Greetings from Tennessee. Something you need to consider is leaving a little bit of water in the toilet if you're on a city sewer system. This will prevent sewer gas from backing up into your house. Something Jonathan might want to touch on is if you're on a city sewer system you need to know where the shut-off valve is for your house because if you're down hill from the rest of your neighborhood and the transfer pumps aren't working guess where everybody's sewage from uphill is going to wind up!?! Keep up the good work folks and Merry Christmas.
@@stmcgarret. Some toilet models may hold water beyond what you see in the bowl but to be honest, I’ve never seen one like that. The water in the bowel and drain at the bottom is the only gas block as per design. In shtf toilet conversion, I’d empty the water out and shove playdoh in the drain to seal up that possibility. Pack the drain with playdoh then paint over the top with Wesson oil to keep the playdoh from over drying out and cracking thus failing to hold back the sewer gases. Even old towels shoved tightly will prevent gasses entering the toilet.
I once visited some people who lived in a very desolate area. When the call of nature came, I was expecting a rather horrible experience with their 5-gallon bucket toilet. I was AMAZED at how efficient their sawdust bucket was - absolutely no odor and not even flies around it, even though it was in a semi-open greenhouse- type tent!!!! Think sawdust!!!!😋
You'll need to put a baseball in a tube sock and buuuudge that ball in the throat of the toilet to keep raw sewage from backing up into your home before you do anything in this video... great video and great hack. Thank you to the both of you for being here on yt. My grown kids are watching you and learning so much for their own homes now.
@1:41 You do not want to remove all water from bowl. Methane and other gases can travel from sewage system back into living quarters. In city sewage systems, even rodents have been known to enter homes this way.
Yes since rodents can swim 5 minutes under water, climbing up in pipes which have rough interior walls they enter like snakes via lawn/roof vents I cover with a piece of cloth-like black plastic mesh screen discard from Ace, secured over the top of the vent pipe, beneath its removable cap, by a screw-tight metal ring clamp (sold to clamp laundry dryer's metallic vent tube onto a metal elbow joint to vent out through a window screen). Though pro mower knocked its cast-iron cap off so hard it broke in half, the mesh stayed clamped on.
About a month after buying my 1st house years ago I came home from work to find a small black sewer rat trying to jump out of my toilet! I kept bleach in the bowl with the lid down after that nasty surprise! LOL
@@barjer54 : Bleach fumes are a WW chemical weapon. I put plastic screen mesh over lawn vent pipe, secured with a screw-tighten metal ring sold to secure a dryer vent hose to an exhaust pipe. From this thread now I learned to pour water regularly into my seldom used tub drain like toilet drains v. sewer vapors.
Well big duh on me! I’ve been a long term prepper and even used a composting toilet years ago. I have a luggable loo and pellets to absorb, etc. But I never thought about use my existing toilet which is much more convenient and comfortable! Thank you!
@@sweetbeepno extra potty or bucket to bring into the bathroom. You would still need to haul the stuff from it as well anyway. The toilet is already there and lining it allows you to continue to use it as normal
Yep right there in thought with you. I haven't used the bucket yet, but it was the plan if need be. Now I will use the bucket for saw dust instead and continue using the toilet as usual!
Noone addresses the people living in high rises! What do they do with no back yard garden to put waste in, not to mention getting from 15 floors up or more down stairs to ground level and then what?
Neat...I had my hubby build an outhouse when we moved to our rural home in 2005...I've even got it decorated and of course...the complementary sears and roebuck : ).
That's what I want. Used it growing up, sure ant gonna hurt me now. However I didn't know about the gases from our camode, will diffently do it next time. Thank you
I am rural and have my own well and septic system. If they are predicting a bad storm, where power may be off for a while, I usually fill the bathtub full of water for flushing toilet purposes. (large family fill two or three bathtubs up) And then I use a small bucket or large pitcher of some sort to dip water from the tub to flush the toilet. Keeps from having several 5 gallon buckets full of water sitting around in the way.Just make sure your tub drain/stopper doesn’t leak and your tub is clean. And also you have plenty of water for other purposes albeit cold, but better than nothing.🙂
We have the same but our septic still has an electric pump. It will not work if power goes out. It looks like it's working pouring water down. But it will overflow outside or backup inside eventually
@@waverider501 Oh, I don’t have electricity to my septic system, so your situation is new to me. I guess you could get in a few flushes in hopes of it not backing up. But that would be terrible.😬
Maybe this goes without saying, but keeping a flashlight by the toilet is a real good idea. When we were in a wildland fire and the power was cut, it was pitch black!
I have a few LED tealights that live in the bathroom on the window ledge. Easy peasy to turn on and set where needed for low light, since it's not something that needs to be the brightest area. Puck lights are also fantastic, agreed - had one in my last place in the shower since it was dim in there and it helped a ton.
I have 2 ideas 💡 from this: #1. I have the old toilets from renovations a few years ago sitting in a shed. These would be ideal for this. #2. We have a couple of disability commodes that would work well for this type of thing. One built like a comfortable padded (flip up of course) dining chair but more secure, has a typical small commode chamber pot with a lid ( ideal for urine). The other is like a cross between the above and a wheelchair (only little wheels) with sturdy wheel locks. It also has a flip up padded seat lid but takes a much bigger "load". It is capable in its design to have a 20L (5gal) bucket sit under it. Lined with a bag, or two if you want, using sawdust, it can be used several times before easily emptying. The latter was purchased for having a better, safer, sturdy and more comfortable camping loo. The first was for a disabled relative who travelled to visit after surgery. This was easy to use in their room without worrying about making to the toilet on time. The porcelain thrones, I obviously already had. The disability commodes, I got from the second hand stores along with the shower seat and shower stool. They were in as new condition and only cost $5- each! I brought them home and scrubbed, bleached and disinfected them really well a couple of times. They were fine. No sense being precious, after all, we go to the shops, we go to events, offices, travel etc and we use PUBLIC TOILETS. We hope they're clean, some of us have protectors but still....... hmmm. I know how well these are cleaned and scrubbed, because I did it. Hope these suggestions help some of you out there. All the best and have a great day from Australia 🦘🦘🙏🦘🦘
Very smart thinking! My shed is a distance from the house...I'm going to be on the lookout for one of these to keep out there. In uncertain times, or just a tropical downpour, it might not be feasible to run back to the house right then. The "bucket solution" alone was always practical but unappealing! 👍
You are right. People who don't think twice about using hotel toilets, wearing hospital gowns and hotel sheets go hateful crazy at the idea of buying used things.
here in good ol' blighty i have whats known as a bucket and chuckit which is a large very stable bucket with a toilet seat attached and a closeable lid.. great for camping etc luckily I live in Wales quite a rural area so I could always do what the bears do 😅 🇬🇧
Great idea!!!Double bag the toilet so you always leave one in there ( the one with the tape) and it acts as a back up too if the other bag has a hole. Plus you save on your tape👍Best absorber for smells and liquids are horse bedding pellets. Can get very large bag for $6.99 at Tractor Supply. Love the pee collector up front like that. Let’s you see how dark your urine is and if you need more fluids.
Excellent content. I will make use of the bag method exclusively for my wife. And I will do all of the totting of the waste to the outdoors. This, along with the wife only shower system is the least that I can do for her. I just can't picture her having to go outside to do # 1 or #2. We have prepped since Y2K & will surely do just fine. Unless of course the rapture comes first!
Amen my brother! I pray it does! I can't wait to be with Jesus every day and every where He is we will be. " And so shall we ever be with the Lord." Thank You Lord and Praise Your Holy Name!
Oh honey, it's coming. I'm surprised we're still here and I'll continue being surprised if we make it one more week to 2024. All signs point to "go time"... 📯
Great suggestions! After emptying the water out of the toilet bowl, you might also want to plug the toilet bowl drain (with a 3.5" ball inside the toe of a knee sock that is coated with petroleum jelly on the outside) to prevent possible sewage backflow into your home.
This is my worry. I'll either have to find the outside shutoff valve or plug every drain in the house, including washing machine drain, kitchen sink, bathtubs and of course the toilets. It's kind of a daunting thing especially if the system is till flushable but you don't know whether it will continue to be and if it backs up you won't have any time to do all this stuff before your house is full of sewage.
@@oldschooljeremy8124 I agree; it is daunting! Getting test plugs ahead of time that fit each individual drain, and storing them until possibly needed, is I guess what would have to be done.
Never thought about using my existing toilet, but it makes perfect sense. We have multiple bathrooms and may consider trying to keep one for urine and one for the other stuff. That way we could isolate odors etc. Just a thought.
That's a great idea! The one with a window that opens can be for feces, and the ones with just ceiling fans (which will be non-working) can be for urine...
If you plan on dipping all of the water out of the bowl, you need to plan on using something like a 2" inflatable test ball to prevent the sewer gas from coming into the house. If the concentration is high enough, it can be lethal.
I've been through numerous hurricanes and always lose power including to my well equipment meaning I have no water for at least one to two weeks weeks. I caught on to this idea prior to Hurricane Ian and was grateful for it. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you. I'm so glad someone finally suggests a way to have a solution for going to the bathroom. Nobody ever talks about this basic need. Having heat and food is essential but so is having a toilet option. We usually just put an ice cream bucket in there but this makes more sense
we had a double seater (no divider wall either LOL) up at our Cottage in Canada .. and would have to walk outside to it in the middle of the night. It was from the 1920s (this was the 1970s) so about 50 years old. It had old wallpaper in there.. But we never thought about putting wood shavings.. )..
