Toilet Paper Frenzy!!!

[JD Spydo]

First of all I want to let you all know up front I've been a student of survival type subjects for quite some time. Two magazines that I subscribe to and read thoroughly each month are OFF GRID and the BACKWOODSMAN. And I do take the knowledge I've acquired about survival and living off the grid very seriously and I'm always trying to learn things that might be beneficial and lifesaving.

But with this current scare of the Corona Virus there has been a manic frenzy of people hitting out local grocery stores and big box stores for a few certain items. A friend of mine who works for the Hy Vee Grocery chain told me that for about 6 days in a row there were people acting like total lunatics over "TOILET PAPER" . Truly folks I just don't get that one at all . Is that how misinformed and compartmentalized our society has become ? I just don't get that logic at all. But if I'm overlooking something obvious or I'm underrating the importance of TOILET PAPER then I'll sure listen to what anyone has to contribute.

It took me 5 days just to get some more bleach>> which I do believe plays a huge part in several aspects of survival. I can understand why they went bunkers over bleach and it was hard to obtain for almost a week running. But what is the big deal with this TOILET PAPER frenzy?? I was also told that at our local RIP-Mart store there were several fights breaking out over ??? >>> you guessed it TOILET PAPER The Local POLICE were called quite a bit last week not only to Rip-Mart but to several other stores as well over this hoarding frenzy. Am I overlooking something obvious or am I derailed with bad logic ??? Truly I don't get this one at all

[Sumdumguy]

Still laughing from atop my bidet!

[Rolo10]

Just use the 3 sea shells

[JD Spydo]

I will admit that toilet paper is a modern day luxury that we have been spoiled with and take for granted. But it hasn't even been a century since toilet paper has been available to most people even here in the USA. My dad who was raised dirt poor in a rural area of Missouri and he said they didn't have any TP till he was about 14 years old. He said they used outhouses till he was in his mid 20s.

My mom was also raised in a poor farm environment and she said that they literally had to do their laundry by hand until she moved out of home and went to college. But I can assure you that most people even here in the USA ( especially in rural areas) before the 1930s didn't have TP until most of them got jobs in the city. And ask yourself what did they do without toilet paper>> well they did without and most of them survived to grow old.

Also to this day I've heard that many in the Amish communities do without toilet paper. So think on that for a while.

[Ankerson]

I don't understand it at all.

How much TP does a person need... Even for a year?

Yes, I have my supply, but I already had that for awhile as I keep extra on hand normally.

So this blows my mind really...

I mean how hard is it to pick up extra here and there when they are already at the store over time?

[murphjd25]

I heard somewhere the other day that supposedly the average 3 person family uses two rolls of TP a week. How the hell is that possible!!!???? Don’t got to use the whole roll to wipe!

[Ankerson]

I heard somewhere the other day that supposedly the average 3 person family uses two rolls of TP a week. How the hell is that possible!!!???? Don’t got to use the whole roll to wipe!

Must be small rolls....

[The Meat man]

I heard somewhere the other day that supposedly the average 3 person family uses two rolls of TP a week. How the hell is that possible!!!???? Don’t got to use the whole roll to wipe!

Must be small rolls....

Or single ply.

[JD Spydo]

I don't understand it at all.

How much TP does a person need... Even for a year?

Yes, I have my supply, but I already had that for awhile as I keep extra on hand normally.

So this blows my mind really...

I mean how hard is it to pick up extra here and there when they are already at the store over time?

I just don't get it either Ankerson >> I do know that women tend to use more TP than men for obvious reasons. But there are those that use about a half a roll on each visit to the toilet ( guys & gals both). That one I don't understand for the life of me. I grew up with a very dollar conscious, conservative family who did not believe in wasting resources at all. And I would get punished harshly if I did.

Living by myself at this current time I've had a roll last me almost 2 and half weeks!! I don't use the super cheap stuff but seriously there is still something really wrong with this whole picture.

More than all of that people have just got their priorities all messed up IMO.

[VooDooChild]

Wasteful people man. I bet my sister is the type of person who wraps a third of the role around her hand. Throw away society at a high level is not sustainable and it drives me crazy.

[James Y]

I don't understand it at all.

How much TP does a person need... Even for a year?

Yes, I have my supply, but I already had that for awhile as I keep extra on hand normally.

So this blows my mind really...

I mean how hard is it to pick up extra here and there when they are already at the store over time?

I just don't get it either Ankerson >> I do know that women tend to use more TP than men for obvious reasons. But there are those that use about a half a roll on each visit to the toilet ( guys & gals both). That one I don't understand for the life of me. I grew up with a very dollar conscious, conservative family who did not believe in wasting resources at all. And I would get punished harshly if I did.

Living by myself at this current time I've had a roll last me almost 2 and half weeks!! I don't use the super cheap stuff but seriously there is still something really wrong with this whole picture.

More than all of that people have just got their priorities all messed up IMO.

Yes, a lot of people are really wasteful, especially with TP. A lot of adults and a lot of kids, too. I could picture a family of 4 easily going through two or three rolls (or more) a day. At that rate, an 18-pack of Charmin won’t last a week. The same goes for paper towels.

