The article references using a 5-gallon bucket for toilet needs and says to use a toilet seat or a couple of parallel boards on the bucket. Since neither of those is affixed to the bucket it can be tricky should the user lose his/her balance or have their ‘seat’ shift. A good alternative is to get a stackable plastic/resin chair like many people have in their backyards and cut a hole, then place the 5-gallon bucket underneath. Much more stable.
I’m just keeping my Dad’s bedside commode that I bought for him when he was recovering at my house from a stroke. It will also fit over the toilet so that older people can use my bathroom with ease too.
When I was a kid, we used a chamber pot at night. Granny carried it out to the outhouse in the morning to empty and cleam it up. The rest of the time we went to the outhouse, or squatted behind a tree, if we were on the back forty, and too far away. Then we had to cover it with dirt and leaves and stuff.
A five gallon bucket is lots easier to use even with out a lid than the chamber pot.