your pee spot is there will be a horrible smell. You can spread it around but eventually the area will become saturated with the stink.

I have a urinal/hose/hole in the ground contraption but still need to run the hose under the house and frankly since the 40 foot snake incident I haven't really had a desire to go crawling under the place...at least until it gets colder.

Basically the urinal attaches to a hose which runs under the house to a 6 foot deep by 1 foot round footing hole that I never used. The hole is filled with pea gravel and the urine leaches into the ground from there. If the stank gets bad I just dig another hole and move the hose. Might freeze in the winter but I will cross that bridge when I get there.

Anyway the picture above is a stopgap device to deal with pee. It is a five gallon water jug with a screw on top and a funnel in the top. The screw on top is very important. Simply pee in the funnel until the barrel is full. You then screw on the cap, take the jug away from the house then dump the thing. If you can't get out to dump the urine just leave the capped jug in a corner and put a backup under the funnel. You can even dump the urine on your compost pile adding needed moisture to the mix.

You may not be able to see it in the picture but there is a small plastic cup inverted over the hole in the bottom of the funnel. Again pee stinks and if the hole is not covered you will smell it. This portapee will hold me anywhere from 4 to 7 days depending on the beer consumption.

This device may not be of much help to the ladies but it still reduces the amount of urine in the compost toilet by half for a couple.

8 comments:

Selous Scout said...

Get yourself some of those urinal "mints" like they use in public bathrooms. That should help with the smell. You could also build a small drain field for just the urine.

http://www.wikihow.com/Construct-a-Small-Septic-System

Anonymous said...

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/09/good-pee-on-tomato-plants-neighbors-see.php

Mayberry said...

Hmmm... I just stuck a funnel through the back wall of my shop to pee in, and I ain't had any odor problems....

BigBear said...

Mayberry, My pee stinks

Anonymous said...

What is wrong with you? Are you not aware of the fact that A. septic systems exist? B. They are required? C. In most places, you can do it yourself? and D. After getting the perk test done, and permit for the septic system, and the system installed, you're problems are over?

I'm sure your neighbors really appreciate your kindness to the their wells in that area also. Being a "survivalist" means putting some thought behind each situation for the long-term. I'm talking about intelligent thought processes. True "survivalists think about the environment. Chump, you are in America, not some 3rd world country so all I'm saying is if you are going to put forth the effort to become a survivalist, you should put forth the effort to do it properly!

Anonymous said...

This man Big Bear is attempting to get you people involved in an illeagal conspiracy. Big Bear does not live in Colorado or anywhere in a shack in the country. He is a government agent living in a large city back east. He is trying to get you folks to do the illegal things he says he is doing like not paying off debts, building dwellings without proper permits etc. This is so he can enable his government and corporate handlers to gain control over your assets and lives.

Mayberry said...

Anonymouses, gee thanks for the warnin'! And here I trusted this guy. Geez, ya never can tell can ya... By golly I'm gonna go get me some permits, pay my taxes, and volunteer for the Army! Thanks for settin' me straight fellas!

Damn, my tongue is permanently stuck to my cheek now....

Betty Bohemian said...

'For the Ladies', you can buy/make a urine separator, or what I do since we don't get snow is use my outdoor shower as a aquat toilet, urine gets diluted with shower water and washed down the slightly slanted sides into the ornamental cactus garden. Works for ME!
P.S why's ya have to go and let slip you work for the government!?!?! Now it makes it so much harder to assimilate and destroy!!!