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Riverbank VS Ecosafe thrones

19K views 59 replies 21 participants last post by  Dr.AndyDVM 
#1 ·
I'm trying to decide between the two. Other than the UNGODLY price of the Riverbank system, one of my considerations is that I like to use wagbags where they are allowed. I can use them on Ecosafes. Can you use wagbags on the riverbank system?
 
#2 ·
Wag-Bags work great on the Riverbank. I keep a piece of bungee on the neck of the inner tank, wrap the bag around the neck, bungee in place and set the seat back on. I have used both, every time you use the Riverbank you will be fine with the additional cost as you don't have to worry about you and your crews aim and subsequent cleanup. Also, when you add a couple rocket boxes to store the lid and tank the price isn't all that far off.

Good luck,
Guy
 
#3 ·
...one of my considerations is that I like to use wagbags where they are allowed. I can use them on Ecosafes. Can you use wagbags on the riverbank system?
I'm not sure I understand. It seems redundant and like a lot more work to bring the entire system along and then use the bags. When using the bags, I just put one into a small bucket and fold the bag over the rim of the bucket to open it.

Am I missing something?

-AH
 
#5 ·
Am I missing something?

-AH
Me too. How do you dispose of bagged shit without creating a bio mess? Do ya dump it out of the bag? It there a place you can take that bags of shit in your neck of the woods? It just seems way easier to dump your shit at an RV dump station. That is why I shit in a Johnny, But that's just me.
 
#4 ·
Yes, totally redundant and expensive if you buying only to use exclusively with Wag-Bags. We own a Riverbank already and use it with Wag-Bags where allowed on short trips. My wife prefers it over a bucket...happy river wife, happy river life.... Though similar comfort could be had with the $10 bucket toilet seats available at WallyWorld which we use for the pee bucket.
 
#14 ·
but I put all my kids diapers in the trash and don't mark as biohazard. Don't most people do this???

No, No, No! Not at all. There are places that will take your shitty dippers. You put your paper where paper goes, your aluminum cans where cans go, batteries where batteries go, and shit where shit goes. I get that some don't care and hate recycling but I really cann't believe I'm having this conversion in this forum.

http://www.pdxdiaperbank.org/get-involved/recycle/

I cann't believe I have to ask this forum to take extra care of your shit. Its mind blowing..
 
#12 ·
Funny how threads progress...Where does all of the solid waste from the water treatment plant end up? I honestly don't know the answer to this, I picture it being dumped in a hole in Nevada somewhere, probably the same hole my Wag-Bags end up but without the need for many, many gallons of processing water. I'm pulling these numbers out of my wag-bag-filler, so don't hold me to it, but I would guess that if rafters had only used Wag-Bags since the beginning of rafting time, the waste wouldn't add up to 1% of what is put into landfills in one single day via diapers etc. Convince me I'm wrong and I'll change my evil ways, until then I'll happily use my overqualified Riverbank toilet as a Wag-Bag receptacle on occasion.
 
#15 ·
Convince me I'm wrong and I'll change my evil ways,
Water treatment plants are the best way to deal with human waste that we currently have. Not perfect but the best we have.

1% adds up over time.

I'm not even going to try to convince you that you are wrong. But I think you can do better. Just saying.
 
#13 ·
Just checked Idaho human waste laws. Thank god wag bags for rafting parties is not allowed for multiple day trips. Bag waste is only for day use or kayak self support. Be careful opening a dumpster on Colorado. Huh??
 
#21 ·
Sure PDX, you could follow those regs. The PDX dipper recycle will do better than land fill. The link is above.

That link you supplied even says to put your food waste, paper, and other recyclables in the garbage. Homey don't play that game.

Hey, If you want to go lowest common denominator I get it. If that's what it takes to get you through day. Most people will not go the extra mile. I understand. I just "try" to find the best ways to dispose of waste.

Hell you could even make the argument that the gas burnt in your car dropping of said dippers is worst than land fill if you want.
 
#24 ·
The worst part of the ecosafe is the small target it gives you to hit the hole. On a large trip with many rafters there will be a mess on the poo slide that you'll have to clean off every time you break down the toilet. That reason right there is enough to consider any other system regardless of price. Even an ammo can with RV fittings on a second lid sounds more appealing then cleaning the poo slide on an eco safe after every break down/stowage.
 
#26 ·
The turd slide is exactly why I parted ways with my ecosafe. Went with the riverbank. The newer version of the Ecosafe has a much better funnel setup without the ramp, and can be retrofitted to older units. Much cleaner. I still prefer the selway unit, and have seen others use wag bags in it with relative ease.
 
