As every military serviceperson knows, the forward operating base (FOB) is a crucial element when it comes to troops’ ability to stop terrorists, prevent attacks, and help stabilize war-torn areas. However, life on an FOB is as unpredictable as the bases themselves are valuable.
FOBs may only be needed temporarily, or they may be built for the long haul. They can be as complete as an airfield or hospital, but they can also end up lacking even the basic comforts we take for granted, like flush toilets. Usually, it feels like the only option left for soldiers in these situations is the dreaded Porta Potty.
Fortunately, there’s an alternative to Porta Potties: the portable toilet. It’s a far more sanitary solution that, unlike the Porta Potty, is actually portable.
Beyond this basic convenience, it has a secret weapon inside which makes life easier and cleaner for everyone.
The Secret Weapon Behind Portable Toilets for Forward Operating Bases
Portable toilets sound similar to Porta Potties in name, but they are a very different solution by design. They aren’t giant, unwieldy plastic closets which, despite the Porta Potty name, tend to live in one place and never move again.
Portable toilets function more like camping gear. They’re compact, easy to transport, and lightweight, making them a great alternative for your military bathroom needs.
They’re a simple system made up of three components:
- A privacy shelter, which looks like a small tent.
- A light but a durable toilet that collapses and folds up in seconds like a briefcase.
- And the secret weapon is the waste bag (or WAG Bag®, short for Waste Alleviation and Gelling Bag).
These WAG Bags are a convenient, portable, and sanitary solution for outdoor relief. They’re inserted into the toilet component and have a host of benefits over the nightmarish reservoirs found in Porta Potties.
- Each WAG Bag® is filled with a NASA-developed powder that gels and solidifies waste.
- The powder also acts as a decay catalyst, using natural enzymes to break down waste and neutralize bacteria and odor.
- And unlike Porta Potties, each bag can be sealed up tight and safely disposed of in any trash can after use! All of our bags are landfill-safe.
In terms of keeping bases well supplied, the shelf life of a WAG Bag® is unusually long. U.S. military testing rated their shelf life at 10+ years, and they found the gel to still be 95 percent active after five years of storage.
A More Portable, Durable Lavatory System for Forward Operating Bases
Portable toilet systems are far more versatile than Porta Potties. They’re able to adapt to any terrain or rugged weather condition.
- The entire GO Anywhere Toilet System only weighs 18 lbs, making it easy to transport.
- It can be deployed anywhere in 2 minutes max. This is a far cry from the delivery, prep, and servicing needed for Porta Potties.
- It doesn’t need a perfectly flat or level plot of land to stand on.
- And the GO Anywhere Toilet Kits that keep it supplied are easy to store in a soldier’s gear, leaving a bathroom solution always within reach.
Now, just in case the idea of a “tent-style” privacy shelter seems like a less durable option, these shelters are water-repellent, non-conductive, and flame-resistant — even meeting CPAI-84 standards.
To test their durability, the Everest ‘98 Environmental Expedition tested them in extreme conditions for four weeks at 18,500 feet where they performed “without fail.” The portable toilets endured below-freezing temperatures, intense heat exposure, radiation from the sun, and — we’re not making this up — a yak stampede!
The Most Sanitary Option for Remote Military Bathrooms
Porta Potties are just gross. They collect waste and grow more unpleasant every day, and their impact on morale is magnified when it’s the only option available.
People will try to avoid them altogether by putting off using the restroom (which creates a huge health risk).
When they do finally give in to the urge to go, they’re in such a hurry to get in and get out, careless aim and toilet paper haste leads to soggy, stinky messes. It’s not an ideal environment for our bravest and best.
With portable toilets, there’s no mess, and no spillage.The polymers and enzymes in the WAG Bag® turn the waste into a deodorized gel, helping to eliminate most of the residual smell.
GO Anywhere Toilet Kits also address the problem of Porta Potties running out of supplies. Each kit comes with ample toilet paper and sanitary wipes.
But most importantly, portable toilet systems are freshly-renewed every day, or even multiple times a day! Waste is immediately sealed up in one-time use, disposable bags and tossed instead of sitting in a vat of chemicals until it’s time to empty.
The bottom line: no one has to be locked in a poorly-ventilated closet with weeks’ worth of filth. It surprises many people to find out that using the restroom in a tent-style shelter ends up feeling far more civilized than using a manufactured, plastic outhouse.
Portable Toilets Provide the Most Reliable Bathroom Solution for Forward Operating Bases
Cleanwaste’s GO Anywhere Toilet System is your best defense in the fight to keep our troops safe from germs and bacteria while protecting their dignity.
Being able to easily transport your lavatory system and safely dispose of the waste are huge morale boosters when you’re far away from home without normal creature comforts like indoor plumbing and electricity.
Ultimately, with portable toilets, soldiers of both genders will be able to find moments of privacy and comfort when needing to use the restroom on remote FOBs.
Cleanwaste is the creator of The Original WAG Bag®, and years of research went into developing their safety, reliability, and durability. To learn more, check out our full military product line here.