CAMPING | In-Depth Guide To Choosing The Best Portable Camping Toilets – Camp Toilet Guide

June 10, 2020 Shell Robshaw-Bryan

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A camp toilet can make a sound investment for those who like to camp away from the crowds or just don’t want to have to traipse across a field in the middle of the night to use the loo. A camp toilet means you don’t have to pick a pitch based on how close it is to the toilet block and gives more way more camping freedom. Read on for our in-depth guide to camp toilets…

In this guide

Reasons to consider buying a portable camp toilet
Other things to think about
The different types of camp toilets that are available
Our camp toilet recommends based on 25+ years of camping

So what do you need to consider when buying a camp toilet? Our guide will walk you through all of the main considerations.

Should you get a camping toilet?

If you get up to go to the loo in the night or have little ones that do, then buying a camp toilet could make sense. If you don’t want to rough it, a camp toilet isn’t just a luxury, it could turn out to be an essential bit of camping kit and you’ll wonder how you ever did without it!

Thetford 92820 Porta Potti 365 Portable Toilet

Dartmoor Lightweight Portable Toilet, 10L

Thetford Porta Potti® 335 Toilet One Size

Large Indoor Outdoor Caravan Picnic Festivals Mobile 22L — Large Indoor Outdoor Camping Toilet 22L

Guide to buying a camp toilet — *I upgraded my camp toilet last year and it was an excellent decision!*

As someone who goes to the loo multiple times throughout the night and is a bad sleeper anyway, getting up, leaving the tent, putting on shoes, unzipping the tent, trudging to the toilet block and back again 2-3 times a night is annoying and leads to me getting even worse sleep than usual. So for someone like me, a camp toilet is crucial – I simply couldn’t and wouldn’t camp without one!

You should consider getting a camp toilet if;

You or a family member frequently wake up to use the loo during the night
You are camping somewhere basic or wild that doesn’t have a toilet block
For safety reasons, you want to minimise your families use of shared campsite toilet facilities
Shared facilities make you a little squeamish

Heading off camping next month as soon as lockdown eases? If so, you might need to consider taking your own toilet and washing facilities with you.

Here’s our guide to choosing a portable camp toilet https://t.co/cVgfG8ZM2L #camping #campingtips pic.twitter.com/MS1uiylDF4
— ᘳᗗᘻᕵ & ᖶᖇᗋᐺᕩᒹ ᙢᓎᖇᕦ! (@CampWithStyle) March 26, 2021

Finding the best camping toilet

I’ve had 4 camp toilets in my camping lifetime. Before you think I have a weird camp loo fetish, let me explain.

The first was called a Luggable Loo (similar to this), and was basically a bucket with a seat, but it did the job for a good 7 years of camping. Whilst not sealed or watertight, the seat and lid closed with a reassuring click, but when the seat broke, I decided to get a bit fancier and made the decision to replace it with a flushing camp loo.

I did no research whatsoever and chose a small Hi-Gear flushing loo simply because it was cheap and in stock. I used it just once and then sold it as I didn’t get on with it.

The waste tank capacity at 10litres was too small, it got clogged (partly my fault, down to ignorance as I was using and flushing regular toilet paper) and at the time, it was too big to fit in my car with the rest of my camping gear.

I then went back to a bucket-style loo, but this time, I chose a different style (BranQ 1306) with a seat and lid that didn’t fit firmly, so I constantly worried I was going to knock it over and face a sewage disaster and I ended up giving it away.

Thetford Porta Potti Qube 165 Flushing Camp Loo — **My Thetford Porta Potti**

In 2020, I purchased my fourth camp toilet, but this time I’m confident I finally made the right investment. I chose the Thetford 165 Porta Potti after talking to a friend with one and following weeks of research and review reading. After more than 2 years, I’m still delighted with my purchase!

Different types of camp toilet

Although you’ll find all sorts of pop-up and emergency toilets, ranging from stools with a bag hanging underneath, to folding cardboard boxes and chamber pot style containers, for family campers, I believe there are only really 2 sensible camp toilet choices.

