Building an outhouse at a remote off-grid wilderness camp
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 10 มิ.ย. 2020
- My wife Brooke and I build an out house at our remote wilderness camp in the back country of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. We are completely off grid here at camp. So, we have to use a generator and do all the digging by hand.
Every camp, cabin, farm and homestead needs to have an outhouse. Its been the best "way to go" for thousands of years. In this video we'll show you ONE way to go about building an old-school outhouse.
Dave Whipple - แนวปฏิบัติและการใช้ชีวิต
![[EP.01] ดูฟรึตอนแรก LOL: Last One Laughing Thailand Thailand หัวเราะทีหลังปังกว่า | Prime Thailand](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/t4KunBRKn3s/mqdefault.jpg)
I just sat through an outhouse tutorial. For no reason at all.
And I enjoyed it.
LOL< Thanks Bob
How did I find this video? LOL!!
Very enjoyable now...mmmm I know how to build one😂
😂😂😂😂😂😂
I just told my boyfriend two days ago that we need to do this in case something should happen to the grid and we can't flush the toilet.....something to think about
Never know💯🙏🏻
Hahaha I'm doing the same
I grew up with my grandfather having a no electric home and no plumbing. He raised nine kids and had a two seater outhouse. I will always remember that. It’s since long gone but I remember it well, along with his massive gardens and animals he raised. Good memories!
This was so enjoyable that even though I live in the city, I want to dig up my concrete patio and build an outhouse.
HHaha!
Bart, same in China town Honolulu.
Where we have our outhouse is just full of rocks so a mini backhoe was used. We went over 6 feet deep. Also we are in northern Wisconsin. If I can make a suggestion, buy yourself a piece of pvc pipe to vent the smell past the inside. Place it in the corner and vent it out the sidewall. Make sure it’s covered by a chimney cap so you keep out birdnests and bees. You will find this a much better improvement.
I live I Green Bay and am looking to buy land for off grid cabin. Any advice on finding land? been looking on a few websites but I feel like I'm missing a lot of whats out there So far thats my biggest hurdle
I think the PVC vent pipe is a great idea.
With the PVC addition, did you add a toilet seat to cover the seat hole, otherwise the vent pipe serve no purpose?
Seems like a good random comment to attach your question to...@@musstakrakish
That was the first out house build video I've ever seen....And enjoyed every minute of it. Good fun info Dave. Thanks
Thanks Ruthie
It could be first!
Get outdoor plumbing
EXCELLENT, THOUGHTFUL, GREAT PRODUCTION! LOTS OF COMMON SENSE AND FRIENDLY ADVICE ALONG THE WAY, WITH A GREAT SYNOPSIS REVIEW AT THE END. I SO THOROUGHLY ENJOYED IT THAT I SENT IT TO A PASTOR FRIEND IN UGANDA WHO RUNS AN ORPHANAGE AND HAS TO BORROW HIS NEIGHBOR'S LATRINE FOR HIS 110 ORPHANS AND FAMILY! THEY DESPERATELY NEED DONOR SPONSORS ON A REGULAR BASIS AND THEY ARE A FULLY VETTED, LEGITIMATE MINISTRY APPROVED BY THE GOVERNMENT. IF YOUR HEART GOT A JOLT TO HELP THEM, I CAN TELL YOU HOW. LOOK FOR NEW CREATION LIGHTHOUSE CO. ON FACEBOOK AND CONTACT ME THERE. THANK YOU KINDLY FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
🙄 or you could just send me the $'s.
We did the clear roof on one we did for the family pow-wow grownds.
I also added solar rope light for night usage.
In our old outhouse, we always kept a citronella candle to light when we went in. It gave us light and a great smell...kept the bugs away too. Used a coffee can to put the toilet paper in and it never got wet even if moisture in the air!
* Every time you use the outhouse, cover your business with a bit of wood ashes, or sand if you have no ashes. That way your outhouse will not smell...
* When the outhouse hole is full.... plant a tree on top. Perfectly fertilized, will grow beautifully.
Sawdust works great too.
A peecan tree. Lol.
