Last updated on February 28th, 2017
Don’t laugh! Toilet paper is an essential preparedness item, yes? While so many of us who are preparedness-conscious will procure all sorts of extra food for our food storage, how many have figured out how much toilet paper they might go through in a week – and then store ahead say, 3 months or one year? Have you stored TP?
UPDATE: The exciting poll results are in! Now we finally know the answer to how many rolls of toilet paper that people use each week, and here are the results:
Okay, maybe it’s not terribly exciting 😉
Most people use between one and two rolls of TP each week.
So if you wanted to store ahead a one-year supply at 2 rolls per week (for preparedness), you’re looking at about 100 rolls (about 8 12-packs or 4 cases of 24) per person.
When toilet paper goes on sale, this is when I might purchase a quantity to add to my stack. Would not want to run out of this during a post-collapse world!
Poll results:
Based on your toilet paper usage per week, the following table will indicate how many rolls you will need to store ahead for three months or one year.
Rolls of Toilet Paper | ||
|---|---|---|
| Rolls/ 1 Week | Rolls/ 3 Months | Rolls/ 1 Year |
| 1 | 12 | 52 |
| 2 | 24 | 104 |
| 3 | 36 | 156 |
| 4 | 48 | 208 |
| 5 | 60 | 260 |
| 6 | 72 | 312 |
| 7 | 84 | 364 |
| 8 | 96 | 416 |
| 9 | 108 | 468 |
| 10 | 120 | 520 |
Remember, you will have to multiply your results for each member of the household!
By the way, how do you like my TP holder shown in the top image 😉
Vitamin C makes your poop come out cleaner and you can use less TP.
I couldn’t compete with my wife if I tried! She uses about a roll every five days and I’m ultra-efficient at about one roll each 3 weeks.
Great topic to keep things light on a Monday morning! Would like more like this to keep it real from time to time 🙂
Ok OK, I laughed.
Butt on the other hand it’s something to stink about 🙂
Something else to think about —- where is all that “stuff” going once the water is not flowing anymore, and the Sewer System (in the cities) are shut down from no electricity to run the plants? There are a lot of articles out there about “buckets”, outhouses, alternative ways to dispose of waste. But think about all that food you have stored for 5 people, 80% of that food/water will become poop/pee.
Not a small problem huh?
NRP
Save your newspapers. In a pinch they can get the job done good enough…Plus if you stink a bit, you’ll fit right in with majority of people who have made it as long as you have.
I goofed. My vote was for the 2 of us. Any way I think we have about 1 yr. supply on hand. I remember when we were beekeepers the wax we put in frames came with a piece of thin paper between each sheet of wax & we used that in the out house. Don’t think it would work in our modern convenience toilet that we have now.
We ran in to a rough patch financially, and had to live off of our preps. We had two 32 gallon garbage cans full of t.p. (stacked & packed). There are 7 of us, and we burned through it in 6 months.
We have plenty of TP for several years, but more importantly we have alternative plans that do not require TP. Look backwards in time to learn how bathroom hygiene was done and then implement some of the practices into your own preparedness planning. Some tried-and-true methods include having an outhouse, a chamber pot, a hand-held water sprayer, cotton rags, newspaper/magazine papers, and/or certain plant leaves (when in season). All of these items offer alternatives to bathroom and bodily function issues we may have to deal with in the future. It isn’t only about having toilet paper and a toilet that flushes. (If on municipal water, have you installed a backflow valve yet?)
When I was a kid, we used corn cobs in the outhouse instead of TP. Far more compostable and certainly renewable if you are raising corn. Not, however, nearly as comfortable as Charmin!
Don’t count rolls; count sheets. I started stocking up a few years ago and figured out how many rolls I needed for one year. But every few months the toilet paper companies reduce the amount of sheets per roll. I have some double rolls I stored 5 years ago that have twice as many sheets as the ones they call “double rolls” today. In fact, some companies have stopped saying “double” “triple” etc and now they just say “4 big rolls” or “8 giant rolls.”
…hidden inflation
Someone should come up with a DIY project using one of those garden sprayers to make a post collapse bidet:
1-Gallon Lawn and Garden Sprayer
Maybe its just a matter of bending the sprayer nozzle?
no electricity, no water pressure in the hose?
haven’t tried any of these, but those who are interested in natural alternatives…
Mullein
mullein’s big, soft leaves are a good substitute for toilet paper
— in fact, it’s often called “cowboy toilet paper.”
‘lumberjack’s toilet paper’, also known as bigleaf aster (formerly Aster macrophyllus, now Eurybia macrophylla). It was suitable for this task because it has large, heart-shaped leaves … and because it was nearly always ‘within arm’s reach’!
indigenous Americans sometimes used sphagnum moss for toilet paper
Thanks for offering a natural solution to the issue.
Also, apparently, there’s this:
Lamb’s Ear – Sustainable TP
Hey Ken
when I was hunting out that list, I read that they were one in the same. since you suggested it separate, figured not, and hunted some more. Found this, for any interested.
