When the SHTF, you will still have to poop

outhouse-moonI have been very close to burning mixtures of fecal matter, urine, and diesel fuel and I can tell you the smell is pretty disgusting.  You never quite get used to it, nor does your appetite fully recover.  Quite often people forget that everybody poops, and should the power go out for an extended period of time in suburbia you will only have a couple options when it comes to dealing with human waste.  You can poop in buckets and bury the contents around your yard, poop buckets and attempt to burn your waste (not a good idea), or you can dig a sanitary pit away from any water supply and hopefully keep your family from getting sick.  Quite often people do not realize just how important it is to stay clean and germ free, especially in a survival environment.  No matter how hard you try to avoid it everyone has to poop.  It would be optimal to find a way to get around the hazards of exposed waste prior to some catastrophe occurring.  I have dug many pits in my day but never a full on functioning pit for an outhouse.  Since I am not the subject matter expert on this topic  I will post is an article from someone who is, take from it what you will and remember that e coli can kill you just as easily as a 55 grain FMJ bullet.

Here is the link to the article over on Rogue Turtle.  What follows would be some practical potty advice offered up by the author.

PRACTICAL POTTY ADVICE

If you have small children, be sure you accompany them to the outhouse and help them use the facilities. Since the bottom opening in the potty is considerably larger than a home toilet, the urge to reach in and “play” may be too great for a toddler…with tragic results. Keeping a outside door latch mounted up high will prevent small children from straying inside while you’re not looking. Like a swimming pool, it can be considered an “attractive nuisance”.

In winter, run ropes to and from the shelter and the outhouse. That way, you won’t get lost in the blowing snow when going to the bathroom. Out west, people have died going to potty.

Until you get your first deep pit dug, temporary potties can be made from 5 gallon buckets. The walls can be simple blankets or other coverings to make tent-like walls. Unless you are digging in frozen ground, a hole large enough to use right away can be dug in less than one day. Most military units I have been around use digging latrine holes as a method of punishment. It’s considered a “crappy” job, if you get my drift. If you have an all male outfit, jut run a plank out, cut a few holes, and you are done. It’s not a pretty sight for visitors. Most people prefer walls.

A word about toilet paper: Like ammunition, you can never have too much. I do not recommend you give everyone their own roll of paper, only replace the one in the outhouse when it runs out. Too many people with toilet paper means some gets lost or “borrowed” and I have seen fights break out over this stupid subject. (Remember, I work in a jail in Florida.) One hole, one roll.

If your family is like mine, you need some sort of inside latch so accidental “embarrassing moments” are kept to a minimum. Screaming teenage girls hurt my ears. Make sure the latch can be used by the youngest person in the group who will be using the place without assistance. I’ve seen youngsters accidentally get locked into bathrooms when they don’t know how to unlock the door. It would be even more traumatic in a cold and drafty outhouse in the woods at night. Heck, that would scare me…I have a son named Jason, did you know that? He was born on Friday the 13th, no kidding. I think he owns an axe.

Lighting in an outhouse at night is on a “bring your own” basis. Don’t leave valuable lights laying around in the outhouse. First of all, they may fall into the hole never to be seen again. I’m sure not going after it. Second, someone will leave it on and it will be useless anyway. If I did mount one, the only light I would even consider is one of those “tap lights” advertised on TV. It seems to be about the easiest and cheapest to install. If you loose one of them, you haven’t lost much. Everyone in your shelter should have their own personal flashlight at night anyway.

There are many humorous stories associated with the outhouse. Many people name their outhouses: “Moldy Manor”, “Moon Room”, etc. Name it after someone you hate: “Hitler House” would have been appropriate years ago. How about “Saddam’s Palace”? “Thunder Dome”?

On a practical note, if you bag up all the dirt removed from the hole, you can berm-up the north side of the outhouse to keep the cold winter winds out. Then, when you are ready to cover the hole up, the dirt is right there ready for you. Just a thought. I don’t like doing work twice.

 

 

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2 comments

    • kurt on November 29, 2013 at 10:08 AM
    • Reply

    Good solid information

    I was bless with growing up in a rural area in SW Oregon where outhouse were the norm and not some novelty.

    In the southern part of the Philippines outhouses were called comfort rooms,
    They were a dug pit with a bamboo floor and some feed sacks for a screen, but I’m here to tell you I found no comfort there.

    Now bamboo is a very sturdy material but not when it lays on the ground for awhile. One of our team had the misfortune of stepping through a floor.
    Bamboo plus human waste is a serious combination.

    I believe that it was Hemingway who once stated that a good healthy dump was one of natures most under rated pleasures, I’m at age now that I understand what he was talking about .

    So give some though to the construction and placement of the outhouse. Also separating out the urine from the solids is a good ideal, urine can be use for fertilizer and the making of potassium nitrate which combine with charcoal and sulfur becomes a very useful commodity .Check out CIA black powder on the internet.
    I have use this recipe and works very well.

    There is a web site called [hydromission.org] which has a lot of useful information on sanitation and water.
    God Bless
    Kurt

    • rottenrollin on October 18, 2018 at 11:34 PM
    • Reply

    My outhouse will be named The ObamaHole.

    Perhaps in the great SHTF I’ll get over my distaste for that man.

    But I seriously doubt it.

    Meanwhile, I want to figure out how to SERIOUSLY stock up on toilet paper, Tucks and the like. I simply CANNOT imagine “going native” for this function.
    No MidEast glad handing for me.

    Enough water to spare for washing, much less drinking???

    Lyme? To cover the smell and the germs?

    Of course, shovels and post hole diggers. Don’t know if the back-hoe’s are going to be working.

    Diapers for the old and the infirm……..as well as for the natural wearers of such apparel?

    It’s a brave new world coming at us when the SHTF.

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