All the hoarding of TP, soap/cleaning products, rice, oatmeal/dried foods, etc., is annoying in the extreme. I’m betting the same people that strip the shelves of essentials are doing it over and over again, even for stuff they have more than enough of. Although I have no idea when they’re finding the stuff, because all of those things are stripped bare everywhere I go. Maybe there’s a hoarders’ alert group on Facebook that has the drop on these things. Or they’re like flocks of birds that just know when all the other birds know...

Jim

[JD Spydo]

Wasteful people man. I bet my sister is the type of person who wraps a third of the role around her hand. Throw away society at a high level is not sustainable and it drives me crazy.

Well "VooDooChild" your Sis isn't the only one guilty of that non sense. Any double ply TP should be able to do the job with just 12 to 18 inches of TP in my humble opinion. But the American society is so spoiled and decadent and it's going to come back to bite us in the rear end ( no pun intended ).

I also see people use way more kitchen paper towels than necessary as well. I buy the high quality paper towels and I can get a roll of them to last me almost a month under normal use. The more expensive stuff is actually cheaper with all things considered. Cheap paper products are truly a strain on one's budget IMO.

[JD Spydo]

I don't understand it at all.

How much TP does a person need... Even for a year?

Yes, I have my supply, but I already had that for awhile as I keep extra on hand normally.

So this blows my mind really...

I mean how hard is it to pick up extra here and there when they are already at the store over time?

I just don't get it either Ankerson >> I do know that women tend to use more TP than men for obvious reasons. But there are those that use about a half a roll on each visit to the toilet ( guys & gals both). That one I don't understand for the life of me. I grew up with a very dollar conscious, conservative family who did not believe in wasting resources at all. And I would get punished harshly if I did.

Living by myself at this current time I've had a roll last me almost 2 and half weeks!! I don't use the super cheap stuff but seriously there is still something really wrong with this whole picture.

More than all of that people have just got their priorities all messed up IMO.

Yes, a lot of people are really wasteful, especially with TP. A lot of adults and a lot of kids, too. I could picture a family of 4 easily going through two or three rolls (or more) a day. At that rate, an 18-pack of Charmin won’t last a week. The same goes for paper towels.

All the hoarding of TP, soap/cleaning products, rice, oatmeal/dried foods, etc., is annoying in the extreme. I’m betting the same people that strip the shelves of essentials are doing it over and over again, even for stuff they have more than enough of. Although I have no idea when they’re finding the stuff, because all of those things are stripped bare everywhere I go. Maybe there’s a hoarders’ alert group on Facebook that has the drop on these things. Or they’re like flocks of birds that just know when all the other birds know...

Well Jim with all due respect I tend to differ with you somewhat. Because I've found there are a few items that it would pay to have extra on hand. Take bleach for instance>> or any other type of disinfectant for that matter. I've got close to 4 gallons of bleach on hand just in case this debacle would last for over 3 months. I use bleach in my dishwashing soap mixture to sanitize my dishes and I do all of them by manually by hand and it just works great for me.

But my overall point is that TP should be rather low on the priority list IMO. If a person has running water you can always use wash-cloths and liquid anti-bacterial soap in a pinch. I did that while living in a deer hunting cabin with no utilities for about a month and it worked well for me.

Yes my overall point is that most people should be hoarding the absolute necessities and essentials. Certain food items with a long shelf life make sense. Any type of cleaning products to keep things sanitary makes sense to me. But on a list of 20 important items Toilet Paper doesn't even fall into the top 20 IMO. But I'm sure you get my point. Always love your input Jim

[James Y]

Joe,

I’m talking about the hoarding right now. I have a decent amount of stuff I’ve accumulated for myself to last me awhile, but it was gotten before this panic buying craze. If everyone didn’t go ape over it, there would be enough for everybody, even now. I have no problem with having a store a items that will be needed, but at a time like this, the massive hoarding and stripping of shelves is selfish in the extreme. Like I said, I’m certain it’s mostly the same people grabbing everything as soon as it comes in.

It’s an interesting topic, Joe. And while everywhere I’ve been has been civil for the most part, it goes to show how easy it is to create a panic. Heck, I’m now out of work for an indefinite period, but I still refuse to become panicked. I’ve already been feeling stressed about enough things in my life BEFORE this COVID-19 became a pandemic. I can only do what I can do at this point.

Jim

[Hopweaver]

I told my kids to use both sides of the Toilet Paper to help stretch our supply.

[W7H2O]

[prndltech]

Still laughing from atop my bidet!

I’ve loved mine for years.

[James Y]

Jim

[Bloke]

So this blows my mind really...

Well Jim with all due respect I tend to differ with you somewhat.

[JD Spydo]

So this blows my mind really...

Well Jim with all due respect I tend to differ with you somewhat.

Well BLOKE ol' buddy I just knew that you would come through with some wisdom and reason . I bet that there are people that actually have set ups like that too. It's as though they will die a horrible death without their precious toilet paper. My Lord!!! what would our pioneer ancestors think about how sissy many of us have become over time.

Again many of the modern day Amish don't use modern amenities like TP. I truly think many women would commit suicide if they had to do without their Toilet paper>> guys too in many cases. How pathetically pampered we have become