The first choice is the basic bucket-style camp toilet and the second option is the fancier, bulkier and more expensive, flushing chemical camp toilet. The best camping toilet for you is going to depend on a few different factors.

These are pros and cons of both to consider…

Pros & cons of basic bucket-style camp toilets

These generally take up less space and in transit, because they are essentially a bucket with a loo seat and lid, you can use them to store stuff inside.
They are much lighter than a flushing camp loo.
Bucket style camp toilets aren’t ideal for solid waste due to the fact they aren’t sealed.
You could probably use chemical toilet liquid in them, or you can use them with wood chips (wood-based cat litter is ideal, a friend of mine swears by it!) as a composting loo, but again, because the unit isn’t sealed, knocking a toilet bucket over could have nasty results!
They are generally pretty cheap – you can pick a bucket-style camp loo up for around £20.
This style of bucket loo is generally best for light, emergency night time use.
They aren’t as easy to empty as flushing camp toilets that have a waste tank – you tip the bucket up to empty and everything comes rushing out…keep your mouth firmly closed in case of splashback!!

Portable Toilet Powder Poo Urine Powder for Camping

Hillington Lightweight and Portable 5L Camping Toilet with Seat

BranQ Camping Toilet Bags 22 L Pack of 20

Kinspory Portable Collapsible Toilet Bucket

Pros & cons of flushing camp toilets

They tend to be quite bulky, so you’ll need to ensure you have enough space in your car to transport one.
They come in lots of different sizes and so vary in price from around £55 and upwards.
Some camp toilets have dodgy seals (yuck!) and designs that make them more difficult to empty as they may be more prone to clogging.
Depending on what design you go for, you’ll find that flushing camp loos are much more stable, so there is less chance of knocking them over.
If you’re on a site that doesn’t have a chemical disposal site, most can be transported (carefully!) without leaks and the contents disposed of at home if necessary – this does vary by manufacturer and model though, so do your research – a surprisingly large number of reviews mention leaks!
You get next to no smells when using a flushing camp loo as long as you are using the recommended chemicals at the right levels – again, please read reviews as some are more highly concentrated, have nicer smells and are more effective in use than others.
They can be heavy when full, especially if you go for a camp loo with a large waste holding tank, you can pop them on a rolling trolley though if the carrying weight is a real problem.
Although you can use toilet roll with a flushing camp loo, too much or using the wrong type can cause clogs when it comes to emptying time, so we’d strongly recommend minimising the use of loo roll (we use either biodegradable nappy bags or dog poo bags for loo roll), or using loo roll designed to be used in camp toilets, like Thetford Aqua Soft Toilet Paper or using something designed to be reusable like Cheeky Wipes.

Hi-Gear 10 Litre Lightweight Portable Flushing Toilet

What are toilet chemicals and why do I need them?

Flushing camp toilets should be used with a special fluid. A blue fluid is added to the waste tank which helps to not only break down waste but also to keep smells under control and to reduce gas build-up.

A different liquid, usually pink in colour, is added to the flush tank that will help to deodorise and clean the bowl after use.

There is a third toilet fluid option which is generally green and promotes a more natural biological breakdown of the contents of the waste tank. A handful of campsites will only accept green, so do check first.

Blue Diamond Chemical Toilet Fluid Twin Pack 2L

Thetford 202240 Aqua Soft Portable Camp Toilet Paper

Boxio Portable Toilet – Convenient Camping Toilet

Camp toilet purchasing considerations

1. Size of the camp toilet waste tank

The main thing to bear in mind is the size of the waste tank. The cheapest and smallest camp toilets will have a relatively small waste tank, and whilst this might be suitable for a small family to use on a short weekend break, you’ll generally need something with a bigger capacity if more than a couple of people will be using it.

For more than 2 people, or for camping trips longer than a weekend, I’d recommend choosing a minimum waste tank capacity of 20 litres.