Bigger and depper=better! Use a bucket on a rope to lift the dirt out! If you hit water it's a well! Thanks to DAVE WHIPPLE good video like to meet you.
@@lawrencesteger5574 "if you hit water it's a well" made my day 🤣
Thanks, the missing points of info missing from an otherwise complete outhouse video.
at our camp My dad always dumped a 10 pd bag of lime in ours at the beginning of spring. helped with freshness and the break down of the waste.
Right on
alway kept our ashes from stove in a plastic pail and sprinkle in the hole when you are done #2. kill smell and aids in break down of waste and paper. never an issue with paper build up. make sure ash is cold and use plastic pail, they eat through steel over time
TheAggromonster you can use ash to make lye soap.
@Michele: I saw what you did there.;)
also helps breakdown corpses. (should you ever need to)
I’m not an ‘outdoors’ person...I don’t even go camping but I must say that I really enjoyed watching your video!
The comedian Joan Rivers once said that her idea of camping was staying in a hotel that didn't have room service.
Never in my 70+ years would I ever have thought I'd watch how an outhouse is built! Not that I'd be able to do it myself, but I like to know HOW to do things. So I can supervise!!! :) Good to know.
I'm pretty sure you would be able to make one yourself, it only takes time. Use very cheap materials because you might mess up a thing or two.
Canadian here. The styrofoam seat is a real comfort in the winter. On a nice crisp night, you can leave the door open and watch the Northern Lights. Just cover your knees with your hands. The pee shield is a good idea, but should be on back and front. If you don't vent the outhouse, it will stink. You can use pvc or stovepipe, doesn't matter. Also, lime or wood ash the toilet periodically, it will keep it from stinking. There ought to be a cover too. Finally, if you aren't going to oil the logs that it sits on, the logs should be on gravel. That will slow their rotting from sitting in wet soil. I really enjoyed the video.
Hey Dave, I never thought I would be so intrigued on watching you build an outhouse! I've never seen one built before and I really did find it interesting. Thanks for the video. As always, be safe and take care.
Thanks
It’s obvious, you’ve built more than three of these!
Yes
Thanks Dave. Reminds me of my father and his father. Never helped them build an outhouse, but I did help put the first flusher into my grandparent’s house. Granddaddy said “No way I’m ever going to do that inside my house.” My dad quietly said to me, “Come January, he’ll change his mind.” Your lifestyle often brings back good memories for me.
LOL, I love that story. That foam seat is for winter.
Having experience with my great grands , as a child, they had no indoor plumbing. So, we moved the outhouse about once a year. It was on runners that faced sideways along the hill. No pushy up the hill, no slidey down the hill. Every piece of solid went in the hole, paper included. Corn shucks included. Men p'd in a privy off to the side, and ladies had a smooth board nailed between two trees behind a privy. We kept the dirt in a pile downwind of the house, when we slid the house, the dirt went into the hole. Then they would plant tomatoes on the new ground. Had the biggest tomatoes you've ever seen come August. Used newspaper to cushion the sitting. Kept your butt from getting a splinter.
The tips and tricks I've gotten from watching these videos are priceless. Especially since they really accentuate how to do things solo. You could grab your wife for the 1 minute to hang that door, but shes doing her thing and the axe as a wedge is simple and easy . That's the "professional" stuff I don't know that you've learned by making many many projects. Thanks for passing them along!
A lid over the hole is a good idea. Also an outside vent pipe.
My thoughts as well. Pipe to divert the urine as well, since that slows decomp of the solids. Bucket with sawdust and a scoop to toss in over fresh deposits helps as well.
I keep a bag if lime and scoop in the outhouse. Reduces the smell when you cover the #2
Thumbs up for a lid. Going to be full of flies otherwise, when in use.
Mandy Leeson - agree but decomposes and leaves no smell if not over used.
@@mandyleeson1 Yes! fly tight is a must! even the rainbows know how to build a shitter.
