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Current system in use at Crag Camp, Gray Knob and The Perch
The essential ingredients of a compost pile are organic material, microorganisms, moisture, oxygen and heat. As air enters the tank and the aerobes consume nutrients, the volume of the waste pile is reduced as some of the mass is converted to carbon dioxide and water vapor. Adding wood chips increases the amount of organic material or carbon, absorbs moisture and odors and provides air space and structure within the pile. In order to maintain consistent input, only the RMC caretaker adds the wood chips. Unlike many composting toilet systems, it is all right for users to urinate into this system. Garbage interferes with the composting process and must be removed by the caretaker. The toilet seat is situated
over a sealed container where the waste is stored. Within the
chimney is a fan powered by a solar (photovoltaic) panel. The
fan draws air through the system during daylight hours. The waste
is suspended above the bottom of the tank on a perforated liner
enabling air to circulate above and below the waste pile. The
box around the compost tank is stained black to absorb heat from
the sun. The pile is mixed periodically to increase the amount
of oxygen available to the aerobes. Fresh waste is pushed to
the back of the tank and older compost settles towards the front.
After several years, a portion of the compost can then be removed
and safely disposed of on-site, spread among low growing vegetation
during the spring and summer. History of the Crag Camp Bio-Sun Toilet
In 1994, the RMC determined that as a result of the following factors, 1) the number of visitors at Crag Camp, 2) the fragile alpine environment nearby, 3) the potential increase in use of the facility, and 4) the condition of the current toilet system, and improved waste treatment system was needed. The research following this decision was completed by RMC caretakers Paul Lachapelle and Paul Neubauer with the help of RMC Vice President Doug Mayer. All possible scenarios concerning waste disposal were considered including incineration, chemical treatment and fly-out. The decision to compost the waste on-site and purchase this particular system was based on conversations with USFS representatives, people involved in backcountry toilet maintenance and manufacturers of toilet systems. Overall, it became clear that the continuous composting technique is an effective waste treatment method and that continuous composters are functioning well in many diverse environmental settings, including sites comparable to Crag Camp. The system at Crag Camp works essentially as a containment device as ambient temperatures approach freezing. The compost pile reactivates when temperatures consistently average 40°F or higher (May to October). The RMC has oversized the composting system due to two key factors. First, the system will actively compost for only four months out of the year due to the low ambient temperatures. Second, high relative humidity may slow the composting and evaporation process. The RMC wants to insure that the system is a long term solution to waste treatment, therefore, over-sizing the unit will safeguard against the possibility of an overflow situation. The RMC appreciates your interest in our composting toilets. If you have any questions, please e-mail us. We would like to thank the Appalachian Trail Conference, L.L. Bean, the Davis Conservation Foundation, the U.S. Forest Service and RMC members John Tremblay, Paul Neubauer, Paul Lachapelle, Bill Arnold, Ray Cotnoir and Doug Mayer for their contributions towards this project. This toilet system is manufactured by Bio-Sun Systems Inc., Millerton, PA (1-800-847-8840). 
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This toilet system recycles human
waste. The aim of composting technology is to optimize conditions
for microbial activity. By enhancing the living conditions within
the compost tank for natural oxygen-using microbes (aerobes)
which use human waste as a food source, the waste decomposes
over time into a soil-like substance. The process of transforming
raw waste into finished compost results primarily from soil microbes
such as bacteria, fungi and actinomycetes. Soil invertebrates
such as springtails, mites, millipedes and beetles also contribute
to waste decomposition. Disease-causing organisms (pathogens)
within the human waste are reduced or eliminated due to the presence
of oxygen and as a result of the competition between organisms,
natural antibiotics, the loss of nutrients and heat.
The facility has used a variety of methods in the
immediate area for the disposal of human waste. During the warmer
months, waste was collected in a 60 gallon container situated
beneath the outhouse structure. The waste was emptied and composted
in bins periodically. In order to keep liquid content down, users
of the composting toilet were asked to urinate in the nearby
woods. Large amounts of wood shavings were needed to adequately
compost the waste. Crag Camp also used a pit toilet for the collection
of waste in the winter. The pit was dug out in the spring and
then actively composted.