Products for emergency mitigation

[kbutton]

What do you have and like?

Also, techniques to make do…we really need to consider storing some water jugs in the freezer when it’s not full. After the freezer stuff warms up too much, it doubles as an extra water. In the winter, sometimes it’s cold enough to use the great outdoors for perishables (where I am from, it’s done all the time for big holiday get togethers when things don’t fit in the fridge). 

General products and specific products both welcome, but specifics would be nice for things like water filters since getting dysentery while trying to survive would be awful and potentially life-threatening. If there is a site for vetting them, please feel free to link to that here.

If you choose one product over another because of specific factors or to diversify risks, that would be cool to know—for instance, I assume that water in aluminum cans has different storage properties than bottled or jugged water, but I don’t know if I’ve ever seen it in stores.

We have a propane camp stove from Aldi, and it runs on the camping size propane tanks. Our son has a backpacking stove.

Collapsible water storage bins (need more)

Power banks

Generator, if we can get gas. We need to trial what we can run during different seasons.

Battery powered and rechargeable flashlights and camping lanterns. Propane lantern (can’t be used indoors).

We have rechargeable light bulbs thanks to someone mentioning them here. We also have nightlights from Aldi that work as a regular semi-dim nightlight until the power goes out, but they store some energy for when the power fails, and then they put out a much bigger light. We keep those plugged in down cellar since tornadoes are the biggest risk.

We have tents that could be used to huddle together in for warmth if the house is less than ideally warm. If the roof were leaking due to a branch that came down, being in a tent indoors could also be protective.

Tarps—probably need more.

 

[ScoutTN]

Storage space is problematic for us. We simply do not have anywhere to keep the number of supplies we’d need for a multi-week emergency. 

We have basic camping gear: lanterns, solar chargers, big first aid kits, propane stove (and all kitchen gear for it), tents, tarps, water filtration etc. We have a 5 gallon cooler that I fill when there is a tornado threat. Also fill the bathtub. 

We have about 5 days worth of food and bottled water,. 
 

I have a refrigerated medication. Along with water, that would be our biggest problem.

[Carrie12345]

One thing I’ve *hated* paying for is rigid water tank thingies like this https://a.co/d/6s3xULH (not the ones I have, but the WM link isn’t pasting). They’re expensive and heavy. But my kids don’t “accidentally” drink them like water bottles and they won’t leak like flimsy jugs eventually can.

Also from WM, a $5 toilet seat made to slap on a 5 gallon bucket.

Mylar bags and oxygen absorbers for storing dry goods that I don’t have to think about rotating for YEARS.

Cooking tools that can be used on the fire pit, grill, wood stove, or in the regular kitchen, so they aren’t “extra”, just extra handy.

I don’t have preferred brands of solar generators or chargers. IMO, they’re all basically the same.

I chose an off-brand “Berkey” when it was discovered those aren’t as well-tested as they claimed. We also have life straws and tab purifiers. And I have a chart that shows how much bleach to add to container stored water.

[MEmama]

One of my favorite emergency items, in addition to everything mentioned above, is our USB charged battery operated shower head. Just sink it in a bucket of water and enjoy a shower. We can heat water on the gas stove, but even cool water would feel good after a couple days. It's kind of silly and non-essential, but it brings me peace of mind to have (and use). 

[kbutton]

4 minutes ago, Carrie12345 said:

And I have a chart that shows how much bleach to add to container stored water.

Do you happen to have a link? 

[kbutton]

5 minutes ago, Carrie12345 said:

Also from WM, a $5 toilet seat made to slap on a 5 gallon bucket.

I have heard that people put kitty litter in layers in a bucket like this for smell. Do you know if that works? We have potential to be trapped in the basement with a house collapsed from a tornado. We can use plastic bags to a point in this kind of porta potty too.

We really need a ladder and tools in the basement, but no one wants to store an extra ladder just for that! We might have to knock out a tiny basement window and clear debris around it to get fresh air while waiting for rescue. 

[Carrie12345]

4 minutes ago, kbutton said:

Do you happen to have a link? 

Not offhand, but the formula is here on og 11-12 https://www.fema.gov/pdf/library/f&web.pdf

[Carrie12345]

1 minute ago, kbutton said:

I have heard that people put kitty litter in layers in a bucket like this for smell. Do you know if that works? We have potential to be trapped in the basement with a house collapsed from a tornado. We can use plastic bags to a point in this kind of porta potty too.