2. Access to chemical toilet disposal points

Does the site you are planning on visiting have a chemical disposal point? It’s fair to say most, but by no means all campsites have chemical loo disposal points, so if your loo fills up whilst you are away and you can’t empty it, you could be in trouble!

Either make sure the tank capacity is big enough to see you through your whole trip or make sure your chosen site has a disposal point. Also think about how far away the disposal site is, walking with a full 20+ litre tank can be hard work, and not all waste tanks are high-quality enough to be able to safely transport without leaks in the car!

3. Don’t forget to purchase (and take with you!) the right toilet chemicals

Some toilets come with chemicals, others don’t so we’d recommend checking and buying these separately. You’ll generally need a pink bowl cleaner which goes into the flush tank and a separate (usually blue) liquid which goes into the waste tank and helps to eliminate any nasty smells.

Do remember too, that toilet chemicals represent a small ongoing cost to factor into your purchase. I personally use and recommend Blue Diamond Toilet Fluid & Bowl Cleaner.

Pro-Kleen Caravan Toilet Chemical Blue 2L and Pink 2L Rinse Fluid Solution

Flow Pink & Blue Chemical Motorhome & Caravan WC Toilet Fluid & Rinse Cleaner

Thetford 30619CX Aqua Kem Concentrated Blue Toilet Fluid, 780 ml — Thetford 30619CX Aqua Kem Concentrated Blue Toilet Fluid

OLPRO Outdoor Leisure Products Toilet Chemical Camping Porta Potti Fluid

4. Where will you put your camp loo?

Big family tents will often have several different rooms or even a side entrance that you could use as a makeshift bathroom. or you can buy stand-alone toilet or utility tents.

If you have a bell tent however and don’t use an inner tent, think about the practicality of where you’ll put the loo and how you’ll use it with a modicum of privacy! As a bell tent camper, I found making a privacy screen using a folding clothes airer with a throw over it was ideal.

Kampa - Privvy Utility Tent — Kampa – Privvy Utility Tent

Mountain Warehouse Pop Up Shower & Toilet Tent

Camp toilet screen for bell tents — **In front of the round window, you can see the privacy screen I made using a clothes airer to hide my camp toilet behind**

5. Design of waste tank

You might need to pay a little more, but a good camp toilet will allow you to safely detach the waste tank, which you should also be able to seal off. This means the unit can then be easily moved or carried to the disposal point, or even transported home.

Please read reviews, and don’t scrimp on the toilet model you choose. Having the contents of a camp toilet leak is something you seriously don’t want to risk happening!

Camping toilet options & accessories spring/summer 2024

Outwell 20L Portable Toilet £64.99

Sunncamp Lulu Tourlet Portable Toilet £30

Sunncamp Lulu Tourlet Portable Toilet £19.99

Green Blue GB320 Portable Toilet 19L

Thetford Aqua Rinse Concentrated (750ml)

Thetford Porta Potti 365 Portable Toilet £89.99

Hi Gear Portable Camp Toilet

OLPRO Pop Up Utility and Toilet Tent

Cheeky Wipes Reusable Toilet Wipes

Outwell 20L Portable Toilet

Thetford Aqua Kem Blue Toilet Sachets

Dometic 976 Toilet White and Grey

Flushing Camp Toilets On Amazon

Outsunny 20L Portable Travel Mobile Toilet

Blue Diamond WAT225 Porta Potti Portable — Blue Diamond WAT225 Portable Toilet

Enders Deluxe - Camping toilet,4950 — Enders Deluxe – Camping toilet, 4950

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Shell Robshaw-Bryan

Editor & Owner at Camping with Style

Shell loves all things travel and outdoors and is a nature-loving, comfy-camping kinda girl. Shell started the Camping with Style blog after a serious snowboarding accident which left her with a broken back. Despite this she used the outdoors and healing power of nature to aid her recovery and she continues to spend time outdoors whenever she can.

From open water swimming, snowboarding and kayaking to hill walks and meditation, Shell shares her travels and microadventures here on the blog and in various publications she's written for, Shell has a particular interest in promoting wellbeing and the many benefits of nature therapy.

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