Well, as for a portable "Loo", we have here stateside, several types of portable terlets (Loos')which are practical. the bottom section is the waste container, and the upper part holds the seat, and possibly a small water container! We had one in our tenting days, but i've forgotten most of the details, except one! That is the feeling you get when you have to carry that lower container to the dump station! And, you can't dump it down a camp terlet-it has to be the trailer dump station!(at least it did 40 years ago) So, that said, here's what to do: In the internet, go to camping world. this is a camping products company on-line. In this site, you will find a glorious assortment of things to buy for tent camping! And, they will probably ship it to you, but i'm not sure of another country! At the least, you'll learn what is available! Keep in touch. I'll try to help you get acquainted with camping, again! Yours: Rusty Jones

Anne, your consultant wins the "Most Respectful" award. I haven't built a house, but it wouldn't occur to me that people working in the house couldn't use our bathroom. I did leave towels in there for them to use. And I am horrified with the way some subs are treating peoples' property. I can think of a lot of solutions to a bathroom emergency that don't include leaving a pile on the garage floor. I shudder to think what that person's workmanship was like.

A lot depends on for what events/contingencies you're preparing. Some of the list is humorous. "Big dogs"? Kind of goes with goats & chickens? Liquor for bribes! And seeds? Probably should include an alternate mate to repopulate the world! LOL Ease up folks, some of it clearly was for entertainment purposes. But there are basic items I can't excuse people for not having in stock. If you don't have a supply of batteries in your refrigerator drawer, purchased when free or cheap, you deserve to suffer during a power outage. Again I endorse the crank flashlights/radios (until analog radio is turned off of course). I would suggest going with propane for lantern and stove fuel rather than the white gas ("Coleman" type) fuels. That stuff is explosive. If you doubt it, take a tablespoon and throw it on a campfire sometime. But be back a ways when you do it. A 20# propane tank can have splitters on it to run multiple lanterns and a stove, even a heater, much more safely than the white gas. Heavy garbage bags make excellent makeshift raingear. And don't forget about firestarters. If you're talking emergency situations, I'd suggest waterproof matches. Make your own by dipping the wooden matches in paraffin wax. Firestarters are many different kinds. Save some dryer lint. Works great. Keep it in a coffee can. Dip some cotton string in paraffin wax. Some books of matches waterproofed (with? yes, paraffin) works too and even the end pieces from candles you use in the house at holidays. A hatchet is a good idea to keep handy too. Essentially, camping fans will do fine in a lot of emergencies. Other cooking sources are your propane grill, kettle grill if you have charcoal and starters. A good alternative to thermal underwear is sweatpants and shirts. Even southerners often have these. Depending on the clothes sizes you can put a pair under and over a pair of jeans. Or the flannel lounging pants under and sweats over them. A few cans of waterproofing spray like Scotchguard will help keep them and you dry. Another little camping tip. Oh, and instead of a dedicated toilet, a portable toilet is made easily from a 5 gal pail, seat if you want to get fancy or even a folding camp stool or a lawn chair! A camp shovel and squat will work too. And if truly an emergency, modesty goes out the window. Fasten the toilet seat to the 5 gal pail and you won't have to argue about who left the seat up! :) Wire clothes hangers can be versitile tools. Use them to make your own lantern hangers, repairs, tie things together, and you can even hang clothes! (To dry and more.) Can also be used as a weapon to beat off people trying to steal your rats, chickens, goats and big dogs! ;) Personally, I think I would use duct tape instead of stockpiling screen patching but the idea of all of these suggestions is to get you thinking. I really think that doing some research on camping tips and tricks would be of great benefit to a lot of people. I live a rather modest life, austere to the view of many. But when the power was out for a week here the last time, I survived quite well. Comfortably under the circumstances and even had some luxuries that many others didn't. I had tv, radio, light, food, water, telephone... Not a huge disaster compared to some, but being prepared not just with supplies, but also in a state of mind. My last suggestion. On these ideas, why not put together a 3 ring binder or something with lists of what to do in certain situations? For instance, power outage, turn off as many breakers as you can, the crank flashlights are located in the hall closet, 1st aid tips, important phone numbers, insurance info, etc. Even ideas for food, crackers & PB (sans-salmonella, eat first from the frig, etc.) and how about including notes like check on the handicapped neighbor, your elderly relatives, etc. Could be helpful. Even though I disagree with some of the ideas, I do like these lists minnie_tx. Keep 'em coming. I like going through them and see how they compare to my checklists and I get ideas from most all of them. I appreciate your efforts.

This thread is getting kind of comical with the discussion of what an outhouse is versus a porta potty. If you go to www.dictionary.com, here's the definition of OUTHOUSE: an outbuilding with one or more seats and a pit serving as a toilet; privy. dictionary.com doesn't have a definition for porta potty, so I checked the associated encyclopedia, which is reference.com. For porta potty, they suggested Portable Toilet. Here's the definition of Portable toilet: A portable toilet , also known as a 'porta-potty', is a modern, portable, self-contained outhouse manufactured of molded plastic in a variety of colors and are often used as a temporary toilet for construction sites and large social gatherings. So, right there in virtual print, at reference.com, it says that a Porta Potty is a portable toilet, which is..... a modern, portable, self-contained outhouse! And, an outhouse is an outbuilding with one or more seats and a pit serving as a toilet; Granted, the 'pit' in a porta potty is shallow and self contained (not dug in the ground) but it is certainly a pit. And, so far as having hand sanitizer and real toilet paper, those are often included in traditional wooden outhouses as well as the plastic modern outhouse porta potty!