All About our Privies (Outhouses).
Our Fourpeaks privies are private outdoor toilets in quiet natural surroundings with a long history of satisfied users. A privy is an outhouse--a dry toilet out-of-doors in which human waste is allowed to naturally decompose. One privy for each Fourpeaks camp, not too far away, among trees in woods. They are normally quite odorless. In summer heat, there may be a sort of a barnyard odor, however. A sprinkling of hydrated lime can be added to control odors (supplied, see photo). We've seen guests with cans of Glade or Lysol spray (not supplied). Irene says her Dad used to scrub the place with Pinesol disinfectant cleaner for a woodsy odor (not supplied).
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Privies not for you?
Hydrated Lime for the Privy.
Privy design.
Something wrong? Get help right away!
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Privies not for you? If the thought of using this timeless method of disposing of human waste is unpleasant to you (and you're not yet a Fourpeaks guest, but are thinking about it), phone now and we'll talk to you about renting one of our portable flush toilets while you're here, or suggest something at our nearby Base Camp, with all the modern conveniences. 518-524-6726. If you don't want to use the privy (but you're already here as a Fourpeaks guest), you've made a mistake in renting one of our backcountry camps. And we're sorry about that. Please come to Camp Barn and speak to us about it right away. We have a portable flush toilet we can provide to fix the problem. Hydrated Lime for the Privy. There's a pail of hydrated lime in a plastic pail which dairy farmers use to control odor in the cowbarn. You may like to try it yourself. Just sprinkle a small amount and see (see photo). Please KEEP THE PAIL COVERED SO IT DON'T GET WET! 
Privy design. The Fourpeaks privies are all "one-holers" of plain pine, built as needed in the 90's or later. Except for The Cabin privy (found there 1968, built C.1946). Fourpeaks privies have no doors, just curtains. Greg sent me photos of him reading a paper in the privy at The Cabin. He was using the toy camera I loaned him (a joke from those days) but you get the idea (CLICK for Greg's Guest Book page).
Something wrong? Problem? Complaint? Please don't keep it to yourself. Get help right away! Fourpeaks Housekeeping and Engineering offices are open all day (and into the night as well.) Pitcher pump not working? Gas light mantle busted? Out of sugar, candles, pepper, dishsoap? No gas? Phone 518-524-6726 or come to Camp Barn right away. We'll make it right. Promptly. Courteously. Thanks. CLICK HERE for guest complaints and more on the subject "I appreciate your telling me about the pepper grinder and the mattress cover " (An Email Exchange.) From Wikopedia, The Free Encyclopedia. (www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outhouse) An outhouse is a type of toilet in a small structure separate from the main building which does not have a flush and is not attached to a sewer. The term outhouse originally referred to an outbuilding, or any small structure away from a main building, used for a variety of purposes, but mainly for activities not wanted in the main house. Outhouses are used for storage, animals, and cooking, to name a few uses. Larger structures have names such as barn, stable, woodshed, detached garage and storage shed. In North American English, an outhouse (sometimes also called a backhouse or a privy) is now a small enclosure around a pit that is used as a toilet. An outhouse is primarily a hole dug into the ground, into which biological waste solids and liquids are introduced, similar to a cesspit. If sufficient moisture is available, natural bacteria within the waste materials begin the fermentation. Earthworms, amoebas, molds, and other organisms in the surrounding ground soils and flying insects entering the privy hole also consume nutrients in the waste material, slowly decomposing the wastes and forming a compost pile in the base of the pit. Bacteria form a complex biofilm on the wastes and in the surrounding exposed soils around the perimeter of the pit and feed on the wastes splashed or dropped into the pit. An outhouse operates differently from a septic tank in that the pit is not normally filled with standing water. The solids act as a sponge to retain moisture but also are exposed to open air, allowing for insects and earthworms to feed on the wastes which would not be possible within a septic tank. Septic tanks also tend to contain only organisms that can survive anaerobic conditions, while the open outhouse pit can sustain both aerobic and anaerobic organisms. The process of decomposition is slow due to the layering of waste materials but is generally effective if the input of new wastes does not exceed the decomposition rate of the bacteria and other organisms. Small amounts of moisture from urination are absorbed by existing decomposed wastes in the base of the pit. In soils where the percolation rate of water through the soil is slow and where there is not a large amount of waste entering the pit, the wastes can slowly decompose and be rendered harmless without causing groundwater contamination. In most outhouse designs, the privy hole is covered by a small building. The primary purpose of the building is for human comfort, so that the user does not get wet when it is raining or cold when it is windy. However the building has the secondary and (possibly unintended by the builder) effect of protecting the privy hole from large influxes of water when it is raining, which would flood the hole and flush untreated wastes into the underlying soils before they can decompose. The decomposition of the solids by organisms naturally leads to the emission of gases such as methane and hydrogen sulfide. These gases linger within the pit and are the source of the pit odor, but the open-pit nature permits diffusion of these gases out of the pit, so concentrations are typically low enough not to cause harm. 
   4-Star Wilderness Camping. Enjoy the quiet and beauty of untrammeled Nature in considerable comfort with no equipment and no experience required. View the Graphic Amenities Summary for heating, lighting, kitchens, water supply, screened porch or deck, and more. Get help deciding which Fourpeaks Cabin is right for you. .  Are you in this picture? Fourpeaks hosts now welcome paying guests to a 700-acre rest and playground for vacations in the Adirondack Great Camp tradition. Couples appreciate Fourpeaks secluded settings. Outdoor loving families have fun exploring our accessible wilderness. Folks with dogs enjoy the open spaces to run their pets. A private nature rereat. For a vacation away from it all. Are you in this picture? CLICK HERE to find out! [More about this at Frequently Asked Questions.]  Inquire about a Fourpeaks Adirondack Vacation/Getaway. (Easy Inquiry Form.)
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