Emergency toilets: what to use when the water's off (2026)

The same full-size body as the electric-flush 565E, with a piston pump instead of a battery flush, so there are no batteries to run down. The family-sized tanks (21 litres of waste, 15 of flush water) last a household several days. It's still a chemical cassette toilet: you'll be emptying a tank and buying toilet fluid.

Best for A full-height portable toilet to see a household through a water or power outage.

• Domestic seat height and family-sized tanks
• Level indicators on both tanks
• Manual pump flush needs no batteries

• Needs toilet chemicals, and the waste tank has to be emptied
• Heavy to carry when the waste tank is full

Who shouldn't buy it: You want to avoid chemicals and emptying a cassette; a separating composting toilet is the alternative.

A well-proven, no-nonsense portable toilet that needs no power and empties cleanly via its rotating spout. The 335 is the compact model in the range, so it suits one or two people rather than a full household over several days.

Best for Caravan, campervan and boat owners, or households wanting a compact self-contained loo for power cuts or a burst-main.

• Reliable, long-established Thetford design with a hygienic rotating pour-out spout and secure lid latch
• Fully self-contained and light (3.3kg net, per Thetford) with a 10L flush and 10L waste tank, no plumbing or power needed
• Simple manual piston flush that just works, with widely available spare parts and toilet fluids

• Modest waste capacity of roughly 27 flushes means frequent emptying if several people rely on it
• Needs toilet chemicals and a suitable disposal point (a proper waste dump or WC), which takes some planning in an emergency

Who shouldn't buy it: Don't buy the 335 if a whole household may need it for days at a time; the taller 365 or a larger cassette model gives more capacity between empties.

A compact separating toilet: urine goes to one container and solids to another, which is what keeps the smell down without water or chemicals. The adjustable seat height and close-fitting lid make it easier to live with than most portable loos. Like any composting toilet it's a routine, not an appliance: in use, the urine container needs emptying every day or two.

Best for A portable separating toilet for a household backup, campervan or garden room, with no water or chemicals.

• Urine separation controls smell with no water or chemicals
• Seat height adjusts between 31 cm and 44 cm
• Compact, with a close-fitting lid for moving it about

• Needs regular emptying and a plan for disposing of solids
• Dearer than a bucket toilet or a basic cassette toilet

Who shouldn't buy it: You only need cover for a short water outage; a bucket toilet with gelling bags costs far less. If you'd rather not handle waste at all, a cassette toilet with chemical fluid is the more familiar routine.

Kildwick's PiccoLoo does what any separating toilet does, keeping urine and solids apart with no water or chemicals, in a ready-assembled birch-plywood unit that looks like furniture rather than moulded plastic. It suits a spot where the toilet will be visible and permanent. The containers are small, so in regular use expect to empty the urine canister every day or two, and wood wants a little more care than plastic.

Best for A ready-assembled wooden separating toilet for a garden room, cabin, boat or campervan, used by one or two people.

• Birch-plywood body that looks like furniture, not camping kit
• Ready assembled, with a magnetic seat and a separate urine canister
• A proper seat height of 42.5 cm

• Small containers: about 12 uses for urine and 7 for solids
• Wood needs gentler cleaning than plastic

Who shouldn't buy it: You need a toilet for a whole family through a long outage: a larger cassette toilet or a bigger separating toilet will need emptying far less often.

Unglamorous and essential: a pop-up privacy tent is what turns a portable or composting toilet from 'technically possible' into 'actually usable' in a garden, on an allotment, or beside a campervan. Kampa's Privvy stands full height, pegs down against wind, and doubles as a changing room or outdoor shower cubicle. It's a tent, not a shed — in a real gale you'd weight it properly or take it down — but as the enabler purchase for everything above, it is money well spent.

Best for The modest buy that makes every toilet above actually usable — privacy, anywhere.

• Turns any portable toilet into a usable facility
• Full standing height; doubles as shower/changing cubicle
• Packs flat in a minute

• It's still a lightweight tent — peg and weight it in wind
• No floor: choose your ground

A long-standing, dependable waste-tank treatment for chemical toilets, now in a formaldehyde-free formula that's kinder to septic systems. It does one job well and is stocked almost everywhere, which matters when you need a top-up mid-trip.

Best for Keeping a caravan, motorhome or boat cassette/portable toilet's waste tank hygienic and odour-free.

• Formaldehyde-free and safe for septic tanks, so gentler than older chemical fluids
• Effective at controlling odour and bacteria in the waste-holding tank
• Widely stocked across UK camping and DIY retailers, with clear 60ml-per-10L dosing

• The concentrated blue dye can stain hands, clothing or surfaces if spilt
• For best results you'll also want a separate rinse/pink fluid for the flush-water tank, which adds cost

Who shouldn't buy it: You run a SOG-vented, composting or eco toilet, or prefer additive-free tank treatments - you simply won't need blue chemical fluid.

A folding frame that sits over disposable liner bags, handy to keep in the boot or a cupboard for when the water or drains are off. The seat is low, so treat it as an occasional-use backup rather than a caravan mainstay, and add a gelling powder or a handful of cat litter to each bag.

Best for A cheap, packable standby loo for the car, a festival, or a household water cut.

• Folds down slim for a car boot or cupboard, weighs about 1.8kg and comes with a storage bag
• Bag-lined, so there are no chemicals, water or cassette to empty: you tie off the liner and bin it
• Cheap and quick to set up, with a 150kg load rating that suits most adults

• At about 30cm high the seat is low, so it is less comfortable and steady than a full-height cassette toilet
• The 12 supplied liners run out quickly, and refills and gelling powder add to the running cost

Who shouldn't buy it: Don't buy it if you want a proper toilet for regular caravan or campervan use — a flushing cassette Porta Potti is far more comfortable and cheaper per use over the long run.

A cheap, reusable answer to the awkward problem of no working toilet: a 1-litre bottle with a leakproof cap and a female adapter that earns its place in a car or grab-bag. Build quality is basic, but for a few pounds it does exactly what is needed.

Best for A dignified toilet backup in the car, grab-bag, or during a water or power outage.

• Very inexpensive and reusable, so it costs little to keep one in each car and kit.
• Leakproof screw or snap cap and graduated markings make it practical for outages, long traffic delays, or limited mobility.
• Unisex with a female adapter, so a single item covers the whole household.

• The female adapter takes practice and can be messy; it is less foolproof than a purpose-shaped female urination funnel.
• Plastic and cap quality vary between sellers, so a very cheap one may feel flimsy.

Who shouldn't buy it: Skip it if your plan already includes a bucket-style emergency toilet with waste bags and gel, which does the same job more comfortably; and for regular outdoor use women may prefer a dedicated stand-to-pee funnel.