#28 ·
I'm just glad that Idaho has regulations that make putting human shit in public dumpsters an infraction. I am also glad that there are more and more people every day going the extra mile to keep our rivers and beaches clean, and reduce land fill usage.

I'd like to think that PDX and Lucky feel that same and that they know dumping a couple gallons human shit in public dumpsters wrapped in plastic in Idaho is a crime.
 
#29 ·
HOLY CRAP! (pun intended) What Happened to my thread?!

So anyway I hate the wagbag groovers because they are flimsey. And the reason I like to use wagbags is because of the easy cleanup. Especially with the Eco Safe system. The Eco systems I've seen in action had bags in them that extended up and around the "bowl" and made cleaning very easy. If they are allowed I would use them on the RiverBank system as well. (If I win the lottery to afford one that is) That way I have a good groover for when bags are not allowed. Best of both worlds.

So now, some of you have brought up a point I've never thought about much. Disposal. So far I've SEEN bags disposed in the dumpster behind my neighbors apartments. He pays a fortune in City taxes for those "commercial" dumpsters and I never thought twice watching him throw them away. I need to look into the city ordinances but in the mean time, is there a moral issue here? Even if it is legal I wouldn't do it if it's immoral. There are tons of "organics" that go into the the land fill and as I understand it the "organics" are a necessary part of the breaking down process of the rest of the trash. Poop might be processed food but it is still food and would be a very small part of the food that goes into the landfill every day. Thoughts?
 
#30 ·
Natural landscape Geological phenomenon Nature reserve Wilderness Grass

I just finished a 5 day Hells Canyon on the Snake with 9 people. I took my new riverbank. It was super comfy and the base was very stable. It had a very large hole and aiming was not a problem for anyone on our trip. However, I have very limited experience, I have only used a riverbank. I was pretty happy with it and I am pretty sure my wife will like it when she comes on a multi day with me. My friend who has an ammo can with a toilet seat for his groover liked it. It looks like other members have confirmed it works with the bags. I will say that one of its unexpected benefits was that it made an excellent fishing platform or scouting tower on my raft. Lifejacket River Outdoor recreation Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies Recreation



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#32 ·
So, haven't posted in a while, but after reading the whole crappy thread, I am inclined to comment.

Riverbank is the shit. (so is the Johnny).
Wagbags have their place. Especially true for backcountry car, bike, hike camping. Are good for small groups and easy to dispose of legally.

As a parent, I have done the "toilet and laundry route" and the "dispose in trash route". Never had a problem doing the whole cloth diaper or diaper insert thing. Loved the "service" before they went out of business. I can't understand why anybody with kids would use a "major label" brand of diapers. Most contain "absorbent materials" that are made from chemicals. Pour an american beer into one. Then cut it open. I would not want that stuff rubbing my midrift all day. After that you will buy a "natural" brand.

Dirtbagkayaker, please reread your link. The diaper bank does not recycle diapers. They do not "separate" poo from materials. The page reads that they take the packaging from the retail diaper packaging, ie: the outer packaging, the bag like container the wipes came in. Most municipalities do not recycle plastic film. Market bags, saran packaging, etc. This "drop off bin" is for recycling that film. As I understand it, the recycle thing is great (and I'm into it), but single stream recycling is a misnomer. It ends up costing an arm and a leg and also use more carbon to ship that then sorted material back overseas to be re-manufactured after they dispose of a good % anyway. We live in a backwards society. (a whole other thread).

I can't believe I just spent part of my evening typing about shit:)
 
#34 ·
Have the ecosafe system (year old). Purchased because of price (wholesale) and form factor. Really like the riverbank and yes Johnny is the shit but....

So for those of you talking about a bag up to the bowl on the ecosafe do you know how folks did that and how they stored it?


Sent from my iPhone using Mountain Buzz
 
#36 ·
We use the Eco Safe (old model with Bemis Seat and Lid), not necessarily because it is superior to any other units, but for the price. I also don't really like the idea of having to lug around two rockets to get it there and then there is the dirty ramp issues that some have mentioned. With our unit, it was cheap and it gets us on the river, so with that we have just made doo with what we have and figured ways to make it work out, I reckon if I did it over again I might look into one of the other units.

We handle the dirty ramp issue by storing a spray bottle full of Simple Green or equivalent along with the seat and lid in that rocket box, as if you have seen one of these seats/lids (at least the old design), they fit in rocket box nicely with plenty of extra room in the box to spare for storing your collection of cleanup stuff, i.e. the spray bottle, wet wipes, extra toilet paper, soap and hand disinfectant and even a fold-up washbasin. That rocket box then serves as dry storage for all the goodies you need near the groover.

