For the first time ever we can use the words “perfect storm” in relation to toilet paper. In many countries people are hoarding toilet tissue, and in some cases fighting over or stealing it. It is a great indicator of how some people will act if they are actually starving.

Everyone is asking why, and there are many theories. And I’m going to say they are all correct, and that is the reason.

Non-perishable. As a prepper I know it makes sense to hoard any non-perishable items I know will be used one day. 100 years ago everybody knew this, and deep down I guess we all still do these days.

Affordable. 

Supply Chain. The pattern of purchasing toilet rolls is highly stable and predictable. And that means there is no incentive to keep extra supplies stored. Manufacturers have always produced this product at a steady rate. It doesn’t take much panic buying for shelves to be empty. This also means that shelves should be full again in a week or two. Overflowing even.

Sheeple. A good friend of mine, who is incredibly charitable and would give her last food to someone, stocked up on loo rolls. Her reason was purely because everyone else was. Total herd mentality and no other reason.

Empowerment. Toilet paper represents our control over something dirty, which we associate with disease. This isn’t crazy, as a major health advance was sewers and flushable toilets. So psychologists tell us this is a natural reaction to the coronavirus.

So there are 5 reasons why the shelves are empty, which means it isn’t a surprise at all, in retrospect.

Someone recently asked me why I hoard water. I said, because I can. You cannot predict every SHTF situation, so prepare in every direction you can, no need to qualify the hoarding of anything long-lasting that you will use anyway.

Three months of food and water is the minimum. There is every possibility this pandemic will have you choosing to be at home, even if you are not sick. Things can, and have, got ugly in unpredictable ways and this is just the beginning outside of China.