Do You Need a Toilet for Camping in the UK? (2025 Rules, Options & Hygiene Guide)

Updated for 2025 • UK Camping Toilet & Hygiene Guide

If you’re planning a camping trip in the UK, one of the first questions that comes up is: “Do I actually need a camping toilet?” Some campsites have spotless facilities. Others are basic. And if you’re going off-grid or wild camping, there may be no toilets at all.

This guide explains when you need a toilet for camping in the UK, the 2025 rules around waste, the different camping toilet options, and why a compact bag-and-gel system like the PlopEco® Go Toilet Kit solves most problems in one go.

Quick Navigation

• • Do You Really Need a Camping Toilet?
• • UK Camping & Wild Camping Toilet Rules (2025)
• • When You Can Camp Without a Toilet
• • Camping Toilet Options Explained
• • Families, Women & Muslim Campers
• • Why the PlopEco® Go Toilet Kit Is Ideal
• • FAQs
• • Final Thoughts

Do You Really Need a Camping Toilet?

The short answer: it depends where and how you’re camping.

In a fully serviced campsite with clean toilets nearby, you might manage without your own toilet. But in many real-world situations – busy sites, night-time toilet runs, wild camping, festivals, roadside stops, and family trips – a portable toilet makes a huge difference in:

• Comfort: no long walks in the dark or in bad weather.
• Hygiene: you control how clean the toilet is.
• Privacy: especially important for women and children.
• Safety: no wandering off-site at night.

More UK campers are now choosing to bring a compact toilet as standard, even when facilities exist, simply for convenience and hygiene.

UK Camping & Wild Camping Toilet Rules (2025)

Whether you’re on a campsite, in a campervan, or wild camping, there are basic rules you must follow:

• No human waste should be left above ground – including toilet paper and wipes.
• Do not contaminate water sources – stay well away from rivers, lakes and streams.
• Some landowners and national parks now insist on “pack it out” toilet systems.
• Leaving waste behind is classed as littering and can carry fines.

In many UK national parks and wild camping areas, the recommended method is a bag-and-gel toilet that lets you seal and remove everything you produce.

When You Can Camp Without a Toilet

You might get away without a camping toilet if:

• You’re staying on a small, quiet campsite with toilets very close by.
• You’re only camping for one night and don’t mind walking to the block.
• You’re comfortable using shared facilities all the time, even at night.

However, many campers quickly discover situations where not having a toilet is a problem:

• Toilets are far from your pitch or uphill.
• Kids need the toilet multiple times at night.
• The toilet block is busy, dirty, or closed.
• You are wild camping or using a basic field without facilities.

In those cases, a compact camping toilet stops arguments, stress and mess.

Camping Toilet Options Explained

If you decide you do need a camping toilet, there are three main types used in the UK:

Chemical Toilets (Cassette / Porta Potti)

These use a flushing top section and a bottom waste tank filled with blue chemical fluid. They’re common in caravans and motorhomes.

• Pros: Familiar toilet-like feel, integrated in many caravans.
• Cons: Heavy, can slosh, needs chemical fluid, and emptying cassettes is unpleasant.

Composting / Separating Toilets

Designed mainly for off-grid cabins, boats and long-term setups. They separate liquids and solids and require cover material like sawdust or coco coir.

• Pros: Great for semi-permanent off-grid living, low water use.
• Cons: Expensive, bulky, and not practical for most family camping trips.

Bag + Gel Toilets (Dry Toilets)

Modern dry toilets like the PlopEco® Go Toilet Kit use compostable bags and absorbent gel powder instead of tanks or chemicals.

• Pros: Lightweight, folds flat, no chemicals, no tanks to empty, minimal smell.
• Cons: You must carry bags and gel (small and compact) and plan disposal.

For most UK campers, especially those in tents, vans or basic sites, a bag-and-gel system is the simplest, cleanest solution.

Families, Women & Muslim Campers

Some groups benefit even more from having their own camping toilet:

• Families with children: Night-time toilet trips are easier and safer.
• Women campers: More privacy and dignity, especially on exposed sites or at festivals.
• Muslim campers: Need toilets that are compatible with washing, not just wiping.

Bag + gel toilets are ideal because they allow urine, faeces and small amounts of wash water to be absorbed into gel, staying contained inside a strong compostable bag.

Why the PlopEco® Go Toilet Kit Is an Ideal Choice

The PlopEco® Go Toilet Kit has been designed specifically for UK camping, van life, wild camping and emergency use.

• Folds to just 7 cm – easy to pack in any car, van or tent setup.
• Thick, black compostable bags – discreet, leak-resistant and TÜV-certified.
• Eco gel powder – solidifies up to 1.9 litres of liquid and controls odour.
• Chemical-free – safe, simple and eco-responsible.
• Water-compatible – suitable for campers who wash with water after using the toilet.

Instead of worrying about where to go, how far the toilet block is, or whether you’re following the rules, you simply set up the PlopEco® kit, line it with a bag, add gel, and you’re ready.

FAQs

Do all UK campsites require you to bring your own toilet?

No. Many sites have full facilities, but some basic or pop-up sites expect you to bring your own toilet. Always check the site rules before you arrive.

Do campsites allow bag-and-gel toilets?

Yes. As long as waste is sealed and disposed of in general waste bins, bag-and-gel systems are widely accepted and preferred over leaving waste outdoors.

Is a camping toilet worth it for just one weekend?

For many people, yes. Even on a short trip, having your own toilet improves comfort, hygiene and sleep, especially with children.

How many bags will I need for a weekend trip?

For a couple, around 4–6 bags is usually enough. For a family with children, plan for 6–10 bags depending on how often it’s used.

Final Thoughts

So, do you need a toilet for camping in the UK? If you’re wild camping, using basic fields, travelling with children, or you simply value privacy and hygiene, the answer is almost always yes.

A compact, eco-friendly solution like the PlopEco® Go Toilet Kit gives you a legal, hygienic, odour-controlled toilet you can use anywhere – without chemicals, heavy tanks or stressful late-night toilet runs.

Get Your PlopEco® Go Toilet Kit