The Age Old Question.....how much toilet paper do I store?

[Rizzo]

The Age Old Question.....
http://droptheshoe.blogspot.com/2010...-question.html


How much toilet paper should I store?

I see that again and again on blogs, survival sites, prepper sites, heck, even FEMA mentions it on their site.

GET REAL, PEOPLE!

If the crap hits the fan, whether you have stockpiled enough toilet paper or not will be the LEAST of your worries!

Face it, toilet paper is a relatively new invention.

Leaves, moss, cloth, corn cobs, etc were used for a long time before Charmin rolled off the assembly line.

I (personally) think that spending limited *prep* funds on 4000 rolls of "quilted softness" is a waste of money.

You can't eat it, use it as ammo (unless you are t-p-ing someones house), or use it for much anything other than...well, toilet paper.

I have lived in situations where I used an outhouse or a crude outdoor latrine. I rarely had the extra funds for a luxury such as toilet paper.

(I hear you saying "Ewwwwwwwwwwww"...bear with me, there are solutions!)

My solution has always been cloth, usually terry cloth.

When towels get worn to the point they are pretty much useless as towels, I cut them up in washcloth sized squares. Two buckets with lids (diaper pails are great for this)

The clean bucket contains the clean *wipes*. I always moistened mine and wrung them out really good.

The *dirty* bucket contains water, Borax and/or bleach and some laundry powder.

You get a clean one, wipe and then deposit it in the *dirty* bucket. Put the lid back on, please!

At the end of the day, or every other day (depends on the size of your household), drain the dirty bucket and dump the dirty wipes in the washer. Wash and dry. TAAA-DAAA!

You could also buy some inexpensive bundles of wash cloths at Family Dollar or elsewhere and squirrel them away in your long term storage.

I am not advocating going to this method RIGHT *** NOW (as my dad used to say), what I am saying is that it is an eco-friendly and sanitary alternative to hordeing toilet paper for the *what if* situations in the future.

It doesn't hurt to keep a few rolls of toilet paper stocked, but I do think it is foolish to spend money on massive amounts of that rather than a few extra cans of wheat or honey.

Maybe to you, it is worth it to be hungry for a few days as long as you can wipe your bum with 3 ply softness.

It isn't to me.

As they say online...YMMV (Your Mileage May Vary)

[Northmountain]

Being old enough to remember that we had to use cloth diapers for our kids, I know that a toilet wash rag will work, but it also includes a lot of extra water, bleach and fuss washing it (especially if you don't have a working electric washing machine, culinary water, etc.).

We've opted to purchase an extra case of TP every month (Costco brand) and have stacked them along the north garage wall with each row turned so they interlock just like you'd do when laying brick. They even add an additional insulation factor along that wall.

We rotate them over time, but still have a case of TP that we purchased in 1969 (before most of you were born) that hasn't air-slagged and is usable. Can't promise that result with today's eco-friendly dissolvable stuff but know that the 10-year-old TP in rotation now isn't experiencing a disintegration problem. Just remember to keep it up off of the floor so water and condensation can't get to it. The sealed plastic bags on the Costco brand 'cases' has protected them very well in our experience.

Lastly, in a real TEOTWAWKI situation, the value of certain items changes radically. TP is one of those items. The value will go way up, thus you can use it as a barter item if you have some extra to spare.

Does anyone else have some 'old storage' TP in their storage that is having a problem aging? If so, post a reply to let us know about it...... I suspect that any failures will be associated with the super soft varieties or have had water damage.

[Rizzo]

Very good points....and a large storage of TP would be fabulous in a situation where you are in your home/retreat for a long time. But in a situation where you have to get out of dodge in an emergency sort of timeline and live out in the middle of nowhere for an extended period of time, factors like 'do we have enough room in the trailer to haul enough TP for a year or more' start to play in. I'm not going to be giving up any precious space for TP that I can fill with food.

In imagining a completely out in the wild situation where natural resources like nice soft leaves aren't available (desert living perhaps?) I'm thinking we'd probably have a pot on the fire for laundry every couple of days. Boiling the heck out of the butt rags (heehee) would probably be sufficient...provided we had enough water...maybe gray water would suffice. Of course, my imagination occasionally makes living out in the wild way more exciting and fun than reality would likely be.

