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Keeping wildlife and cattle from knocking over a porta potty on open land

Luis A.asked 5 viewsHome Renovations & Long-termCabinPreventionLong termStakingWind

I run a ranch in Montana with seasonal crews and a hunting camp. We rent a standard portable toilet year-round for about ten people. The ground is hard-packed dirt, and the service truck can drive right up to it. The problem is the wind and the cattle. We've had the unit tip over twice now, once in a strong gust and once because a cow decided to use it as a scratching post. It's a standard unit, so it's lightweight and top-heavy when empty. I've tried staking it down with rebar, but the wind still gets under it. How do you secure a portable toilet on open land against wind and livestock? What tie-down methods work without damaging the unit or the ground?

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Sam O.Portland, OR

You secure a standard portable toilet on open land with a combination of ground anchors and ratchet straps over the top. The wind gets under the unit because it is a large, light box. To stop that, you need to tie it down with a method that applies downward pressure.

Drive four heavy-duty ground anchors, like screw-in earth anchors or large steel stakes, at an angle away from each corner of the unit. Then, run two heavy-duty ratchet straps in an X pattern over the top of the unit, hooking them to the anchors. The straps go over the roof, not around the sides, to press the unit down onto the ground. This method works without damaging the unit if you use straps with soft protectors where they touch the plastic. For cattle, the straps over the top also remove the flat surface they like to scratch against.

On hard-packed dirt, screw-in anchors hold better than straight rebar. Your rental company can advise on placement and truck access so the service driver can still reach the unit for the weekly service visit.

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