We really need a ladder and tools in the basement, but no one wants to store an extra ladder just for that! We might have to knock out a tiny basement window and clear debris around it to get fresh air while waiting for rescue. 

I haven’t had the misfortune to have to try it out, so I don’t have much to share. Honestly? I have a good amount of buckets and sealable lids, so I figure we’d just do our best with a double trash bag and close it up. 
 

Anytime I buy kitty litter (we no longer have cats) I end up using it to help get someone’s vehicle unstuck!

[prairiewindmomma]

We have Frio cooler bags for our essential must-be-refrigerated medication:

https://www.frioinsulincoolingcase.com

If you do have to use the bags, take the medication out of its packaging and put them into ziplocks before putting them into the bags. We had our ac go out when we lived in south Texas.  In 100F weather, the bags kept my injectables at about 72F for about 48 hours. You can recharge the bags by getting them wet again.  I highly recommend having one more bag than you need to keep your meds cool.

[kbutton]

It’s probably not a bad idea to have identification and important credential digitized—our state just added the ability to use Apple wallet for a driver’s license, for instance.

I know my credit card number and security codes, but I should probably duplicate them on Apple wallet as some stores won’t let you use a credit card number from memory, which seems nuts to me—which is more likely in a stolen card situation? Someone rattling off a number they clearly have used a million times or someone tapping a card, lol?

[prairiewindmomma]

As far as my other favorite things go:

1. battery operated power tools, with an extra four batteries fully charged. If you're needing to screw stuff together for repairs, it really stinks to do it by hand

2. for cleanup: contractor trash bags, more tarps than you think you'd ever need plus some bracing wood, Redwing work boots, the Stanley wonderbar for pulling drywall and nails, a kids' plastic sled for hauling crap out to the curb, kevlar gloves for dealing with glass

3. Grayl geo-press for filtering water: bacteria, viruses, heavy metals & chemicals: https://www.rei.com/product/150116/grayl-geopress-water-filter-and-purifier-bottle-24-fl-oz?sku=1501160005&store=&CAWELAID=120217890011135628&CAGPSPN=pla&CAAGID=147566402638&CATCI=pla-1964951152249&cm_mmc=PLA_Google|21700000001700551_1501160005|92700075417326124|TOF|71700000107444334&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD_DTly9Y1X0rlbiWFiT03QDLMd6b&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIloSA7bPuiAMVdAqtBh0iOiSgEAQYAyABEgI7tfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

4. cloud storage: a copy of all of my photos and important papers, a video of my house, and a bunch of other stuff is all there.  My Paprika app holds all of my key recipes

5. Home Contents app: flat fee, phone based but you can and should do a printoff and then upload it to the cloud because it's not backed up to the cloud

6. Baofeng ham radios with backup batteries. The licensing test to operate them isn't that hard. Preprogram key channels.

7. I'd love to have Starlink but it hasn't happened yet.

8. I'd love to get a Garmin inReach, but it hasn't happened yet.  

9. Medical stuff (in the beyond bandaids/benadryl/ibuprofen category): Sam splints: https://www.amazon.com/SAM-Rolled-Splint-Orange-Blue/dp/B001J5H92C, rehydration tablets, superglue, quick clot & some trauma pads, an irrigation bottle, some hibiclens, albuterol + chamber mask, pulse oximeter, and a  blood pressure cuff

10. This ultralight bivy bag: https://www.backcountry.com/outdoor-research-helium-bivy-odr00g2?utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_source=AvantLink USA&utm_campaign=Online Tracking Link&utm_term=46631&avad=46631_d3c70b79d&SharedId=46631&subid1=46631_d3c70b79d&clickid=WstQkOUxgxyKT%3AoR6yXdM1NUUkCUWCW-Izse1c0&irgwc=1&ircid=5311&irpid=2009139&utm_content=Sub-Affiliate

