How much toilet paper should we be putting in our long term storage?
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Icu4dzs
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I said "A bit"...I didn't say 30 gallons...Candy said:Yep, schedule your shower for right after the morning dumpIcu4dzs said:
Trim sends
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Hinotori
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With practice you can get a shower down to 5 gallons or less. We've had issues with the septic field getting flooded out before and slowing (to much rain at once for to many weeks). Would rather flush the toilet than take long showers. I collect the cold water in a bowl while the water warms up and put it on indoor plants or down the grey water system (it's higher up and didn't flood as bad). Our shower head turns off. Both of us were in the Navy and understand about ship showers. So turn on the shower head and wet down. Turn it off. Soap up. Turn on water and rinse. I've done the same while using gallon jugs of water when we didn't have power to the well. Two gallons was more than enough even with me using conditioner in my hair and rinsing twice. A camp shower made that much easier and used less water.
We have several big packs of Kirkland TP out in our storage shed. I don't like running out or shopping for it very often. It doesn't take up room used for food there. It's one of the large shipping containers so plenty of space in it even with all the lawn and garden equipment. Temperatures aren't stable enough for food. All this TP talk has me thinking about putting more out there.
If it came to having to use something else, I think I'd be cutting and drying grass and making little flat twist bundles of it. It would be fine for use in an outhouse. I was taught how to make the twists when out camping as a kid. Takes a little practice to use it but it's not hard.
Down at my hubby's parents' house, they had a failing septic and were trying to extend the life. All used TP went in the trash can, not down the toilet. It helped out the septic for several years until it could be replaced.
We have several big packs of Kirkland TP out in our storage shed. I don't like running out or shopping for it very often. It doesn't take up room used for food there. It's one of the large shipping containers so plenty of space in it even with all the lawn and garden equipment. Temperatures aren't stable enough for food. All this TP talk has me thinking about putting more out there.
If it came to having to use something else, I think I'd be cutting and drying grass and making little flat twist bundles of it. It would be fine for use in an outhouse. I was taught how to make the twists when out camping as a kid. Takes a little practice to use it but it's not hard.
Down at my hubby's parents' house, they had a failing septic and were trying to extend the life. All used TP went in the trash can, not down the toilet. It helped out the septic for several years until it could be replaced.
Denim Deb
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If you're going w/leaves, just make sure you know what you're grabbing! I've heard of people grabbing poison ivy B4!
Hinotori, I wish our shower head would shut off. I know when I've used my portable shower, I use less than 3 gallons. I wash my face, then get wet, wash my hair, soap up, and rinse off.
Hinotori, I wish our shower head would shut off. I know when I've used my portable shower, I use less than 3 gallons. I wash my face, then get wet, wash my hair, soap up, and rinse off.
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CountryKat
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All good replies. This is a great site.
FarmerChick
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You need to just track your usage for your family. Then you know what you need for a year, but also a bit less probably because you will be conserving that commodity as with everything else.
example would be you use 3 rolls per week. I bet you could conserve that down to 2 if super frugal. If in emergency and you can't get anymore, oh yea you will be careful with it
I keep TONS of TP in the house. With my coupons and sales I stock massive amts. I get it as cheap as possible and just keep stocking it up as with paper towels. Prices are only going up and up on these items so I buy big amts all the time I can get very cheap. I do this with all items we use constantly.
When you kind of figure out how much you will need check back and let us know. I actually need to do the same. I have no idea how many rolls per week we go thru. It is only 3 of us. So it isn't a huge amt. but I should know. then I can get an idea of how long my supply would last.
example would be you use 3 rolls per week. I bet you could conserve that down to 2 if super frugal. If in emergency and you can't get anymore, oh yea you will be careful with it
I keep TONS of TP in the house. With my coupons and sales I stock massive amts. I get it as cheap as possible and just keep stocking it up as with paper towels. Prices are only going up and up on these items so I buy big amts all the time I can get very cheap. I do this with all items we use constantly.
