Page 4 | in my long and varied camping career i have never peed (or worse!) in a bucket

LittleFriendSusan · 30/07/2009 21:48

This thread is making me chuckle!

We always take a bucket with us, but until this last week it had only ever been used to cool the wine .

I always take a trip to the toilets before I go to bed and never need to go until morning (never wake in the middle of the night at home either so I guess that has something to do with it).

Kids are in pull-ups at night (DS at home too, DD only when camping as she does have the odd accident and don't fancy dealing with a wee-soaked readybed in the middle of the night...) - so not an issue for them yet.

Tuesday night was the exception though - we were caught in the most horrendous winds / rain on a clifftop in Pembrokeshire and the tent was barely standing... at 3am we were still wide awake and I didn't dare leave DP to trek to the toilet block in case the tent finally caved in altogether! Needs must and all that . We were supposed to be there till Saturday but packed up and came home yesterday with one knackered tent and lots of wet clothes (along with half the campsite by the looks of things!)

Don't have a problem with people weeing in bushes / buckets / wherever at night TBH - when you've got to go... It's DP pissing in a bottle that turns my stomach - it's the sound more than anything else (boke). And he doesn't even save it for after dark cos he's too much of a lazy arse to walk to the toilets. Ho hum.

MumHadEnough · 30/07/2009 21:58

We were the same Susan, we were in the Lake District and barely survived Tuesday night. We packed up yesterday morning and came home too. Thankfully the sun came out for a couple of hours while we packed up and let us get the tent put away dry. I think it helped that we were on a gravel pitch though.

Our wee Gelert Cadiz did us proud and seems to be still okay! Quite glad in a way we're not the only ones that did this though, iykwim!

lisad123 · 30/07/2009 22:03

I remember being made to go to loos at night as a kid and being sooo scarced!
Think will take bucket for kids just in case.

LittleFriendSusan · 30/07/2009 22:32

Sorry to hear your trip was a washout too MumHadEnough... I think the storm pegs we bought on a whim last week actually saved the tent from taking off altogether! It was dry when we were packing up too, unfortunately everything in the tent was still absolutely sodden from the night before!

We arrived on site on Saturday to glorious sunshine. Saturday night was horrendous and we considered going home then as the tent was already suffering! We ended up tying extra guys to the car to stop it taking off (couple of the neighbours were doing this and we followed suit!). Monday was sunny too, and then the heavens opened again on Tuesday!

The site was fully booked for the week when we arrived... I reckon on our side of the field (the most exposed!) there were about 30-odd tents on Saturday. Sunday morning a couple upped and left. Tuesday morning our direct neighbours went as they'd been basically stuck on site for 2 days as they daren't leave the tent. Then on Wednesday, after the horrendous winds on Tuesday night (site owner reckoned 50mph+!) everyone in our vicinity packed up and went home. There can't have been more than 5 tents left on the whole field. I was pleased in a way too TBH, didn't feel like quite such a bunch of lightweights!!!

One guy told us the top had completely ripped off a dome tent in the field directly behind us - we missed that in all the commotion; too busy holding the tent up! Kids slept right through it all though!

I was quite impressed we got 2 nights refunded by the site owner - I hadn't expected anything back, and wouldn't have even thought to ask... went to return the icepacks we'd hired and they were lovely, the guy was v. apologetic that their policy was only to refund full camping days so could only refund for Thurs & Friday. I'd just assumed we'd lost it all!

And we are going to Cornwall a week on Saturday - I think we must be mad!!!!

MumHadEnough · 30/07/2009 23:12

Your trip sounds pretty much identical to mine.
Thank God we were on a gravel pitch and we had it down with rock pegs which saved us for definite.

We had to take the fly sheet off though and re-peg the guy lines a few times too mind you. We were very lucky though in that our tent didn't leak, I was really really impressed as to how well it stood up. I did worry on Tuesday night though that we were going that we might have ended up with a snapped pole given how much of a battering it was taking. If that had happened it would have been game over at 3am. Now that wouldn't have been fun.

Wow at getting a refund. No such luck for us! We paid £180 for the week (amazing facilities though) and it would have been nice to get something back but I was just happy to get home. Like you that site had been fully booked but was half empty as we were leaving. Even some of the caravanners seemed to have had enough.