11. I have my eye on a water storage tank like this: https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Gallon-Water-Storage-WaterPrepared/dp/B0785BHYFG/ref=sr_1_6?crid=36PHFT5RTEUMR&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.wcivinusvVX7I2_YVABtY-esPC91pFo7-BMsxIRryPPO2fP9kLcN7MOAopoFbzel0dPXJaWngGaUNlRj_eb-bEm_L3Yn53O2Z004pdFoOd_R6KZLUNdEZU4wdO4sM9eTFkrXMpDGL7yo60EUAlnjKvEEbU_CZgtS3oQ-Qoqm_NOT4USdDazt6LWaGanr9XRxNdkMBY0JftZbkdmncB1gdbqHS8AmLaO6EbU4TTpdkRg3orAPdKGh80E4rIEp05bbTgYzBVqAL7-peXaRC-AMO0m5i1TYq1-lVaXANsWCDys.fmYODqn__ZczHD6HWcY6-b6DuQXRciV8tq7bxqUqmxQ&dib_tag=se&keywords=water%2Bstorage%2Btank&qid=1727828783&sprefix=water%2Bstorage%2Btank%2Caps%2C176&sr=8-6&th=1

12. We love our reverse osmosis system with storage tank: https://www.amazon.com/APEC-5-Stage-Reverse-Drinking-Water/dp/B00I0ZGOZM/ref=sr_1_5?crid=DFBIXQTIUD3M&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.-sZ-L3zhDCMe5IbNH-qdMilqNJXW0NmLI8dzd-jCYnRDA937xeowkRqZZzDigLI_voWicstLE_W01PdHsFMhhi9vqO7CnivKJ1M2UUNizuEVoUNkEvtI27Eh30l7nynzjP8Q5ID2G4UAggndiEmxDCq8nat86sdk-Z7u1wjVy1ZfgolyEC3LIyCS3idtA4HhVZG57_gAP6vdrsQlOoI8iiHu5nerwJq1I4zqEx6SoHPAwuPEW6JiZuaIPA68Ptfj5Mykur5KdXK0cY5jBWWZh3UhRogO3NuAEpMd2usu54I.ayJtqhSvhbYLjB5nCRP2kRC6QYKxe87wuhnhhS3zdHw&dib_tag=se&keywords=apec+reverse+osmosis&qid=1727828842&sprefix=apec+reverse+osmosis%2Caps%2C208&sr=8-5

[MEmama]

What kind of water filters are people keeping on hand for emergencies? If we had to drink contaminated river water, for example, what are we best off using? 

[prairiewindmomma]

I have chemical respirators on my wish list also of things to get as funds allow. A N95 won't protect you during chemical spills. After Hurricane Harvey in Houston, lots of people in Baytown and other places downwind ended up with nosebleeds and other problems from all of the chemical spills. 

[prairiewindmomma]

2 minutes ago, MEmama said:

What kind of water filters are people keeping on hand for emergencies? If we had to drink contaminated river water, for example, what are we best off using? 

Grayl geo-press. I think wathe mentioned another she liked also. I want bacteria + viruses + heavy metals + chemicals as everything is going to be hella contaminated. 

[City Mouse]

My biggest purchase has been one of the large ish solar generators (I don’t like that name) and portable solar panels. I got the largest one that I thought I could comfortably carry on my own. It is big enough to power a small refrigerator or freezer for 6-8 hours. 

[regentrude]

59 minutes ago, kbutton said:

I have heard that people put kitty litter in layers in a bucket like this for smell. Do you know if that works? 

The folks who have composting toilets use regular sawdust. I don't see why litter wouldn't work - works for cat poop.

[regentrude]

36 minutes ago, MEmama said:

What kind of water filters are people keeping on hand for emergencies? 

We use an MSR miniworks. 

Pretty indestructible. And the ceramic core can be scrubbed when it gets clogged due to sediment.  Has activated carbon in addition to ceramic filter.

If I had to survive in the jungle, I'd upgrade to the MSR guardian.

Edited Wednesday at 01:05 AM by regentrude

[KidsHappen]

1 hour ago, kbutton said:

I have heard that people put kitty litter in layers in a bucket like this for smell. Do you know if that works? We have potential to be trapped in the basement with a house collapsed from a tornado. We can use plastic bags to a point in this kind of porta potty too.

We really need a ladder and tools in the basement, but no one wants to store an extra ladder just for that! We might have to knock out a tiny basement window and clear debris around it to get fresh air while waiting for rescue. 

When I was more disabled than I am now I had a bedside handicapped toilet. It has a metal frame that kind of looks like a lawn chair but it holds a bucket instead of having a seat. It does have a toilet seat that closes that helps with the smell. We line the bucket with bag liners made just for it and then use poo-pouri to also help with smell. I think you could also put one of those discs that you put inside a toilet bowl on the bucket under the liner. In an emergency situation I would double line a fifty five gallon garbage can and then when removing the small liners tie them up (they come with a tie) and put them in the large garbage can. I would put some kind of freshener in the large can as well and then store as far from living area as possible.

