Do preppers poop in the woods? I know bears do… If you’ve planned properly, then you won’t have to poop in the woods too - you’ll have a way to deal with human waste properly.
Required, not optional
According to the WHO, 1.4 million people die each year as a result of inadequate drinking-water, sanitation and hygiene. This is a sad statistic as there’s so much that can be done about the problem.
As a prepper, you can’t let something like this sneak up on you. I want to tell you a secret: everybody poops. I know this comes as a shock as many women deny it, but it’s true. Because it’s something that must happen, you should definitely plan for it…
Septic tanks or lagoons
Hopefully you have a septic tank or lagoon. These are my recommendation from a preparedness standpoint because they 100% rely on gravity in most circumstances (some have a pumping system in the basement - you don’t want this).
Because of the miracle of gravity, it means they keep working without electricity. All that’s required is filling the toilet tank with water using a bucket (and you can use gray water for this - the leftover water from washing people, clothes or dishes). Beyond this, it’s use as normal.
Municipal sewer systems
If you’re on a city sewer, do not plan on treating it like a septic tank or lagoon. Municipal systems are rarely fully gravity-fed (they usually require pumping stations). These pumping stations require power to keep working.
The part that most don’t realize is that this really is a situation where the crap rolls down hill. If you’re near the lowest spot in the area, what everyone else flushes will end up backing up into your house if everyone keeps flushing with the power out to the local pumping station. Some systems have automatic valves to help prevent this, but not all do. If you live near a pumping facility, I’d be worried if I were you…
Answers from history
I’m pretty sure I can say something here most people today can’t - that I’ve used many outhouses. As a kid, several family members still had them around even though their house had been upgraded with indoor plumbing decades earlier. When we kids had to go, we’d just use them instead of going in the house. Eventually, I even helped remove a few of them.
From this firsthand experience I can provide a nugget:
- They work. There’s a reason they were the standard for a few thousand years…
- They’re easy to build. Hole in the ground with a box on top. A butt-sized hole cut in a seat (or multiple holes if you want to get fancy).
- They stink. There aren’t adequate words for the smell in July… A way to help this is to put a vent pipe up from the hole to above the roofline.
- Look for snakes. That’s all I’m going to say.
- They are COLD in winter. You won’t take your time, that’s for sure.
- Ensure it’s placed so it can’t contaminate your drinking water.
Don’t forget the paper
If Covid-19 taught people one thing, it’s that toilet paper is a sought-after preparedness item. I found the whole thing funny as I was sitting on a year’s supply, but apparently I was the exception, not the rule. This is something you use, so you might as well prepare for it.
Start noting your average usage rate. We go through about a roll per week per bathroom on average, but your mileage will probably vary. Once you have your number, determine how long you want to stock for. A little math and you know how much to have on hand - it’s that simple. So you don’t forget, I recommend putting it into your Category Planning.
You also need to plan for what to do if you do run out of toilet paper. I don’t have solid answers to give you here as there are too many variables and preferences. But, I’ll tell you what my mom’s family did back before they had indoor plumbing (toilet paper wasn’t common before this, if you didn’t know). Their answer was the Sears, Roebuck and Co. catalog. Nope, I’m not kidding. It gave them something to read and to wipe with - dual use! I’m personally planning to use the 3 seashells (bonus points if you got that reference).
Bottom Line
Don’t let this topic catch you with your pants down (sorry, I had to).