# Deer camp - digging a hole for black tank waste



## ppelaez

I have an old camper at deer camp.  I've been using a portable transfer tank to empty my black tank and then take the portable to a dump station.  I'm thinking about digging a hole right next to the camper and running a hose right from the black tank valve into the hole. 

Looking for tips.  How big/deep should I make the hole?  Any chemicals, solutions, etc that I should use to control odor?  Looking for advice from anyone that has done something like that.   Thanks.


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## ryanh487

There's a few DIY videos out there on building a septic tank from plastic 55 gallon drums.  I'd look into that.


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## Artfuldodger

Maybe some type of DIY composting septic tank. Line the hole or put some tank in the hole. Then maybe one line for a short drain field.
I'm not sure just a hole would work.

I thought about doing that for a shop urinal and filling the hole full of rocks.

edit;Posted while Ryan was posting but along that same idea.


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## 1eyefishing

???na la la la!
Check with your county codes if you want to be legal about it...
Also, land owner.


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## transfixer

Also will depend on the makeup of the dirt around your camper,   I tried digging a hole beside mine and doing the same thing,  problem was the soil has a lot of clay content I guess,  took a very long time for it to absorb the water. 

   I've heard some property owners/counties,  won't allow outhouses on property any more,  so far we still have one, if your lease prohibits those,  they likely wouldn't allow a hole in the ground for that either.


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## JustUs4All

Most counties will require a permit and the system will have to meet their minimum septic tank requirements.

If you want to do it on the sly and are on a lease, I would second 1eyefishing's advice talk with the landowner first.  You could loose that lease mid deer season.


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## 7Mag Hunter

We used backhoe to dig hole 6ft deep and put a blue barrel long ways in the hole...Drilled 2" holes on bottom and ends of barrel....2ft of big gravel on bottom of hole then barrel, and gravel on the sides...4" PVC
septic tank clean out valve with PVC pipe to ground level..1ft gravel on top of barrel and filled with dirt to ground level...we used biodegradable TP and once a year used tank deodorizer....With clean out valve capped u did not have a smell...we put grey water in too, after black water to flush line...used this set up 10 yrs till i left club..

some guys with families or heavy usage used rid-x or some other
septic tank chemical, but i never did/////My barrel was mostly empty when i dumped my grey and black water camper tanks...

The 2' of gravel allowed all liquid to drain down to the soil level..


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## T-N-T

My lease has drums in the ground next to nearly every camper. 
I use ridX justto make sure


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## 660griz

Artfuldodger said:


> Maybe some type of DIY composting septic tank. Line the hole or put some tank in the hole. Then maybe one line for a short drain field.
> I'm not sure just a hole would work.
> 
> I thought about doing that for a shop urinal and filling the hole full of rocks.
> 
> edit;Posted while Ryan was posting but along that same idea.


^^^This.
Or, get a composting toilet. We use coconut coir in ours. I use one in my camper even in campgrounds with hookups. Works even better for boon docking. I hate the smell and dealing with black tanks. Now, my gray tank has doubled in size.


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## grady white

We dug a hole with a backhoe big enough for two 50 gallon drums one time with plenty of room to fill in the remaining space around the drums with gravel ..put a y so it would flow into both drums from the top and drilled countless one inch holes in both drums ...got out of that lease many years ago and it is still being used by hunters today and that was about 15 years ago ..agree on getting landowners permission ..if not that could get ugly real fast.


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## livetohunt

I'm surprised the landowner is allowing that.


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