# Self Sufficiency/Living off the Land or Off the Grid > General Homesteading >  How to Build an Outhouse

## Pal334

> In POINT of Fact putting ash in the outhouse hole is the most practical use, it eliminates the stink, and aids in the decomposition of the poop and the paper, if one is foolish enough to put toilet paper in the hole. It serves the same function as putting lye or HOT Lime in the hole. Also note that people who light hearted, are generally NOT tight-A$$, constipated, poop'heads. Now if you want to know where to stick you ash, just PM me, and I'll advise where to stick-it.


I submit this question with a bit of caution ( but with sincerity). Can you describe the mechanics of getting an outhouse operational?  Depth of pit, is there a type of soil preferable for drainage, etc?  I think I understand the basics, not locating near fresh water etc.  Other than the one we had at camp as a kid,  my knowledge of this subject is very limited. The ones we had in the military in the field were primarily the type that used a barrel and were pulled out and the "product" burnt (an excellent motivational job).

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## Ken

Hope can tell ya'.  He really knows his sh!t.   :Smile:

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## Sourdough

It pains me to say this might need some Google input. There are some many important facts for a good outhouse. One thing people never think about is (Yes, this is funny and true) that the waste freezes, and at -28* it freezes quickly, and after a few months there is a pointed mountain that comes up to the seat, and it is very hard to break even with a long 4"X4" or hot water.

The depth is really when you get tired of digging day after day. I dig them as deep as I can. If it is not deep enough, you will be moving the house to a new hole, and more digging. I don't look for good soils, I just figure where I want it, based on many factors, a woman being one large factor, as women use the outhouse more often.

There is so much to tell, make sure animals can't fall in around the outer edge of the house. In high wind area cable the house to 4 points. Build it high for 6' of snow. A sliding barn type door is best, for snow access. Porcupines will eat any wood that gets pee on it, they will also eat plywood for the glue. Bright high gloss white paint is easiest to clean, and brightens the house. A hook for the light, a hook for your coat. Put three used coffee cans in the house with a roll of paper in each. 2" Blue Polystyrene (Dow Board) makes for a warm seat in winter. There are 100 more factors, how many seats will be needed. My Grandparents had a 4 hole house, they had 14 kids.

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## Pal334

Do you think there would be any advantage to making the "receptacle" a removable barrel and burning periodicaly? I know it is an odious task, but my first thought would be if you have located your facility where you want it ( appropriate view etc  :Smile:  ) you would be able to stay in place rather than having to move it and construction would be less work. I know this thread may be strange, but site hygene is very important for health and moral. After all, this "duty" is one that you can not afford to ignore very long  :Smile: .

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## wareagle69

i have a steel drum cut in half in the bottom of mine, it has been here a long time, from the original owner of the property back in the 30's, it still works well, now i don't use it allot as i have indoor plumbing, but if the hole is deep enough and only a couple of you using it should last a long time, use lye or wood ash to help and if that time comes then just move it and dig a new hole.

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## Rick

Pal - I actually posted plans on an outhouse some time back but I can't seem to find it. Anywho...here is an ebook with cabin and outhouse plans. 

http://books.google.com/books?id=hzd...age&q=&f=false

An in house outhouse by Mother Earth News...

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Do-It...se-Inside.aspx

And, of course, step by watch your step instructions from mom. 

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Moder...d-and-New.aspx

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## Pal334

Thanks Rick, I will book mark them. And so that some who have not seen what I refer to as burning, here is a pic . Seemed effective when the facility was shared by alot of people.

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## Pal334

> i have a steel drum cut in half in the bottom of mine, it has been here a long time, from the original owner of the property back in the 30's, it still works well, now i don't use it allot as i have indoor plumbing, but if the hole is deep enough and only a couple of you using it should last a long time, use lye or wood ash to help and if that time comes then just move it and dig a new hole.


That sounds reasonable. And the recurring theme from you and Hope seems to be using the ash, kind of solves two problems there. Thanks

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## mountain mama

I was just shocked to see that Hope included a door in his description

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## Ken

Question for Hope. Since you require facilities on a permanent basis, have you ever given any thought to one of these? 