[Northmountain]

Both perspectives are true. I often smile when listening to folks talking about their emergency planning and all they have considered is bugging out. In many probable / possible scenario's, we will be "hunkering down" and not bugging out. We all need to consider many scenario's when we make and implement our emergency plans.

[ssprepper]

About 16 years ago when my grandma passes away, some how I "inherited" a package of toilet paper. How I got it I still don't know, but I did notice before I opened it that the package looked old. I figured it was probably somewhere between 15 and 20 years old, and I know it had been stored in an attic in Mesa, AZ. It was definitely starting to disintegrate, but not enough for us to not use it.
Thanks for the ideas on "secondary sources" of wiping. I have been one of those people who is constantly concerned about whether I have enough tp for my family. I also agree that tp will be a great barter item.

[AZ Prepper]

Cloth rags are very important for long term, as well as some sort of washing method. Here's a great thread with some video ideas to assist with some ideas in this: http://www.ldspreppers.com/showthrea...-Without-Power

As far as me... I'm stocking up on a bunch of toilet paper. When things get bad, I want at least that simple luxury during the transition time. I know it won't last, but it will last for a little while...and then the cloth alternative will be available.

[sp-train-77]

Actually not a bad question. I teach at a local university and I use just such a question to introduce my programming students to the concept that there is a limitation to what "digital" programming can accomplish. OK, I use peanut butter as an example but the result is the same. Of course they always ask me why I have so much peanut butter on hand which leads to a discussion of "preparedness" and, in some cases, to discussion about Church doctrine.

"Sacramento" Bruce Conklin

[maroonlady]

I checked out some tp that has been stored in N. AZ, S AZ, (hot and cold weather) etc. for the last 30+ years and it has been fine, not as fluffy as the newer stuff but completely useable. It is so old that is has print flowers on it, if any of you are that old to remember print tp.

[Rizzo]

Who knew this would be such a hot topic. lol

I do both...I store TP and I'm working on a cloth method. You can get a huge stack of washcloths at Walmart for a couple bucks. Anyway, my only concern is the space with storing TP.

[BackBlast]

Very good points....and a large storage of TP would be fabulous in a situation where you are in your home/retreat for a long time. But in a situation where you have to get out of dodge in an emergency sort of timeline and live out in the middle of nowhere for an extended period of time, factors like 'do we have enough room in the trailer to haul enough TP for a year or more' start to play in. I'm not going to be giving up any precious space for TP that I can fill with food.

Trailers (and tow vehicles for that matter) have weight limits, not just space limits. I can't load my trailer with pure food, I will grossly overload it. 3500 lbs of food doesn't fill it all that much and that's about my limit. They're may well be room for TP as it's bulk that doesn't weigh much, depending on the sqft/lbs ratio of your particular setup.

[razzintaz]

The same could also be said for diapers and feminine hygiene. When I had babies I used cloth.. and yes, even when the power was out, I just washed them in the tub. As for monthly needs, I have only used paper products once in the last 10 years! And that was because we were on vacation and were going to be gone from home for 9 days, and I didn't want to lug around old stinky stuff. But normally, for monthly stuff we use Diva cups, but for the heavy days, we also use cloth diapers. Sounds odd, but they are very absorbent and easy to clean.
I have wondered if I have enough TP in my house of 9 people. Obviously NOT.. but I do have rags, and we will use those. I love the idea of two buckets! Thank you, I will make sure I have 2 extra just for that purpose.

[Rizzo]

This has been on my mind the last few days. (dangerous, yes)

So, how much TP is enough for a family of 6 like mine. Or for a family like the one in my ward that has 18 kids? If using rags is not a safe or environmentally sound option as proposed in another thread....how do we fit a years worth of TP in a house with no basement, extremely limited storage space in the home, and there's attic space...but a real problem with mice. We've had a problem with mice eating paper, etc before. Thats a real issue that is solved rather tidily with a nice box of 500 washcloths and a method of cleaning them.

These are the things I think about in the middle of the night.

[AZ Prepper]

....how do we fit a years worth of TP in a house with no basement, extremely limited storage space in the home, and there's attic space...but a real problem with mice.