[Faith-manor]

I really love our antique oil lamps. They give off so much light, cozy, warm light, and they give off warmth. When we would lose power after snowstorms when the kids were little, we would bundle them in blankets, gather around the table, and I would read aloud for hours. We made it all the way through "All Creatures Great and Small" after one crazy storm. The kids still remember that has such a fun, family time. Of course when your  husband lets the kids roast hot dogs and smores over the camp stove, then for sure it seems like fun and games. They don't remember the sleepless nights of 2 parents making sure their children stay warm when it is 10 degrees outside, the windchills are below 0, and the furnace won't run.

 

[kbutton]

46 minutes ago, Faith-manor said:

I really love our antique oil lamps. They give off so much light, cozy, warm light, and they give off warmth. When we would lose power after snowstorms when the kids were little, we would bundle them in blankets, gather around the table, and I would read aloud for hours. We made it all the way through "All Creatures Great and Small" after one crazy storm. The kids still remember that has such a fun, family time. Of course when your  husband lets the kids roast hot dogs and smores over the camp stove, then for sure it seems like fun and games. They don't remember the sleepless nights of 2 parents making sure their children stay warm when it is 10 degrees outside, the windchills are below 0, and the furnace won't run.

 

What fuel do you use? Paraffin makes me cough and eventually choke when the air gets full. I don’t know if kerosene lamps are still a thing (or safe or also irritating to the lungs).

[Arcadia]

10 minutes ago, kbutton said:

I don’t know if kerosene lamps are still a thing (or safe or also irritating to the lungs)

In my country of origin, kerosene lamps were still common all the way to the 80s. It is a health and safety hazard. 

[Ann.without.an.e]

…

Edited Thursday at 11:20 AM by Ann.without.an.e

[Ann.without.an.e]

16 hours ago, City Mouse said:

My biggest purchase has been one of the large ish solar generators (I don’t like that name) and portable solar panels. I got the largest one that I thought I could comfortably carry on my own. It is big enough to power a small refrigerator or freezer for 6-8 hours. 

What’s wrong with the name that you don’t like it? Does it work well? Can you share the link? Thanks 😊 

[Wheres Toto]

22 hours ago, kbutton said:

I have heard that people put kitty litter in layers in a bucket like this for smell. Do you know if that works? We have potential to be trapped in the basement with a house collapsed from a tornado. We can use plastic bags to a point in this kind of porta potty too.

We really need a ladder and tools in the basement, but no one wants to store an extra ladder just for that! We might have to knock out a tiny basement window and clear debris around it to get fresh air while waiting for rescue. 

We used to do this when tent camping so nobody would have to walk to the bathrooms in the middle of the night.  We had the seat that sits on a bucket and we would put a garbage bag inside and then add a small amount of kitty litter.  It clumps the liquids and makes it less likely to leak, and definitely helps with smells. 

[Faith-manor]

21 hours ago, kbutton said:

What fuel do you use? Paraffin makes me cough and eventually choke when the air gets full. I don’t know if kerosene lamps are still a thing (or safe or also irritating to the lungs).

We have Wolfard which is pretty pure and odorless. But, you can burn olive oil in them without problems. 

[City Mouse]

7 hours ago, Ann.without.an.e said:

What’s wrong with the name that you don’t like it? Does it work well? Can you share the link? Thanks 😊 

I bought from Oupes. The model I bought isn’t available any more. This looks closest to what I got. 
https://oupes.com/products/oupes-mega-2-home-backup-portable-power-station-2500w-2048wh

 

[Lucy the Valiant]

When our kids were littler, we incorporated emergency preparations into our schooling . . . (we do live where we've needed to use them a few times). We made it fun and non-scary, and then planned a "test" (24 hrs with no power, etc.) and then had a pizza party after. Not hard-core like the doomsday folks, but just 1x / every few years or so. Made it a lot less anxiety-producing on the times we DID need to use them, and was fun to do with them. 

We would not be prepared for the mudslides and devastation NC / TN is going through, but we WERE (and are) well prepared for a week (or longer) power / water outage, for example. Just an idea, that it can be fun with kids. ❤️

[Lucy the Valiant]

18 hours ago, Ann.without.an.e said:

What’s wrong with the name that you don’t like it? Does it work well? Can you share the link? Thanks 😊 

We have an Ecoflow River 2, and I don't like the name either because it's not truly a generator, but rather just a large battery. It DOES work well, though our solar recharger is pretty slow . . . but I do like it. It's easy to use and easy to carry.