So with all that its fairly easy for folks to clean up after themselves and keep the unit itself presentable after each use, it also helps to let your crew know the procedure and to help out by cleaning up after themselves. So with all of that, I found that I don't mind hauling two rockets. Another thing about the two box issue that I have found makes it a little more justifiable is that it seems easier to load and haul two rockets in a sling for each, rather than finding a singular spot among all your other gear to fit one huge, super heavy box full of shit! I am not sure how I would meld something like that into the gear pile without sitting it on the floor and also keeping it upright, so it seems nice to just slide two rockets into a sling on either side of the captains bay.

We also ditched the little 2 foot hose they supply you with for emptying the unit and instead we use a 10 footer with RV fittings on one end and then dump the unit into our septic tank at home using the cleanout access. The RV fittings allow you have a closed loop, as we learned right away that it is difficult to keep the disposal hose lodged in the cleanout hole while emptying under pressure. The RV hose locks into a fitting on the cleanout so when you turn the hose on you have two hands free to handle the box and make sure that it is emptying properly.
 
#37 ·
Livenswell,


Spot on with the extra space for cleaning / don't get the Hep tools. I keep industrial strength rubber gloves in my box too.


As for the RV hose, can you send me an example? I had a less than desirable experience blowing that stupid hose off the Ecosafe when I turned the water on at the RV dump station.
 
#40 ·
As for the RV hose, can you send me an example? I had a less than desirable experience blowing that stupid hose off the Ecosafe when I turned the water on at the RV dump station.

The hose I have a problem with is the garden hose fitting to attach the clean water flush out. It seems like it is tight and then it pops off when I turn on the pressure and sprays water around. At least it is clean water but people get nervous at the adjacent RV clean out when liquid begins spraying wildly. I think the problem came from tightening a metal fitting too tightly into the plastic fitting. Wondering if anyone has found hardware store fittings or another solution.
 
#38 ·
Oh hail yes, the gloves.. yah I forgot to mention.. they be a critical part of the cleanup kit in box two, I keep a ziploc stuffed with about a hunnerd nitrile gloves, in addition to a pair of HD rubber gloves in case things do get shitty, but we find that folks who cant squarely hit the hole seem to be ok with cleaning up after themselves if there are gloves available, you just gotta be careful with folks disposing the spent ones back in the poo tank.

I have heard so many tragic horror stories about dumping the Eco Safe on here in various threads, but shoot man, we have never had any issues whatsoever with our Eco Safe, not even the nasty poop ramp stories etc. of course we dont trip very often with kids along and we have no slobs in our crew that cant clean up after themselves. We have even gotten to where we take the Eco Safe with us on regular camping trips. After one or two times filling that baby up on the river, it sure gives you a sense of how much shit you and your crew generate in a short period of time, so we thought why not stop shitting in the woods too!? Seems like everything else I do requires Leave no trace ethics so why not.

I'll have to figure this out some to post a pic or a link etc., and I'll send that when I get it figgered out, as I am a long time viewer, but newly joined and only first or second time poster, to the Buzz.. anyhow, you can find the hoses in the RV section at Walmart. You will need to keep the screw on fitting and hose clamp that is on the original hose that came with the Eco Safe dumping hose, as you will remove one end of the new RV hose and replace it with the fitting and hose clamp that goes to the Eco Safe, then the other end of the RV hose screws right into your cleanout and locks the hose onto the cleanout, I'll send a photo later that will illustrate it better than I can splain it..
 
#42 ·
look forward to seeing the pics. Poo on your face is bad for your health!
That's awful mang! Here goes with an attempt to show you that RVhose config. First shot is the fittings on each end of drain hose, the black one is from the original blue hose. #2 &3 shows the fittings on the RV drain hose, note different diameters for various sized clean outs. 4 is the cleanout with the RV drain fitting ready to connect. 5 shows the connection. 6 is a simulation of actual events. And 7 is for good luck and shows the way the lid and all the cleanup gear rides.
 

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#47 ·
Cascade has them on sale now and again but they are the only ones I have seen that carry them besides buying directly from selway fab. I love mine and everyone on my trips give it two thumbs up. The down sides to this toilet is people will always want you to bring the groover, the only other is it is large and not as easy to stow as a rocket box Eco safe unit.
 
#49 ·
The down sides to this toilet is people will always want you to bring the groover,
Ya know, that really wouldn't be that bad, less work than other group items to set up and maintain, and dumping a groover really isn't that bad when you do it a lot, plus everyone thinks you're the Hero for doing it. Just don't get poo on your face!
 
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