Differences Between Lamb’s Ear and Mullein
Lambs ear (Stachys byzantina) and mullein (Verbascum sp.) are both plants with velvety, wooly leaves. They are in different families, require somewhat different cultural conditions and have different growth habits. Lambs ears grows in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 through 7 and can be used as a winter or spring annual in zones 8 through 11, although it cannot survive hot, humid summers. Mullein grows in USDA zones 5 through 9.
Growth Habit and Appearance
Lambs ears is a spreading perennial that forms a low, uniform mat of blue-green leaves with white wooly hairs under ideal conditions. The leaves are 2 to 6 inches long and tongue shaped. Twelve to 18-inch tall flower spikes appear in the summer with small purplish flowers. The first year mulleins form a rosette of wooly green leaves that may be 6 to 15 inches long. The second year they send up showy flower spikes that are 15 inches to 5 feet tall depending on the variety. Flowers are yellow, purple, white or red.
Cultural Conditions
Mullien and lambs ears grow best in well drained soil and full sun or partial shade. Avoid very rich soil as growth tends to be weak if the soil is too fertile. Lambs ears tends to mat down and rot if there is too much rain or moisture on the leaves. The flowers of lambs ears are not particularly showy, so some gardeners remove the flower spikes as they form. Cut flower spikes off mullein to encourage a second round of flowers and reduce self sowing.
In America, while growing up, we always saw these plants growing and we used to call them, “Indian Hinder Wipe”. They always had big soft leaves to wipe your backside with. A handy plant to have around when someone forgets to pack the TP when you are backpacking in the wild.
I actually had purchased re-usable family wipes several years ago. They are smaller than a wash cloth but much softer. Starting using them for number one and saving the TP for number two. It really helped the budget during lean times. Still use them, I actually prefer these over conventional TP.
Just remember Women use 3 times as much TP. They wipe every time. You figure it out. PS. They like the softest stuff. Boys hardly wipe and can wipe with a 2×4.
Do not use spanish moss– never!
I loaded up in this before Y2K .. Bought an extra 18 pack every time we went grocery shopping. I planned on using it for barter if needed. As nothing happened my stash lasted over 6 months. Well worth the effort to store and it never spoils.
My wife hunts the specials brochures for cheap anything. What we use most she buys when it’s on special whether or not it’s need now or not.
I just went and counted the TP rolls – 2 packs of 24 rolls plus a pack of 12 plus what is in the immediate cupboard – another 12 – 14 rolls loose.
Consider stocking napkins instead of TP. Napkins can be used for more than just wiping the nether region.
I keep pretty well stocked on paper products like tp/paper towels and such. My pet peev is coffee. While I might reduce my intake, it would be rough to go without any. So I try to keep about 15 LBS on hand! Could be a fair batering product right?
On a personal note, I use a warm squirt bottle to wipe out those nasty Klingons circling Uranus. I don’t have a Japanese toilet, but I try to make do to save TP.
Stardust~they work great don’t they !?!!!
Most third world populations don’t use T.P.
Water plus the left hand is the general practice. (That’s why it’s mandatory to shake hands with your right hand and an insult to put your left hand out to shake).
I went to India in 1972. Outside the bigger cities you couldn’t find T.P. I carried a roll around in my pack. Local people were astounded to find out what the roll was for. Most comments from them were inferring it was impossible to clean properly with T.P and frowned on the idea of using it.
I worked in many third world countries around the world during the ’70’s and ’80’s – in many cases it was not practical to find T.P.
Particular difficult when experiencing the common problem of Bali or Delhi Belly.
Using water also reduces the risk of cystitis and other related issues.
I would suggest when the S.H.T.F. the old ways will again become the norm.
Ever wondered what all those people were doing squatting in rivers you see in documentaries on third world countries?
Good Article. TP is always something we buy no matter what. It never expires and the way we look at it, might as well have 1 comfort for as long as possible. Plus it can be used for other things than its intended purpose.
This article got me thinking (while on the pot) what about the cardboard roll that the TP comes wrapped around. I think this could be used for TP (when separated, etc) Plus it could be used for fire starting or who knows. Maybe paper for black powder rifles/pistols, shotgun shell wading I dont know just throwing ideas out there. What about layering in your garden.
The great thing is the tube doesnt take up much room, especially if you collapse or separate it. Maybe I’m wrong. This has probably been discussed before and I missed it.
Not to go off topic but did any of you all see that the US test fired a non-nuclear Minuteman III ICBM very early Monday morning from California? I saw it on a website that I regularly visit and of course googled it and found a ton of good sources (UTUBE, ABC, etc. all over the net) but after searching it again I found it only on UTUBE, RT and some other questionable sources. WTH?? Maybe it is false who knows any more. I first saw it on zerohedge.
Just trying to share and keep everyone aware.
Be Well and Stay the Course.
