By Richard Gie

When going camping the first question is always centred around the amenities or lack thereof. For guys it’s not as important but if they want their whomenfolk to join them on their camping endeavours then it is in their interest to take part in this conversation. Most bush toilets are long drops and in our experience so far they have been tastefully enclosed in wooden or grass bomas- some even having lift up seats which, although makes the whole arrangement more attractive, it also makes the perfect shelter for spiders and wasps. If you are not fimiliar with bush long drops here is a basic check list that needs to be followed before embarking on the use thereof

1 have any wild animals decided to make the enclosure their home (tip – send the wife in first)

2 privacy – are you shielded from other campers

3 is the throne stable and comfortable

4 how deep is the long drop (this requires looking into the abys )

5 are there spiders or wasps living under the seat rim 6 the amount of flies coming out of the hole

Once all clear you can settle comfortably and do your business although there is always a fear that something inside the pit may make its way out while you are seated in a compromised position.