The InstaPrivy Holds Its Own as One of the Most Practical Camping Inventions

This is not the most comfortable conversation to have with strangers, but here it is: what do you do when you have to go and the only option is to do it in the bushes? If your favorite hobby is fishing or hunting, or you like to go camping or hiking, or simply to take the kids out of the city to explore what nature has to offer, you must have had to deal with this situation at least once. The way you address it can make the difference between a pleasant and a rather terrible experience in the great outdoors.

Talk all we want about the pleasures and the countless benefits of camping or hiking, or even of the now-very popular #vanlife trend, but the reality is that none of it means that much if you’re forced to go in the woods or use dirty public restrooms and outhouses. No one likes to squat in the bushes while keeping an eye out for passers-by and for whatever ginormous bugs might be around. At least, we don’t know many people who do.

If you have kids with you, then the ordeal is twice as bad because, no matter how many times you tell them, kids seem to have this incredible ability to always forget to go potty before leaving home.

Paul Mangum knows all about that because he lived it each time he and the family left home. So, when they started making preparations for an extended trip into the great outdoors, he began researching options for portable toilets that both adults and kids could use. As he found out, there were none that fit the description because none of the products advertised as portable were truly that.

If this was a genesis story a la Marvel movies, this would be the premise for the InstaPrivy, introduced to the public for the first time in 2017 as the world’s most practical portable toilet, and perhaps the only one worthy of the “portable” descriptor. The InstaPrivy made its debut on crowdfunding platforms in 2019 and has been available worldwide ever since, turning outdoor adventures into pleasant, stress-free experiences – at least as far as going to the bathroom is concerned.

The InstaPrivy is an instant privy (duh) that presents as a lightweight and easy-to-assemble kit sold for $149. It’s actually a backpack that you can take every time you head out, whether on your back or inside a much larger backpack. Since it weighs only 7 lbs. (3.2 kg), it’s definitely lightweight enough as to not feel cumbersome, and it’s flat-pack, too.



Inside the kit, you get a folding plastic chair, plastic waste bags with special gel-filled pads to absorb the waste, a shovel, seat covers, hand sanitizer, and even toilet paper. Most importantly, the kit includes an instant, self-balancing tent that ensures complete privacy. In case of an emergency, it takes under 30 seconds to take everything out and set it up for use.

The plastic chair is fold-flat but highly resistant, on the condition you place it on even ground, with a maximum payload of 250 lbs (113.4 kg). The tent, which is made of durable material, rests on the user’s head by means of a stabilization pad, and has a little net window for ventilation and visibility.

That last part might seem like a joke, but it’s not. “Yes, this is absolutely a real product!” the makers are still forced to point out on the official website, even after all these years. Balancing the tent on your head as you do your thing seems silly, but it’s part of the huge appeal of the product, as it does away with the need for extra support or complicated set-ups. It’s also what has turned InstaPrivy into a solid acquisition for most outdoor types.

Because of its ease of use, durability, and light weight, the InstaPrivy has multiple functionality. The maker says it’s been tested in the harshest environments for many years, so it renders itself very useful in a variety of scenarios, from tailgating parties to hikes, military use, emergency response situations, nursing and hygiene tasks, and even as a temporary shelter in case the weather takes a turn for the worst.

When camping, it can also double as a pop-up shower room or a changing room, so it would make a most versatile and practical acquisition for vanlifers not willing to sacrifice the extra space for a proper bathroom – and there are thousands of them, as you must know.

In January 2023, InstaPrivy made an appearance at the SHOT Show 2023 in Las Vegas, the National Shooting Sports Foundation’s largest Expo, further highlighting the increased comfort and more sustainable approach of a solution to man’s most basic bodily function. Below is the original crowdfunding ad that launched InstaPrivy as a global business. Poop jokes are a given with a product of this kind, but you still have to hand it to them for their sense of humor.