The Compo Closet Cuddy Composting Bathroom

Sara Baird investigates a conveyable different in composting bathrooms with the Compo Closet Cuddy.

This summer season I wrote about testing out a composting bathroom and the liberty it offered after we went tent tenting.  I cherished having the identical freedom from utilizing an outhouse or ready in line for the bogs we had when tenting in a Camper with a rest room with out the trouble of hauling a camper.

The dear composting bathroom I reviewed was small and designed for portability, it labored completely for tenting for a couple of days and as a backup when a full lavatory was not out there.  I had thought-about utilizing it in our camper transform however after we journey in our camper we regularly keep locations the place we utterly depend on our camper lavatory and whereas it will work I didn’t assume it will be splendid.

When Compo Closet reached out to see if I wished to check out their Cuddy Composting bathroom, I assumed it may very well be the answer that we had been on the lookout for.

Compo Closet

Richard Peter dreamed up Compo Closet throughout his time as a traveler.  As he explored choices for bogs of their self-converted van he fell in love with composting bathrooms and located the entire current fashions left him wanting.  He then designed the Cuddy Composting Bathroom and Compo Closet was fashioned.  Compo Closet strives to assist its prospects in dwelling a sustainable and adventurous life-style.

The Cuddy Composting Bathroom

Compo Closet sells two variations of the Cuddy Composting Bathroom, the Cuddy, which comes with an agitator, and the Cuddy Mild which has all of the options of the Cuddy with out an agitator.  The Cuddy Composting Bathroom.  The Cuddy is constructed to be compact and moveable.  It’s 16.3 inches excessive, 15.1 inches extensive, and 16.8 inches deep and has stainless-steel hinges that assist you to place the bathroom flush with a wall.  It weighs 21 kilos.

The Cuddy is filled with options.  It has a 1.7-gallon liquid container with an LED liquid stage indicator to point when the liquid container is full.  The solids container is 3.9 gallons and has an agitator to combine waste together with your chosen medium to begin the composting course of and cut back any scent.  It additionally has a carbon filter to remove scent and a fan that permits it to be vented outdoors.

The Cuddy is designed for simple set up: “Put it down, plug within the energy, and executed!”  The one energy sources wanted are a 9-volt battery for the liquid indicator and an 11 volt for the fan.  Each of those should not required to make use of the bathroom.

How Composting Bogs Work

Composting bathrooms separate urine and stable waste to stop scent and make disposal simpler.  To get rid of the waste you may both dump the urine into a bathroom or outhouse or dilute it and put it in your backyard.  The stable waste might be composted or thrown right into a rubbish can.

Composting bathrooms don’t require any chemical substances, making them environmentally pleasant.  The solids container might be full of fill of your selection.  Selections embrace wooden shavings, peat moss, coco peat, or litter.  The Cuddy has an agitator so you’d merely add your fill after which combine it after every use to start the composting course of.  The Cuddy Mild doesn’t have the agitator so you’d add some fill after which add extra fill after every use.

The benefits of a composting bathroom are that you don’t want to take care of a black tank in a camper, portability because it doesn’t should be plumbed in, and it doesn’t require chemical substances like different moveable bathroom choices.

The way it Works

To put in the cuddy you merely set up the batteries, add medium to the solids bin, and be sure that the proper valve is on the liquids container.  Then you may merely place it the place you want to it and start to make use of it.  You should utilize it in a cabin, a camper, or perhaps a tent.  Relying on the place you utilize it it’s possible you’ll select to vent the bathroom outdoors or not, directions are offered on how to do that.

Testing It Out

 The Cuddy arrived in October and I hoped to get in a fall tenting journey to try it out however dangerous climate and sickness foiled our plans.  As a substitute, I performed round with it at dwelling to determine all of the options.  I discovered the batteries and filter simple to put in and wanted to take away the cardboard from the agitator for the Cuddy to be absolutely arrange.  Compo Closet was even good sufficient to ship some Coco Noir for me to make use of as a medium within the solids container.  It was tremendous easy to hydrate the coco noir and add it to the solids container.

The seat of the Cuddy was very comfy and felt very very similar to sitting on an everyday bathroom.  The peak is decrease than an ordinary bathroom however not extraordinarily low.  I poured in water to check out the liquid container. I seen that it was under no circumstances laborious to ship the liquids into the liquid container.  The diverter is deep sufficient that it may possibly tolerate some quantity of unlevel floor and nonetheless divert the liquid into the proper container.

I used to be intimidated by the thought of dumping the solids container right into a bag reasonably than simply having it bagged up.  I made a decision to present it a dry run and see how troublesome it was to empty the coco noir right into a bag.  It’s good that the container pulls proper out and is straightforward to deal with.  There isn’t a want to maneuver the bathroom.  It was not troublesome to place a bag over the container and empty it.

My Suggestion

My principal curiosity in a composting bathroom was to find out if it will be a great match for our Fifth-wheel camper transform.  We regularly camp in locations the place we depend on the lavatory in our camper and sometimes it may be difficult to discover a dump station.  There are additionally instances when the black tank is full and we don’t need to transfer.  I’d be pleased with the Cuddy in our camper.  I discovered it was comfy and simple to make use of.  Since I didn’t get to try it out on the street, I learn critiques of others who’ve them and located that folks didn’t have points with scent and had been pleased with the Cuddy.

I appreciated that’s it comfy to make use of and that it’s compact and might be positioned flush with the wall.  The diverter was designed nicely and works because it ought to.  The dimensions of the Cuddy is massive sufficient that it may be used often with out continually needing to empty it however not so massive that it may possibly’t be moveable.  It would slot in a cabin, camper, van, and even an possibility when tent tenting in a automotive.

I used to be very impressed by the customer support provided by Compo Closet after I picked out the mannequin. They even provided to ship me to “potty coaching” to make sure I knew how one can use the bathroom appropriately.  There may be additionally a Fb group for Cuddy homeowners to debate experiences and Compo Closet employees are lively on the location offering assist as wanted.

My solely reservation concerning the Cuddy is that I’m unsure I would like an agitator.  I’d really feel higher about utilizing a compostable bag to line the solids container.  I feel that is solely one thing that I will determine with use.  I feel whereas touring I would like a liner however may see how an agitator can be useful when utilizing it in a cabin or when stationary.  The cool factor is that I can buy a solids container with out the agitator for less than $35 from Cuddy and use that rather than the agitator.  That method I can use both possibility because it suits my consolation stage.

Have you ever used a composting bathroom or would you think about one in your van, camper, or rustic cabin?  I’d love to listen to your ideas.  You may try the Cuddy at https://compocloset.com/product/cuddy/