The Krapp Strap, below, is an innovative design that makes it easier to poop outdoors. You just have to dig a hole in the right spot to bury your business afterwards.
However, Industrial Design student Kunrui Peng points out that burying human feces is no longer harmless to the environment, now that we're all pumped full of meds. After doing research, Peng found:
"Human faeces contain increasingly complex substances such as chemicals, hormones brought on or triggered by pharmaceuticals, drug-resistant germs, etc. Laura C. Scott, a geneticist with the U.S. Geological Survey, collected soil and water samples from national parks in 2016, and the results were quite surprising. All samples showed the presence of drug-resistant bacteria. This phenomenon is directly linked to the increase in human activity.
"The authorities in more and more natural reserves are realizing this problem and offering tourists toilet bags. But simply squatting and trying to poop inside them is far from ideal."
To that end, Peng designed this AirPot, a portable, inflatable toilet seat.
"The AirPot weighs only 0.6 kg and, when deflated, can be folded to the size of a water bottle."
"Wave it in the air for inflation, roll up the opening to seal it tight, and fold it."
"Put in the biodegradable toilet bag, which contains NASA-invented powder that solidifies human waste instantly and breaks down bacteria and odours."
"The toilet bag is held in place by four buttons."
"After finishing up, toilet bags need to be taken to human waste collecting facilities for disposal."
"The pot is made of PGA, a biodegradable, thermoplastic polymer and the liner, [biodegradable] aliphatic polyester."
"There's a 15-degree tilt on the pot as well as the inflatable toilet seat, making it easier to get up from."
"The upper part of the inflatable uses PU-coated polyester, a material commonly used for tents and outdoor covers. The bottom comprises PU-coated nylon, a durable textile that works well for hot air balloons."
"The materials used on the AirPot ensure it's airtight, watertight and skin-comfortable. Stains and dirt come off easily, too."
Peng is pursuing his ID degree at Germany's Muthesius University of Fine Arts and Design. You can see more of his work here.
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Comments
Can I still pee behind the bushes?!
I like the design of the pot and the use of the powder. Why not just dig a hole and put this in the hole, then take it out when you're done?
The target area on the inflatable is quite small. Think about how big toilet openings are compared to the pot opening. Seems too small to be of any use. And the overall volume of the product is too large to be practical for storing in a backpack with other stuff. Especially after you've gotten feces on it (and then presumably wiped it on the ground to clean it, which is what the product is intending to prevent in the first place).
I like the effort though - interesting to learn about how jacked up our turds are.