I've been a framing my whole life I can usually Pick-A-Part something in any video specially off grid. I watched a lot of your videos and I can't complain about very much you do a great job and very entertaining when you do it. 👍👍🤠
Thanks. I appreciate that. Ive been building most of my life .....I dont consider myself a proper framer though.....I'm a cement finisher by trade.
This video explains the whole build really well. Even with composting toilets becoming more common in offgrid cabins, there's still a place for the outdoor toilet.
"HEY MR. WHIPPLE!" 😂 Don't squeeze the Charmin! 😂
Sorry, I had a high school professor named Mr. Whipple, we gave him a good-natured hard time because of his name and those commercials. The topic at hand combined with your name.....well...I just couldn't resist!
Great topic, very informative subject matter and overall a well done video!
Thanks for another entertaining video, Dave. I like those steel toed work slippers. 😉👍
Glad you like them!
Growing up we had a Outhouse, just remember to keep a Container of Lime inside --pour a little over Poop to keep smell down. My grandparents used this application for many years. They had a He Side and She Side because their Family was Large...
Thanks Scott. I appreciate it.
I saw one one time that was a two hole outhouse with no divider. Guess they didn't mind having company while doing their business. When nature calls you gotta go so just do it and don't worry about the guy sitting next to you.....lol.
Ashes work well for smell as well, monks used ash for generations 💯🙏🏻
Sawdust works well too and helps with the composting process
Needs a closure strip for the corrugated roofing, where flies get in and ventilation with bug screens. Flies can get in, hang out on your poops then land on your food. It's a main inspection point for a privy.
My Mother had this idea to make a outhouse that looked like a barn silo, next to her storage aka "barn" shed. It has now been nicknamed the sh@t rocket. :)
This was another ringer. Very funny, very informative. You and Brooke are the absolute masters of our time in terms of bushcraft and homesteading. Thank you for putting this together.
Thanks Patrick. I appreciate the vote of confidence.
I have to admit, this was very informative. The plastic “pee shield” is a great idea!
Thanks
Awesome video thanks! we just followed your plan and finished our own outhouse, in a weekend. Had to modify the plans a little to fit the recycled wood we had to hand, but turned out better than we could have hoped. Ended up building the door out of pallet boards which has a nice aged look. Wish we could share pictures here. Thanks, Dave and Brooke, you guys are such an inspiration. We just took possession of our 5 acre of remote woods and cant wait to start the next project.
Best outhouse build walk-through hands down. Thank you Dave for sharing.
this was amazing brought to me so many memories thanks
When you gotta go, you gotta go - and you gotta have a place to go! Great video. Can't wait to build one!
Thank you Dave - its the first video i have watched on this subject that i’ve felt i can now go do this! 👍🏻
Love all of your very sensible and usable video information... and this outhouse one sings the WISDOM that is so true, so true, so true! Thanks Dave!!!!
Great Video Dave! You made it look totally simple to do. I love when you and Brooke are on each others Channels, makes me happy. You're my favorite You Tube couple ❤
Thanks , we appreciate that
I 3rd that!!
I 4th that. I've been watching Brooks channel and she makes me feel so empowered and capable but recently heard about yours via her and now I'm happy. Both of you together is the best.
Look at how great the top soil is, as a gardener I got excited.💖🇦🇺
Its pretty sandy isnt it
Thanks Dave. Great Ideas and excellent technique.💛
Perfection in everything! In the outhouse and in the manner of describing the creation of it! Just admiration!
I am surprised about how much i enjoyed this and how informative this was.
Now THAT'S a practical video!! Also shows the value of a good chainsaw and rechargeable drill. Finally, #3 is ingenious and will make #1 and#2 a lot better experience!!
What could be more practical than the knowledge to build an outhouse in th XXIst. century. This channel is appallingly stupid.
Thank you very much!
RobertoDonatti when the world falls down around your ears you will understand. Your normalcy bias is definitely showing.
@@RobertoDonatti Then don't watch it. I find it incredibly stupid you did... and then "wasted" more of you time to comment on it. You are a city slicker that would be among the first to die if the power goes out for 2 weeks. Your appallingly stupid.
