Gear Reviews: The Buddy Boy
Planning a river trip? Whether it’s a lightweight mission with a small crew or a big group outing where you're bringing the kitchen sink and the full pantry, one thing is certain: you're going to need a toilet system. And maybe even a quick option for when nature calls mid-day.
Meet The Buddy Boy— a compact, lightweight, and affordable solution for your outdoor bathroom needs. It might just become your favorite piece of gear you didn’t want to think about, but are glad you brought.
The Set Up
The Buddy Boy is pretty simple and straightforward. The kits includes:
- 3.3-liter sealed container
- 5 deposit mat (bulls eye!)
- 5 MicroLogic RTB780 bacterial culture capsule
- 10 compostable waste bags
- Nylon stuff sack
The Buddy Boy Set Up
Add your own TP, wet wipes, and/or on to go bidet and you are set for adventure.
How To Use
Set up and use is pretty simple.
- Lay out a deposit mat
- Make your deposit
- Add a capsule of RTB 780
- Seal everything in a compostable waste bag
- Store in the blue container
If you are unfamiliar with RTB 780, you’re in for a treat (well… as far as waste management goes). It’s a living bacteria culture that feeds on human waste, reduces odor, and helps break down material. You can even buy larger packets for your groover.
The Buddy Boy river side set up!
Once your trip is over dispose of the waste in a garbage can or maybe you have a way to bury it all and let it break down in your yard. Just make sure you clean out the blue container with warm water, 1 part bleach, and 1 part laundry detergent. Let it soak for 24 hours, rinse thoroughly, and you're all set for next time.
Uses
Many of our outdoor places require some sort of toilet system. Cat holes are acceptable in some locations however, the popularity of the outdoors is shifting rules. These new rules help lessen the impact of use and reduce the amount of human waste in the back country.
The Buddy Boy isn't just a toilet system for river trips. However it works well for those light weight trips where every bit counts. It fits into a kayak or inflatable kayak with ease and is a great replacement for your heavy PVC poop tube. A single Buddy Boy works great as day or emergency toilet for when digging out the groover isn't an option as well.
Perfect for places where there are no bathrooms
It also works great for camping or climbing trips where there are no vault style toilets available. Weather you are doing a multi-day over-land trip or climbing a mountain you may need to pack out your waste. The Buddy Boy is a great way to contain all of your human waste.
Final Thoughts
Weighing just over 8 ounces (a bit more than your phone) and priced at $55, The Buddy Boy is a no-brainer addition to your gear stash. It's one of those unglamorous items you're glad to have when you need it—and you'll probably end up using it more than you expect.
It’s not fancy. But it’s practical, well-designed, and thoughtfully put together. Keep an eye on their website for more bathroom-related innovations—they're doing good work in a stinky space.
