Personal and clothing hygiene
More men were lost in the Civil War to
poor sanitation than were ever killed in battle; this is true for the
Boer war as well. I cover basic field sanitation, describe ways to
wash your clothes in a disaster situation and list several ways to
bath while in less than ideal conditions. Being clean isn't about
smelling bad, it is a health issue. This chapter assumes you have
been forced from your home, and are not at a developed campground or
shelter - that is to say, worst case. I cover in-home issues in the
next section.
Section One - Field Sanitation
Sanitation in the field can be
problematic. Water is normally in short supply and unless you are
staying at a shelter or developed campground, there are no toilet
facilities. If you cook your food, disposal of the wash water (and
food scraps) will quickly become an issue as well. The U.S. Army has
a manual, FM 21-10 (Or FM 4-25-12) should you wish to look at how the
Big Army covers this - unfortunately, almost none of the material is
of use for a small family or individual.
Since we've already covered 'Water' in
a prior chapter, we'll move onto some of the more gritty aspects of
the subject. Remember - DO NOT DRINK UNTREATED WATER>
Field
Sanitation:
Personal items
and equipment.
Some of the
personal items that you should have in your kit (for
each individual) are:
Toilet paper
and baby wipes - put these in a
plastic bag to keep them dry.
Lip balm and
sun screen. Your skin is an entry
point for disease, protect it.
Foot powder
Insect
repellant - bugs will drive you
crazy and some carry disease.
Hand
sanitizing gel - several small
bottles are better than one large container.
Toothbrush and
toothpaste or tooth powder - good
dental hygiene is important.
Washcloth
Large hand
towel or microfiber towel
Hand soap
- several brands are sold for camping, like Dr. Bonner's.
*If you live in
tick country, a small container of baby oil or Vaseline
*If you live in a
very bug/mosquito prone area, a headnet and square of bug screen are
a big plus.
*If you have the
space, a hand-pump spray bottle or fold-up solar shower will come in
handy.
Equipment items:
You will need at least a trowel or
small shovel - for a family group, you'll find quickly that you need
a real full-sized shovel if you will be on your own for more than a
couple of days. A modern 'tool, entrenching, folding' should be more
than enough for a couple of days.
*Metal buckets -
if you think you will be forced from your home for an extended
period, a set of 3 gallon metal buckets are worth their weight in
gold. I'll explain why, even if they don't make into our short term
DIY disaster kit.
Human waste disposal.
Human waste must be deposed of
properly - it poses a tremendous health hazard. If you do not
have access to a cesspit or outdoor toilet, you will need to dig your
own latrine or slit trench for human waste. ALWAYS bury your waste.
This helps to keep it out of the local watershed and reduces the
spread of disease.
Why? Simple - During the response to
the Haiti earthquake, a single response team from Nepal started a
cholera outbreak - from their toilet faculties leaking into the Meye
river. In 17 months cholera had killed more than 7,050 Haitians and
sickened more than 531,000, or 5 percent of the population. Lightning
fast and virulent, it spread to every Haitian state, erupting into
the world’s largest cholera epidemic despite a huge international
mobilization still dealing with the effects of the Jan. 12, 2010,
earthquake.
If you are on the move, you can dig a
fast 'cat hole' to bury your waste in a individual basis. The hole
should be about a foot (8 to 13 inches) deep and about a foot across.
If you are on grass or sod, cut the sod and lay it back, you'll use
it later; set the evacuated dirt to one side. Once you have finished
your business, I have seen recommendations to burn your toilet paper
before burying the waste. After cleaning your hands, use the
evacuated dirt to bury the waste and restore then sod, if at all
possible.
If you are forced to camp in an
unimproved area, you will want to dig a slit trench of disposal of
human waste. The trench should be about 2.5 feet deep and as wide as
you shovel. Pile the dirt at one end to cover your waste after using
the facility.
Wash hands carefully after a bowel
movement or face the consequences. I recommend washing with soap and
water, and then use a hand sanitizer to endure your hands are really
clean. Adults need to monitor children closely to ensure they clean
themselves well and wash their hands as described. Locate your
latrine well away from any water source and your camp.
Camp sanitation:
Food scraps and wash water.
These attract animals and insects. Wet
garbage/food scraps may be disposed of in the slit trench and buried.
Dig a dry well (French well) and use it to dispose of your wash and
rinse wastewater.
Garbage.
Gather and dispose of all garbage as it
is generated, and ensure your disposal methods meet local
laws/ordinances in this regard. Garbage is an attractant for
animals and can pose a health hazard. If you are forced to bury
your trash, dig a deep pit and cover the garbage as it is pitted.
Burning of garbage may reduce bulk, but check local ordinances to
ensure you remain legal. I'll have a bit more on this in Section
Two.
Food storage.
