Throughout this thread I have kept getting the impression that others have seen and used these government-provided thunder boxes, outhouses, privies, toilets, boxes, buckets, etc., a lot more than I have during my life. And I wonder why.
Then it occurred to me that we haven't discussed the issue of timing—that is, how often am I even at a campsite when nature calls. For me, I believe the answer has far more been no than yes my entire paddling life, regardless of whether I've been on overnight or just day trips.
Nature calls me far more often when I'm paddling between campsites than when I'm in them. In such cases, I have always just pulled over to shore in a remote place, which is not a campsite, and properly done my business. These are also places where I sometimes bury the very little garbage I generate because I never leave garbage at a campsite.
This is all due in large part because I never spend much time in campsites. It's boring to me.
Always alone, I don't paddle to go camping. I live in the woods at home and chop wood all the time just to maintain my property. I don't like to cook, or do camp chores, fish, or just hang around some piece of campsite land, especially a highly used one, all day doing nothing. I go paddling to paddle.
Usually, I pull into a campsite or not-campsite late, boil water for a dehydrated meal, read some, go to sleep, wake up, eat a dehydrated meal for breakfast, and get back on the water. I'm in campsites for less than 12 hours a day. It's just a place to sleep, like a cheap motel on a road trip.
Consequently, at least according to my digestive and alimentary organs, nature calls most often happen when I'm out on the water during paddling time. Understand, "paddling time" always includes stops, rests, sunning on shores or rocks, making tea, taking side hikes, exploring—but none of these daily activities are occurring at a government campsite. Yet nature may call.
It's the same on virtually all day paddling trips. There is rarely a toilet facility at the places I launch, so nature calls have almost always occurred at non-governmental, non-campsite places even during these four to eight hour round-trip day ventures—even during my local day trip five miles from my house. If necessary, I just pull into any one of dozens of little shore spots on the river/lake, which fishermen and power boaters never stop at and are not privy to . . . and do my private business . . . without thunder . . . and leaving no trace.
I realize that most other people probably spend far more time at government campsites than I do, engaging in camping activities, and enjoying themselves while doing so. People spend time, like money, in different ways.
