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Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start of summer — and the single most popular camping weekend in the United States. Campgrounds fill up months in advance. State parks report record visitation. Trailhead parking lots overflow onto the highway shoulder by 7am.
And with all those people come all the same problems: packed pit toilets, overflowing porta-potties, and long lines for the one campground restroom serving 200 sites.
If you’re heading out this Memorial Day, your tent, your cooler, and your camp stove are all sorted. But here’s the question most campers don’t ask until it’s too late: what’s your bathroom plan?
A portable toilet for camping and a supply of WAG bags means you never have to answer that question on the fly again.
Why Memorial Day Weekend Is the Worst Time to Rely on Camp Facilities
Memorial Day brings out everyone — first-time campers, families with young kids, groups of friends, RVers — all at the same time, in the same places. The math doesn’t work.
Here’s what you’re actually dealing with at a popular campground or recreation area over Memorial Day weekend:
- Pit toilets and vault toilets are serviced on a schedule — and Memorial Day volume routinely overwhelms that schedule within the first day
- Campground restrooms have lines at peak times; at night, in the dark, with kids, this becomes a real problem
- Dispersed camping and backcountry sites — increasingly popular alternatives to crowded campgrounds — have zero facilities by design
- Boat launches, lakeshores, and day-use areas pack thousands of visitors into spaces with a handful of portable toilets at best
- Popular trail destinations like national park entry points and permit-required wilderness areas routinely require or strongly recommend pack-out waste systems during high-use periods
The solution is the same whether you’re at a crowded campground or deep in the backcountry: bring your own bathroom. The Cleanwaste GO Anywhere Portable Folding Toilet paired with Original WAG BAG® kits gives you a clean, private, fully self-contained system that works anywhere — no facilities required.
What Is a WAG Bag and Why Is It Perfect for Memorial Day?
A WAG bag — Waste Aggregation and Gelling — is a self-contained human waste kit that requires zero infrastructure. The Cleanwaste Original WAG BAG® is the most trusted option on the market, used by the U.S. Military and FEMA in over 10 million field deployments since 1999.
Each kit includes:
- An inner waste bag pre-loaded with Poo Powder — a NASA-developed gelling agent that instantly solidifies and deodorizes waste on contact
- A puncture-resistant, zip-close outer disposal bag for completely odor-free transport and pack-out
- Toilet paper and a hand wipe — everything in one kit, nothing extra needed
Use it, seal it, and toss it in any campground trash bin on your way out. The bags are biodegradable and approved for standard landfill disposal — no special handling required.
For a group camping Memorial Day weekend, stock a 12-pack — that covers a family of four for the full long weekend with no restroom stress.
The GO Anywhere Portable Toilet: Your Memorial Day Camp Upgrade
If you’re car camping this Memorial Day — which most people are — the Cleanwaste GO Anywhere Portable Folding Toilet belongs in your load-out.
It weighs 7 lbs, folds to the size of a briefcase, and sets up in under a minute. Here’s why it’s the right call for the long weekend:
✔ 14″ seat height — the same as a home toilet, comfortable for every age ✔ 500 lb capacity — handles the whole family and the uncle who overindulged at the cookout ✔ No chemicals, no dump stations, no mess — pairs with WAG Bag kits for a completely self-contained system ✔ Privacy shelter compatible — set it up inside the GO Anywhere Privacy Shelter for a full camp bathroom in any spot ✔ Folds flat for transport — fits in any trunk, truck bed, or gear trailer
No more walking to the campground restroom in the dark. No more waiting in line at the porta-potty while your kids do the desperation dance. Just a clean, private bathroom exactly where you set up camp.
Memorial Day Scenarios: Match Your Kit to Your Trip
Family Campground Weekend (Friday–Monday)
Best setup: GO Anywhere Portable Toilet + WAG Bags 12-pack
The full system. Even if your campground has restrooms, having your own toilet means no midnight walks, no waiting, and no worrying about whether the facilities are clean. A 12-pack covers a family of 4 for the full long weekend.
Backcountry & Dispersed Camping
Best setup: Original WAG BAG® kits — 1 per person per day
Dispersed camping on Bureau of Land Management or National Forest land has no facilities. WAG bags are the Leave No Trace-compliant standard for these areas. Check your specific area’s requirements at Recreation.gov before you head out.
Lake & Boating Day Trips
Best setup: WAG Bags in the boat dry bag + portable toilet at the lakeside camp
Boat launch porta-potties on Memorial Day weekend are some of the most unpleasant bathrooms in America. Keep WAG bags in your dry bag for time on the water, and set up the portable toilet at your lakeside campsite. Problem solved.
Memorial Day Road Trip
Best setup: WAG Bags + portable toilet in the vehicle
Every rest stop on every major highway will be packed Memorial Day weekend. Keep a portable toilet in the back of your car or RV and WAG bags within arm’s reach. Skip the lines entirely.
National Park Day Use
Best setup: WAG Bags in the day pack
Many national park trailheads have vault toilets — which are fine until 10,000 people use them in 72 hours. Tuck a WAG Bag or two in your day pack for the trail. Weigh nothing, take up no space, and mean you never have to cut a hike short.
The Leave No Trace Case for WAG Bags at Memorial Day
Memorial Day weekend is one of the most ecologically impactful camping events of the year. Hundreds of thousands of visitors descend on public lands simultaneously — and the waste left behind accumulates fast.
The Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics identifies human waste as one of the most significant and preventable sources of environmental damage on public lands. The National Park Service and USDA Forest Service both promote pack-out waste systems as the responsible choice for high-use areas — especially during peak holiday weekends.
Cleanwaste WAG bags are:
- Non-toxic and non-hazardous — safe to dispose of in any standard campground trash
- Biodegradable — made with starch-based materials that break down in landfill conditions
- Odor-sealed — puncture-resistant zip-close bags contain everything completely during transport
Every camper who brings a WAG bag to Memorial Day weekend is one fewer person straining overloaded facilities and leaving waste in sensitive environments.
Order Now — Memorial Day Shipping Is Time-Sensitive
Memorial Day weekend falls at the end of May. If you’re ordering online, the window to guarantee delivery before the holiday is shorter than it feels. Don’t let a bathroom situation be the reason your long weekend gets off to a rough start.
Shop WAG Bags → Shop GO Anywhere Portable Toilet → Shop All Cleanwaste Products →
Also planning a Mother’s Day outdoor outing? Read: The Outdoor Gift That Actually Changes the Trip: WAG Bags & Portable Toilets for Mother’s Day — the Cleanwaste gift guide for the outdoorsy mom.
Cleanwaste has been America’s trusted portable sanitation brand since 1999. Made in the USA. Field-tested in every condition imaginable.