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http://www.inspect-ny.com/septic/altincinerate.htm

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## Sourdough

> Question for Hope. Since you require facilities on a permanent basis, have you ever given any thought to one of these? 
> 
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> 
> http://www.inspect-ny.com/septic/altincinerate.htm



NO, never considered it. I like my $8.75 monthly electric bill, of course with tax the electric bill is $12.35 per month.

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## Pal334

Ladies and Gentleman, the proprieties please!  This is after all a very serious issue  :dodge:

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## Sourdough

> Do you think there would be any advantage to making the "receptacle" a removable barrel and burning periodicaly? I know it is an odious task, but my first thought would be if you have located your facility where you want it ( appropriate view etc  ) you would be able to stay in place rather than having to move it and construction would be less work. I know this thread may be strange, but site hygene is very important for health and moral. After all, this "duty" is one that you can not afford to ignore very long .


No advantage I see, just a lot more work. An outhouse is like a fine car engine, build it right, and take care of it with proper maintenance, don't abuse it, and it well serve you for a long time.

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## hunter63

Couple of suggestions:
Location, check prevailing winds in your area, want it down wind (most of the time).

Door opens in, that way you can sit there with the door open, more freash air, but if someones coming , just kick it shut.

Always put the wood pile between the outhouse and the main house, most women will always bring in a wood as they don't "use" the outhouse too much..........

Shiny pages in the newspaper are "slidey".

Keep toilet seat in house till needed (cold weather area).

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## Rick

Lanterns provide heat as well as light....just sayin'.

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## bigshovel

Noob here, been lurking for a while. Hi all by the way.

I own and use an outhouse on a more modern scale. I have a precast 1000 gallon tank with integral riser at 17" high. Seat bolted to riser and a removeable tin cover for the hole. I do infact put rid x in monthly to keep the "bugs" working and 10 years since installed it has yet to be pumped. I have occasionally put cold ash in it but not often.

I built the structure out of recycled barn hemlock and lined with FRP panels for hoseing out as needed and it limits what insects hang on the walls."wife factor". Single pitch roof and commercial steel insulated door. I cheated a little and ran a uv heater fan/light combo for arctic weather and put it on a switch timer.

A concrete tank is sanitary especially if water source is near by.

Brad

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## Rick

Brad - It's sort of customary around here before you use our outhouse we sort of like an introduction. If you want any toilet paper that is. 

http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...ead.php?t=7813

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## wildWoman

If you don't throw the toilet paper down the hole, a 4' hole should last you and your significant other a couple decades or longer. It will also stink a lot less that way. We have an old coffee can in the outhouse where we burnn the toilet paper. Makes for a nice campfire atmosphere and when the bugs are bad, you can get a smudge going.

Do not build it air tight, don't put in a door and it will hardly smell - provided you don't throw in the TP.

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## Rick

Okay, the smudge pot thing was a bit too much. All my plans of a survival life style are hereby called off. That's just uncivilized. 

"Been to the outhouse or is that a tan?"
"Outhouse."

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## crashdive123

So this no door thingy ---- that's a good idea?  Sorry Hope - my apologies about your lack of a door.

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## Rick

And all this time we just thought he was a trend setter. Who knew?

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## wildWoman

Sure it's good. You want air circulation and a nice view.

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## Rick

Inside or outside? I'm not sure who's doing the viewing here.

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## crashdive123

You won't believe what I just saw in that little wooden building.

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## Rick

I'm surprised he could see anything what with the smudge pot thingie goin' on.

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## edr730

I'm all for the open door policy on the outhouses. Many of the self contained units will crack from the freeze...that's good, the liquid drains and saves you the money for pumping it so often. The self contained ones smell more too. I wouldn't advise anyone to pour used motor oil in the hole to float and cut the smell. But, the big step up is when you put the toilet in the house and you run the line from the toilet to "that hole over there"

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## wildWoman

> But, the big step up is when you put the toilet in the house


Oh, I wholeheartedly disagree!! I'd miss so many northern lights, the hooting of the owls, the odd wolf howl if it wasn't for that last late night trip out to the thunder throne.

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## jeff_c

"thunder throne" LOL

Sevearl years back I was on a 35 day mountaineering trip with NOLS. We were in the Chugach range.  

We trekked for 4 days accross the Moraine to an airstrip and survival shelter before turning up the mountain toward the summit. 

