What's a privy?

[Scandiman]

I'm European, so hopefully you'll excuse my ignorance.

[Lone Wolf]

An outdoor s**thouse.

[Kerosene]

Usually characterized by a tall, thin, 4-sided enclosure with swinging door that doesn't work. Inside, a "bench" has a hole cut that gives backseat access to a lined pit. Ventilation is usually lacking, as are any other amenities. There are several notable exceptions to this characterization that have been memorialized in the annals of hikers. Numerous privies are captured on film and displayed in the photo gallery (click the "photos" button in the top right of the page).

[Belew]

It's a homemade water closet out in the woods.

[steve hiker]

It's where trail couples go for a little privacy when the shelter is full.

[Patco]

Privy (pri'-vee) n. 1934 Amer. 1. A woodland breeding facility for flies. 2. Personal 'dumping' area. 3. "Log" cabin with seating for one. 4. Cat hole large enough for a wooly mammoth. 5. Aroma producing locale to make you appreciate clean, fresh air.

:bse

[Scandiman]

Good thing I asked as I thought it was some sort of shelter. Hehe, quess it is in a way.

[DebW]

Better than a chum box in cold, wind, and rain. Though the chum box always had the best views!

[smokymtnsteve]

Phone booth???

[B Thrash]

Good thing I asked as I thought it was some sort of shelter. Hehe, quess it is in a way.

Scandiman, you just keep on asking questions and we will keep on trying to answer them. A question for you, now you know what a privy is in the USA what is it called in Europe?.

[papa john]

Well, actually, it is "some kind of shelter", it shelters you from the elements, to a degree, while you take your morning constitutional! But, you certainly wouldn't want to stay in one longer that the absolute minimum amount of time to take care of business.

[Darwin again]

Some of them are open air, too.
And there are no privies in Tennessee (is this still true?).

[tenbeer]

Some of them are open air, too.
And there are no privies in Tennessee (is this still true?).
Yes. hiked it last year

[Cannibal]

And there are no privies in Tennessee (is this still true?).
Unless you count SMNP.:D

[Summit]

I've heard them referred to as AT Holiday Inns! :)

[OldStormcrow]

Scandiman, you just keep on asking questions and we will keep on trying to answer them. A question for you, now you know what a privy is in the USA what is it called in Europe?.
The "loo"
Die toilette.
La toilette.
Il bagno.
De badkamer.

[Turtlehiker]

LOL that is what I am gonna start calling them "De badkamer" what language is that?

Found it Dutch...just found a great translator sight igoogle.com

[Homer&Marje]

I'm dutch. I hope that's what we call the ****ter. cause that's funny as hell.

And I thought privy was a british term.... guess not. "Just smoking a fag on the lieu darling. Be in for meat and pot`otos in a jiff"

No?:D

[buff_jeff]

Pittsburgh

[buckwheat]

A privy is a primitive exterior loo.

The thing that makes a privy a "privy" is that all of them will have a seat over a hole in the ground into which you deposit the remains of the day, as it were. A privy needn't have walls, nor roof. But requires at least a seat. A privy with no seat, walls or roof is a "cat-hole".

Here's a fairly basic privy (this one even has a lid - not all do):

http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/files/1/4/7/4/5/throne.jpg

Here's a fancy privy (known as an "outhouse"). These enhance privacy at the expense of aroma. Never urinate in one of these.

http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/files/1/4/1/1/3/at_002.jpg

There is even a book on the subject (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0760321345?ie=UTF8&tag=flisimxmis-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0760321345%22%3EOuthouses%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=flisimxmis-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0760321345%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%2 0border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:non e%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22% 20/%3E) of outhouses should you require additional information. I am fascinated by the books written on such obscure topics. I've yet to find a topic so obscure that someone, somewhere, at some time, hasn't written a book on the subject.

Cheers,
Buckwheat

[Smile]

:)

[TrippinBTM]

De badkamer.

kinda looks like "bad karma" which is the thought I get when I'm in an AT privy; especially the old ones.

[TrippinBTM]

oh yeah, as buckwheat said, don't piss in the privy, do that in the woods before.

and unfortunately, that link doesn't work, buckwheat.

[Chicken Feathers]

Privy (pri'-vee) n. 1934 Amer. 1. A woodland breeding facility for flies. 2. Personal 'dumping' area. 3. "Log" cabin with seating for one. 4. Cat hole large enough for a wooly mammoth. 5. Aroma producing locale to make you appreciate clean, fresh air.

:bse the mouldering privy in Georgia do not smell bad. It's the one built over a hole that does not get air or the only air is from the hole you sit on.:banana:banana:banana

[Wise Old Owl]

Better than a chum box in cold, wind, and rain. Though the chum box always had the best views!


Is that what they call it???? I had no idea.

[Jim Adams]

He is a 2009 hiker attempting a thru. Got his name from talking s**t. Should be on Tray tonight.:)

geek

[Pokey2006]

Funny, I always thought "privy" was a British term.

[MintakaCat]

Funny, I always thought "privy" was a British term.

The Brits call it a "Loo", I know this from working for them a number of years. But I agree, it does sound like a British term.

[freefall]

The Brits call it a "Loo", I know this from working for them a number of years. But I agree, it does sound like a British term.
According to Merriam Webster:

\ˈpri-vē\ Function:adjective Etymology:Middle English prive, from Anglo-French privé, from Latin privatus privateDate:14th century 1 a: private (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/private) , withdrawn (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/withdrawn) b: secret (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/secret)2: belonging or relating to a person in one's individual rather than official capacity3: admitted as one sharing in a secret <privy to the conspiracy>
— priv·i·ly http://www.merriam-webster.com/images/audio.gif (http://javascript%3Cb%3E%3C/b%3E:popWin%28%27/cgi-bin/audio.pl?privy002.wav=privily%27%29) \-və-lē\ adverb

So I assume the American slang came from the secret part?

[mweinstone]

this thread is being studyed by a cal tech think tank of freeks makeing toilets for isis.can you belive that crap?

[shelterbuilder]

the mouldering privy in Georgia do not smell bad. It's the one built over a hole that does not get air or the only air is from the hole you sit on.:banana:banana:banana

When urine breaks down in the absence of oxygen (anaerobic decomposition), it forms ammonia (which is what causes the majority of the smell at the old "one-holers"). With composting toilets or moldering toilets, there is enough oxygen present during decomposition that the urine forms nitrate/nitrite compounds (aerobic decompostition), which have no odor and can be used immediately by plants.

Go pee in the woods....:banana:banana:banana

(biology lesson over, but there WILL be a pop quiz later at a privy near you):D

[Gray Blazer]

A crapper.

[StubbleJumper]

Where I come from, we refer to the open air *****ters as "thunderboxes." Some say it's because of the reverberating echoing sound during use....others say it's because of the thundering sound that it makes when you close the lid.

All things considered, when it's not raining I generally prefer using a thunderbox to a privy....

[mikec]

Isn't that top outdoor privy from one of the NJ shelters (like Wawaywanda) and the bottom one Ed Garvey in MD?

[chrishowe11]

the best privy in my opinion is at the piazza rock lean-to near Saddleback in maine its a side by side holer with a cribbage board in the middle. Bring your own cards and pegs though