During the lockdown shortages a few years ago, one of the first items people seemed desperate to buy was toilet paper.
Shelves emptied almost overnight.
It was strange watching something most of us barely think about suddenly become one of the most sought-after household supplies in the country.
But honestly, the shortages didn’t surprise me quite as much as they did some people.
Years earlier, while traveling overseas, I had already learned an important lesson:
Never assume toilet paper will be available.
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Learning to Travel Prepared
During my travels through places like Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, and Israel, I eventually learned to carry my own small stash of toilet paper and hand wipes everywhere I went. (coins needed to unlock toilet stalls in Europe)
There were many situations where modern restrooms simply weren’t available.
Sometimes that meant ducking behind ancient ruins during archaeological excavations. Other times it meant squatting quietly behind banana trees in remote areas where there were no facilities nearby.
In several mosques and older buildings, especially off the beaten path, the bathrooms often consisted of nothing more than a hole in the floor and a pitcher of water nearby.
No toilet paper.
In parts of Turkey and Jordan, finding what Americans would consider a typical western-style seated toilet wasn’t always common once you moved outside heavily tourist-centered areas.
Even when western bathrooms were available, toilet paper itself often wasn’t guaranteed.
Sometimes there was no running water either.
The Day I Had to Pay for Toilet Paper in the bathroom
One memory that still stands out to me happened at the Cairo museum in Egypt.
Inside one public restroom stood an older woman holding small amounts of toilet paper to hand out individually for a fee.
If you wanted paper, you paid for it.
At the time, it caught me off guard. But thankfully I had packed my own.
One thing I quickly learned during my travels was that expecting toilet paper to be available in every restroom is largely a western expectation. In many parts of the world, water-based cleaning methods are far more common, especially in older buildings, rural areas, or public facilities.
But looking back now, especially after seeing empty store shelves during lockdowns years later, it makes a little more sense why many cultures approach sanitation differently than we do in the United States.
In many places around the world, water — not paper — has traditionally been the primary method used for cleanliness.
What People Used Before Modern Toilet Paper
Long before toilet paper became a standard household product, people simply used whatever materials were available to them locally.
Different cultures and time periods adapted in surprisingly practical ways.
Some of the more common substitutes throughout history included:
- leaves
- moss
- smooth stones
- corn cobs
- cloth rags
- newspaper
- old catalogs
- water and washing pitchers
- seashells in some coastal regions
- wool or scraps of fabric
Growing up, we even used pages from old Sears catalogs in our outhouse from time to time, so there really is truth behind those old stories people joke about.
For many rural families, people used what they had available.
Water Instead of Paper
In many parts of the world, water has traditionally been considered more sanitary and practical than paper.
During my travels, many bathrooms simply had a pitcher of water beside a floor drain or squat-style toilet.
Toilet paper often wasn’t provided at all.
That experience taught me pretty quickly to carry my own small pack of tissues and hand wipes while traveling.
Today, modern bidets are becoming more popular in western countries as well, especially after the toilet paper shortages during lockdowns.
And honestly, for normal everyday life with stable utilities, bidets and water washing can absolutely work well.
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| Glass sink and toilet on Nile Cruise in Cairo |
Why Bidets May Not Always Be Realistic During Emergencies
One thing many people don’t think about, however, is how heavily most modern bidets still depend on reliable infrastructure.
Many require:
- running water
- steady plumbing pressure
- electricity for heated seats or spray systems
- clean wastewater systems
During normal times, that’s no problem.
But during a prolonged grid-down situation, major drought, winter freeze, or water outage, preserving clean water often becomes far more important than comfort.
That’s one reason older generations often adapted by using whatever dry materials were available nearby when supplies became limited.
Preparedness isn’t necessarily about returning to uncomfortable living. It’s more about understanding how people adapted before modern conveniences existed — and recognizing how quickly everyday necessities can become valuable during shortages.
What the Shortages Reminded Many Families
One thing the lockdown shortages revealed was how quickly modern conveniences can disappear.
Most people never imagined toilet paper would become difficult to find until it suddenly was.
Preparedness doesn’t always mean dramatic survival scenarios. Sometimes it simply means recognizing how dependent modern life has become on supply chains, convenience, and constant availability.
Traveling overseas taught me years ago that much of the world already lives very differently when it comes to sanitation, water usage, and daily necessities.
Experiencing that firsthand changed how I think about preparedness and adaptability.
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A Reminder About Adaptability
One thing history teaches us is that human beings are remarkably adaptable.
Whether it was water pitchers in the Middle East, leaves gathered outdoors, old newspaper, or catalogs in rural outhouses, people found ways to make do with what they had available at the time.
And honestly, that may be one of the biggest preparedness lessons of all.
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