We have a septic but I also have a bucket with a walmart bucket toilet seat, bags will fit easily on the bucket and the toilet seat is like a normal seat, peat moss and containers for the liquids. I would also suggest you could use a bedside commode, easy to find at a resale shop and some people throw them away.
If making pooh in a bedside toilet, it is easier to keep clean if you put a couple of paper towels in the bottom of it to catch the pooh. To dispose of the pooh after using a bedside commode get some rolls of doggy pooh bags. Open a bag, insert hand, grab the pooh , pull the bag over the pooh, tie the bag, put in outside garbage. No touch, no smell in the house. If you do not have water for washing out the commode, a baby wipe works well.
@@barqu1636 I would line the potty bucket with the kitchen trash bags like they showed in the video and cover it with pet bedding shavings. Like used for hamsters and other pets. Walmart has big bales for cheap.
@barqu1636....Would it be advisable to dig a large hole in which to deposit the waste? With a bucket of lime to add occasionally, along with sawdust, litter, etc.
Ice storm 07. 10 1/2 days no power or water. Used a plastic coffee can lined with store bags set in toilet . Peed outside. Worked great! Love the pee insert, I have one but didn’t realize how great it could be utilized! Ty!
We live out of the city limits. Having a bucket 🪣 always ready to GO in the enclosed porch...with compostable bags and horse pellets. We have a burn barrel to burn leaves and small tree limbs so we could burn the waste. We always have it ready so it has never happened. Your video was very informative!
"We always have it ready, so it has never happened." Ain't that the truth. Problems are brought on us where we are least prepared, including insurances.
I have been thinking about this for a while now. I so appreciate this video. I have my own septic and water which makes life a little easier but waste removal is still an issue.
These are GREAT ideas! My mom and I have talked a few times about what we need to do to prepare for this situation. This is absolutely perfect. Thank you!
For suburbanites.... make sure you already know where you can or cannot dig especially if you have gas lines... rain water catchment techniques, post-hole shovel, 4 -6 inch pipe in width, piece of plywood to cover hole, lime or sawdust, 5 gallon bucket, outdoor handwashing station nearby the outdoor waste disposal area is very useful... note: keep everything clean and dry. Always cover the waste.
I didn't expect to learn anything from this video because I have been prepping for a long time. However I can't believe I never heard of poo powder. I looked it up on Amazon and you can get 30 packs for about 10 dollars. So, good for you guys...we learn something new every day don't we. So get the 👍 and Maybe I'll sub the channel. God bless, stay safe and keep prepping cause it ain't getting LESS weird out there.👍🧡✝️🇺🇸🧡👍
You are right, don't mix pee & poop. For a guy, save an old laundry bottle as pee bottle since we pee standing up, that laundry bottle has a built in handle for holding. Had a power outage in Texas and city water pumps quit working, no water for a week.
And your great empty laundry bottle tip can help female transfer from pot if need to cap/store until liquid can be drained out, or Poo Powder firm it for solid waste can.
That is good... and gray water... WE have a Berkey but cooking water, wash water all can be saved and used int the toilet too. Better to use even the Tub water for washing and THEN use it to flush... more containers though.
Nicely covered! One suggestion, if you are on a city wastewater system, double bag with dirt in the bottom bag to cover the flush hole. This will keep you from receiving the contributions for everyone around you that are at a higher elevation. Remember, shit flows down hill.
I'm not an expert on this but I think when you take a plastic bag with waste in it outside to bury it you should not bury the plastic with it. The plastic will not decompose and will keep the waste wrapped up in it and prevent it from properly decomposing into the ground.
Thank you for the video. I’m a general contractor. It’s a good idea to plug up the drains if you’re going to remove the water. The water at the bottom of the pea trap is to stop the methane and other sewer fumes from entering the building.
Can I ask a question please? In case a disaster happens, we live in the city, we have a bungalow and have a toilet in the basement and two drains, if we put a 3.5 in. Ball in a sock in the toilet, do we need to block the drains as well? And do we need to also put a 3.5 in. ball in a sock in the upstairs toilet...is there any other safe tip that you can share? Thanks a lot for your expert advise
I forgot to ask you can you use cat litter to dispose of fecal waste ? Or do you have a better solution? Hope God will spare us these terrible moments...when I was small before we came to Quebec, we lived in a small town south of Italy, we had no toilet but in the back of the house there was some land and a stable for animals so we used that area that my parents fixed up so we could go to toilet but here there is only back yard and not very big either so it will be difficult to dispose of human waste in backyard as is, would you have a solution to what to do apart from burying the waste which is not probably allowed by city laws?
I've been using the Humanure Composting System for the past 9+ years that I've been living off grid, with no adverse issues, using sawdust as a cover. No water needed and it makes excellent fertilizer, after it has composted, for trees, shrubs, and the flower garden.
Make sure you*can*turn off your water to your toilet. Many older houses, like 15 or more years old, the knob is rusted shut. So if you can’t get it working now replace it now so you can turn it off if you need to. second note the plunger you used in your example is a kitchen plunger. The toilet plunger is shaped a bit differently. Specially, for newer toilets.
You can also place things inside the tank to block the flush handle and the float ball to where they can't go down. That way no water will be released into the bowl.
When old valve dissolved inside toilet water pipe shut-off knob, the toilet tank running water sound sent water bill sky high before plumber replaced the inside valve. Thankfully the shut-off knob still worked so didn't have to turn off house main water intake pipe lever.
Main drain backed-up for past two weeks. Excellent suggestions. Fortunately, I have porta-potty purchased after house hit by tornado a few years ago and all power and water unavailable for a week. I also have jugs of water with bleach stored. Nothing like being prepared even in these modern times. Thank you for this video.
Our Zoom filmed/water-cleared sewer pipes not need again since only Scott 1-ply TP into bowl. I drop some atop toilet bowl water so poop so not splash up. Small step-can plastic bag receives 2-ply ribbed TP dampened for extra clean.
@@JesusChurchFamily I completely agree. I began using 1-ply years ago for the very reason it is easier on the plumbing. Some who insist on using that popular, soft, plush, popular brand do not realize how hard it is on the plumbing system. Yeah, it feels good to the bottom, but....
I bought some Lunderg Toilet Bowl Liners with Super Absorbent Pads, from Amazon, that is made for household toilets, they are a buck each, and you can get unscented or lemon scented. The nice thing is that they come with the pads to catch and absorb urine, for each liner... though I really LIKE the idea of getting a urine hat like shown in this video. We are super fortunate to be out on a ranch and we have two actual full sized "porta potties", one we put on a permanent base and cut a hole in the bottom to allow waste to go down into a deep pit. What we did was took two 20 gallon, galvanized trash cans, cut the bottoms out of each, lined up the handled tops and wired the handles together to create a tight tube. Then we dug down into the ground as deep as the two stacked cans, and placed the porta potty on top, lining the hole we cut into the bottom with the hole in the garbage can. Once we got it placed where we wanted, we marked the groung around the potty, removed it again and filled in dirt around the two garbage cans to keep them in place. Then using the marks for the edges of the potty, we mixed a couple bags of quick concrete, and placed paver stones inside the potty dimensions, and used the concrete to make a solid, custom fitted, level pad for the porta potty to sit on, that was sloped to make sure any "splash over" waste, would hit the edge of the concrete and immediately run down into the garbage cans. So the bottom of the upper trash can is surrounded by concrete, which locks it in place but sloped down as stated, so all waste or water to clean it, runs right down inside the two cans. The bottom of our hole is just soil, but I put some baseball sized stones in the very bottom to allow liquids to slowly leach through but keeps the solids up on top. We use it occasionally, and more so during our branding dinner, but have only cleaned it out twice in the 8 years we have had it in place... and it does NOT stink like a porta potty! All I do is use a garden hose to spray a hard stream in the bottom to break up all the tissue and waste, also making it float to the top above the big stones, adding Lemon Mr. Clean to suds it up good, then we bought a Stanley, 6 gallon, stainless steel shop vac JUST for this purpose ONLY! --- I tell you what.... that thing will suck up the broken up waste and water so fast it is shocking!! For this permanent potty, I taped an old shop vac hose to the one with this, joining them with duct tape, to make it long enough to reach the bottom. Since the waste and paper floats to the top, you suck the SURFACE of the suds up water and waste, and it removes the waste in the first 10-20 or so seconds. We live in a sandy area so I just dig a hole in our corral..... yep, right under cow and horse manure, and I pull the shop vac on wheels over to the hole and pour the contents in. I have gone back with a little more Mr. Clean and a couple gallons of water and did a little lemon rinse, though I didn't spot any tissue or waste left, but it sucks it out like you hired a sanitation company to come clean it. When it is all done, you just cover your hole and forget it!! LOL If livestock can leave poo there, so can people!! LOL The entire process takes about 15 minutes, including digging the hole where we live. Then I just rinse out the shop vac with more Mr. Clean and store it in the barn. We have a second porta potty that we left as is, to be able to move it where we want, and do the same process and can clean it out even faster! I cleaned both after the 2017 Solar Eclipse when we hosted about 60 people in our yard, camping, and I was amazed at how easy it was to clean both potties, which had quite an odor after people left, though I had one person tell me they took a photo of my permanent potty, and placed it on their Facebook page stating that it is the CLEANEST porta potty they have ever seen!! -- I received the same compliment this summer with a family of campers, while also hosting an entire Boy Scout troop with their sponsors! --- So happy we did the permanent one!