When you kind of figure out how much you will need check back and let us know. I actually need to do the same. I have no idea how many rolls per week we go thru. It is only 3 of us. So it isn't a huge amt. but I should know. then I can get an idea of how long my supply would last.
terri9630
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That's what the burn barrel is for. Or a well placed hole for composting.Wannabefree said:
Denim Deb
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In a true, SHTF situation, wonder if you could use it for bartering purposes?
FarmerChick
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good idea Deb. if a neighbor lady down the road has something you want and she has NO tp....good chance she will trade
plus it is a good fire starter and it has a tube inside that can be used later for some purposes.
I bet Less Stroud could come up with a million ways to use tp in a survival situation
plus it is a good fire starter and it has a tube inside that can be used later for some purposes.
I bet Less Stroud could come up with a million ways to use tp in a survival situation
mississippifarmboy
Power Conserver
I'm hoping no one gets offended by this... This thread just brought a saying to mind my Grandpa taught all us kids. And a story about my ex.
You have to keep in mind we were poor and never had indoor plumbing when I was growing up. We had a hand dug well for water on the back porch and an outhouse about 75' or so behind the house for... ummm.. "that". We never had toilet paper. We used the Sears & Roebuck catalog (We all got mad when they switched to glossy paper) and corn cobs. When in the woods or away from home working the fields we used leaves. You might not know which leaves worked the best, but you learned quick which ones not to use!
Anyway, for those who don't know there are two colors of field corn cobs. Red and white. When we would shell corn out of the corn crib we kept a bucket there for the cobs. About once a week or so we'd take the bucket to the outhouse and switch it with the one there so there was always a full bucket in the outhouse. Pa always told us "Use a red cob first, then use a white cob to see if you need another red cob". :/
When my ex moved in with me, the very first time we went shopping together nearly led to a divorce. We were walking along putting things in the cart and when we got to the toilet paper I pitched a couple of packs of the cheapest brand into the cart. She looked horrified and pulled them out and got a more expensive kind. She said "We can't use that kind". I thought she was crazy. We argued a bit about it because to me toilet paper is toilet paper. She finally blushed and whispered angrily at me "The cheap stuff is too rough.. it makes my butt raw". I started giggling and she got madder and madder. Then I started laughing. I laughed until I had tears running down my cheeks. It wasn't funny in a way, but in another way it was hilarious to me.
She got mad and went to the truck, I bought the expensive kind and eventually she forgave me for laughing.
All I could think at the time though was this - When you grow up using corn cobs... there IS no rough toilet paper.
Sorry, back to our regularly scheduled programming...
You have to keep in mind we were poor and never had indoor plumbing when I was growing up. We had a hand dug well for water on the back porch and an outhouse about 75' or so behind the house for... ummm.. "that". We never had toilet paper. We used the Sears & Roebuck catalog (We all got mad when they switched to glossy paper) and corn cobs. When in the woods or away from home working the fields we used leaves. You might not know which leaves worked the best, but you learned quick which ones not to use!
Anyway, for those who don't know there are two colors of field corn cobs. Red and white. When we would shell corn out of the corn crib we kept a bucket there for the cobs. About once a week or so we'd take the bucket to the outhouse and switch it with the one there so there was always a full bucket in the outhouse. Pa always told us "Use a red cob first, then use a white cob to see if you need another red cob". :/
When my ex moved in with me, the very first time we went shopping together nearly led to a divorce. We were walking along putting things in the cart and when we got to the toilet paper I pitched a couple of packs of the cheapest brand into the cart. She looked horrified and pulled them out and got a more expensive kind. She said "We can't use that kind". I thought she was crazy. We argued a bit about it because to me toilet paper is toilet paper. She finally blushed and whispered angrily at me "The cheap stuff is too rough.. it makes my butt raw". I started giggling and she got madder and madder. Then I started laughing. I laughed until I had tears running down my cheeks. It wasn't funny in a way, but in another way it was hilarious to me.
She got mad and went to the truck, I bought the expensive kind and eventually she forgave me for laughing.
All I could think at the time though was this - When you grow up using corn cobs... there IS no rough toilet paper.
Sorry, back to our regularly scheduled programming...