@@susanlester1 That Robert sounds like a tool. He's obviously never actually camped in a cabin with not electricity. I think Dave and Brooke are totally awesome people!
The Pee guard is brilliant 🙏 that was awesomeness 👏 Thank You
thanks
Learn something new every day. Thanks for the instructions & tips. Love the door handle & lock!
Nice work Dave, I'm glad i found you guys. never would have thought about the pee shield, and your right about the foam seat.
Love to see you both together happily working. Admire you both. So inspiring. Enjoying watching you. Take care. God bless you dears!
Nice job on the outhouse gave me some great ideas for my next one .Thanks for sharing Dale
The splash guard, what a smart idea ! Dave, you rock 😁!
Thanks 👍
The branch handle is hilarious. I love it.
Great video..very practical!
Glad you liked it
Great project! Loved the way you attached the sides to the beams and just stood them up!
This was great! Thank you Dave.
I really love your videos, you have a really great way of explaining everything you're doing in a really easy-to-understand way. Thats so hard to find nowadays when everyone wants to show their results but none of the "how" or a really rushed "how". Reminds me of This Old House in that your videos are for teaching first and it really shows. Thanks a lot for the really solid content, truly a pleasure to watch.
I sooo remember the first video Brooke made when she was on this land. "Oh, I have made cabins together with my husband, but THIS TIME I WILL DO IT ALL BY MYSELF! THAT IS SO IMPORTANT TO ME! ALL BY MY SELF".
Good to see you 'guys' are doing it all together after all. :-)
Brooke has done 90% of the work on this piece of land so far..... I didnt even think of that ....I just went into auto pilot when it came to the outhouse.
@@Bushradical
Ur a good man Dave!!
Doing the log runners gives me ideas for many other usage. For building foundations. Thanks for the awesome tricks and ideas
great info, thanks for filming this!
I love the outhouse looks simple enough, and i remember sitting on a foam seat in the winter i didnt want to get off it , warmed me right up lol. wonderful work
Foam seats are standard gear in Alaska
You have inspired me dave! Im gonna build an outhouse. We only have 1 bathroom, and i find myself waiting on my wife for it often. I spend a good majority of my time outside so this will work great for me. Thanks a bunch.
That is awesome! We have two kids and I put on in at our place downstate. I dont even check if someones in the bathroom anymore.....I know the outhouse is free!
You do awesome work and explain everything so well thanks 😊
Thanks Dave. Great videos.
Yup, i want one of these too! A hand dug well & an outhouse would get me more self reliant for power outages & emergencies! Thank you for sharing how you did this!
Right on
I would have never thought about the pee guard. 👍
So cool...thanks so much for the xtra tips!!!
You were right Dave, that was straight forward and simple. What a cool outhouse 👍😁
In Russia.
You only need two sticks. One stick into the ground and hang a jacket on it. The second you chase away the wolves.
@ John Smith,u full of shit.
A Boy Scout, Eh?
Hahahahahaha , that's how magic is truly made real
7:37 you did it just for the zoom in shot
@@hazysday I liked that shot!
Love seeing your ideas always a treat when you post 🌞
Thanks so much 😊
That was for me the first outhouse video build ever seen great tutorial video for anyone to build one great job David enjoyed the video. Keep it coming these are good tools to learn.
Excellent job! I love the clear roof idea! And the slash guard is brilliant!
You are so right we had an outhouse for about 7 years when I was a youngster.
right on
I read a funny story about an outhouse in Eastern Kansas. It was Memorial day weekend and this guy went camping at a state campground on the Kansas river. About 4AM he had to go to the outhouse to take a dump. As he finished his business he leaned over the can to peek inside. As he leaned over $80 fell out of his pocket into the pit. It was all the money he had. He saw it 4 feet down and thought that he could get it with his toes. He lowered himself down and to his surprise he grabbed it with his toes almost immediately. He started to raise back out and was on the last few inches when... you guessed it. The poor guy slipped and fell inside. Deep inside. He stayed in there until daylight. Lost his his money too. I read this courtesy of the A P. back about 1982. Vaughn
I admire your skills, Dave. It looks so simple when you do it. Great job.