I think that it's impossible to store enough toilet paper for long-term, no matter how much room you have. 3 months is very do-able. Maybe even 6 months if you have the space. But beyond that, there's gotta be reasonable, planned out alternatives.

And to protect from mice, you'll need to store it in some kind of plastic, rodent-proof container. This can get pretty pricey in itself. And when things get really bad, rat populations are the one thing that's sure to skyrocket.

[Angela]

I found in our house of 5 of us, it takes a little more than a day on average to go through a roll of our favorite TP. We only have one bathroom, so I kept track in the summer when we were all home all day (yep, I calculated with hubby home also). Once you know how much your family uses, it's basic multiplication to find the amount you'd want to store for a month, 6 months, a year, etc. Yep, it takes space. I put it on the top of the shelves where I can't lift heavy things to. I love my TP. No corn husks for me, thanks.

[Rizzo]

I've found that my family is about that same rate too, sometimes faster *sigh*. I've also noticed that the cheap bargain 25 cent a roll brands tend to go faster, so I'm not sure spending less is a good idea there either.

[ilovemykidsmore]

So I've been reading all these TP forum posts and blogs last night and this morning and here's the conclusion I've come to. I will store as much TP as possible and I will store cloth wipes. If a time comes when we are hunkering down, I will permit TP use for #2 and cloth for #1. This will extend my luxury storage of TP to last through the hunkering down time, but, if not, at least we'll be a little more accustomed to the cloth wipes.

At home, we have a traditional septic system, so as long as we have water to flush we are good. We do rainwater harvesting so that shouldn't be a problem unless a major drought comes our way. We've been training our kids to "If it's yellow, let it mellow. If it's brown, flush it down." to conserve water usage in the bathroom. They so good at it, that we then had to start teaching them that when they are out, they should flush always, and if we have company, they should flush. I am still trying to decide what type of portable "potty" (or since we're in Texas, a pee-can)to get for when it's a get out a dodge situation.

Also, I have used both disposable and cloth diapers and wipes in raising my 4 kiddos, so I've experienced that wetting cloth with plain water is not so comfortable. If planning on that, then also stock some diaper cream. Another alternative is to look at the homemade wipes recipes online and find one that you like and stock those ingredients. You can place the mixture in a spray bottle that is left in the bathroom and then just spray the wipes as needed. The recipe I use is very simple with easily storable ingredients: 2 Cups water, 2 T. liquid soap/baby wash, 2 T. baby oil, and I add in a few drops of GSE. I use this with a paper towel roll cut in half to make homemade disposable wipes, but could just as easily be used with cloth.

[Rizzo]

Very very good points!! (I'm laughing about your kids not flushing when they are out. lol)

So I've been reading all these TP forum posts and blogs last night and this morning and here's the conclusion I've come to. I will store as much TP as possible and I will store cloth wipes. If a time comes when we are hunkering down, I will permit TP use for #2 and cloth for #1. This will extend my luxury storage of TP to last through the hunkering down time, but, if not, at least we'll be a little more accustomed to the cloth wipes.

At home, we have a traditional septic system, so as long as we have water to flush we are good. We do rainwater harvesting so that shouldn't be a problem unless a major drought comes our way. We've been training our kids to "If it's yellow, let it mellow. If it's brown, flush it down." to conserve water usage in the bathroom. They so good at it, that we then had to start teaching them that when they are out, they should flush always, and if we have company, they should flush. I am still trying to decide what type of portable "potty" (or since we're in Texas, a pee-can)to get for when it's a get out a dodge situation.

Also, I have used both disposable and cloth diapers and wipes in raising my 4 kiddos, so I've experienced that wetting cloth with plain water is not so comfortable. If planning on that, then also stock some diaper cream. Another alternative is to look at the homemade wipes recipes online and find one that you like and stock those ingredients. You can place the mixture in a spray bottle that is left in the bathroom and then just spray the wipes as needed. The recipe I use is very simple with easily storable ingredients: 2 Cups water, 2 T. liquid soap/baby wash, 2 T. baby oil, and I add in a few drops of GSE. I use this with a paper towel roll cut in half to make homemade disposable wipes, but could just as easily be used with cloth.

[wildcat]

Have you ever wondered what people used in "1857"? What are the people living in a 3rd world country using to "wipe their butt"? I heard they use their hand - true?? Anyone know for sure?