How To Make Your Own Portable Emergency Toilets
Today it’s all about emergency toilets. I may have mentioned this before, but every family needs their own emergency toilets. I will not share mine. Nope, nada. So, there you have it. When I teach classes I always mention to those attending that emergency toilets are cheap to make and they better make one because I doubt anyone will share a used toilet with them.
Yes, it’s gross to talk about, but we all have to go pee and poo, it’s a fact of life. I love hearing from readers because someone always comes up with a new idea for me. You will see that several of those making comments use kitty litter with theirs, but I also suggest this product: Reliance Bio-Blue
Well, I received an email with two pictures from Dave H. Let me tell you it was a cartwheel moment. A cartwheel moment to me means I wish I could do a cartwheel because I’m so excited about the idea. Dave mentioned he got the idea from my nephew who built a wood emergency toilet. So today, I decided I would put all the emergency toilets into one post so everyone can decide which one works for them. So let’s get started.
Emergency Toilets
Dave H. Design:
Is this awesome or what? I need to ask my son-in-law to make me one because he works with steel. Dave mentioned he used one-inch square tube steel for part of it. Is this fabulous or what? Plus, Dave mentioned he uses a Gamma Lid to keep the smell and the flies away. Why didn’t I think of that? Woohoo!
He even made a toilet paper holder. This rocks, right? I need to figure out how to use the ten-gallon bags with the Gamma Lids. Just so you know, most Walmart stores sell Gamma lids in the emergency preparedness section. I have only seen 5-gallon buckets at Walmart, just giving you the heads-up here. I like the 6-gallon size or mine.
The Gamma Lid is the best idea, ever!!!
Dane’s Design:
The one above was made by my awesome nephew, Dane. I wish I had the instructions to make it but he used some scrap wood he had in his shop to make it. It takes a regular toilet seat, a 6-gallon bucket and a toilet paper holder from your local hardware store. It uses 10-gallon size bags as well.
The black bucket above is a 5-gallon bucket, therefore, you will need to squat down a bit more to use it. The one on the right is similar to this 6-Gallon Bucket With Gamma Lid (the size my hard white wheat comes in) from Amazon. The Green Toilet Lid on the top is a good one, I have two of these. I had one reader suggest one bucket for PEE and one bucket for POO. That’s an awesome idea. I hope we never have to use them, but I want my own emergency toilets if we do.
This one is simple, just use your own toilet in your home, and duct tape the handle so no one can flush it. This one uses 33-gallon-size black garbage bags. You can use duct tape to tape the bag in place. This one uses kitty litter or sawdust to help absorb the liquid.
This kit above is my emergency car toilet. It’s an empty #10 can (7 inches tall and 6-1/4 inches in diameter) with a lid and uses 4-gallon bags. I fill the can with baby wipes, 4-gallon bags, small tissue packs, and a container of hand sanitizer. Cheap and easy to make.
Here is a 5-Gallon Set (too short for me) but the price is right and it includes a box of Reliance-Bio-Blue.
If you haven’t decided which emergency toilets you want, I hope today’s post helps you can find one that best suits your family’s needs. Please get with your neighbors and start a preparedness group, if you feel comfortable with the people in your area. If we can prepare together as a team hopefully it shows we can work together as a team after an unforeseen emergency or disaster. We will be faced with some sort of a disaster in our lives at some time or another. The government can’t help everyone, so please don’t expect that to happen. We need to be self-reliant, today, not tomorrow. May God bless this world.
All are good ideas. I run a tower crane and work up to 14+ hours a day with no breaks. Most crane operators try to program our bodies to go at home but mine hats me! So I have a bucket and I found that Target shopping bags are the best, Walmart bags rip too easily when you try to put them in the bucket. And if you are wondering? Water bottles go up and water bottles go down. LOL.
Hi Jeff, I love your comment! Man, working 14+ hours without a break. Yikes! I never save the Walmart bags, they are so flimsy. Great comment, Linda
While we do have emergency toilets for dire circumstances, we have a conventional septic system that we keep pumped regularly as recommended. So, our first SHTF toilet option is to use our two commodes in the house as long as we have water available to flush by bucket fill. Our plan is to use one for pee and only flush it when we can no longer stand the smell. The other one will be for poop and will get flushed each time.