Great advice! Last year I conducted testing of a product in pit toilets in Nicaragua. The product is all natural and decomposes organic waste and eliminates odors. We also observed that it reduced pathogens. This would be a great addition to emergency toilets.
A one gallon ice cream tub is a perfect for a toilet. Pop it in and drop the ring. Line with one of the following - piece of newspaper, couple handfuls of sawdust, an inch of water if available, couple cups of Tidy Cat, chopped up cardboard. Do whatever needs doing, lift ring, remove ice cream tub, take to predug hole and dump. Rinse and sanitize tub. Replace in toilet. Literally rinse and repeat. Toss a cup of lime in. Works amazingly well. We had a flood in the last place we lived (lots of TH-cam vids about it, Wimberley flood) and we were literally stuck in the house for weeks, 9 weeks or so until we got power back. My, usually overly, fastidious husband was delighted. I keep 4 in the shed for emergencies. You MUST keep water in the toilet and every sink. Very dangerous to let the traps go dry.
I've had to deal with flushing with containers of water for years due to water supply tank freezing up for a few days every winter or the shallow well going dry occasionally. So I have made good use of rain water and snow fall.... I purchased two flushable camp toilets for a good price a couple of years ago and they have been very useful in not only our "living like a pioneer in the 21st century" occasions but also on family camping trips. It is important to know of those other toileting options like the garbage bags as well, Not something people want to think about, but it has to be something they all know about. Good instructional videos.
I used to take a potty chair and trash bags when we went on trips when our kids were young so that I didn't have to take them into public bathrooms. A bedside commode would be another possible solution.
Great idea, thank you. Another idea can be using disposable bed pads and a baby diaper disposal, both methods combined, your method and this one. The pad can go in the plastic bag in case the plastic bag tears. A baby diaper disposal the type that seals each diaper with plastic, can help with the smell.
I already put sales flyers in bottom of kitchen trash bag v. leak. Your absorbent pads/diapers good idea too. But does your diaper-sealer need electricity?
Very good !!! In situation #1 ,do not put water directly into the toilet. Put the water in the toilet tank. It dispenses the right amount, which is a lot less than a bucket full.
I have a bedside commode, like for hospital use. Because my powerchair doesn't have room to easily navigate in my bathroom, I use the commode even now in my bedroom, which has a non-carpeted floor. No problems!
@@TS-ls9cp We have to remember that in a total emergency, we may not have access to commode chair bags or other items, if the stores are closed or supplies are off. Having plan B and Plan C is always good. Gives us a chance to get really creative.
@@TS-ls9cp Mine doesn't use bags; it uses a bucket that slides in and out under the hole. Which means I have to wash the bucket after every use, but its a good trade off for not needing bags.
@@AnnBearForFreedom : Unless water precious. Then other comments like: 1) paper towel at bottom of bucket; remove with doggie poop bag; and babywipe bucket; or (2) changeable bagged pot in bucket, and/or layer with Powder Poo, Pine Bedding Pellets, Sawdust, Peat Moss, or Firewood Ash, to not remove until bucket fuller.
I have bought disability -type toilet chairs from yard sales. You could use the bags in them. Use them indoors, over existing toilets. Or, outdoors, with any kind of "screen" - even a simple tarp for privacy. We live in the country with no close neighbors. We do what we want. Those in 'burbs might need modifications. City dwellers will have fewer options.
That's a good option! Have you actually tried to use them. They can be a bit unstable. I saw a display once at a prepper fair where they had taken a camping chair and cut out the bottom. The bucket was placed underneath. That way you could sit on the bucket but had handles to make sure that you stay upright. I thought it was actually a pretty great idea.
Cabellas makes a camp chair with an actual toilet seat where the regular seat would fit, a zippered pouch for holding TP and a pop up side table on the other side for anything else you might need. A 5 or 6 gallon bucket lined with a bag fits nicely underneath it. It folds easily for storage.@@TheProvidentPrepper
If it becomes necessary, we will be digging a long narrow shallow trench along the far edge of our backyard where we will deposit our waste and cover it over with organic matter (compost, leaves, wood chips, cat litter, lawn clippings, etc). Adding a bit of garden lime (not builder's lime) as we go will help it to decompose faster. Then, once the trench is filled, we will start a new trench next to it and repeat the process. Digging the trench ahead of time will allow us to do our business inside, then carry it outside as the weather allows. We definitely don't want to be digging in freezing or sweltering weather, so having it all ready ahead of time will make life easier. My grandmother had an outhouse behind her trailer in the country and she had an enamel pot with a lid in which she would store the waste during the night. Come morning, she (or we) would carry the pot to the outhouse and dump it all into the hole then rinse out the pot. We won't be building an outhouse figuring a trench will serve the same purpose. And in case the toilet issue lasts for an extended period of time, like months or years, we won't be buying plastic bags and duct tape, simply because of the cost and the need to find a way to dispose of all that plastic and tape. I figure that after about a year, those filled trenches will become a great place to plant some vegetables. In case of a short-term toilet outage, we have a porta potty and a few containers of chemicals designed to break down human waste to the point it can be disposed of in the trash. As long as any trench we dig is located at least 20 feet from natural water sources (rivers, ponds, lakes, drainage ditches), contamination should not becomes an issue.
I don't think human waste can be used for food gardening although they do it in Japan so im sure with research somethjng safe will come up. Also worms for composting the waste again the black gold used on flowers not food. But great idea i did somethjng similar for dog waste (6 dogs) deep hole with lime
Thanks so much! Although there is a possibility of such a thing I never ever thought of a remedy. Thanks a lot for bringing it to my notice. Have a lovely Christmas!
safety, privacy, able to clean your self better. gotta keep that toilet clean as much as you can. and let uv light in the bathroom to help kill germs . very solid channel thank you
"Solid"--no pun intended? 😆 Yes, I researched how to remove sickening chem per-fume "fragrance" out of cloth no amount washing in everything known to man eradicated. I found it true that days of outside Oxygen and 🌞U/V are the best.
Yeah I bought a commode, commode doesn’t sit like a toilet. I did think I would empty my toilet I have cat litter pine pellets. I have a urinal with the female attachment. I live in a short high rise has 3 floors. Figure I could bottle the pee & take outside & pour out. These videos are very practical & needed in today’s times. Have to start preparing & coming up with our own safe solutions cause help is not going to be on the way & everyone needs to figure it out. Thanks for this video
In the past I had to use my toilet for an emergency potty but I used trash compactor bags which are a lot thicker and I put cedar wood shavings in between uses.
Great topic. Thank you for covering this. It gave me a few more ideas, especially since I'm currently in a emergency backup waste situation myself since the black tank in my RV backed up and won't drain. I've tried back flushing it probably 20+ times. Trying to find a sewer company, plumber, RV repair out in my area has been non-existent. One thing I'll say about those black sanitation bags is find QUALITY. I learned that some of the ones I have tear so easily it's insane.
We had to stay in our fifth wheel 3 weeks in November 2018 while waiting to close on our home. Had same issue with our toilet and sewer system. Most people in the park covered their RV under side with 2” cut sheets of foam. We were nubbies. My husband bought heat tape wrapped it around our sewer line. It finally thawed the sewer line, took about 2 days. He also covered the line with a heavy blanket. Not sure where you are camping. I wish you luck.
@@patriciacooke886 I've been living in this for 4 years now. It's been a continual learning experience and honestly it's sucked more than almost any house because of all the issues, but there's also many positives. I've learned that I like living tiny. I've been hoping to be able to be able buy property for 3 years but Bidenomics hasn't been what they said lol I have the lines wrapped in heat tape etc, the park is particular on what they "allow" people to use for skirting. The issue with the black tank isn't due to the cold though. It's had an issue with backing up since I got it but back flushing usually works well, just not sure what is wrong with it now.
I get these buckets free from a cake decorating store. I have about 20 stored. When SHTF, if I cant go outside, and there's no power and water, I'll poop in a bucket, cover with sawdust, and replace lid. I'd store the buckets until it's safe to go out. I have lots of sawdust ready. I would bin the used toilet paper separately. When ok to go outside, I'd probably burn the toilet paper.
I'm going to suggest you keep the toilet plugged with the rubber from an old plunger (auger) for 2 reasons. One, to help block sewer gasses and two, if that plastic bag breaks with saw dust or kitty litter in it, you're going to mess up your toilet once services resume to normal. Keep that hole blocked!
What a great idea! Your both genius' I'm going to get all these supplies and keep them on hand for if the SHTF. Thanks so much for sharing this with us.
