The one mistake I made when I bought my Casita, was getting the...

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by Alex Adams

I'm not mad, I just don't buy the argument that if it isn't illegal its OK to do it. If the septic company wants to dump on their land that is fine as long as they aren't adversely impacting their neighbors. That can include smell, pollution, traffic, etc. On the other hand if you buy a lot next to this property, build your house right next to where the dumping is happening and then complain about the smell then I have no sympathy for you at all.

WE AGREE !!

We live in a rural area There are dairy and hog farms . These family farms have been here for 100 years . I chose to buy land here so

Unfortunately IMHO , We are being invaded in our area with the property rights faction . They believe property rights trump everything including pollution laws , land usage , set backs , fire codes , disposal of toxic substances.
The septic pumper is the least of our worries , he at least complies with the law.
One good thing , the local politician pushing this property rights trumps all agenda was voted out of office last month by a rather large margin.

[Alex Adams]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

WE AGREE !!

We live in a rural area There are dairy and hog farms . These family farms have been here for 100 years . I chose to buy land here so

Unfortunately IMHO , We are being invaded in our area with the property rights faction . They believe property rights trump everything including pollution laws , land usage , set backs , fire codes , disposal of toxic substances.
The septic pumper is the least of our worries , he at least complies with the law.
One good thing , the local politician pushing this property rights trumps all agenda was voted out of office last month by a rather large margin.

Yeah, we've had a lot of family farms get shut down when people bought property around them and then "zoned" them into oblivion. When I was a kid, there was this one chicken farm that had been where it was for over 100 years. People with money bought the land around and bingo! drove the farm out.

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by Kai in Seattle

May I add, I understand in the Southwest, where the land is mostly desert, many campgrounds really, really don't want you so much as emptying a pet bowl of leftover water on the ground, since the native plants are used to a certain amount of drought and too much water can damage or kill them. We haven't camped in any such area yet, and would have to find out. I don't know how they want you to smother a campfire--if you can even have one. Sand or dirt, maybe....

I haven't encountered any area that is quite that persnickety, even state parks. Hope I didn't give that impression. But yes, native desert flora thrive best without our help.

I was really speaking in the context of this thread about getting rid of quantities of grey water. A small quantity of clean(ish) water- toss away. Pour a whole bucket of drain water on the base of a tree- bad idea. Campfires in designated fire rings away from vegetation- drown them. Dishpan full of greasy water filled with food scraps- pour it under the bedroom window of that neighbor with the obnoxious generator...

[Raz]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

Dishpan full of greasy water filled with food scraps- pour it under the bedroom window of that neighbor with the obnoxious generator...

Or all night porch light.

[Donna D.]

We are ALL stewards of the land. And all should be thinking ahead, rather than behind. I want clean water and clean land and healthy animals for my daughter and grandgirls. No matter where you live or where you camp (or how), it only takes a couple of minutes to find out EXACTLY what you need to do, or should do, to dispose of all types of water. Go forth and be happy and healthy!

[Raz]

You can always tell where the leach field is. The grass is taller and much greener. I use to grow my tomatoes on mine.

[ZachO]

Sanitation is a funny thing. Most of us grew up with showers, so we can't imagine otherwise. I think the wet rag method is a 100% acceptable hygiene method. Nobody needs gallons of water pouring over them while they lather and shave and hang out. I mean really. Think about all that water.

Sometimes I work outdoors and come home dirty, with a lot of my body needing to be washed. Most times, it's really only hair, armpits, feet and those nether regions that need any soap at all, and some water.

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by Raz

You can always tell where the leach field is. The grass is taller and much greener. I use to grow my tomatoes on mine.

Erma Bombeck " The grass is always greener over the septic tank"

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

We are ALL stewards of the land. And all should be thinking ahead, rather than behind. I want clean water and clean land and healthy animals for my daughter and grandgirls. No matter where you live or where you camp (or how), it only takes a couple of minutes to find out EXACTLY what you need to do, or should do, to dispose of all types of water. Go forth and be happy and healthy!

I agree completely, Donna. Ask first, always. I thought I had said that already but realized it was in a different thread.

[Kai in Seattle]

Raz:

Our plum tree is at the edge of our leech field, and those plums are so juicy and delicious (though the skins are mouth-puckeringly sour)...then I read a thing from King County as far as drainfields and they warned NOT to plant food plants or trees anywhere near the drainfield for two reasons: 1. roots can clog it and 2. the "effluvia" will transfer up into the food. Now, seriously, I thought fruit trees somehow filtered all that stuff out on the way from root tips to branch tips? tomatoes would be a LOT closer from input to outgo...still, don't you put fertilizer on plants and you don't consider you're eating fertilizer when you pick your crops? Huh? I think sometimes they warn you of things that are unnecessary.

I called the county and they said if the tree roots haven't clogged anything in over ten years, just leave them alone. They've dived beneath the outflow. And the fruit is safe. So that was a worry gone.

[Mike Magee]

Originally Posted by Kai in Seattle

As for bathing, did you know that Elvis Presley, according to one of his biographers, NEVER BATHED or showered? He took what are called "whore baths," that is, you half-fill a small sink with hot water and wipe yourself with a washcloth. I assume he occasionally washed his hair, but maybe he only did oil changes.

If NEVER bathing or showering was good enough for The King...almost any bathing schedule or method one prefers while camping ought to be good enough.