Oh well, we live and learn eh!

Sorry for thread hi-jack OP>

LittleFriendSusan · 30/07/2009 23:28

Hehe, tell me about it, when we took our tent down, we realised every pole had actually split, so it's a wonder it stayed up as long as it did!

Sorry for hijack too Chevre , I'll shut up about it now!

serinBrightside · 30/07/2009 23:29

Mumhadenough, glad to hear that your little Gelert Cadiz held up. We are off to Warwickshire tomorrow with ours, must be mad.

I have never wee'd in a tent althoughDS's have been known to wee in an old plastic bottle I do worry about them getting their willy's trapped though.

CaurnieBred · 31/07/2009 08:37

I use DD's Potette with a bin bag liner and a sanitary towel. Does the job no problem and then it is off to the bin with it in the morning.

ReallyReally · 31/07/2009 08:43

chevre dh was saying tho last night that the early settlers in America died because they didn't dispose of their waste properly

nothing like pooing indiscriminately to spread disease

I do like a nice bucket and a safe proper place to put it all

ReallyReally · 31/07/2009 08:44

not all of them died tho obv

crumbled · 31/07/2009 09:27

I woke up in such a foul mood (ha ha) but this thread has just made my day!!

BUT have none of you gone out and bought a HUGE FUNNEL to then put in the neck of an old bottle which directs your flow into a more contained receptacle with a screw lid? GENIUS I'd say but dread the response (although do seem to be a bit of a thread killer (I wonder why!!!) so might not get one!!)

So you'll all know who I am when you see me unpack my funnel from the car....

stringerbell · 31/07/2009 13:04

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LittleFriendSusan · 31/07/2009 13:12

Crumbled - what you need is a Shewee

Stringerbell I really like the look of the Kampa Khazi (or the luggable loo is another one!) - just don't think we could fit one in the car! Our bucket is very small - think one step up from a child's bucket and spade and you're about there lol.

stringerbell · 31/07/2009 13:23

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beck71 · 31/07/2009 16:21

I too am a bucketeer. We have a small bucket and we stand it inside one of the kids' old swimming rings to avoid accidental knocking over! I just take it down to the loos and put it down the loo and then wash out with soap and water. Don't see what all the fuss is about. By now I have encountered all kinds of wee, poo, vomit, etc from my 2 dcs so a bucket of wee really doesn't bother me. Mind you, I think my dh would like to get a Kampa Khasi or similar. Maybe we'll upgrade

Ninjacat · 31/07/2009 18:56

In all my years camping (and they started early) I have never wee'd in a bucket.

In fact I'd never even heard of this practice until I met DS's family who consider this "normal" behaviour.

mummyontherun · 31/07/2009 19:39

I was a bucket virgin too, until this year when i realised that it vwas either take little breast-feeder with me at 3 am or risk him yelling and waking entire campsite whilst i was gone....so mid-night relief was hasty to say the least!

teenyweenytadpole · 31/07/2009 19:48

Oh I have a Kampa Khazi and I love it - strictly for night-time, never used in the day, and for wees only. I empty it first thing, give it a swish out each day and it's fine. Sod traipsing across a wet field at 4am. And I always drink a lot of wine, so always need a wee in the night!!

fatsatsuma · 31/07/2009 20:05

I am definitely a bucketeer. Often need a wee in the night when camping tho' rarely at home - I think my bladder shrinks in the cold... Loo block on our (very basic but lovely) campsite is about half a mile away so bucket very necessary.

Can someone tell me how a Kampa Khazi is better than a bucket?

And those that use cat litter - any particular sort? Am just doing my big pre-camping online shop.

Diziet · 01/08/2009 10:33

Haven't been camping since Cambridge Folk Festival 2004, but of a night time DH and I used a bucket - but then we would generally have had a fair bit to drink! Dunno what it would be like now with the sprogs, we haven't tried camping with them yet!!

teenyweenytadpole · 01/08/2009 17:59

Kampa Khazi has a proper comfy seat and feels solid like a proper loo, not like it will tip over. Also has removable inner pail with a lid so quite discreet. No need for chemicals if only using for the odd night time wee.

Migsy1 · 25/04/2012 22:43

Does this count as a bucket? www.waudbys.co.uk/products/details/21123.html