I thought about exactly the same thing about a year ago to deal with this issue. For me, it would be trash bags in the toilet, with deep kitty litter, the scoopable. As soon as it was used, the waste would be scooped out to avoid smells, into a small bag which would be disposed of however I could do it. Litter can be sprayed with any number of things to kill bacteria (vinegar, bleach, disinfectants). No excuse for stinky toilets. With my cats, if I scoop every morning, the litter doesn't smell. More litter can be added at any point, and baking soda is a champ at killing odors, too. I think also that putting a toilet seat over a large bucket like you had there is also an option, with the bottom removed from the bucket, and a very deep hole in the ground outside. Buckets can be stabilized with wooden, plastic or steel spikes, even pieces of branches on four sides hammered into the ground. For bucket flushing, any body of water should do that you have access to - sea water, rain water, pond/lake/reservoir, creek).
For years, I have used my own toilet as porta-potty-- with one difference from you just showed. I have a heavy-duty flower pot just large enough to sit in my dry toilet. I fits just below my toilet rim, so it is below the seat when it is down. I also have a urine divider. The size of the flower pot allows me to use a 13 gallon trash bag... There is enough overlap that I don't have to tape it... or I could tape just two small pieces on the side. I have removed the whole flower pot and carried it to the garbage in the garage, then sealed it up, like an okd chamber pot. I have also fastened it in the bathroom. I never use my white food grade buckets for dirty tasks... I would use a less expensive hardware store bucket for storage until I could dispose of it. I have made laundry buckets and dish washing systems from non food grade buckets. I have written on the outside of tge bucket AND the lid the the purpose of the buckets. I SURELY would want to Mark the POO moving bucket in some way... and wash it with a little bleach water periodically as well. Thank you for your videos. I enjoy and learn from them.
Everyone. Please before you resort to using up all your bags which you will not easily be able to restock if all stores are gone or shut down. Simply putting some sort of liquid in the back tank, cloudy ground water. Even sea water. Will make it flush. In a real emergency if you are still in your home you can use #1 to make #2 flush. While unsightly to think about it is a better option than piles of waste filled bags. Or if you have water collection going for say, dishes or showers. That gray water will also flush your toilet.
Compost toilets are so easy. Keep a barrel of leaf mulch handy. Then burry your excrement in leaf mulch. There are tons of plans for composting toilets on line.
When the grid went down here in Michigan, I was still working in the hospital in Detroit. We nurses did this exact same thing to toilets. What was hard was bedpans…try cleaning those out with bottles of water (the hospital brought in cases of bottled water)
@Provident Prepper, will the plastic pee hat fit in a bucket topped with a toilet seat like Lugable Loo or camper folding "chair" with bucket? Thank you for hat ease for ladies pee separation from poop.
Pine bedding is super inexpensive,looks like pellets, soaks up water or urine and slowly turns into damp sawdust as more liquid is added. You only need a little bit. I use 1 dog food scoop in my multiple cats' litter box. It's good for an entire day.I dump it once a day, rinse out the box and add another scoop.I made a toilet, lined with a garbage bag,put pellets in the bottom so it's ready when I need it. I made a box for it with a standard toilet seat on top.I plan to keep sawdust mixed with fresh step cat litter next to the toilet to cover feces, while the pine pellets will be soaking up urine.Will be solid, so easy to dispose in a trash can.
I have dug a hole in a corner of my yard I work on as I get to it. It is now about eight foot deep by about three foot accross. The plan is to dump the human waste only in the hole. At this time it is well covered and safe. I may never need it, but it is there if I do. I bought a potty chair from Amazon because the bags are much smaller and the lid keeps the aroma contained very well. The bags for the potty chair are made to hold the poop. Those kitchen bags are NOT designed to hold the poop. They leak and take up a lot of room with the wasted wads of plastic. Also the chair can be moved to other areas, maybe near the wood stove for the elderly. A bucket of lime from the big box store near the hole with a good scoop will deal with the waste.
We lost water for several days when our water pump went out. We used 5 gallon buckets with a pool noodle on top. Not comfortable at all. Putting a trash bag in the regular loo is much better. Thank you 😊
Thank you so much for your video. Answered a lot of really good issues. Reasonable solutions. And a whole lot of people willing to go out in their yard or their shed or even an out house these days. Indoor privacy is big with a spoiled Americans
I recall, I read somewhere if the sewer lines stop working, they will get backed up into our houses.. I think they even mentioned putting cement in the toilet 🤪
Hardware stores sell a floor plug to close off the hole beneath the toilet which will prevent sewer gases from entering the home. The tub and sink drains will need to be covered with duct tape, as well. Breathing in those gases can be toxic.
Greetings from Tennessee. Something you need to consider is leaving a little bit of water in the toilet if you're on a city sewer system. This will prevent sewer gas from backing up into your house. Something Jonathan might want to touch on is if you're on a city sewer system you need to know where the shut-off valve is for your house because if you're down hill from the rest of your neighborhood and the transfer pumps aren't working guess where everybody's sewage from uphill is going to wind up!?! Keep up the good work folks and Merry Christmas.
Good catch.
Hello. You will always have water in the trap so even if you completely empty the toilet there is always water to prevent gasses from coming up.
@@stmcgarret. Some toilet models may hold water beyond what you see in the bowl but to be honest, I’ve never seen one like that. The water in the bowel and drain at the bottom is the only gas block as per design. In shtf toilet conversion, I’d empty the water out and shove playdoh in the drain to seal up that possibility. Pack the drain with playdoh then paint over the top with Wesson oil to keep the playdoh from over drying out and cracking thus failing to hold back the sewer gases. Even old towels shoved tightly will prevent gasses entering the toilet.
@@stmcgarret@Danielcox What's your response to this?
@@sl4983 another option is to take a half filled balloon, coat with vegetable oil, and put that in the bottom of the toilet.
I once visited some people who lived in a very desolate area. When the call of nature came, I was expecting a rather horrible experience with their 5-gallon bucket toilet. I was AMAZED at how efficient their sawdust bucket was - absolutely no odor and not even flies around it, even though it was in a semi-open greenhouse- type tent!!!! Think sawdust!!!!😋
Ashes from a fire are also helpful
@@Listenclearly1979 ah! Good to know
Use kitty litter
@@Joce123 And pack a scoop 😉
yes.
some put a little bit if saw dust in bottom off bag , b for relieving the body.. then add sum on top of the waste..
You'll need to put a baseball in a tube sock and buuuudge that ball in the throat of the toilet to keep raw sewage from backing up into your home before you do anything in this video... great video and great hack. Thank you to the both of you for being here on yt. My grown kids are watching you and learning so much for their own homes now.
@1:41 You do not want to remove all water from bowl.
Methane and other gases can travel from sewage system back into living quarters.
In city sewage systems, even rodents have been known to enter homes this way.
Yikes!
Yes since rodents can swim 5 minutes under water, climbing up in pipes which have rough interior walls they enter like snakes via lawn/roof vents I cover with a piece of cloth-like black plastic mesh screen discard from Ace, secured over the top of the vent pipe, beneath its removable cap, by a screw-tight metal ring clamp (sold to clamp laundry dryer's metallic vent tube onto a metal elbow joint to vent out through a window screen).
Though pro mower knocked its cast-iron cap off so hard it broke in half, the mesh stayed clamped on.
Excellent advice!
About a month after buying my 1st house years ago I came home from work to find a small black sewer rat trying to jump out of my toilet! I kept bleach in the bowl with the lid down after that nasty surprise! LOL
@@barjer54 : Bleach fumes are a WW chemical weapon. I put plastic screen mesh over lawn vent pipe, secured with a screw-tighten metal ring sold to secure a dryer vent hose to an exhaust pipe. From this thread now I learned to pour water regularly into my seldom used tub drain like toilet drains v. sewer vapors.
Thanks to the people who have suggested putting something in to plug the hole for keeping the sewer gas out
Well big duh on me! I’ve been a long term prepper and even used a composting toilet years ago. I have a luggable loo and pellets to absorb, etc. But I never thought about use my existing toilet which is much more convenient and comfortable! Thank you!
How is it more convenient?
@@sweetbeepno extra potty or bucket to bring into the bathroom.
You would still need to haul the stuff from it as well anyway.
The toilet is already there and lining it allows you to continue to use it as normal
Yep right there in thought with you. I haven't used the bucket yet, but it was the plan if need be. Now I will use the bucket for saw dust instead and continue using the toilet as usual!
@@normajeanslagel4633 ..yes but the outside of the bag will get poop germs on it.
Noone addresses the people living in high rises! What do they do with no back yard garden to put waste in, not to mention getting from 15 floors up or more down stairs to ground level and then what?
Lawdy! I hope it doesn’t come to this but we fortunately have a very nice outhouse that my hubby built.
Neat...I had my hubby build an outhouse when we moved to our rural home in 2005...I've even got it decorated and of course...the complementary sears and roebuck : ).
What great husbands you have
Doesn't he call it his man cave?
@@truthtriumphant4015S/O to Sears 😢 I really miss them
That's what I want. Used it growing up, sure ant gonna hurt me now. However I didn't know about the gases from our camode, will diffently do it next time. Thank you
You can add a 1/2 cup of wood ash from your woodstove to keep the smell down, and it makes good compost. Thanks so much!
Make sure it's COMPLETELY cool. Hot coals melting the bag would ruin your morning.
there are ways to compost human poo... Humanuer. I think there are some books on that.. can't put it on your food plants that fast but it can be done.
