3 camping products for bush camping comfort

“I need a toilet!” Those four simple words that strike fear in the hearts of parents, especially when they’re on the road, 100km from the nearest restroom.

But wait! You’ve packed a secret weapon – the trusty Thetford Porta Potti, a portable toilet you can take anywhere the road, and your kids’ unpredictable bladders, leads you. The ultimate camper’s companion, Thetford’s Porta Potti means families have a toilet readily available, whether they’re on a long road trip, camping in remote locations, or exploring nature trails. But there’s more to Thetford than just portable sanitation.

Pioneers in caravan appliances and off-grid accessories, Thetford fuels innovation that meets adventure. From mobile sanitation systems, toilet care products, refrigeration, kitchen, and cooking appliances, Thetford has solutions to equip your off and on the beaten path expeditions, and make you feel at home wherever you are.

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Campsite toilets

The act of wandering off from the campsite with a roll of toilet paper slid over a long handle shovel is a memory that many Aussie campers would have of their bush trips. You would spend a few minutes searching for an inconspicuous spot away from prying eyes where you could dig a deep enough hole to take care of business, hopefully far enough away from the nearest ant nest.

Nowadays there are many popular bush campsites that have pit toilets available and, while certainly a better use of time than digging your own hole, as far as personal sanitation goes, this is still not a great choice for families (either for those who crave a sterile environment or for those inconvenient middle of the night trips with a three-year-old in tow).

This is where the personal cassette toilet has really hit home with the family camping audience. A fully portable, sanitary option that can be set up right next to your campsite, the simple system uses a freshwater tank for flushing and a separate waste tank containing an environmentally friendly chemical to help breakdown the waste.

Thetford Porta Potti Qube 365

Size: 414mm(h) x 383mm(w) x 427mm(d)
Seat height: 408mm
Net weight: 4kg
Waste holding tank capacity: 21L
Flush-water tank capacity: 15L
Flushing system: Manual / piston pump
Price: RRP $209.00, although I have seen as low as $159.00 in some major camping outlets.

How does it work?

Very simple system. It’s basically the same as the one at home except that all waste is held in a tank at the bottom to which you add some environmentally friendly chemicals to help with the breakdown of paper and waste. The tank at the top holds fresh water for flushing together with a disinfectant that helps clean the bowl after each use. Flushing is simply a matter of opening the slide-out door between the bowl and the bottom tank, then raising and lowering the piston lever to push the flush water down the rim of the bowl and into the waste tank.

Once the waste tank is full (as per the indicator on the outside of the unit), separate the unit by way of the rear holding clasp and empty into either a designated council dump point on your way back home, or if staying out in the bush, into a deeply dug hole away from the camping area and waterways.

Performance as tested:

Suffice to say, for many families, this is just as easy and sanitary as using your own toilet at home, and is a far sight more user-friendly and convenient than drop toilet facilities.

Would I buy it?

I have had one for nearly two years now and it has certainly made life easier with a young family.

Toilet and shower tents

While it’s great to have a flushing toilet and a hot shower system when you go camping, the one thing you will need is somewhere to house these facilities so that you can enjoy a little privacy when the time comes to use them. In most cases, your tent, caravan or camper trailer is not always your best bet, particularly when it comes to the shower, as you need somewhere the water can run off and not flood your sleeping quarters. You will also be looking for adequate room to turn around and get dressed, a waterproof fabric to keep the rain out (and the shower in), and finally a simple set-up that doesn’t take half a day to construct.

While many campers choose the cheap pop-up shower tents that have flooded the market in recent years, I’ve found them occasionally to be unstable in a good wind, useless when it comes to holding any weight on the thin metal internal frame and, worse still, an absolute pain in the proverbial to fold up again at the end of the trip.

For these reasons, I tend to favour the more rigid connector pole designs, and while there are a few different options available, Outdoor Connections has a double ensuite tent to house both the toilet and shower, with a number of features not found on other models.

Outdoor Connection Double Outhouse

Size: 2100mm(h) x 2400mm(w) x 1200mm(d)
Fabric: Dryzone cover to keep clothes and towel dry. PE floor to keep sand and dirt out.
Price: RRP $229.00
Available from: portapotti.com.au and major camping stores.

How does it work?

Simple connector pole exoskeleton that can be put together in around 10 minutes. Standout features giving this brand the edge over the competition include its double room layout with fully enclosed toilet and shower areas, a covered toilet paper roll holder, side mesh pockets for soap and shampoo, a waterproof area in the shower section to ensure both your towel and your clothes stay perfectly dry, a separate waterproof fly roof to keep the rain out, full zippered doors, zippered inlets for water hoses and 12v leads, and plenty of pegs and guy ropes to keep the tent grounded in a strong wind.

Performance as tested:

It took a little longer to set up the first-time, however, I’m sure this will improve once I get used to it. I found the dry area in the shower worked very well and, best of all, there is plenty of room to shower properly without feeling cramped. As far as pack-up goes, give me this design any day over those pop-up models and their NASA-trained engineers’ fold-up manoeuvres.

Would I buy it myself?

I have been looking for a new shower and toilet tent for a while, and although this is twice the price of the cheaper single room models out there, nothing else has the same user-friendly features. Plus I like the idea of having separate rooms for the shower and toilet, so yes!