Thanks 👍
Great job Dave.
We really appreciate you sharing this design and the tips, Dave. We put up with a bucket too long before we had water at our cabin. Definitely considering an outhouse along with a simple cabin in a remote area of our property. God bless!
GREAT job Dave! Never thought of the Pee shield. I see you got that knife you sharpened last video and putting it to work. I took your lead and cleaned up an old Kamp King knife my Dad had and it really looks nice thanks to you. Also cleaned 4 others so I am really thankful for your lesson. Great tutorial on ye old outhouse. Greetings from the Arrowhead of MN. Hi to Brooke.
Thanks Lindsay. That knife is actually a different on......its flea market season and ive bought a few latley
@@Bushradical Good for you!! I got a real deal on chain saw chains. $5 for 5 of them with a lot of life left at a flea market.
Why not put a shield on the back as well, for the black coffee and bean burrito eaters? 🤔 IDK JS
@@valeriesmith9639 LOL!
@@valeriesmith9639 my thoughts too. To me pee shields on both walls because men pee toward the back wall, women toward the front.
This is awesome. Thank you. 😊Only different thing I'd do is put a toilet lid on it.
This video is saturated with your experience. Smart, functional, and minimalist. Awesome video Dave, thanks
Thanks for this bit of building genius, especially the roofing piece for the pee panel! Well done! My Gramma had us put a scoop of lime in the hole when we were done. Good memories, thanks.
Hey Dave by the way I just wanted to wish you an early happy Father's Day and hopefully many more to come
Thanks Scott. I appreciate that
It's an outhouse on skids, that's awesome! When the hole fills up, you can just drag it to your next outhouse location.
@Christigoth I'd say that's a problem for all outhouses. Lol! But there is rarely high winds in a forest great enough to tip a outhouse with what has basically a 100lb base. So, I don't think that's a big enough concern for them.
Great video Thanks for this. Good tips for sure
Dave Whipple learning a lot. thanks.
That pee shield is genius lol. Such a simple solution to a problem I would've never thought about
I think I’d put a shield on the back side of the throne as well.
We had an old outhouse at our cottage when I was a kid. I really like the clear roof and urine guard. I think if I ever had to build an outhouse I would add a window or two(homemade or reclaimed). Also as to the toilet paper issue,I have read that you can use lime,wood ash and wood shavings to help the poop compost and to keep the smell down . So I guess there are options. I think your outhouse is very nice and it’ll get the job done ,pun intended. 🙂😉
This is such a great how to video. Thank you Dave for the step by step simple instructions!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Oh man I love yall so much. I really like your sense of humor across all your videos. I yearn to be out in the country. As soon as I'm free to go back home I'll be having fun on my land
When I build mine I used a 5 gallon bucket as a shield and boxed it in. That way I could use the sides for storage.
Yep, that's what I'm thinking of too. That way even explosive ejections won't wet down the wood. LOL
Hey Dave, thanks for the advice you gave me on log screws building my stockade cabin. Wrapping up my pier and beam foundation and cutting out floor joist now. I got a beam cutter and realized it works faster for slabs than my Alaskan sawmill. Only problem is setup is longer moving the 2x4 guide so I tried something I didn't think would work, I took the beam cutter off and switched to using a chalk line. I can't believe it but my end results after a little practice is a more accurate prettier cut. It's easy to keep the cuts parallel to each other just by holding the saw naturally. My first pass is only 1/4 to 3/8 of an inch so I can make any correction if needed. Just wanted to pass that along to you seeing that your beam cutter is a few miles up the road, lol.
Thanks Scott!!!
Dave, love your outhouse building tutorial. Great plannig, design, and work. I used an outhouse for about six summers when I was commercial fishing off the coast of Maine working my way through college. Your advice is so practical and helpful. Thanks.
Also, just wanted to say how much my wife and I enjoyed your adventures on the show "Alone".
Glad no one died of starvation. Man! That was tough. Congratulations for surviving in a rough environment.
Very professional presentation, helpful, time saving tips and technics.