There was the best out house I had ever seen. It had 3 sides and a roof and when you sat on the "thunder throne" you were looking out over the entire valley and glacier below. 

Now THAT was a nice view.

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## Rick

I might add that this is one of those rare threads that "action" pictures are not only not necessary but highly discouraged. Just sayin'.....

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## hunter63

The "hooter" we used in a deer camp up on Grand Mesa, Colorado, was a deck, half walls, door, frame for the roof amd a large military tarp, possibly part of a tent.
In good weather, roof rolled up, so you looked out over the valley.
Took hand gun and canteen with you.

They drilled a hole down a ways, 1/2 55 gal drum w/ toilet seat.
Worked good.

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## bluntweapon

i have been using a humanure composting toilet for close to 3 yrs. I like it much better than a out house. I use pine shavings and hay for cover.  leaves or pine needles would work just as well. you can get all the details at humanurecomposting.com free read online 10 dollars to buy e-book paperback price varies.  poop pee in 5 gal. bucket I use 6 of them. place lid on when full. dump on hay compost pile cover. rinse buckets repeat. I keep in house with toilet seat. no more oder than a flush toilet if done properly. I grew up with a out house and sitting on frozen pee because of some else s pore aim just isn't fun.

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## Rick

Would that be humanurehandbook.com instead?

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## hunter63

I can attest the bucket with sawdust toilet out lined in The Humanure Hand book work very well, with peat moss mixed with the sawdust.
Need a compost bin to dump in.

Used one at "The Place" for a couple of years, till I got all the plumbing and water up and running.....still set up in the shed for a "opps can't make it all the way back to the house" occasions.

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## 1stimestar

I love my two story outhouse.  No fear of poopcycles here!

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## hunter63

LOL, That always just knocks me out....What a throne....LOL

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## Rick

Fortunately, you have the upper story. Pity the fool that rents the lower one.

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## Jessthebuilder

I did some volunteer work years ago in Afghanistan. We built coed schools and outhouses. Most of the villages didn't even have a word for a bathroom. So I started with rule #1: don't sh!t were you eat(or drink or do dishes or laundry). Anyway we made some pretty nice ones. We poured a concrete slab for the base. We had a 4 or 5 inch x 8ft piece of PVC as a vent pipe. We capped the vent pipe with a piece of screen. We built the shed so that it was fairly dark inside. The flies would see the light in the vent and fly up it. They would hang around the top of vent until they died. It kept the pit free from maggots. 
Pretty low-tech but they worked great. Keeping the walls free of poop handprints is another story(don't shake a middle easterners left hand. EVER lol).

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## randyt

outhouses are for newbies, if the woods or a patch of buckwheat is good enough for a bear, it's good enough for me.

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## Rick

Yeah, but then you have to find a rabbit cause poop doesn't stick to their fur.

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## randyt

is a yeahbut anything like a rabbut.

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## Batch

> outhouses are for newbies, if the woods or a patch of buckwheat is good enough for a bear, it's good enough for me.


I was thinking the same thing. I think down here they had concrete cisterns. I have read of them any way.

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## hunter63

> I was thinking the same thing. I think down here they had concrete cisterns. I have read of them any way.


The bears had concrete cisterns?.........

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## thefemalesurvivalist

> I love my two story outhouse.  No fear of poopcycles here!
> 
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> 
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Nice set up, 1stimestar....when the bottom is full, just excavate? I've seen those composting pits up in Vermont, they pay a caretaker on the AT to manage them.

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## 1stimestar

It never has to be emptied.

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## Rick

But some guy in China is wondering where all the **** is coming from.

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## Batch

> The bears had concrete cisterns?.........


 I guess if they chased you off they did.

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## Ken

There's much to be grateful for when you have indoor plumbing and a warm place to sit.   :Blushing:

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## thefemalesurvivalist

Very true, Ken.

Is it not used that much, 1stimerstar, or new.....or the hole that deep?

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## 1stimestar

The hole is that deep.

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## Rick

Ha!! Told you. 

Somewhere in China......"所有的粪便来自哪里？？？"

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## 1stimestar

"Stuff" breaks down over time.

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## thefemalesurvivalist

LOL, yup, depends on how many are using it, and how much they eat! Thanks for the answer, 1stimestar.

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