Plastic pipes full of shit

Making a river poo tube

One of the joys of traveling to environmentally sensitive areas is getting rid of human waste.  The usual recommendation when on moving water is to pee into the water to dilute it.  This prevents every beach from turning into a stinky disaster.  For poop, you are supposed to haul the waste out with you.  While it is possible to use a “wag bag”, the chances are high for it to get soaked with water. 

Enter the poo tube.  This is just a water-resistant container that holds your waste until you get home.  No, you don’t drop your kids directly into this pool.  Instead you let them parachute onto some medium like a paper towel, coffee filter, or plastic bag.  This is then wrapped and stored in the tube.  Easy enough, right?

I made my tube with a single visit to Home Depot and with some limited tools.  The building process itself takes less than 30 minutes.  Don’t forget to add some character to the tube.  Because nothing’s funnier than a plastic pipe full of shit.

Materials

• 4”x24” ABS plastic pipe (cut to 12” with hacksaw)
  • https://www.homedepot.com/p/VPC-4-in-x-24-in-Plastic-ABS-Pipe-1204/202300521
• 4” Flex-drain end cap
  • https://www.homedepot.com/p/FLEX-Drain-4-in-End-Cap-ADP53304/206101051
• Oatey 4” gripper plastic test plug
  • https://www.homedepot.com/p/Oatey-4-in-Gripper-Mechanical-Plastic-Test-Plug-33403D/100204964
• PVC primer and glue
• Spray paint (primer and topcoat)

Tools

• Hacksaw
• Dremel with cutting and sanding wheels
• X-ACTO knife or box cutter

Process

• Using the knife, cut off the plastic tabs on the end cap so that it will fit inside the pipe

• Cut the pipe to length.  Use cutting and sanding wheels to make the cut square and free of plastic burrs
• Prime one end of the inside of the pipe and the end cap.  Wait for the plastic to soften (~10 mins).
• Apply glue to the primed area, then press the end cap into the pipe
• Spray paint the primer, then the topcoat(s)
• Add flair to make it your own