Preparing/researching for my first car camping ‘trip’ and anxious about what I can do with my dog if/when I have to go to the toilet or the bath house? She is small, 14 pounds, but also a barker when I am not around. She’s also 15+ years old and I do not like to leave her at the pet care center for more than 1 night, so I’m wanting to take her with me. Any suggestion will be helpful. Thank you!
I had the same nagging concern, and here’s what I decided to do…. Set myself up to never use the bath house. You just need a tiny pop-up outhouse, a bucket toilet and a solar shower. Glamping it is not, but for me anyway, better than worrying about what’s going on back at camp!
Great idea, Kate. I really like that idea… a plus would be I wouldn’t have to be concerned about the smells or cleanliness of a bath house. Thanks so much!
Kim,
Shower shelter. If you are going to use a solar shower you will need a sturdier shower shelter than one of the pop up models. LOTS of options there…
Assuming budget is the major concern, let me throw out some ideas here…
Bucket toilet. Easy. 5 gallon bucket, toilet seat bucket lid like a Luggable Loo. Use trash bags as liners, and kitty litter as an absorbent. You can also use Double Doodie bags which in my experience are easier to deal with…
Use an inexpensive pop up shower shelter. Literally the GitaTent pop up shower shelter is $21.00 on Amazon right now… The massive drawback to this style though is solar bag showers can not be supported. Just use a bucket with water heated on the stove and a battery powered camp shower / sprayer.
Clean, private space to do your thing, right there with the pup so he / she isn’t barking. Everyone wins.
Hi, David and thanks for your response and the info. I’ve been rethinking the pop up bathhouse thing…. I just see myself falling over as I try to stand up and everything landing in the dirt (not a pretty picture). I am not handicapped but sometimes have balance issues… so I’m still researching the shower/toilet issue. If I can get a spot close to the bathhouse I think I could at least use the toilet and leave the dog for a few minutes. So many things to consider taking on this kind of an adventure. I admire the many who have figured it out and are enjoying it. Thanks again! Kim
Kim,
To be blunt, I have some pretty severe spinal issues that cause my leg to sometimes collapse under me, I don’t know your specific situation, BUT I am dealing with some staiblity challenges myself.
You will probably want to go a different route than a small cheap pop up. Just FWIW, MY setup and I use it this way as I find it accessible using a cane…
MY personal setup cost more, but here it is…
Shower shelter. Joolca Ensuite Double. It is MUCH easier for me to cane around to boost myself up and stabilize myself not having to move around the toilet in the shower area…
Toilet. Jaxpety 5 gallon flushing portable toilet. Good wide footprint, Residential height so easy to boost off of, very stable, and it flushes. Relatively inexpensive, and to be blunt, it supports my weight.
Shower. Camplux 5L, home made Ensuite plumbing rig, and 12V pump, as well as garden hose adapters to use in water / power sites.
Even as big as I am, the 3.5 x 3.5 foot rooms are easy to move in and stabilize myself using like I said a cane.
I chose to use my own private bathroom for cleanliness and privacy sake. We’ve encountered used syringes in public campground bathrooms / bath houses and don’t want to risk it.
My setup IS considerably more expensive than the first one I suggested. I try not to hit folks with a big budget it. But for me, I find it well worth it.
Another option is a heavy duty not pop up but steel framed large shower shelter. I have an older Cabelas that I could actually support my weight on the frame if my stability waned, I opted to upgrade to the Joolca as I find the instant setup to be more important to ME…
Best of luck to you on this, and happy camping!
Hi again, David! I’ll look into all these options you have suggested. Appreciate your help, thank you!!
Some will frown at this, but when alone, my dog escorts me right into the bathroom/shower stall. She is highly trained, though not in personal protection but a would-be attacker doesn’t know that. I feel less vulnerable having her size and stare next to me.
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I wondered about this and it is definitely worth considering. Thanks so much!
Not a terrible idea, but there are some nasty park rules and rangers. Or at least there were. I remember my introduction to Oregon as an 11 year old kid was me walking our dog at the first rest area coming in on the interstate from Idaho, I had to use the bathroom so the dog went right in with me, followed up by a State Trooper who literally spent 30 minutes yelling at an 11 year old kid, and threatening to arrest me for not wanting my dog unsupervised around a bunch of strangers.
Of course that was long ago enough that trooper has to be long time retired by now…
I hear you. And I’m really not a dog lover so I get it if someone takes a double look of my dog in the bathroom!