Store food away
from your camp area and secure it from insects. Inspect food closely
prior to cooking to ensure it is free from contamination. In the
case of your DIY disaster kit, a simple inspection to ensure the food
container has not been breached should be enough.
Personal
Hygiene
Personal hygiene is important, no
matter your circumstances. Washing of your hands is the best
defense against disease, and being clean is a major morale factor.
Brushing your teeth is not just polite,
it can prevent larger medical problems, so pack a toothbrush and
toothpaste or toothpowder for each member of your group. Brush after
every meal.
Concentrated "Camp soap" can
be used for everything but brushing your teeth. Consider
putting a bottle or two in your kit. Dish soap will do for hand
washing, but remember, over time it can cause issues with your skin.
If you don't carry camp soap, several of the smaller hand soap bars,
often found in hotels, will work just as well. Shampoo in travel
sized containers is a real morale booster - clean hair just helps you
to feel better.
You can take a 'shower' with very
little water - and I can assure you from personal experience, even
cold water will work to clean you, but tepid/warm water makes for a
better experience. Children fuss less with warm water. So, how do
you take a field shower with little water?
I've been in short water situations, so
I first make a small 'basin' and put a plastic bag in the basin to
catch the wash water runoff. Add a couple of cups of hopefully warm
water to your spray bottle. Strip and stand in the basin, then wet
yourself with water from your bottle.
One cup of water (less, actually) will
make a standard size washcloth dripping wet. Add soap and work into
a lather.
Wash. That is to say, scrub away. (If
you are going to bathe more than one person, put the washcloth in a
baggie/plastic bag to keep it clean(er).
Use the remaining water in the spray
bottle to rinse.
As dumb as this may sound, if you have
never taken this kind of shower, practice at home first. Tell the
children it's a science experiment. Measure how much water you use
to wet and rinse yourself. If water is not an issue, then the
so-called Solar Showers that hold anywhere from 4 to 5 gallons of
water provide a more familiar experience.
Capturing your wash and rinse water
allows you to recycle it for washing your clothing. Yes, I know -
but, think of it as a pre-wash - to get the worst of the dirt out
before you hand wash and rinse the clothing. This clothes washing
isn't much of an issue with your DIY disaster kit, as we're aiming
for no more than 4 days of support.
Section Two - At Home.
Water.
Most people are completely dependant on
municipal water systems for their water supply. One item that I
recommend to everyone is a bathtub bladder. These will hold 100
gallons of pre-disaster water, assumablely safe to drink.
(SeeWaterBoB or bathtub bladder).
Human waste disposal:
If you are on a septic system, you will
likely have no issues, outside of a flooding situation. If you are
on a city sewer system, you may have real issues and more quickly
than you realize. Many of these systems use lift pumps and when the
power is out, the sewage will quickly back up - sometimes into your
home.
If you don't have a backflow preventer,
you should check to see how your local sewer system is configured,
then decide if a back flow preventer is a good investment. I would
recommend it in any case.
If you are on a septic system, use your
kitchen and bath wash water or any other gray water to flush your
toilet.
If you are unable to use your home
sanitation system, you need to decide how you will deal with human
waste. Sneaking out at night to dump your waste into a storm drain
or runoff ditch will not make your neighbors happy.
A simple 5 gallon bucket, some trash
bags and kitty litter will work, but again, you will need to have
some way to dispose of the waste that is...call it ethical.
My best suggestion is to check with
your local authority for your best and or legal disposal options are
in a disaster - before the need arises.
Garbage:
A metal 55 gallon drum equipped with a
wire hardware mesh cover to prevent embers from escaping may be your
best bet for disposal of trash that will burn. Several holes in the
bottom and sides of the drum will aid in the combustion of the trash.
Cans may be crushed to save on volume. Again, check with your local
authority for trash collection locations in a disaster.
Wash day:
Washing day need not be too terrible,
but it will be work, make no mistake about. A pair of plastic bins
that hold several gallons of water as well as some kind of agitator
will get you started. If clean water is in short supply, you will
have to decide what will need washing the most.
Rather than re-invent the wheel, so to
speak, I'll direct you to this excellent Brit site
Current non-electric cleaning offerings
may be found at Lehman's on line.
Thank you, Mr. Richardson.
Please leave comments and suggestions below, or email them to povertyprepping@yahoo.com
Hi, Good post, but my question is about the 2, 3 gallon metal buckets... I did not see the explanation and am very curious... Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI'll pass your question on to Mr. Richardson. Thanks for your question.
ReplyDeleteSusan
The buckets can be used to heat water over a campfire - and then used for bathing, used to wash & rinse dishes, can be used for washing clothes.
ReplyDeleteBuckets are one of those 'tools' that have many uses.
dkr
Thanks, Mr. Richardson, for your prompt reply!
Delete