[kbutton]

Oh, we have a battery backup for our sump pump. I forget that’s a thing because it was here when we moved in. The previous owners had some issues and this was their solution to their issues. Since then, we had the yard regraded (it was a mess), and pipes from the downspout installed to route water away from the house.

It’s a bit indirect, but it can make the difference if we got a tornado at a really rainy time, the electricity was off, and we couldn’t shelter in the basement because it had a bunch of water in it. There are years where we have had a lot of water making a large moving puddle in the yard because the ground is saturated (it even had a mini continental divide of its own).

[Wildcat]

Space to store things is an issue for us, so we don't have nearly as much as I would like to have.

Some things I haven't seen mentioned above:

Water storage - I have collapsible water cubes. They are awesome and good for all sorts of beverages.   Collapsible Water Cubes

I'm considering getting a water bob for the tub but I'm not sure if I really need one. My tub's drain seal seems to be OK. Water Bob

Rechargeable car battery jumper -- there are USB ports for charging "things" as well as your vehicle.

Rechargeable individual fans. These are workhorses. Battery fan  You can buy extra batteries and have them charged and ready to go.

From our theme park days, we also have battery operated fans that have a water compartment so you can mist yourself with to cool off, so I count those as supplies for hurricane prep. Fan Mister

Battery LED lanterns. They are super bright. Amazon and Harbor Freight both sell them. Lantern

Propane BBQ with an extra tank at the ready. I also have a Coleman propane stove and rather then buying and storing the 1lb tanks, I bought an adapter so I can use the 20lb tank for the Coleman.  Kettle for the BBQ for hot water for coffee or tea. Flat metal griddle for the barbecue for those foods early on in a power outage. Sausage, eggs, pizza, etc all go on that griddle.

Dollar Tree solar lights. They aren't great, but are good in a pinch. I put them in a heavy glass jar or vase and just recharge them each day. They sty in the garage until I need them. I used to leave them outside but they wore out super fast.

One of the best things I did was to buy things that use the same battery sizes so I don't have a ton of different batteries going bad at different times. I only buy things that use AA or AAA batteries.

There are also special camping toilets that are just a foldable frame with a toilet seat and you just stick a bag underneath, if a 5 gallon bucket with seat doesn't fit one's prep plans/space issues. Camping Toilet Seat

In addition to the battery-operated shower head mentioned above, there are bags you can fill with water, and if you want hot (it gets HOT - like scalding) water, hang them in the sun.  Gravity Shower

Edited Thursday at 11:57 PM by Wildcat
to add a 'scalding' warning for the gravity shower

[Faith-manor]

Also, word of warning about those solar showers. Wildcat was not exagerrating. If that water sits in the sun for very long, it will come out scalding hot requiring medical attention. So please be careful.

[Wildcat]

25 minutes ago, Faith-manor said:

Also, word of warning about those solar showers. Wildcat was not exagerrating. If that water sits in the sun for very long, it will come out scalding hot requiring medical attention. So please be careful.

Yes!! They really don't warn about this as much as they should.

I added a warning to that part of my post to be sure the danger is not overlooked.

Edited Thursday at 10:08 PM by Wildcat

[kbutton]

@Wildcat, the last four links in your post all seem to the lantern on repeat.

[kbutton]

1 hour ago, Wildcat said:

Water storage - I have collapsible water cubes. They are awesome and good for all sorts of beverages.   Collapsible Water Cubes

These are nice sizes! We have some collapsible water storage, but it’s big enough to be awkward.

[kbutton]

22 hours ago, Faith-manor said:

We have Wolfard which is pretty pure and odorless. But, you can burn olive oil in them without problems. 

I think the droplets are tiny, but they get in my lungs. When people deep fry in an open pan, the same things happen. I’ve not met anyone else with this issue, but I am sure I am not alone. It irritates my eyes too, which is much more common. I am curious what the Wolfard oil is made from—it doesn’t seem to say.

