Sunday, November 21, 2010

Toilet Paper and Beyond

On the weekends, I'm able to spend more time reading all of the blogs and sites I follow, and ran into a very interesting article on toilet paper.  I don't know about you, but the thought of being without TP is daunting.  I always have a good stock on hand, but let's face it, who has room for a year's supply of toilet paper, let alone a month's supply.  It takes up a lot of space.  Survival News Online has an interesting article on the topic.

I have actually given it some thought and I believe that a supply of wash cloths from the dollar store would be a good thing to have on hand, assuming you have a good water supply to wash them out with. 

There have been times in my life where an outhouse was the only place to go for that 20 minute read, and regular paper does work, once it's been "softened".  There's a trick to working the paper so that it doesn't rip, but nevertheless still be able to do the job without causing an injury, if you know what I mean.  You definitely need to practice this skill.  The first step is to crumple the paper and unfold it several times.  Then, using both hands, just start working it in circular motions.  I do not recommend using paper in a regular toilet, as there is no real way to soften it sufficiently to allow it to flush cleanly.

For the short term emergency, a bucket and plastic bags, and some sort of disinfectant can work for emergency sanitation.  For the longer term, a composting toilet seems like a good thing to have.  Heck, as an environmentally friendly technology, it seems like a good thing to have.
















2 comments:

PioneerPreppy said...

I am so glad I have a septic tank. I know they still need to be cleaned out every few years. A nasty job when the time comes but can be done in Winter around here. Mine typically goes 4 years maintenance free.

Ollamha Anne said...

That's great. For the relatively small amount of effort involved in keeping a septic system healthy, it's a great investment, and sure beats having to use an outhouse, especially in winter. We've been looking to move further out of town, and that's one of our criteria: a healthy septic system.