I am rural and have my own well and septic system. If they are predicting a bad storm, where power may be off for a while, I usually fill the bathtub full of water for flushing toilet purposes. (large family fill two or three bathtubs up) And then I use a small bucket or large pitcher of some sort to dip water from the tub to flush the toilet. Keeps from having several 5 gallon buckets full of water sitting around in the way.Just make sure your tub drain/stopper doesn’t leak and your tub is clean. And also you have plenty of water for other purposes albeit cold, but better than nothing.🙂
EXCELLENT IDEA!!
We have the same but our septic still has an electric pump. It will not work if power goes out. It looks like it's working pouring water down. But it will overflow outside or backup inside eventually
@@waverider501
Oh, I don’t have electricity to my septic system, so your situation is new to me. I guess you could get in a few flushes in hopes of it not backing up. But that would be terrible.😬
Here in FL, during a hurricane we fill our sinks and tubs with water for flushing, but it's good to have a back up if sewer is down.
Great idea, thanks
Maybe this goes without saying, but keeping a flashlight by the toilet is a real good idea. When we were in a wildland fire and the power was cut, it was pitch black!
I have battery operated push lights mounted on walls around my house. One in my bathroom lights the entire room.
Glow sticks are good too, last all night and no electrical spark like with a flashlight being turned on, in case methane gas has built up in the room
Outdoor Solar lights work to.
Stock up on candles still.:)
I have a few LED tealights that live in the bathroom on the window ledge. Easy peasy to turn on and set where needed for low light, since it's not something that needs to be the brightest area. Puck lights are also fantastic, agreed - had one in my last place in the shower since it was dim in there and it helped a ton.
I forgot about push lights! Years ago, I taught my dog to enter rooms ahead of me and push the light on!
Lime powder is helpful too!
will lime eat through the plastic bag though?
Pro tip: Don't use DUCT tape. Use Gaffer's tape. It has a stronger hold than painter's tape, but won't leave a sticky residue like duct tape.
At that point in our shtf who cares about sticky residue😂
If things get this bad who cares about the sticky stuff… but… u can use a bit of rubbing alcohol to dissolve the sticky residue after…
@@gingersnap5245the person who has to clean the sticky residue off,, up top for thinking 😅
@KaBoom.V Rubbing alcohol is highly toxic even on the skin. Use real pine turpentine. It works much better.
@@gingersnap5245I was gonna say my family might need gorilla tape.
Marvelous video - shows American can-do is here to stay, - God bless us all!
And not to mention, the additional helpful comments, below:
I have 2 ideas 💡 from this:
#1. I have the old toilets from renovations a few years ago sitting in a shed. These would be ideal for this.
#2. We have a couple of disability commodes that would work well for this type of thing.
One built like a comfortable padded (flip up of course) dining chair but more secure, has a typical small commode chamber pot with a lid ( ideal for urine).
The other is like a cross between the above and a wheelchair (only little wheels) with sturdy wheel locks. It also has a flip up padded seat lid but takes a much bigger "load". It is capable in its design to have a 20L (5gal) bucket sit under it. Lined with a bag, or two if you want, using sawdust, it can be used several times before easily emptying.
The latter was purchased for having a better, safer, sturdy and more comfortable camping loo.
The first was for a disabled relative who travelled to visit after surgery. This was easy to use in their room without worrying about making to the toilet on time.
The porcelain thrones, I obviously already had.
The disability commodes, I got from the second hand stores along with the shower seat and shower stool. They were in as new condition and only cost $5- each! I brought them home and scrubbed, bleached and disinfected them really well a couple of times. They were fine. No sense being precious, after all, we go to the shops, we go to events, offices, travel etc and we use PUBLIC TOILETS. We hope they're clean, some of us have protectors but still....... hmmm. I know how well these are cleaned and scrubbed, because I did it.
Hope these suggestions help some of you out there.
All the best and have a great day from Australia 🦘🦘🙏🦘🦘
Hi...also in Oz! Just make sure that you anchor the china dunnies to a firm, heavy foundation, as these things are surprisingly tippable!! 😮🚽
Very smart thinking! My shed is a distance from the house...I'm going to be on the lookout for one of these to keep out there. In uncertain times, or just a tropical downpour, it might not be feasible to run back to the house right then. The "bucket solution" alone was always practical but unappealing! 👍
You are right. People who don't think twice about using hotel toilets, wearing hospital gowns and hotel sheets go hateful crazy at the idea of buying used things.
This is a doggone book!
here in good ol' blighty i have whats known as a bucket and chuckit which is a large very stable bucket with a toilet seat attached and a closeable lid.. great for camping etc luckily I live in Wales quite a rural area so I could always do what the bears do 😅 🇬🇧
"bucket and chuck-it" 😄. Where's blighty?
@@JesusChurchFamilyblighty is Britain.
@@JesusChurchFamilyit’s the U.K. 😅
Great idea!!!Double bag the toilet so you always leave one in there ( the one with the tape) and it acts as a back up too if the other bag has a hole. Plus you save on your tape👍Best absorber for smells and liquids are horse bedding pellets. Can get very large bag for $6.99 at Tractor Supply.
Love the pee collector up front like that. Let’s you see how dark your urine is and if you need more fluids.
And some here helpfully suggest soil in lower bag nested/snugged in drain v. dangerous vapors rising
Excellent content. I will make use of the bag method exclusively for my wife. And I will do all of the totting of the waste to the outdoors. This, along with the
wife only shower system is the least that I can do for her. I just can't picture her having to go outside to do # 1 or #2. We have prepped since Y2K & will surely
do just fine. Unless of course the rapture comes first!
Amen my brother! I pray it does! I can't wait to be with Jesus every day and every where He is we will be. " And so shall we ever be with the Lord." Thank You Lord and Praise Your Holy Name!
Oh honey, it's coming. I'm surprised we're still here and I'll continue being surprised if we make it one more week to 2024. All signs point to "go time"... 📯
Love that you brought up the rapture!
GOD BLESS US ALL. ✝️❤️🕊
There is no rapture.
Great suggestions! After emptying the water out of the toilet bowl, you might also want to plug the toilet bowl drain (with a 3.5" ball inside the toe of a knee sock that is coated with petroleum jelly on the outside) to prevent possible sewage backflow into your home.
This is my worry. I'll either have to find the outside shutoff valve or plug every drain in the house, including washing machine drain, kitchen sink, bathtubs and of course the toilets. It's kind of a daunting thing especially if the system is till flushable but you don't know whether it will continue to be and if it backs up you won't have any time to do all this stuff before your house is full of sewage.
@@oldschooljeremy8124 I agree; it is daunting! Getting test plugs ahead of time that fit each individual drain, and storing them until possibly needed, is I guess what would have to be done.
Cement???
@@danielschultz11 Only if you want a permanent solution to the problem ;-)
Ha!
Good content as always, guys. Thanks for being part of the solution 🙏
When the SHTF, this is really good information to know to keep safe and literally keeping the "S" from HTF...
Never thought about using my existing toilet, but it makes perfect sense. We have multiple bathrooms and may consider trying to keep one for urine and one for the other stuff. That way we could isolate odors etc. Just a thought.
That's a great idea! The one with a window that opens can be for feces, and the ones with just ceiling fans (which will be non-working) can be for urine...
If you plan on dipping all of the water out of the bowl, you need to plan on using something like a 2" inflatable test ball to prevent the sewer gas from coming into the house. If the concentration is high enough, it can be lethal.
And highly flammable!! 😮♨️🚽
I've been through numerous hurricanes and always lose power including to my well equipment meaning I have no water for at least one to two weeks weeks. I caught on to this idea prior to Hurricane Ian and was grateful for it. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you. I'm so glad someone finally suggests a way to have a solution for going to the bathroom. Nobody ever talks about this basic need. Having heat and food is essential but so is having a toilet option. We usually just put an ice cream bucket in there but this makes more sense
An ice cream bucket is actually a good option. It works :)
This is really simple and yes, sitting on a toilet is much better than a bucket! Sharing! Thank you!
I bought a cottage 25 years ago that has an outhouse. I remember being surprised how it didn't smell very much.
Very deep? And/or ashes/sawdust/peat moss kept there to layer?
we had a double seater (no divider wall either LOL) up at our Cottage in Canada .. and would have to walk outside to it in the middle of the night. It was from the 1920s (this was the 1970s) so about 50 years old. It had old wallpaper in there.. But we never thought about putting wood shavings.. )..
We have a septic but I also have a bucket with a walmart bucket toilet seat, bags will fit easily on the bucket and the toilet seat is like a normal seat, peat moss and containers for the liquids. I would also suggest you could use a bedside commode, easy to find at a resale shop and some people throw them away.
If making pooh in a bedside toilet, it is easier to keep clean if you put a couple of paper towels in the bottom of it to catch the pooh. To dispose of the pooh after using a bedside commode get some rolls of doggy pooh bags. Open a bag, insert hand, grab the pooh , pull the bag over the pooh, tie the bag, put in outside garbage. No touch, no smell in the house. If you do not have water for washing out the commode, a baby wipe works well.
@@barqu1636 I would line the potty bucket with the kitchen trash bags like they showed in the video and cover it with pet bedding shavings. Like used for hamsters and other pets. Walmart has big bales for cheap.
@@tennesseeterrifarm supply stores have bigger bales even cheaper.
Don’t have a bucket seat but have a funnoodle that we cut to fit around the rim
@barqu1636....Would it be advisable to dig a large hole in which to deposit the waste? With a bucket of lime to add occasionally, along with sawdust, litter, etc.