By not flushing anything but pee, poop and water, it would be years before the septic system becomes unusable. Paper would not be flushed and would be burned with other trash. Further, our place backs up to a 500 acre ranch. So, while this may not sound good to some, for me, I can always go out back behind a tree to pee. LOL!!!
HI, Harry, oh I always love your comments! I wish I had a septic tank for the very reason you have one! We had one when we lived in Logan, Utah. The 500-acre ranch behind you, I have the giggles, but it works! You are awesome! Linda
I use wood ashes in my emergency toilet. 3 inches in bottom another couple of inches after use. No smell clumps like kitty litter. Easy to bury and it is free! Used it for six days while power was out after storm hit Georgia
Hi, John, this is a great tip! Thanks for commenting! Wow, 6 days without power, you were prepared! Linda
During 6 days we had 5 poles down on our road in 1\2 mile.one splintered in front on my house and power lines were hanging about 5 feet high and my neighbor and I couldn’t get trucks out weather was good after storm and I used my Deadwood stove and charcoal to cook outside plenty of charcoal stored thanks to your tip had lots of home canned food to heat and used a non-electric pressure cooker over charcoal. To quick cook meats. You would be surprised how much charcoal you use cooking for 2 adults in six days.tried to have normal regular meals it relieves stress to try and live normal during adverse conditions. We were at the end of power grid in getting service back had missippi power setting poles candian power string lines and Georgia power doing final hookup phone out for another week but kept cell phone notebook and batteries charged with portable solar pack. I take your articles to heart and thank you for everyone..I try things in good times so it will come easy in the bad times again thank you for all the hard work
Hi John, oh my gosh your comment melts my heart. I’m so thankful you take my articles to heart! That means a lot to me. Now, I can tell you were so prepared for the storm! Wow, I love hearing this. Thanks for letting me know we can use a non-electric pressure cooker over charcoal, I was wondering about this, great tip! My readers will love hearing this. I need to buy one and teach the world how to do this. You are amazing and I’m so grateful you are okay after that storm. Keep prepping my friend, Linda
At my house everyone, 2 males & myself, has their own bucket potty (with one extra for company). The guys here make enough of a daily mess with the indoor toilet. No way am I going to use the same bucket – you know who would end up cleaning it.
Hi, Linda, oh my gosh I love this comment. I never thought about having another emergency toilet for company, that’s a great tip! Awesome!!! Linda
Love all these comments! I saw on a preparedness TV news broadcast in September about a disposable portable loo that Japanese keep for emergencies. Have you heard of these? Just haven’t taken the time to look for them online!
Hi Joanne, I haven’t but I’m going to look for it. We need to find out what it is!! I’ll keep you posted. I’m writing myself a note to look it up!!! Linda
Hi, Joanne, I am going to order this one and see how it looks: Biffy Bag Pocket Size Disposable Toilet, Classic. I put the link in my post. I really want a disposable one in the car. Linda
What we have for emergency toilet not requiring water is a port-a-pottie for the invalid/eldery to keep by their bedside.
It has adjustable height and a comfortable seat with lid and hand rails for ease of sitting down and standing up. It has a large removable catch cup, or you can put a 5 gallon bucket under it.
We fount it at a yard/garage sale for a few dollars.
HI Mac, I love the yard and garage sales. That’s a great tip and cheap, awesome idea!! I love this idea, thank you for sharing! Linda
It would be wonderful if Dane would provide dimensions and a materials list to build his wooden commode. It is perfect!
In the post, you said that the 5-gallon bucket is to short. I would build a small platform to go under it to raise it to the height that you need. This is the first prepping article I have ever read. I am starting to think about prepping with the way things are in the world. The closest thing I have had to prepping was the first year I was married we had a severe snow storm, and power was out for 5 days. We had a wood stove for heat and cooking, threw the meat on top of the shed roof so the coyotes wouldn’t get, and stored the milk on the front porch. We had kerosene lamps for light. Played cards most of the day. This was back in the 80’s.
Hi Terri, that’s a great idea about building a platform for a 5 gallon bucket. It sounds like you did well back in the 80’s with the 5 day power outage! If you are new to prepping, start with water and food. Then slowly gather the things you will need if and when we have a total disruption in out country or our three pwoer grids are targeted. Stay safe. Linda