I wish my grandparents would have known that 70 years ago.
WELL DONE DAVE! WELL DONE! I'm an ol' widow watchin' and though it probably is something I will never have 2 do...perhaps someday I will B in a position 2 pass on your good advice. I really enjoy watchin' hard-workin' youngins' making good practical use of their energies. This is the 1st time I have caught a glimpse of your lovely 'Brooke'. She appears 2 B a hard-worker herself and well suited 2 your lifestyle = Wonderful relationship = don't stop counting your blessings young Dave/Brooke. I shall pray U get that cabin 4 yourself built...it would B lovely 2 have a place of your own in UM. You have made several wise choices with your life and here I will put some of the credit 2 being 'well-raised'. Thank-you 4 your time/patience/expertise/talents shared with your subs. Health and God's blessing on you n' yours! Gotta ask...What kind of feet do U have 2 shovel with moccasins on? = YIKES = Tough! (LOL)
Thanks for the kind words Marie. As for my feet.....ive spent lots of my life doing concrete work and diggin holes is 50% of it
Hi Marie. Brooke has her own channel. It's called "Girl in the Woods." You'd love it!
Well said Marie couldn't agree more.
@Marie Leopold .... another oldie here agreeing 100% with your comments . I remember our outhouse 65 yrs ago .... no luxury there but it was a very solid build (by my Dad). Hated all those spiders tho. And we used newspaper no toilet rolls back then for us. Ours was also a large metal bucket type. When full dad emptied it into the garden and dug it in. Mother grew amazing rhubarb !!!!!LOL
Thank you Dave sharing that with uS i enjoyed every minute
Glad you enjoyed it
Dave! I LUV your tips and ticks! Please keep-up the excellent work! BTW the solution you used for the shower in a previous video THAT was SMART!!!!
Put some used motor oil on the exterior to treat your wood from the elements
Yes, no .... it does dry out, but not the nicest smell. No need to "double-down" like some fool I've heard of.
Whats wrong with stain or paint?
@@NoNORADon911 nothing but more money used oil is already paid for it does the same thing as the expensive stuff this is an outhouse
@@karenriggle5435 also gives you cancer
@@campaspe810 Only if you drink it.
You missed #4 the vent! Run a piece of 3"pvc from the pit to the roof and out, makes a much less smelly john!
Good idea, Gramma always had some lime in a bucket, said it helped with the smell, IDK.
A PVC vent plus a whirly bird at the top takes out 98% of the smell. Well worth the investment!
What if u have Explosive Diarrhea...won't the board at the back be saturated??
It is open at the back and under the front steps, so it will likely provide cross-flow vents service.
I was about to comment the same until I read yours. Exactly! No lid and no vent pipe?! Yikes.
Very educated, very polite and very informative. I love it! That you for the tips! Now I know the basics of what I'll need! We live in an area where there are frequent power outages and the toilet situation always ends up the same 😅 this is a good starting ground
So very helpful~Thank you, Dave
Can't wait to share my behind the scenes with both you and Brooke very soon. It's so ridiculously exciting and scary and incredible to watch me, myself, and I commit to 'take one step out' to breathe life back into me. I'm just silly proud all Ive studied and learned is for me, first. More to come...
Rhonda Barsamian
The part where he tilted the logs up to support the walls, that was genius.
Putting in vent pipe helps with odor, and using sawdust to cover the poo.
It's vented under the plywood at the back and under the platform in front of the door. See 13:15 in the video.
Very interesting! Well done!
Thank you Dave!
Most appreciated...
I built an outhouse several years ago and still use it daily.
right on
How long would it take to fill up one of these that you’d actually have to move to another spot?
@@sheraleethomas I have only moved it once. Been using it for 5-6 years. Just depends on how big and deep the hole is.
I was busy with some quantum entanglement problems in the two-slit experiment, but watching you build that outhouse...that was REALLY cool.
Glad to see your new out house get constructed awesome . Used a out house many time . It's nice u have one . Thank u for sharing.
Thank you so much 😊
Good simple and effective. Good job 👌