BEST
Kai

My mom always called those "sponge baths" and as a kid I took one any night I did not take a regular bath. She would turn over in her grave to hear them called whore baths!

[Mitzi Agnew-Giles]

Originally Posted by Jann Todd

Cleaning up with just wipes means you must get a little nasty smelling. You can't clean up good enough with them. We use them for a clean up once in a while but not for over 2-3 days. You must not have a toilet. Sounds like you can make it in a tent. Most of us use our trailers for comfort not for roughing it hard.

I don't know what you are doing all day that a 3 point bath can't get you clean? I travelled in the N Manitoba, NW Ontario and Boundary Waters BSA Northern Tier High Adventure Camps for multiple week canoe trips and we weren't to bathe in the lakes or creeks. 1/2 pack of Baby Wipes did just fine to keep me sweet smelling. But since ALOE has now invaded ALL babywipes and I'm allergic I make my own with Kleenex (disposable) hand towels, no rinse body bath from your local pharmacy, and baby oil. We label them "backpackers shower" You can buy an 8 oak of disposable bath wipes but we prefer my homemade since it carries more wetness. We can do a bath with just 1 homemade, but the package for the 8 premade bath wipes expects you to use all 8 for one bath.

Also in BSA summer camps we were taught to clean our mess kits w/paper towels or napkins and only dip the clean plates & utensils in a genocidal solution and air dry. Non of us sickened.

Hope those who want to use these ideas find them useful, and if you prefer to use more water, that is still one of your rights in this country. No one's way is better than another's. Can't we find better things to argue about, like maybe...okra?&

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by Mitzi Agnew-Giles

I don't know what you are doing all day that a 3 point bath can't get you clean? I travelled in the N Manitoba, NW Ontario and Boundary Waters BSA Northern Tier High Adventure Camps for multiple week canoe trips and we weren't to bathe in the lakes or creeks. 1/2 pack of Baby Wipes did just fine to keep me sweet smelling. But since ALOE has now invaded ALL babywipes and I'm allergic I make my own with Kleenex (disposable) hand towels, no rinse body bath from your local pharmacy, and baby oil. We label them "backpackers shower" You can buy an 8 oak of disposable bath wipes but we prefer my homemade since it carries more wetness. We can do a bath with just 1 homemade, but the package for the 8 premade bath wipes expects you to use all 8 for one bath.

Also in BSA summer camps we were taught to clean our mess kits w/paper towels or napkins and only dip the clean plates & utensils in a genocidal solution and air dry. Non of us sickened.

Hope those who want to use these ideas find them useful, and if you prefer to use more water, that is still one of your rights in this country. No one's way is better than another's. Can't we find better things to argue about, like maybe...okra?&

I have tent camped in Manitoba, Ontario , BWCA , Northern Mn and Northern Wi and often cleaned up or rinsed off in a lake , stream or Creek ? . (We did not use soap or shampoo ).

What is the difference between rinsing off or swimming in a lake?.
Body wipes are okay but they don't do much to clean your hair or beard.

[Mitzi Agnew-Giles]

Rinsing off implies something is sticking to your skin...eg soap? Yes, I tried to get in water every day, but without anything sticking to my skin.
Fortunately don't have to worry about a beard, and since I got a short short haircut every summer before camp, I could to shampoo till we got back to base camp.

[k0wtz]

we just completed a 3 week trip finally got a porta pottie no nr. 2 in the pottie we were out in the desert saved that for the gas station in quartzite!

we had 8 1 gal jugs of water we used 1 gal a day for coffee and our military baths. in quartzite we found water stations 25c a gal to fill our water jugs if needed.

out in the desert there were 500k rigs with their sat. dishes we never saw the owners outside but heard their generators running constantly.

I think for that kind of money I would have booked a room at the fancy resorts but whatever!!

bob

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by Mitzi Agnew-Giles

Rinsing off implies something is sticking to your skin...eg soap? Yes, I tried to get in water every day, but without anything sticking to my skin.
Fortunately don't have to worry about a beard, and since I got a short short haircut every summer before camp, I could to shampoo till we got back to base camp.

Yes , Rinsing off dirt , sweat , minnow and worm juice ( not soap ) which unfortunately sticks to your skin.

[k0wtz]

part of our water conservation was we use disposables totally no heavy cooking I retired wifey retired thus cooking changes including no gourmet cooking, no crock pots at the campsite.

I know this doesn't suit everyone but works for us! relaxation for us no excessive work.

bob

[Kai in Seattle]

Originally Posted by Mike Magee

My mom always called those "sponge baths" and as a kid I took one any night I did not take a regular bath. She would turn over in her grave to hear them called whore baths!

I should have said what Elvis called whore baths. Thank you very much.

Of course those were sponge baths. My apologies to your mom.

And of course, they can be quite adequate, not discounting the pleasures of a real shower or bath when you can get one. Or the necessity under some circumstances (note the worm and fish residue post ) of taking further and more stringent measures.

[Rural Tom]

Thank you for posting your thoughts that a person might as well get the 25 gallon tank since the space remaining space is not really good storage. I am in the process of ordering a Casita, and changed my order to the larger tank.

[slowpat]

If you are still reading this thread, I have a 2012 Casita and the freshwater tank is accessed by removing the fiberglass seat. It is held on with screws and I am thinking a #2 square head screwdriver is what will get them out.

I spied on an RV guy working on mine. He saw me and told me what screwdriver to get.