[Jaybee]

These threads always make me anxious, because we just don't have the space to store much. I do try to buy up water if storms or winter storms are expected, and keep a bit of canned food on hand, but that's about it.🙁

[Corraleno]

2 hours ago, Wildcat said:

Water storage - I have collapsible water cubes. They are awesome and good for all sorts of beverages.   Collapsible Water Cubes

Water storage is the main area where I would say I'm not well prepared, because I don't really want to keep ten 1-gallon jugs of water sitting around in a closet on the off chance we eventually have a disaster where our water is shut off for an extended period. Most big weather events come with at least some advance warning, so these cubes could be filled up before the hurricane/winter storm/whatever hits, and then emptied, refolded, and put back in the closet afterwards. Thanks so much for the suggestion, I am definitely going to order some of these!

[Wildcat]

56 minutes ago, kbutton said:

@Wildcat, the last four links in your post all seem to the lantern on repeat.

Oof. I have no idea how that happened. Thanks for letting me know!

The links should work now.

54 minutes ago, kbutton said:

These are nice sizes! We have some collapsible water storage, but it’s big enough to be awkward.

Yes! They are great sizes. They take up almost zero room in my cupboard when empty, too. I let them air dry without lids for several days to be sure they are totally dry before storing them.

They are a bit odd when pouring from them, but I use two hands to pour it into an empty gallon water jug (one hand on the handle and another on the bottom for support) and then pour into cups or whatever from that jug. 

[Wildcat]

1 hour ago, Corraleno said:

Water storage is the main area where I would say I'm not well prepared, because I don't really want to keep ten 1-gallon jugs of water sitting around in a closet on the off chance we eventually have a disaster where our water is shut off for an extended period. Most big weather events come with at least some advance warning, so these cubes could be filled up before the hurricane/winter storm/whatever hits, and then emptied, refolded, and put back in the closet afterwards. Thanks so much for the suggestion, I am definitely going to order some of these!

I'm considering buying another set of 4 because they are just that handy and the quality seems to be really good. I haven't frozen mine, but we did see someone at the beach a while back with what looked like a frozen adult beverage in theirs. 😂 

I keep my filled ones in Ikea plastic buckets in case of leaks but the ones I have have held up well so far. I can't remember what buckets I have but they hold two of these bags perfectly with a bit of room left over -- they have hand holes cut into the bucket for carrying. I doubt they'd contain the entire contents if a bag ripped open, but would be fine to catch a small leak in time to prevent a mess.

I also 'tested' them first by filling them and leaving them in the tub for several days to be sure none of them had leaks.

I'm a bit paranoid about water leaks. LOL.

Edited yesterday at 01:06 AM by Wildcat
typo

[Wildcat]

1 hour ago, Jaybee said:

These threads always make me anxious, because we just don't have the space to store much. I do try to buy up water if storms or winter storms are expected, and keep a bit of canned food on hand, but that's about it.🙁

I hear you. 

Our place is pretty small so I bought 'comforts' in small sizes. The lanterns and fans and water bags would all fit in a carry on suitcase with room to spare. It's easier to "Tetris" small items into storage than large ones, so I bought multiples of the small ones. I keep them in their boxes as it's easier to stack boxes than oddly-shaped fans and such.

When we were in an apartment we barely had enough room for our essentials, much less room to stock up on things like water or canned goods. We have enough counter space to put those water bags when full, but most apartments barely have room for a coffee maker and a toaster, much less gallons and gallons of water. Space is a definite issue when trying to be prepared for things.

[kbutton]

35 minutes ago, Wildcat said:

The links should work now.

I like that toilet!

1 hour ago, Jaybee said:

These threads always make me anxious, because we just don't have the space to store much. I do try to buy up water if storms or winter storms are expected, and keep a bit of canned food on hand, but that's about it.🙁

You might have stuff that is useful but you haven’t thought about putting it together in an easily accessible place. It’s okay to start small too. Storage is a real problem.

[Wildcat]

10 hours ago, kbutton said:

I like that toilet!

I just grabbed the first one I saw in that style. I have no idea how they are to actually use but I've been eyeing that style for a while.  I like the idea of the more normal seat with a base that folds flat, but wonder if a 5gal bucket with smaller seat would be less cumbersome to store and the bucket can be used for other things when not needed. Hmm...

I also wonder about using a portable commode like @KidsHappen mentioned upthread. This Portable commode folds, but not super flat. I like that it's closer to a normal toilet height but it's a bit narrow between the handles at 18" and I'm a bit wider than 18" so I'm not sure how that would work.  😉  Plus, it looks like it's more bulky to store than the portable seat & frame I linked above, so now I'm back to wondering about the bucket & seat thing.