Ice storm 07. 10 1/2 days no power or water. Used a plastic coffee can lined with store bags set in toilet . Peed outside. Worked great! Love the pee insert, I have one but didn’t realize how great it could be utilized! Ty!
We live out of the city limits. Having a bucket 🪣 always ready to GO in the enclosed porch...with compostable bags and horse pellets. We have a burn barrel to burn leaves and small tree limbs so we could burn the waste. We always have it ready so it has never happened. Your video was very informative!
"We always have it ready, so it has never happened." Ain't that the truth. Problems are brought on us where we are least prepared, including insurances.
I have been thinking about this for a while now. I so appreciate this video. I have my own septic and water which makes life a little easier but waste removal is still an issue.
I'm scared now. This showed up on my feed and I wasn't even looking.😧
Glad it did. Thanks so much for this info and for the post.
These are GREAT ideas! My mom and I have talked a few times about what we need to do to prepare for this situation. This is absolutely perfect. Thank you!
Poop in a bag. There ya go.
For suburbanites.... make sure you already know where you can or cannot dig especially if you have gas lines... rain water catchment techniques, post-hole shovel, 4 -6 inch pipe in width, piece of plywood to cover hole, lime or sawdust, 5 gallon bucket, outdoor handwashing station nearby the outdoor waste disposal area is very useful... note: keep everything clean and dry. Always cover the waste.
And dedicated dishwashing gloves saves handwashing & water
I have been working at "prepping" for about 2-plus years now, and never really thought of this.Thank you; going to put together that "kit."
EXCELLENT IDEA NO ONE TALKS ABOUT THAT TOPIC
I didn't expect to learn anything from this video because I have been prepping for a long time. However I can't believe I never heard of poo powder. I looked it up on Amazon and you can get 30 packs for about 10 dollars. So, good for you guys...we learn something new every day don't we. So get the 👍 and Maybe I'll sub the channel. God bless, stay safe and keep prepping cause it ain't getting LESS weird out there.👍🧡✝️🇺🇸🧡👍
We all learn from each other!
You are right, don't mix pee & poop. For a guy, save an old laundry bottle as pee bottle since we pee standing up, that laundry bottle has a built in handle for holding. Had a power outage in Texas and city water pumps quit working, no water for a week.
And your great empty laundry bottle tip can help female transfer from pot if need to cap/store until liquid can be drained out, or Poo Powder firm it for solid waste can.
I bought my home on a river so my septic allows me to bucket river water in to the bowl. Think about your water sources long run.
That is good... and gray water... WE have a Berkey but cooking water, wash water all can be saved and used int the toilet too. Better to use even the Tub water for washing and THEN use it to flush... more containers though.
Nicely covered! One suggestion, if you are on a city wastewater system, double bag with dirt in the bottom bag to cover the flush hole. This will keep you from receiving the contributions for everyone around you that are at a higher elevation. Remember, shit flows down hill.
Doug Wilson 8274 I’m on top floor so I should be good right. Thanks for the information
Now, THAT'S funny
@@vreese3350 : Bldg backflow can rise to your floor, and flammable even lethal gasses leak up from unplugged drains.
Great plan, I also have several portable toilets from medical supply houses that can be used in this same way
This was right to the point, helpful, and practical, especially for city apartment dwellers. Thank you. ☺
I'm not an expert on this but I think when you take a plastic bag with waste in it outside to bury it you should not bury the plastic with it. The plastic will not decompose and will keep the waste wrapped up in it and prevent it from properly decomposing into the ground.
My husband the plumber creates leaching by just having the bag drain out dont tie it. The are also biodegradable bags out there.
True. Wrapped in plastic it wil grow very bad bacteria. Something good to know.
If you live in an are where it's possible, human waste ( not the bag) can be burned, and more so if you have covered it in shavings/ sawdust.
@@lilypercell6793
biodegradable bags take a long time to "degrade"
The plastic will decompose, it just takes longer. And if you're in a long term SHTF situation, you'll probably be glad of that!
Thank you for the video. I’m a general contractor. It’s a good idea to plug up the drains if you’re going to remove the water. The water at the bottom of the pea trap is to stop the methane and other sewer fumes from entering the building.
Can I ask a question please? In case a disaster happens, we live in the city, we have a bungalow and have a toilet in the basement and two drains, if we put a 3.5 in. Ball in a sock in the toilet, do we need to block the drains as well? And do we need to also put a 3.5 in. ball in a sock in the upstairs toilet...is there any other safe tip that you can share? Thanks a lot for your expert advise
I forgot to ask you can you use cat litter to dispose of fecal waste ? Or do you have a better solution? Hope God will spare us these terrible moments...when I was small before we came to Quebec, we lived in a small town south of Italy, we had no toilet but in the back of the house there was some land and a stable for animals so we used that area that my parents fixed up so we could go to toilet but here there is only back yard and not very big either so it will be difficult to dispose of human waste in backyard as is, would you have a solution to what to do apart from burying the waste which is not probably allowed by city laws?
Thank you for the MANY PRACTICAL ideas/solutions you give us!
You are very welcome! Thanks for being part of the solution!
I've been using the Humanure Composting System for the past 9+ years that I've been living off grid, with no adverse issues, using sawdust as a cover.
No water needed and it makes excellent fertilizer, after it has composted, for trees, shrubs, and the flower garden.
How long to your cure this compost?
@@debbiecurtis4021 I let it cure for at least a year. That makes sure that any pathogens are gone, and it is safe to use.
@@debbiecurtis4021 18 months. Check out The Humanure Handbook for the proper setup. I think it's still a free download.
Jon in rural BC, Canada
Humanure...did you make up that name? Lol it's cute..
Human poop is NOT a good fertilizer
Make sure you*can*turn off your water to your toilet. Many older houses, like 15 or more years old, the knob is rusted shut. So if you can’t get it working now replace it now so you can turn it off if you need to. second note the plunger you used in your example is a kitchen plunger. The toilet plunger is shaped a bit differently. Specially, for newer toilets.
Very good point!!
You can also place things inside the tank to block the flush handle and the float ball to where they can't go down. That way no water will be released into the bowl.
When old valve dissolved inside toilet water pipe shut-off knob, the toilet tank running water sound sent water bill sky high before plumber replaced the inside valve. Thankfully the shut-off knob still worked so didn't have to turn off house main water intake pipe lever.
@@JesusChurchFamily You're welcome and glad it was of some help.
Main drain backed-up for past two weeks. Excellent suggestions. Fortunately, I have porta-potty purchased after house hit by tornado a few years ago and all power and water unavailable for a week. I also have jugs of water with bleach stored. Nothing like being prepared even in these modern times.
Thank you for this video.
Our Zoom filmed/water-cleared sewer pipes not need again since only Scott 1-ply TP into bowl. I drop some atop toilet bowl water so poop so not splash up. Small step-can plastic bag receives 2-ply ribbed TP dampened for extra clean.
@@JesusChurchFamily Works until you have house guests that throw a ton of paper into the bowl.
@@dorothybrown8859 : Plumber has long proved right that "more 1-ply disintegrates better than less 2-ply."
@@JesusChurchFamily I completely agree. I began using 1-ply years ago for the very reason it is easier on the plumbing. Some who insist on using that popular, soft, plush, popular brand do not realize how hard it is on the plumbing system. Yeah, it feels good to the bottom, but....
I bought some Lunderg Toilet Bowl Liners with Super Absorbent Pads, from Amazon, that is made for household toilets, they are a buck each, and you can get unscented or lemon scented. The nice thing is that they come with the pads to catch and absorb urine, for each liner... though I really LIKE the idea of getting a urine hat like shown in this video.
We are super fortunate to be out on a ranch and we have two actual full sized "porta potties", one we put on a permanent base and cut a hole in the bottom to allow waste to go down into a deep pit.
What we did was took two 20 gallon, galvanized trash cans, cut the bottoms out of each, lined up the handled tops and wired the handles together to create a tight tube. Then we dug down into the ground as deep as the two stacked cans, and placed the porta potty on top, lining the hole we cut into the bottom with the hole in the garbage can. Once we got it placed where we wanted, we marked the groung around the potty, removed it again and filled in dirt around the two garbage cans to keep them in place. Then using the marks for the edges of the potty, we mixed a couple bags of quick concrete, and placed paver stones inside the potty dimensions, and used the concrete to make a solid, custom fitted, level pad for the porta potty to sit on, that was sloped to make sure any "splash over" waste, would hit the edge of the concrete and immediately run down into the garbage cans. So the bottom of the upper trash can is surrounded by concrete, which locks it in place but sloped down as stated, so all waste or water to clean it, runs right down inside the two cans.
The bottom of our hole is just soil, but I put some baseball sized stones in the very bottom to allow liquids to slowly leach through but keeps the solids up on top.
We use it occasionally, and more so during our branding dinner, but have only cleaned it out twice in the 8 years we have had it in place... and it does NOT stink like a porta potty!
All I do is use a garden hose to spray a hard stream in the bottom to break up all the tissue and waste, also making it float to the top above the big stones, adding Lemon Mr. Clean to suds it up good, then we bought a Stanley, 6 gallon, stainless steel shop vac JUST for this purpose ONLY! --- I tell you what.... that thing will suck up the broken up waste and water so fast it is shocking!!