TP and paper towel tubes have too many uses to be flattened.
http://www.make-stuff.com/recycling/cardboard_tube.html
http://www.favecrafts.com/Green-Crafting/16-Uses-for-Toilet-Paper-Rolls
http://www.thriftyfun.com/Uses-for-Toilet-Paper-Tubes.html
just for starters
I agree with you, I get the HUGE 36 or 48 pack at Sam’s Club, have no less that 3 in stock at all times, Remember it’s a shitty world out there, be prepared.
Also Paper Towels and/or Napkins *as tiny said), cheep to stock and with a 5000 year shelf life, what the heck.
And for all you macho men out there stocking up stuff, you had better NOT forget the ladies other “personal” needs. Kotex and Tampons may seem like something from a different world, but that little lady of yours will “skin a full sized buffalo in a stampede” if your neglecting in that department.
NRP
The ladies might consider getting a stock of reusable cloth sanitary napkins. They are expensive to start (about $10 each unless you make your own), but they last for years and you don’t have to dispose of the waste. (Seriously, this can be a problem. It’s not just predators that are attracted to the smell of blood. I once saw a girl get severely injured by a rutting elk who mistook her for a female of his species because she made the mistake of going camping at that time of month. He destroyed her tent and trampled her badly, breaking several bones.)
At the same time, store-bought pads make *fantastic* wound dressings for a fraction of the cost of pre-packaged first-aid supplies. So perhaps a stockpile of both kinds is in order.
Midwestgirl,
I concur…..this is the time where I appreciate and think like this: Halleluja, I am into menopause ( still young, but every woman on my mothers side are done by 45 )….no spending money on myself….I have a daughter though and a son ( who will end up hopefully having a girl in his life to be his backbone ) so I am thinking of getting a stack of these reusable ones for them. I don’t want to gross out the guys here, but for us women this is a serious problem when the shtf and who wants to deal with a pissy woman. At least after I lost my job two years ago, my kids and I have gone thru some serious poverty ( no we are not on the government dole either-it is really hard to survive with scrunging by), but this has been an experience for them too to learn how to not to waste and make do with little available money. Now, they are both 100 percent with me on board.
Oh, I decided to get one of these laser thingies for hair removal while I had my job, they work wonders and no need to by shavers ever again…the stubble is annoying…reminds meof boot camp where we could not look femaly enough :)))
Midwest girl, I have had experience using feminine hygiene pads for wound care.I used them to pad and to protect wounds in area that required frequent dressing…lots of drainage, outer wound dressing becoming soiled…things like that.
Remember if you are taking care of someone who is incapacitated you will be needing extra TP for their various needs. In addition to planning for the extra person-would suggest at least a 6 pack extra per sick individual/per month.as a minimum. and a 6 pack of the select a size type paper towels. If unopened , paper towels are also considered sterile so a sterile field can be made to use for laying bandaging supplies out in order.
My suggestion is to not only have a good supply of disposables, but to have several sizes and absorbency types. Most of them have an anti stick feature.. Each one should be individually wrapped. They are considered sterile until you open them.
Having colloidial silver, solution or silvadene cream and sanitary pads will enable you to care for the worst wounds…effectively. Wound cleaner can be made with sterilized water and salt.. for a saline solution or just use sterilized water.
Peri wash can be made with one ounce of listerine/mouth wash, 8-10 drops of essential oils( i used 3-4 of each oil of oregano and essential peppermint oil.) add these to a 8 oz spray bottle and finish filling with water. costs 50 cents to make and to buy is about 7$ per bottle.
You will need plenty of tape…paper tape in 2 inch wide works best for most applications- for wound care 2 or 3 times a day ..probably would need 3 large rolls of 2 inch paper tape every 7 days. Remember the skin will be tender if applying the same sized bandage to same area…. the large sanitary pads give one the option of changing the place where the tape is placed and allow the skin time to heal. IF it is a wound that can not be wrapped with Vet wrap…. in certain situations they can be minimally secured and a large ace bandage used to secure more securely.
I have vacuumed all of mine. Take lots less room that way. I am always adding because when in need, people will give their eye teeth for a roll.
Interesting you mentioned you vacuumed your TP, I did the same with the roll I have in the GHB. takes about 1/4 the space and can be used for explosives when you cut it open…. STAND BACK it will expand at the speed of light LOLOL
I am lmao. This has been the most entertaining post by far.
That’s great! I hope it was as exciting for you as it was for me 😉
Who among us actually knew (until now) the true average number of TP rolls that others use on average? It’s something you’d never ask your ‘friends’… Haha
I must say that I am also a bit surprised as to how apparently ‘efficient’ that most people must be at a$$ wiping – by only using one roll in a week! (sorry – couldn’t resist)
The most important and accurate poll results of the year!
Really? Only one roll per week???? I cannot imagine.
Neither can I!
Stock food, water, and toilet paper, lots of toilet paper.
You NEVER want to run out!
I always figured if the SHTF then we’d use tee shirt rags as reusable TP.
My boyfriend who does not pay for tp he uses 2 rolls aday. For his butt and nose. He is so snotty. Anyone want a boyfriend.
My Nephew who is staying with me for 1-month uses 6 rolls a day,,Wanna make a trade?
Sweet …!!!