The Emergency Toilet: Simple, Hygienic, and Quick to Set Up

Hardly any preparedness topic is as awkward to talk about as the toilet. Yet it is one of the first things to become urgent in an emergency. If the water supply fails, the toilet will no longer flush after the first time. During floods or heavy rain, the sewer system can also be overloaded. At that point, a well-prepared emergency toilet is worth its weight in gold – for hygiene, for health, and, frankly, for the mood in your household too.

Check first: what still works?

Not every outage immediately calls for an “emergency toilet.” Tell these two situations apart:

• Only the tap water is out, but the wastewater drains: In that case you can keep using the toilet and flush it with non-potable water. A bucket of water, poured quickly and directly into the bowl, triggers the flush. Don’t use drinking water for this. Use, for example, water you’ve collected from the bathtub or used wash water.
• The wastewater doesn’t drain or must not be used: This can happen with flooding, with backflow, or in houses with an electric lifting station (sewage pump) during a power outage. Pay attention to notices from your municipality and your water utility. In that case, you don’t flush, and the emergency toilet comes into use instead.

Option 1: the bag solution in your existing toilet

The simplest solution uses what you already have. You place a sturdy trash bag in the dry toilet bowl, lower the seat, and use it to hold the bag in place. For this to work, the bowl should be as empty as possible – first turn off the water supply at the angle stop valve (shutoff valve) if there is still pressure. After each use, add a handful of absorbent material. Once the bag is about half full, seal it tightly and put it in a second bag.

Advantage: You sit as usual, and you need hardly any extra equipment. Disadvantage: The toilet is blocked for as long as you use it this way, and you have to work cleanly so that nothing gets into the bowl.

Option 2: the bucket with a lid

A sturdy bucket with a tight-fitting lid – ideally with a clip-on toilet seat – is a robust, portable solution. It can also be used in the basement, in a garden shed, or in an RV. Here, too, you work with bags and absorbent material. Make sure the bucket stands securely and can support the weight of an adult.

Option 3: the camping toilet

The BBK (Germany’s Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance) explicitly names the camping toilet with replacement fluid in its guide as a good alternative when water is scarce. Portable cassette toilets have a sealed waste tank and produce little odor. In a crisis, however, keep this in mind: The tank will have to be emptied at some point. Sanitary fluids don’t belong in nature or in storm drains. Find out in advance where and how you can dispose of them, and plan for enough fluid to last several days.

The Right Absorbent

Absorbents soak up moisture and reduce odor. These have proven themselves:

• Cat litter – inexpensive, easy to find, and reliably absorbent
• Sawdust or small-animal bedding – lightweight and odor-reducing
• Special gel powders for emergency and camping toilets

A simple trick: If possible, collect urine and solid waste separately. Depending on your location and local rules, urine can be easier to dispose of, and the bag with solid waste stays drier and smells less.

Hygiene Around the Emergency Toilet

In training, you quickly learn that hygiene problems spread rapidly in a group when the latrine and handwashing area aren’t kept clearly separate. The same applies at home. That’s why the following items belong right next to the emergency toilet:

• Toilet paper in a closed box
• Disposable gloves for changing the bag
• Hand sanitizer or a place to wash with soap
• A roll of sturdy trash bags
• A light, so nobody has to fumble around in the dark

Ventilate regularly, and place the filled, double-sealed bags in a container with a lid outside your living space – for example on the balcony, in the garage, or in a shady spot in the yard.

Disposal: Get Informed Beforehand

Your municipality regulates how waste bags may be disposed of. During a crisis, there is usually official guidance on this, for example through the NINA warning app, the radio, or your city’s website. Follow it. Never pour the contents of bags into bodies of water, storm drains, or onto green spaces.

How Much Material Do You Need?

For a sensible multi-day supply, a bucket or a toilet seat attachment, a roll of extra-tear-resistant trash bags, a bag of absorbent, and a pack of gloves are enough. That fits in a box in the basement or under the bed. It’s better to plan generously: A household with children uses significantly more bags and absorbent than a single-person household.

And here, too, the rule applies: try it out once. Set up the emergency toilet on a quiet day. Then you’ll know whether the bag fits, whether the bucket stands securely, and where everything belongs.

In short: If only the water supply is out, you flush with a bucket of gray water. If the wastewater doesn’t drain, you use bags, absorbent, or a camping toilet. Gloves, disinfectant, and tightly sealed bags keep hygiene safe.

Suitable Gear Compared

	Produktbild bei AmazonFoldable for Emergencies & CarGLAMPmania Campingtoilette faltbar (M)	Produktbild bei AmazonSimple BucketBranQ 1306 Campingtoilette 22 l	Produktbild bei AmazonComfort with FlushThetford Porta Potti 365
Rating	★★★★★at least 4.3 out of 5 starswith 500+ customer reviews (our selection criterion)See current reviews*	★★★★★at least 4.3 out of 5 starswith 500+ customer reviews (our selection criterion)See current reviews*	★★★★★at least 4.3 out of 5 starswith 500+ customer reviews (our selection criterion)See current reviews*
Features	Folding toilet, assembled without tools Load capacity up to 150 kg Works with standard trash bags from 65 l Storage compartment, 12 bags included	22 l capacity Max. load 120 kg Lid with fold-out toilet seat Polypropylene, weatherproof	21 l waste tank with level indicator 15 l flush water tank 414 × 383 × 427 mm Weight 4 kg
Pros	No special bags needed Compact to store	Very lightweight (1.02 kg) Easy to clean	Flush function like at home Level indicator for waste tank
Cons	No tank – bag system only	No flush, no tank with level indicator	At 4 kg, heavier than the BranQ bucket No level indicator for flush water
	View on Amazon*	View on Amazon*	View on Amazon*

Selected by manufacturer data and customer reviews (at least 4.3 stars with 500+ reviews). We only show exact star ratings when they come from Amazon the same day. As of 04.10.2026. Not tested by us. Current prices and reviews are on Amazon. *Ad · paid link

General information, no substitute for individual advice from authorities, emergency services or medical professionals. In an emergency in Europe: 112.