Emergency Bathroom Kits

Don’t You Hate When You Go Into a Bathroom at a Gas Station or a Port-a-potty, and There Aren’t Enough Supplies? Emergency Bathroom Kits Are the Answer.

Have you ever been caught in that moment of desperation, a bathroom, and relief nowhere in sight?

I had a fear of being left out as a child, so I, unfortunately, have a lot of experience with needing a bathroom A.S.A.P. stories, but the best one I can remember is when I was about 10. My mom and I were out with some family friends and we had spent the day antique shopping. We were on an hour drive back to their home when all the sudden I had to go!

Luckily we were close to my grandparents’ house, so we thought we could swing by and use their facilities. We get there, thinking that since it was a Saturday they would be home. We arrived, only to find their cars were gone, and their usually unlocked house was buttoned up tight.

At this point, I could feel the back of my eyeballs starting to float, so my mom suggested I pee around the side of the house. Thankfully, my grandparents lived out in the country so privacy was not an issue. I pulled my pants down, steadied myself with the side of the house and let my urine go. Such relief! I was able to use a hose to clean up a little, but not to my normal standards.

(On a side note, we went back to visit a week or so later and my grandma complained to my mom that her newly planted shrubs along the side of the house, you guessed it, where I peed, had died mysteriously. Oops!)

What Do You Do When Nature Calls and You Can’t Get to the Pot?

I recently found an inventive solution from Pottypacks.com. They have two different packs that can be used in either the back woods or in an urban environment. I’ll admit when I first saw these packages, I laughed out loud. The packaging and idea are absolutely brilliant. They call them the Potty Pack and the Sh!t Kit.

Potty Pack

Don’t you hate when you go into a bathroom at a gas station or a port-a-potty, it’s filthy, and there aren’t enough supplies? The Potty Pack is meant for situations where you can find a toilet, but it doesn’t meet your personal cleanliness standard.

In this individual pack, you’ll find a paper toilet seat cover, 4 feet of 2 ply toilet paper, a package of wet wipes (which they call “Tush Wipes”), a package of hand wipes, and a small pack of hand sanitizer.

It’s perfect for urban bathroom emergencies:

• Concerts
• Gas station stops
• Emergency shelters
• Sporting events

Sh!t Kit

There is also a package called the Sh!t Kit, which would be more useful in an outdoor situation like hiking or fishing.

Each individual package includes 4 feet of 2 ply toilet paper, and one individual package each of Tush Wipes, hand wipes, hand sanitizer. There is also a disposable bag (think doggie poop bag) to place everything into so you can pack it back out.

While you might be uncomfortable with the idea of packing out your used bathroom materials, it’s better than littering in nature or purchasing biodegradable toilet paper which is incredibly expensive.

This kit is perfect for outdoor situations where there is no toilet handy:

• Camping
• Backpacking or hiking
• Bug out locations

What I think

One benefit to these packs is that they are compact and can fit easily into a pack, purse, or even a pocket. I see them as a viable addition to an emergency car kit and one that you would be happy to have on hand if you get stuck somewhere.

On the downside, while the website states that the 4 feet strip of toilet paper is 2 ply, it is a fairly low quality of toilet paper. It reminds me of the industrial rolls of toilet paper that are provided at big box store bathrooms. Nevertheless, if you get in a jam, it is better to have scratchy paper than trying to find a non-toxic leaf to wipe with.

Certainly, with 4 feet of TP, you can get your business done!

Now Let’s Talk About Cost

You can buy Sh!t Kit – Single packs or Potty Pack – Single packs via Amazon at a discount of $2.18 each. Or you can buy them in a box of 20, for $50.00. That means that even if you buy the box of 20, you are paying $2.50 for one pack. There is no option for a half Sh!t Kit and half Potty Pack.

Frankly, I feel that $2.50 is one expensive bathroom trip and these are not something you would use every day.

A Homemade Kit

I thought to myself “Could I make my own emergency potty kit?” I went to my nearest Dollar Tree and I found:

• 50 count sandwich bags (2)
• 72 count baby wipes (1)
• 4 pack toilet paper (1)
• 3 pack hand sanitizers (1)

You would need to buy 2 packs of the sandwich bags to keep the wipes and the toilet paper separate. But for $5.00 + tax, you could make 50 emergency potty kits for a lowly 10₵ each! Now, these don’t have all the bells and whistles of the Potty Pack kits, but they will get the job done in a pinch.

1. Roll toilet paper out to 22 squares and rip. Then roll the 22 squares into a flat compact roll.
2. Put the new roll of toilet paper in the first baggy.
3. Fold 1 wet wipe into squares put it in the second baggy, squeezing the excess air out.
4. Place the second baggy inside the first.
5. Use a rubber band or hair tie to attach a small bottle of hand sanitizer to multiple bags or keep it your backpack or purse.

Since most people go to poop one or two times a day, this is a simple, but an effective solution if purchasing the kits are cost prohibitive for you.

My recommendation is this. Potty Packs and Sh!t Kits are solidly made and have a place in your 72-hour kits or emergency car kits. Purchase a few for each emergency pack as a backup and then make your own simple versions if you feel you need more.