Of all the portable commodes on the market today, the InstaPrivy is the only one you wear on your head. From outside the privacy shelter, the user looks like an olive-drab ghost on Halloween or perhaps a tiny mobile grain silo, but the design is genius in its simplicity (more on how to use the shelter later). However, its unique setup is only one of many features that distinguish the InstaPrivy from other outdoor toilet kits.
The real focus is on portability. All of the components you need for your walk to the woods are conveniently organized in a water-resistant backpack for easy deployment. The exterior features compression straps and buckles and two rows of MOLLE webbing. The pack’s padded and adjustable shoulder straps come with their own storage compartment to convert the bag to hand carry. Inside, there are thoughtful touches like custom pockets and tie-downs for the toilet seat, shelter, and accessories, such as the included trowel, seat covers, and waste bags.
The sturdy injection-molded plastic chair folds compactly and sets up in a flash. It’s rated to 345 pounds and is remarkably stable under your bottom, with no play in the hinges or joints. There is certainly none of the tippiness one experiences with a 5-gallon bucket. It’s not so comfortable that you’ll be inspired to while away your afternoon under the head-mounted privacy shelter, but it doesn’t pinch the hamstrings either. I found the seat height just about right for my average-length legs on my 5’11’’ frame. You can use the seat with InstaPrivy’s waste bags or other common brands. Additionally, the wide opening allows you to place the chair over a cat hole and complete your task with some careful aiming.
Now we come to the fun part—the privacy shelter. The concept here is that instead of a stand-alone tent or screen, the user’s body provides structural support. Simply unfurl the shelter, place the stabilization pad on the inside top-center of the “ceiling” on your noggin, and allow the rest of the fabric to fall around you. Plop yourself down on the chair, and you’ve built your own cozy khazi in about 10 seconds. It feels a little strange at first, but, like most inspired designs, in practice, the InstaPrivy is one of those products that makes you slap your head and say, Why didn’t I think of this? It has no zippers to strip or poles to wrestle with, and a 360-degree mesh panel at eye level allows in light, vents smells and lets you gaze upon the grandeur of nature during your morning ritual.
Like all spring-loaded tents or privacy shelters, it takes patience and practice to master wrangling the InstaPrivy back into its storage sleeve in the backpack. Without vertical supports or stakes, using the toilet kit will be tricky in gusty conditions (the company recognizes this and recommends doing so with your back to the prevailing winds and your feet planted solidly on the hem). As tempting as it seems, I don’t recommend walking about too much with the shelter on, as treading on the bottom of the fabric is a potential tripping hazard. One niggle is that there’s not much room in the backpack for anything other than the kit’s components, some hand sanitizer, and a roll of toilet paper. Should you want to carry a full waste bag in the pack, there’s precious little space for it. A rubber-lined external pocket would be a convenient solution.
The entire InstaPrivy kit weighs in at just a smidge under 7 pounds, and with packed dimensions of 16 inches wide, 16 inches long, and 4 inches high, it will take up very little space in your overland vehicle. Every time you break out the InstaPrivy, it’s an event, and all your traveling companions will get a kick out of using it.
$149 | instaprivy.com
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