For this permanent potty, I taped an old shop vac hose to the one with this, joining them with duct tape, to make it long enough to reach the bottom. Since the waste and paper floats to the top, you suck the SURFACE of the suds up water and waste, and it removes the waste in the first 10-20 or so seconds.
We live in a sandy area so I just dig a hole in our corral..... yep, right under cow and horse manure, and I pull the shop vac on wheels over to the hole and pour the contents in. I have gone back with a little more Mr. Clean and a couple gallons of water and did a little lemon rinse, though I didn't spot any tissue or waste left, but it sucks it out like you hired a sanitation company to come clean it. When it is all done, you just cover your hole and forget it!! LOL If livestock can leave poo there, so can people!! LOL The entire process takes about 15 minutes, including digging the hole where we live. Then I just rinse out the shop vac with more Mr. Clean and store it in the barn.
We have a second porta potty that we left as is, to be able to move it where we want, and do the same process and can clean it out even faster! I cleaned both after the 2017 Solar Eclipse when we hosted about 60 people in our yard, camping, and I was amazed at how easy it was to clean both potties, which had quite an odor after people left, though I had one person tell me they took a photo of my permanent potty, and placed it on their Facebook page stating that it is the CLEANEST porta potty they have ever seen!! -- I received the same compliment this summer with a family of campers, while also hosting an entire Boy Scout troop with their sponsors! --- So happy we did the permanent one!
Very important life saving info. Definately putting two kits together. Thank you.
Great advice! Last year I conducted testing of a product in pit toilets in Nicaragua. The product is all natural and decomposes organic waste and eliminates odors. We also observed that it reduced pathogens. This would be a great addition to emergency toilets.
A one gallon ice cream tub is a perfect for a toilet. Pop it in and drop the ring. Line with one of the following - piece of newspaper, couple handfuls of sawdust, an inch of water if available, couple cups of Tidy Cat, chopped up cardboard. Do whatever needs doing, lift ring, remove ice cream tub, take to predug hole and dump. Rinse and sanitize tub. Replace in toilet. Literally rinse and repeat. Toss a cup of lime in. Works amazingly well. We had a flood in the last place we lived (lots of TH-cam vids about it, Wimberley flood) and we were literally stuck in the house for weeks, 9 weeks or so until we got power back. My, usually overly, fastidious husband was delighted. I keep 4 in the shed for emergencies. You MUST keep water in the toilet and every sink. Very dangerous to let the traps go dry.
I've had to deal with flushing with containers of water for years due to water supply tank freezing up for a few days every winter or the shallow well going dry occasionally. So I have made good use of rain water and snow fall.... I purchased two flushable camp toilets for a good price a couple of years ago and they have been very useful in not only our "living like a pioneer in the 21st century" occasions but also on family camping trips. It is important to know of those other toileting options like the garbage bags as well, Not something people want to think about, but it has to be something they all know about. Good instructional videos.
I used to take a potty chair and trash bags when we went on trips when our kids were young so that I didn't have to take them into public bathrooms. A bedside commode would be another possible solution.
Thanks didn’t think the urine catch. - I have a toilet seat for a 5 gallon bucket. Your idea is sooo much better and private.
Glad we live in the country
We have a Lugable Lu. We’ve used it for numerous camping trips. Great for hurricanes. Basically it’s a five gallon bucket with a toilet seat with lid.
Great idea, thank you. Another idea can be using disposable bed pads and a baby diaper disposal, both methods combined, your method and this one. The pad can go in the plastic bag in case the plastic bag tears. A baby diaper disposal the type that seals each diaper with plastic, can help with the smell.
I already put sales flyers in bottom of kitchen trash bag v. leak. Your absorbent pads/diapers good idea too. But does your diaper-sealer need electricity?
Very good !!! In situation #1 ,do not put water directly into the toilet. Put the water in the toilet tank. It dispenses the right amount, which is a lot less than a bucket full.
I have a bedside commode, like for hospital use. Because my powerchair doesn't have room to easily navigate in my bathroom, I use the commode even now in my bedroom, which has a non-carpeted floor. No problems!
Ditto. And the bags for the commode chair are. much smaller than a kitchen garbage bag.
@@TS-ls9cp We have to remember that in a total emergency, we may not have access to commode chair bags or other items, if the stores are closed or supplies are off. Having plan B and Plan C is always good. Gives us a chance to get really creative.
@@TS-ls9cp Mine doesn't use bags; it uses a bucket that slides in and out under the hole. Which means I have to wash the bucket after every use, but its a good trade off for not needing bags.
@@AnnBearForFreedom : Unless water precious. Then other comments like: 1) paper towel at bottom of bucket; remove with doggie poop bag; and babywipe bucket; or (2) changeable bagged pot in bucket, and/or layer with Powder Poo, Pine Bedding Pellets, Sawdust, Peat Moss, or Firewood Ash, to not remove until bucket fuller.
I have bought disability -type toilet chairs from yard sales. You could use the bags in them. Use them indoors, over existing toilets. Or, outdoors, with any kind of "screen" - even a simple tarp for privacy. We live in the country with no close neighbors. We do what we want. Those in 'burbs might need modifications. City dwellers will have fewer options.
We have the buckets with toilet seats on them and all the supplies to go with it.
That's a good option! Have you actually tried to use them. They can be a bit unstable. I saw a display once at a prepper fair where they had taken a camping chair and cut out the bottom. The bucket was placed underneath. That way you could sit on the bucket but had handles to make sure that you stay upright. I thought it was actually a pretty great idea.
@@TheProvidentPrepperThat IS a great idea! Thanks for the tip!😃
We put two bricks in the bottom and it works fine. Just need to make sure when you are outside with it, you are on level ground. Lol
Cabellas makes a camp chair with an actual toilet seat where the regular seat would fit, a zippered pouch for holding TP and a pop up side table on the other side for anything else you might need. A 5 or 6 gallon bucket lined with a bag fits nicely underneath it. It folds easily for storage.@@TheProvidentPrepper
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I’m rural, with a well and septic system. I flush it with my collected rain water.
For folks in the city, this is useful information for them. 👍🏻
Thank you for this, as you know that we are going to be needing to know
this information sooner than we ever thought!
Handicap bedside pot. Walmart bags fit perfectly for single use solid waste catching and disposing.
If it becomes necessary, we will be digging a long narrow shallow trench along the far edge of our backyard where we will deposit our waste and cover it over with organic matter (compost, leaves, wood chips, cat litter, lawn clippings, etc). Adding a bit of garden lime (not builder's lime) as we go will help it to decompose faster. Then, once the trench is filled, we will start a new trench next to it and repeat the process. Digging the trench ahead of time will allow us to do our business inside, then carry it outside as the weather allows. We definitely don't want to be digging in freezing or sweltering weather, so having it all ready ahead of time will make life easier. My grandmother had an outhouse behind her trailer in the country and she had an enamel pot with a lid in which she would store the waste during the night. Come morning, she (or we) would carry the pot to the outhouse and dump it all into the hole then rinse out the pot. We won't be building an outhouse figuring a trench will serve the same purpose. And in case the toilet issue lasts for an extended period of time, like months or years, we won't be buying plastic bags and duct tape, simply because of the cost and the need to find a way to dispose of all that plastic and tape. I figure that after about a year, those filled trenches will become a great place to plant some vegetables. In case of a short-term toilet outage, we have a porta potty and a few containers of chemicals designed to break down human waste to the point it can be disposed of in the trash. As long as any trench we dig is located at least 20 feet from natural water sources (rivers, ponds, lakes, drainage ditches), contamination should not becomes an issue.
I don't think human waste can be used for food gardening although they do it in Japan so im sure with research somethjng safe will come up. Also worms for composting the waste again the black gold used on flowers not food. But great idea i did somethjng similar for dog waste (6 dogs) deep hole with lime
What “trash”? There probably won’t be any trash pick up in this scenario.
@@wossne : Yes, human waste has more toxins than animals especially herbivorous.
I thought about for a brief minute, but that’s yet! Thank so very much!
Thanks so much! Although there is a possibility of such a thing I never ever thought of a remedy. Thanks a lot for bringing it to my notice.
Have a lovely Christmas!
safety, privacy, able to clean your self better. gotta keep that toilet clean as much as you can. and let uv light in the bathroom to help kill germs . very solid channel thank you
"Solid"--no pun intended? 😆 Yes, I researched how to remove sickening chem per-fume "fragrance" out of cloth no amount washing in everything known to man eradicated. I found it true that days of outside Oxygen and 🌞U/V are the best.
Yeah I bought a commode, commode doesn’t sit like a toilet. I did think I would empty my toilet I have cat litter pine pellets. I have a urinal with the female attachment. I live in a short high rise has 3 floors. Figure I could bottle the pee & take outside & pour out. These videos are very practical & needed in today’s times. Have to start preparing & coming up with our own safe solutions cause help is not going to be on the way & everyone needs to figure it out. Thanks for this video
Bedside commode with pine pellets. Works great when the electric goes out on a well pump.
I wouldn't remove all the water from the bowl since it keeps the gas vapors down.
In the past I had to use my toilet for an emergency potty but I used trash compactor bags which are a lot thicker and I put cedar wood shavings in between uses.
