How Long Can We Last?!?

[Philkaty]

bring a shovel and dig a big ass hole... lol of course only gray water...

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by Philkaty

bring a shovel and dig a big ass hole... lol of course only gray water...

If you dig the hole deep enough black water would be OK. Maybe 6 feet or more. That would be like an outhouse pit without the house.

[Philkaty]

Originally Posted by TitanMike

If you dig the hole deep enough black water would be OK. Maybe 6 feet or more. That would be like an outhouse pit without the house.

TRUE!!! Our tanks are 39 gal each and have had no problems out boonedocking. The grey tank does get full faster and we also have an aux tank in the trailer we tow with the toys in it.

[Philkaty]

Originally Posted by cekkk

"There are a number of threads on the Forum about the collapsible bladders carried in the truck bed hooked up with a simple 12V pump"

I do have a collapsible bladder, so I appreciate your input. Also, my wife would love to have me in the bed of the pickup as she tows our rig down the road. However, I'm a little nervous about the 12 volt set up. Please expand on that. 🤔

I use a 12v pump form Harbor Freight and it works good.
Remember your only as prepared as you make your self...

[ppine]

You should be able to last a week. With some practice and water conservation measures you can last much longer. People that have backpacked are really good at conserving water. Always brings some containers in case you run into some fresh water in your travels. Untreated lake and river water can be used for everything except drinking. You can use it for cooking and cleaning dishes if it is boiled first. Carry a water filter and you can pump drinking water if you need to.

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by ppine

You should be able to last a week. With some practice and water conservation measures you can last much longer. People that have backpacked are really good at conserving water. Always brings some containers in case you run into some fresh water in your travels. Untreated lake and river water can be used for everything except drinking. You can use it for cooking and cleaning dishes if it is boiled first. Carry a water filter and you can pump drinking water if you need to.

They don't shower or flush a toilet. That alone saves a lot of water.

[ppine]

Originally Posted by TitanMike

They don't shower or flush a toilet. That alone saves a lot of water.

A solar shower works anywhere. You can use lake water.
Pissing outside saves a lot of water.
Digging a pit for the disposal of black water is a terrible idea.

[Villagerjjm]

Yes.... do not dig a pit.... it is never deep enough!!!!
When we had our hybrid Cub, we could camp for two weeks at a NYS campground on Lake Ontario. The waterfront beach sites had no hookups at all. We carried our water and supplemented with bottled water. Our showers were done at the campground facilities and the grey and black water tanks were emptied into a tote and taken to the dump station. I supplemented our electric needs with solar, which was really new in 2019. The Cub was not nearby as energy efficient as our 2018 Rockwood 2604WS is. I was constantly monitoring the electric, especially when the television was on. It was a challenge... but it can be done.

[Philkaty]

[QUOTE=Villagerjjm;2424084]Yes.... do not dig a pit.... it is never deep enough!!!!


So if you dig a pit about will say 3 feet deep. what do you think happens to the waste after you put dirt on it?
Asking for a friend...

[Villagerjjm]

[QUOTE=Philkaty;2424088]

Originally Posted by Villagerjjm

Yes.... do not dig a pit.... it is never deep enough!!!!


So if you dig a pit about will say 3 feet deep. what do you think happens to the waste after you put dirt on it?
Asking for a friend...

My kids just read the post. Their response was “doesn’t he know?”.

[TitanMike]

[QUOTE=Philkaty;2424088]

Originally Posted by Villagerjjm

Yes.... do not dig a pit.... it is never deep enough!!!!


So if you dig a pit about will say 3 feet deep. what do you think happens to the waste after you put dirt on it?
Asking for a friend...

Depends on the soil where you dig the pit. Some places the soil "percolates" quite well and when you put the waste into the pit all liquid disappears into the depths in little time. Only thing the dirt is covering is whatever solids remain behind and they are usually a small percentage of the total waste..

Now if you are on dense soils, like clay and rock, chances are you won't dig a 3' deep pit as it will be an all day task

[Philkaty]

[QUOTE=TitanMike;2424140]

Originally Posted by Philkaty

Depends on the soil where you dig the pit. Some places the soil "percolates" quite well and when you put the waste into the pit all liquid disappears into the depths in little time. Only thing the dirt is covering is whatever solids remain behind and they are usually a small percentage of the total waste..

Now if you are on dense soils, like clay and rock, chances are you won't dig a 3' deep pit as it will be an all day task

we go out in the desert and I don't put any black tank waste in the dirt.

[ppine]

Disposing of black water and digging a 6 foot hole cannot be recommended at all for boondocking. Most of the oxygen and soil biota are in the surface foot or two of soil profiles. Dysentary used to kill people in the days of outhouses.

Stay away from water sources or you will be contaminating surface and ground water sources. Much of the time soils in mountains and the desert are thin and poorly developed. Water and whatever contaminants it carries can move readily through soil profiles and joints in the host rock.

This whole thread is way off the mark. Dumping black water is not responsible at all. Neither is a latrine that gets used for 3 weeks.

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by ppine

Disposing of black water and digging a 6 foot hole cannot be recommended at all for boondocking. Most of the oxygen and soil biota are in the surface foot or two of soil profiles. Dysentary used to kill people in the days of outhouses.

Stay away from water sources or you will be contaminating surface and ground water sources. Much of the time soils in mountains and the desert are thin and poorly developed. Water and whatever contaminants it carries can move readily through soil profiles and joints in the host rock.

This hold thread is way off the mark. Dumping black water is not responsible at all. Neither is a latrine that gets used for 3 weeks.

If all true than why is tent camping allowed when everyone has to do their business in the woods just like the bears More and more hikers and tent campers don't even bother to dig a 3" hole much less 3' (or even bother to cover "it" up.

[ppine]

Years ago before the Environmental Movement around 1970, plenty of boats used to have heads in them that discharged over the side. Then holding tanks were invented so black waste could be disposed of properly.

RVs have holding tanks for the same purpose. Do not discharge black water into the ground.

[ppine]

Tent camping is allowed in the backcountry in remote areas with light use. In areas with heavy use waste can be a serious problem. Some areas get closed as a result.

On Wild and Scenic Rivers, there is a requirement to contain human waste and take it with you.

[httntheroad]

IF the people in charge of blm, public lands continue to see an increase in litter and God forbid dumped black tanks.They can and WILL shut them down.

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by httntheroad

IF the people in charge of blm, public lands continue to see an increase in litter and God forbid dumped black tanks.They can and WILL shut them down.

I used to camp on the shore of an irrigation lake where there is a huge beach starting mid-July. RV owners take their sewage with them. Tent campers, and there are hundreds of them due to proximity to Seattle, just leave it where they drop it. Worse than dogs running loose.

Land managers don't really know who manages this area as it's all considered a lake. BLM, Forest Service, COE, Bureau of Reclamation, and State Parks all disavow any responsibility.

[ppine]

Many places on public lands now have a permit system because of the density of use and largely because of issues with human waste management.

It is a problem few people talk about. There is hardly anyone out there. It is like hunting. You reveal your character by the decisions you make when no one is watching.