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Oct 30, 2024

Could This Inflatable Toilet Solve Hiking's Poop Problem? - Backpacker

A computer rendering of the AirPot Photo: Courtesy Kunrui Peng Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members!

A computer rendering of the AirPot Photo: Courtesy Kunrui Peng

Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! >","name":"in-content-cta","type":"link"}}">Download the app.

Hiking today has a well-documented poop problem. Hike a popular trail nowadays, and you’ll likely run into a couple of toilet paper flags—or, arguably worse, a WAG bag someone has left by the trail. Now, a design student thinks he’s found a solution: inflatable toilets.

The AirPot isn’t a product you can buy—not yet, at least. Created by Kunrui Peng, a student at Muthesius University of Fine Arts and Design in Kiel, Germany, the prototype inflatable throne made its debut at this year’s Dutch Design Week 2024. Made of the same PU-coated polyester and nylon used in many tents, the AirPot takes the form of an inflatable tube with a roll top that clips together at the end, forming a seat reminiscent of the U-shaped neck pillows airline passengers use. A plastic toilet pot slips into the center of the seat, which has attachments for a biodegradable bag with an odor-eliminating powder. The entire kit weighs less than 2.2 pounds.

Speaking to design publication Dezeen, Peng said the idea for the AirPot came to him when he discovered human waste deep in the forest while hiking with his mother. He hopes his invention will help encourage backpackers and other outdoor recreators to poop responsibly rather than leaving their waste in the open, where it could spread disease, or at least end up fouling someone’s shoes.

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Our take: The AirPot is a smart response to a real problem, but probably wouldn’t do much to help keep the trail clean. That’s because, in our experience, the main reason hikers leave their, uh, leavings by the side of the trail isn’t because using a WAG bag is uncomfortable, it’s because they’re not willing to pack out their poop. In many places, using a WAG bag is even more environmentally friendly than burying bowel movements. However, the idea of sticking even double-bagged human waste in a pack is so icky to many casual hikers that some would rather flout the rules come bathroom time. Making the experience comfier likely wouldn’t do much to help if people still hesitate to carry their doo-doo.

Still, we love to see bright minds take swings at the outdoor’s big problems, even if they don’t pan out. So bravo to a student who’s thinking about a way to make the trails better for everyone.

From 2024