Toilet Tissue in a Disaster

[caregiver222]

The best substute for toilet paper in a disaster is ordinary newspaper. Not the magazine sewction. The catch is the newspaper has to be pre-moistened. Don't use it dry. ,You need to tear it into appropriate sizes and before use, soak it for a minute in water to soften it. Then, before flushing, let it stand for another ten to twenty minutes in the toilet water to insure it does not clog the pipes. You might also consider placing the used newspaper in a disposeable plastic bag, rather than flushing it. If you have extra bleach, and the toilet clogs, bleach will dissolve the newspaper.

In survival school, in the jungle, we were told to re-use and wash a soft flannel rag in our "kits" to ensure we did not develop irritation or sores in that area. I would not recommend this for the typical urban situation.

[caregiver222]

A simple latrine can be constructed with a shovel. It should be a minimum of about three foot deep and a foot and a half-wide, and two to three foot long. You should have long boards (at least two, a minimum of six inches wide by six foot long on either side of the edge. These boards will provide purchase, a firm place for the seat, and distrubute the pressure of the feet.

An alternative is a large sheet of plywood with a hole cut in the middle, upon which the box seat will be placed.

Otherwise, people standing will cause the edges to fall in.  Avoid an earthen edge.

You need a toilet "seat" on a box with a hole in it, and a curtain on poles for privacy.

Afdter each use put a little soil, lime, sand or ashes on the feces. Covering the feces will keep down odor.

When the hole is three-quarters full, move to another location and fill it in.