Great topic. Thank you for covering this. It gave me a few more ideas, especially since I'm currently in a emergency backup waste situation myself since the black tank in my RV backed up and won't drain. I've tried back flushing it probably 20+ times. Trying to find a sewer company, plumber, RV repair out in my area has been non-existent.
One thing I'll say about those black sanitation bags is find QUALITY. I learned that some of the ones I have tear so easily it's insane.
What about the Extra strong Hefty bags?
@@sl4983 I've been using them as a base layer under the camping waste bags. I wasn't about to take any chances.
We had to stay in our fifth wheel 3 weeks in November 2018 while waiting to close on our home. Had same issue with our toilet and sewer system. Most people in the park covered their RV under side with 2” cut sheets of foam. We were nubbies. My husband bought heat tape wrapped it around our sewer line. It finally thawed the sewer line, took about 2 days. He also covered the line with a heavy blanket. Not sure where you are camping. I wish you luck.
@@patriciacooke886 I've been living in this for 4 years now. It's been a continual learning experience and honestly it's sucked more than almost any house because of all the issues, but there's also many positives. I've learned that I like living tiny. I've been hoping to be able to be able buy property for 3 years but Bidenomics hasn't been what they said lol I have the lines wrapped in heat tape etc, the park is particular on what they "allow" people to use for skirting. The issue with the black tank isn't due to the cold though. It's had an issue with backing up since I got it but back flushing usually works well, just not sure what is wrong with it now.
@@julesf.praying that the LORD would send you a solution to that problem in Jesus’ name. God bless you.
Great ideas, thank you! I would add baking soda for neutralizing odor. they have large bags at Sam's and Costco.
I get these buckets free from a cake decorating store. I have about 20 stored. When SHTF, if I cant go outside, and there's no power and water, I'll poop in a bucket, cover with sawdust, and replace lid. I'd store the buckets until it's safe to go out. I have lots of sawdust ready. I would bin the used toilet paper separately. When ok to go outside, I'd probably burn the toilet paper.
What do you think toilet paper is made from? It composts faster than sawdust.
Jon in rural BC, Canada
@@JonTanOsb Are you implying I'm stupid? I'll carry on planning with what I've got.
@@debbiecurtis4021Put wax or vaseline on the lid ring. Helps seal smell and lid removable.
Thank you for this video...I've seen everything else for prepping but nothing for this... very genius! Thanks🙋♀️👍
I'm going to suggest you keep the toilet plugged with the rubber from an old plunger (auger) for 2 reasons. One, to help block sewer gasses and two, if that plastic bag breaks with saw dust or kitty litter in it, you're going to mess up your toilet once services resume to normal. Keep that hole blocked!
What a great idea!
Your both genius'
I'm going to get all these supplies and keep them on hand for if the SHTF.
Thanks so much for sharing this with us.
You are so welcome!
I thought about exactly the same thing about a year ago to deal with this issue. For me, it would be trash bags in the toilet, with deep kitty litter, the scoopable. As soon as it was used, the waste would be scooped out to avoid smells, into a small bag which would be disposed of however I could do it. Litter can be sprayed with any number of things to kill bacteria (vinegar, bleach, disinfectants). No excuse for stinky toilets. With my cats, if I scoop every morning, the litter doesn't smell. More litter can be added at any point, and baking soda is a champ at killing odors, too. I think also that putting a toilet seat over a large bucket like you had there is also an option, with the bottom removed from the bucket, and a very deep hole in the ground outside. Buckets can be stabilized with wooden, plastic or steel spikes, even pieces of branches on four sides hammered into the ground. For bucket flushing, any body of water should do that you have access to - sea water, rain water, pond/lake/reservoir, creek).
Sawdust instead if kitty litter is great too
Great idea! Thank you.
Yes, the sawdust would turn it into a composting toilet. You can bury it in that case.
For years, I have used my own toilet as porta-potty-- with one difference from you just showed. I have a heavy-duty flower pot just large enough to sit in my dry toilet. I fits just below my toilet rim, so it is below the seat when it is down. I also have a urine divider. The size of the flower pot allows me to use a 13 gallon trash bag... There is enough overlap that I don't have to tape it... or I could tape just two small pieces on the side. I have removed the whole flower pot and carried it to the garbage in the garage, then sealed it up, like an okd chamber pot. I have also fastened it in the bathroom. I never use my white food grade buckets for dirty tasks... I would use a less expensive hardware store bucket for storage until I could dispose of it. I have made laundry buckets and dish washing systems from non food grade buckets. I have written on the outside of tge bucket AND the lid the the purpose of the buckets. I SURELY would want to Mark the POO moving bucket in some way... and wash it with a little bleach water periodically as well. Thank you for your videos. I enjoy and learn from them.
Everyone. Please before you resort to using up all your bags which you will not easily be able to restock if all stores are gone or shut down.
Simply putting some sort of liquid in the back tank, cloudy ground water. Even sea water.
Will make it flush.
In a real emergency if you are still in your home you can use #1 to make #2 flush.
While unsightly to think about it is a better option than piles of waste filled bags.
Or if you have water collection going for say, dishes or showers. That gray water will also flush your toilet.
Compost toilets are so easy. Keep a barrel of leaf mulch handy. Then burry your excrement in leaf mulch. There are tons of plans for composting toilets on line.
If you have water take the cover off the water tank and fill the tank to the water line. Wala the toilet can be flushed like normal.
When the grid went down here in Michigan, I was still working in the hospital in Detroit. We nurses did this exact same thing to toilets. What was hard was bedpans…try cleaning those out with bottles of water (the hospital brought in cases of bottled water)
I think at some point in time people have replaced their toilet seat. We keep the old one and we can always use it for a bucket.
@Provident Prepper, will the plastic pee hat fit in a bucket topped with a toilet seat like Lugable Loo or camper folding "chair" with bucket? Thank you for hat ease for ladies pee separation from poop.
I have a bucket and 8 gallon bags for inside. Ill be digging a hole and putting up a tarp curtain for outside seating. No bags to worry about.
Pine bedding is super inexpensive,looks like pellets, soaks up water or urine and slowly turns into damp sawdust as more liquid is added. You only need a little bit. I use 1 dog food scoop in my multiple cats' litter box. It's good for an entire day.I dump it once a day, rinse out the box and add another scoop.I made a toilet, lined with a garbage bag,put pellets in the bottom so it's ready when I need it. I made a box for it with a standard toilet seat on top.I plan to keep sawdust mixed with fresh step cat litter next to the toilet to cover feces, while the pine pellets will be soaking up urine.Will be solid, so easy to dispose in a trash can.
And then what? When your trash can gets full?
If the grid goes down, no one will come to take the trash…
@@akavery - Exactly!
Cats don't mind pine resin? Not strong?
@@nadogrl : I keep lots of heavy black plastic "construction" bags, to double-bag if need.
We used saw dust and cat litter in our garbage bags to minimize odor.
I have dug a hole in a corner of my yard I work on as I get to it. It is now about eight foot deep by about three foot accross. The plan is to dump the human waste only in the hole. At this time it is well covered and safe. I may never need it, but it is there if I do. I bought a potty chair from Amazon because the bags are much smaller and the lid keeps the aroma contained very well. The bags for the potty chair are made to hold the poop. Those kitchen bags are NOT designed to hold the poop. They leak and take up a lot of room with the wasted wads of plastic. Also the chair can be moved to other areas, maybe near the wood stove for the elderly.
A bucket of lime from the big box store near the hole with a good scoop will deal with the waste.
You can put a toilet seat on it call on earth house. we use that in the old days.
I use a ' Sitz bath' insert with a 10 gal trash bag over it. (1000 ct bags for $ 24.00 at Sams)
Seperating liquid from solids is best.
This is important information. Thanks so much!!🇨🇦
We lost water for several days when our water pump went out. We used 5 gallon buckets with a pool noodle on top. Not comfortable at all. Putting a trash bag in the regular loo is much better. Thank you 😊
They make seats that go on a regular 5 gallon bucket too and bags that fit it properly. Thats what i have.
Walmart !
Lugable Loo Or camper folding "chair" for bucket
I’m going to purchase these things to prepare for this. I could have used this instead of a bucket when my sewer was backed up. TY
Oh in addition I use wood ash on top to break the oder.. proven with my dogs solid waste...👌
Thank you so much for your video. Answered a lot of really good issues. Reasonable solutions. And a whole lot of people willing to go out in their yard or their shed or even an out house these days. Indoor privacy is big with a spoiled Americans
I recall, I read somewhere if the sewer lines stop working, they will get backed up into our houses.. I think they even mentioned putting cement in the toilet 🤪
Hardware stores sell a floor plug to close off the hole beneath the toilet which will prevent sewer gases from entering the home. The tub and sink drains will need to be covered with duct tape, as well. Breathing in those gases can be toxic.
It may prevent the toilet from backing up but keep in mind sinks,shower and bath tubs drain into the drain waste vent and will back up as well
@@grinning_owl : What's that other tape she showed in the video?
@@aaronedmunds4829 : Many suggestions in this thread for blocking gasses from coming up out of drains
5 gallon bucket and pipe insulation for a brim. Kitty litter or dirt for absorbing. Call it good
You can always put the biodegradable bag inside the other one.
Good advice for supposed 2-3 day of emergency!
Thank you so much!