Making a DIY camping toilet is simple. And you don’t have to use the DIY bucket toilet, which is bulky and an eyesore.
A portable DIY camping toilet was essential for me. I spent months living out of a canvas tent and an SUV and needed a compact and easy camp bathroom.
This cheap and easy DIY camp toilet is perfect for car camping, dispersed camping, or even for emergencies on road trips.
In my opinion, it’s better than the 5-gallon bucket toilet that everyone else writes about.
I learned about this DIY camp toilet on Youtube.
The credit for this camping toilet goes to Tristan. His channel, SUVRVING, is full of awesome content and I used most of his camping toilet setup in the video below.
I will also add more detail about camping privacy shelters and waste bags you can use for this DIY toilet (aka emergency toilet).
DIY Camping Toilet: What Are Your Options?
A DIY camping toilet can typically be categorized into a few categories.
The DIY 5-Gallon Bucket Campsite Toilet
The 5-gallon bucket camp toilet is the most common camping toilet. It uses a pool noodle toilet seat and is the go-to camping toilet solution. However, I’m not a huge fan of it.
The bucket takes up cargo and garage space, and they are one of the most commonly left behind items I find at dispersed campsites. They may fit in your vehicle when it’s nicely packed, but it’s the first thing to be left behind on the way home.
A DIY Camping Toilet: The Stool Method
The DIY camping toilet I use is a portable, easily collapsible toilet that will last years.
This backcountry camp toilet fits under my driver’s seat. It’s cheap and has held up for over 2 years.
Camping Toilet Supplies for Making the Toilet
You’ll need a cheap camping stool, scissors for cutting the fabric, and some duct tape to prevent the fabric from fraying over time.
Similar to the bucket toilet, you’ll be using a wag bag such as Cleanwaste products wrapped around the toilet seat to capture human waste. Please look up local regulations to determine the exact requirements for disposal.
Note: I may earn a small commission from various links used in this article depending on the marketplace you use. Using these links helps keep flashing display ads from spamming your eyes.
- 12ct Cleanwaste bags
- These are self-contained & include "poo powder", wipes, & a little TP
- Apparently I wouldn't wipe clean myself without it being "DUDE" wipes... regardless, they are cheap.
How to Make a Camping Toilet: DIY Camping Toilet Instructions
Step 1
Cut off any mesh or additional material that may come with the stool.
Some stools will come with little mesh pouches for storage – simply cut those off.
Step 2
Using a utility knife or blade of some sort, cut into the center of the stool fabric. Then cut a square or rectangular opening. This will be your makeshift toilet seat.
I simply stabbed my scissors through the center of the fabric and started cutting toward the side.
IMPORTANT: LEAVE ~1.5 to 2 inches of fabric remaining on each side to help support your weight. I had no problem with the stool holding my weight of ~190-200lbs, read the reviews on Amazon and make sure your weight can be supported by the stool you choose.
Step 3
Cut 4 strips of duct tape and wrap them along the edges of the square/rectangle you just cut into the stool. Use additional duct tape to reinforce the corners. This helps prevent additional fraying and will allow your portable camp toilet to last a long time.
Although I didn’t do this, you can also use a lighter and singe the fabric.
Ta-da! You now have your very own DIY camping stool (pun intended).
Now, you just need to get a liner bag, wrap it over the side of the stool, and set it in the hole you cut out.
Waste Bags and Toilet Paper for a Camping Toilet
Sanitation is important when it comes to camping toilets. Making sure you have a leak-proof waste bag is key for an easy cleanup.
I’ve used the CleanWaste bag kit with my camping toilet. I THOUGHT it would be the easiest solution because it already has some of the “cat litter” saw dust-type stuff in it.
However, if you go with CleanWaste, I would recommend buying the bags and chemical-odor-reducing stuff individually. Here are the bags. Here is the poo powder.
Then you can control how much litter/powder you pour into each bag depending on… you know, the characteristics of what’s in the bag.
The Cleanwaste bag kit comes with a wet wipe and enough paper towel to make you think “wtf” each time you open the package.
On average, I found the wet wipe and paper towel provided in each kit to be inadequate and brought my own roll of toilet paper and sanitation with me. Wet wipes are best practice as well.
The wag bags themselves, however, are top-notch in terms of quality.
You won’t have to worry about them tearing or having a hole in them like you might if you use a plastic bag from home or plastic trash bags. Some will also opt for biodegradable trash bag for human waste.
In addition, they come with a separate heavy-duty bag to zip your waste bag into. This helps dramatically with the smell and decreases the “I’m holding a bag of my own poo” feeling.
Cleanwaste Wag Bags Alternatives
I bought Cleanwaste and basically had a 2+ year supply, so I haven’t tested alternatives.
However, A popular alternative is Green Elephant Toilet Replacement bags.
They look a little thin to me and you’d have to have a place to put them, otherwise I would imagine it would smell or be susceptible to getting a hole or rip.
Instead of the poo powder, I’ve heard of people using coffee grounds, cat litter, and generous amounts of sawdust to get rid of the unpleasant odors.
Best Privacy Shelter for Going to the Bathroom while Camping
Initially, I bought a privacy shelter for my camping toilet. It’s also marketed as a shower tent. It worked perfectly until the webbing to stake it down ripped after a few times of use (it was ~50% my fault for using too large of stakes… 50% their fault because the stakes provided sucked).
In addition, these types of privacy shelters are a huge pain to try and get back into their initial packaging. Even after practicing it at home, I never got used to it.
My final straw was trying to pack this thing up while it was raining. It wouldn’t close and then would spring back out. It got covered in mud trying to do this and I eventually had to throw it in my car “as is” and got mud everywhere inside my car and on my other gear. It was a mess.
Most of my camping is pretty remote, so I don’t often have neighbors. But when I do need a little privacy, I park my car next to my tent and open the car door.
In the future, I’m probably going to go with a privacy tent that is set up with real poles.
It’s more expensive, but you’ll actually be able to take it down easily without wanting to rip your hair out. Or maybe that’s just me.
For extended trips, I would recommend something similar to this over one without poles.
DIY Toilet Comparison: The Stool Method vs DIY Bucket Method
The DIY 5-gallon bucket camping toilet is the most popular camper bathroom setup you’ll find on the internet.
Most people have a five-gallon bucket. And the noodle bucket rim toilet seat can be bought for cheap. However, I find them taking up too much valuable real estate in my vehicle.
In addition, people tend to leave those bucket toilets behind in the woods.
It’s one of the most common items I see left behind in dispersed camping areas. Unlike random litter you’ll find in many areas, it’s much more difficult and gross to pick this up after others have been using it.
Someone will “miss” or not want to try and fit it back into their vehicle.
The DIY camping stool toilet is much better than the foam noodle rim bucket toilet seat. It’s much more compact and practical. In addition, you can store it in a standard gear container rather than having it sit in your garage being an eye sore.
Get your DIY camp toilet kit today!
- 12ct Cleanwaste bags
- These are self-contained & include "poo powder", wipes, & a little TP
- Apparently I wouldn't wipe clean myself without it being "DUDE" wipes... regardless, they are cheap.
Final Thoughts: DIY Camping Toilet
Making your own DIY camping toilet is a satisfying way to solve the common human waste issue while camping in an area without bathrooms.
It’s an important piece of gear to bring dispersed camping or in other areas where there are no toilets or bathrooms.
While some find the 5-gallon bucket method preferable, I personally enjoy the camping stool method.
The DIY camping stool toilet is portable and mobile, has a comfortable seat, and is a great alternative to a cassette toilet or the 5-gallon foam pool noodle toilet options.
