Originally Posted by
DougG
Not to belabor this subject too much, but this is one reason why I no longer enjoy going on those big week-long bike tours where you camp out as a group every night. I really hate having to get semi-dressed to crawl out of a tent at 3AM with a flashlight and stumble (literally) through the tent city to get to the nearest porta-john, not to mention if it's raining. I did my first small-group "catered" tour last June where we stayed in hotels and B&Bs along the route; it was like heaven to know there was a soft bed and a private bathroom with a hot shower waiting at the end of every long day!
DougG:
I completely understand your reluctance to get up in the middle of the night to visit one of the outhouses on those week-long bike tours. The urge seems to come more often as we get older and that doesn't help when you're trying to restore your body after pounding the pedals for 80 miles or so the day before.
I live for those weeks of biking across states. I try to do 3 or 4 every year. Usually 2 or 3 new states and 1 or 2 revisits to states that I liked. Camping is my preference way above all others as I have enjoyed meeting new friends and shooting the breeze at the campsite until we hit the sack early. I'm 70 and need to hit the hay around sunset.
To solve the problem of getting up in the middle of the night to walk to the outhouse, I bring along a collapsible 1 liter soda bottle (wide-mouthed ;o)) and pee in the bottle. At least 2 or 3 times a night this works for me and I haven't come near to filling the container yet. Of course, extra care is followed to prevent overflow or spilling. In the morning when I begin striking my tent, I carry the bottle to the outhouse (usually before daylight) and empty it. It's not a perfect way to solve the problem, but it works for me.
Next month, I ride BAK, Bike Across Kansas. In July, RAGBRAI and in the fall, CNC, Cycle North Carolina. I've already done the Orange Blossom Express (Biking in Florida around the Tampa - Orlando area. In between, I have fantastic biking area in upstate New York. As I sit and write this, it is warmer in Rome, NY than it is in Dallas Texas. Go figure!
Anyway, enjoy you're Golden Years and keep biking. It keeps arthritis away! LOL
Ed