Camp toilet instead of bedside commode?

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Camp toilet instead of bedside commode?

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Has anyone used a camp toilet instead of a bedside commode? A camp or portable toilet is like a real toilet. They flush and since the opening closes when not in use, there is no smell. The other advantage is that they can hold a week or two of use before needing to be emptied.

Hygiene Toileting

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This question has had me reading up on potable toilets. There are two basic types, one where the waste is turned into a solid and the other where it is mixed with water and chemicals, both are designed to be emptied at an RV dump station. I think the emptying is going to be a real problem in the home - a 5 gallon bucket of chemically treated waste is not going to be easily flushed down a toilet, it will be heavy, smelly (yes, there are chemicals but it isn't gonna smell like roses) and someone already mentioned the splash factor. The solid type would have to be disposed of in heavy duty bags, you would need to buy the gels that solidify the waste, and I bet they would be pretty heavy. I suppose you could get around some of this by emptying the toilets more often but in that case you are defeating the whole point.

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I buy those bags that fit inside the bedside commode. I order them on amazon. They are just about $60.00 for three boxes. 20 bags to a box. The brand is CareBag. They are referred to as commode liners. Yeah, the price adds up but I can't stomach it otherwise. At least this way I drop the bag in the trash and done!

Some people even put kitty litter in the commode to absorb smell. Haven't tried that. My gosh, never in my life would I have ever dreamed I would be discussing such things. Haha. I was the free spirit after graduating that would back pack in the mountains with my friends. Geeeez, WTH happened to me??? How did my life end up like this? LOL

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I used to get those bags but as you say, they are expensive. So I do something else instead. I get a big box of 13 gallon trash bags at Costco. Dirt cheap. I prefer a bigger bag instead of the little commode liner bags since I can twist and then tie it close easier. Now the commode liner bags come with an absorbent pad. That really helps with the smell. But that little absorbent pad doesn't hold that much. I put three size 3 diapers on the bottom of the commode bucket after I put the trash bag in. For grandma, that holds enough liquid to last 24-26 hours. So I only have to empty her commode once a day. The diapers themselves are pretty good at keeping down the smell. For the first 12-14 hours, I don't smell a thing. To boost that, I put about a shot class of activated carbon in there along the back. That takes me to the full 24 hours with not much smell.

I agree that simply throwing away a bag is easy. I've been thinking about a camp toilet for a long time. The one thing that puts me off is the idea of pouring out 5 gallons of pee all at once. Right now, with the diapers, it's solid waste I'm dealing with. No splashing. Based on my experience with pouring out the steam cleaner, there's going to be splashing.

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Height is not a problem. Do as you would do with a regular toilet. Stick a commode frame over it. Or a specialized toilet rail but I find that a commode frame over a toilet is much more stable than any of those toilet rails. Thus you also have the arms to get up with. Or if you don't need the arms, stick something under the portable toilet. Blocks of wood work well.

As to where you would empty it, you empty it in your regular toilet. The waste is stored in something that's a lot like a 5 gallon water container. Unscrew the lid and pour it into your toilet.

There are no chemicals. Not needed.

Yes, you can get them at Amazon or pretty much anywhere else that sells camping or RV supplies. They are pretty cheap, mainly $50-$100.

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Send me the brand or link! haha. The bedside commode I bought was a little over $50. Same price. That was my next question. Toilet frame would work, I think. Had that in my hall bath for mom. Gosh, my house is like a senior center or a hospital!

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Oh my gosh, yes! Height is a big issue, handles too. Mom has Parkinson's. She has to have that, fall issues. Could you place the raised seat with handles on it though like I had in the hall bathroom before I got the bedside commode?

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In my experience, the best way to "raise a toilet" is to put a commode frame over it. That's what they do in hospitals. People often wonder what that piece that looks like a commode bucket but is open on both ends is that comes with a commode. That's the splash guard. It bridges the gap between the commode seat and the toilet. Be that a regular toilet or a camp toilet.

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I am with JoAnn29's camp...(pun intended)
I would have to check height
Check stability
Can it be modified so that arms can be put on it so it makes it easy for someone to get up and off or seated safely?
And where would you empty a weeks worth of elimination.
I am sure there is a chemical element to them and would the cost be more than a commode? Keeping in mind a commode or adaption to a toilet would probably be covered by insurance where a camp toilet would not be.

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Sounds good but the height would be in question. The elderly have a hard time getting up if toilet is too low. Also, a commode has arms to help with getting up.

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I have the bedside commode for mom in her room. Where do they sell those? Amazon or something? Sounds like a good alternative.

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Camp toilet instead of bedside commode?

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