How to Shyte on Lasqueti
This is an updated, 2010, electronic copy of Doug Hamilton's book:
Shyte, Piss, and Dishwater
So you finally decided to make the big move to the country. Ah, the happy rural lifestyle--clean air, sparkling streams, friendly neighbors, a bursting vegetable garden, and goodbye forever to that stressful commute. But sometimes things are not as simple as they seem. While not exactly the center of polite conversation or learned discourse there lingers in the background of country living the nagging question of human waste. Many rural areas, particularly in the beautiful Gulf Islands, have no sewer pipe outlets, holding tanks, or processing areas. In the good old days before the current population explosion, a hole in the ground was grand, or even better, one could go for a soulful dump in the deep blue sea. Greywater was pitched out the window without a second thought. Incredibly, some cities like Victoria still show their respect for our environment by dumping human waste and greywater directly into the ocean without treatment.
The problem of shyte disposal is not academic question to be disputed in some ivory tower. Misplaced caca has caused more death and human suffering in the world than any other single factor throughout world history. Even a microscopic piece can be deadly-- jam packed with dangerous viruses, bacteria and parasites. Think hepatitis B, typhoid, diptheria, cholera, diarrhea, salmonella, hookworm, roundworm and many others, discovered and undiscovered. Many of these monsters have been quelled here, but thousands still die every day from their ravages in the third world. Be aware, one of the most deadly poisons known to humankind is produced by each and every one of us every day. Simply put, what has recently passed from a person’s (or animal) asshole must never find its way back into someone else’s mouth and digestive system.
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| How to Shyte on Lasqueti (PDF) | 84.29 KB |
Comments
shyte alt
i have heard a lot of folks going about this composting in a bad way, dumping their poop buckets into their compost and just letting it sit. stinky, messy, vermin-y. bad form. even when rotated it is not a whole lot of fun to deal with. the fear of 3rd world diseases is overstated, but still, it's all a bit gross.
we have had great success with this other system i picked up from a couple in olympia years ago.
after every "movement" throw a little sawdust over the top. when your 5 gallon bucket is 3/4 full, simply drop a few worms on the ground, flip the bucket over onto them in one swift motion, and leave it there flipped over, creating a seal between the top rim and the ground. don't touch it - you are done. in as quick as three weeks, all that poop will be worm castings. you can actually stick your head right into the bucket and not even a trace of poop, visual or scent. instant rich soil. we always leave ours a bit longer than that (6 weeks) as we don't always have worms handy, but they find their way in from below. buckets are not too hard to come by, so it is no big deal to have a few going at a time. we also toss TP into a separate container instead of into the bucket because it doesn't break down as effectively (and can sometimes attract mouse habitat in your bucket--what a shitty life for them!) we just burn it later. if you can set up your system so pee shoots over the bucket and onto the ground or into another sealed receptacle (if you have such a setup) all the better. remember to rinse off your whole bucket setup with some pond water whenever you change your bucket out. our toilet paper system is a PVC 3 inch pipe that has a top vent and leads to a sealed container below/beside the toilet. a square of pond liner acts as a flip-open door on a small square cut out of the pvc at arm height so it is handy while you are seated on your throne. the whole thing is as easy as pie, no flies, and no smell. you can also keep the flipped buckets all together in a row to cycle through them, close by to your outhouse system so you don't have very far to carry the buckets. happy shyte-ing!
I really like this idea, of
I really like this idea, of course you could get a similar result by using a lid :)
Just be careful with the worms themselves, they are NOT native and wreak havoc on our forests!
Remarks
Well, having to come by this site accidentally I must say I read some comments and replies with (Shall I say tears in my eyes) with the humor all around. Having had acreage in spring bay in the the past before any houses, yes the property left side of beach access (long since sold) Brown 65 pushbutton Valiant station wagon back then, probably still there somewhere. I have been returning to the island for a few decades now as a boater anchored in false bay for a few weeks ever summer mostly. Although there are not a great many people I know left from the day, I can be pointed out by the 42' mapleleaf sailboat usually anchored in front of the old house for weeks on end or by my presence in the pub lol.
As I do know the island life, as I do know the people as their lifestyle predicts. As I love the values and keep coming back and will forever, (people ask me about Lasqueti, I say (dont go there. Unfriendly, nothing to see etc lol, our secret) I do not wish to go terra firma as I have been living on my boat for 13 years. I do however get tired of swinging on the hook every year feeling like an outsider, I would like a permanent mooring bouy on the north side of the bay if possible. I only draw 4'6 board up. There was a sloop for sale there for a while, I didnt visit last summer (covid and all). I noticed the summer before, still dropping bouys as old house has 2 now. I would like to come back home if someone has one they want to give up. As said, north side shallow draft other side of the rocks, protected.See ya this summer. :)
Thanks peace and be safe.