We all think about what to put in our BOBs, what food to stock, what first aid supplies to have, etc. but I have not seen many discussions about proper sanitation in a survival or SHTF situation.

Here is a little light reading on the subject.

Field Sanitation

Feel free to post any tips or information you may have.

I live in the country.

Nothing wrong with a hole in the ground and a shack over it.

soap, TP and wetwipes. I think their use is something any adult is used to. For my EDC bag I do like having hand sanitizer for cleaning my hands before grabbing a bite.
FerFAL

As with any real estate, location, location, location.



 

Rural living at its best!!
there is no water to our guest cabin an it's pretty much 1870 out there..we do have an "indoor" commode
for the ladies to use in the dark of night if needed.(men and step out back and do their bidness)
It's.basiclly a cube with a 5 gal pail, plastic bag inset and kitty litter..and an actual toilet seat on top.

currently inside, plastic bag liners with kitty litter for one commode, the other will be closed as the septic needs electric
to  run properly so solid waste will have to go outside for burial..

should such issues last longer than a couple of weeks..there's lumber, siding and shovels enough to create an out house..

I live without running water.

It's not hard to work around. And to be honest I much prefer an outhouse to modern toilets now. No flushing or splashing issues. Much cleaner overall. Plus no feces or urine in my home for plumbing back ups or other nastiness.

I also keep a hygiene kit in my BOB and each of my vehicles. I have found a shamwow is perfect for this as it can be wrung out almost dry even after use. Soap, toothbrush and toothpaste. Add in a comb and I can get as clean as needed at almost any creek I come across. And truthfully in the summer I bathe almost daily in my creek.

Most Modern first world humans have lost touch with how to deal with anything other then white tile bathrooms and on demand perfect water.

George.  That pretty much explains it .

Joking aside, where we live in southern NM, we have (believe it in the middle of the desert) permanent year round water (natural spring pumping a consistent heavy flow of water): we can pretty much get away with the same here if power goes out or other such incidents happen.  Not hard (if you have the mind set) to go 'backwards' if the situation dictates it .........

Stabilization ponds [1]consist of shallow man-made basins comprising a single or several series of anaerobic, facultative or maturation ponds. The primary treatment takes place in the anaerobic pond, which is mainly designed for removing suspended solids, and some of the soluble element of organic matter (BOD). During the secondary stage in the facultative pond most of the remaining BOD is removed through the coordinated activity of algae and heterotrophic bacteria. The main function of the tertiary treatment in the maturation pond is the removal of pathogens and nutrients (especially nitrogen).

It s great that it works for you and I like swimming in a creek as much as the next guy, but you're not going to convince me of the advantages of not having running water and sewer. it's actually the other way around. Running water and sewers are rhe cornerstone of our progress as a civilization.  they go hand in hand with better quality of living and less diseases. In the third world, in the areas where they lack these, they are most definitely not better off for lacking these.
FerFAL

This is not difficult.  

Not sure where in my post I was trying convince anyone.

Just my preference.

Which also means I don't have water bills. Because debt is something I can live without.

And relying on the water company forever seems to go against the whole prepper mindset. Or even the homesteader lifestyle I prefer. I can filter and treat my water and handle the hygiene side for me and my three kids. Do you think self sufficiency is a bad thing?

Or are you just pointing out that you prefer water bills and government supplied resources?

I think that living without running water and without sewers makes no sense, it's not just convenient it'd by far cleaner and healthier no matter how you want to look at it. You claimed not having these and having an outhouse is cleaner, that simply isn't true and its got nothing to do with self reliance. you can have a well and running water and toilets.
I think water where i currently am is provided by a private company but yes, I'd rather pay for it and have running water, toilets and showers!

FerFAL

I disagree. An outhouse when properly constructed and maintained is a simple and safe system. And it avoids raw sewage in my home.....

Follow the links and think if these had happened during a SHTF event. Scary and possibly deadly. (I didn't post pics as they were disgusting)

A few hours of reading about basic outhouse construction will give you all the details. Now don't misunderstand me. In populated cities indoor plumbing is critical to health and sanitation for the average person. But there are most certainly alternatives that are better in many situations. And just as safe and hygenic as anything else. And normally modern systems are easier until you have the below described situations that occur every single day somewhere in the US.

http://articles.mcall.com/2014-08-09/news/mc-allentown-sewage-backup-lehigh-county-authority-20140809_1_sewage-backup-liesel-adam-public-sewer
http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/story/21432309/sewage-spill-coon-rapids-homeowners-stuck-with-bill-after-backup
http://www.erietvnews.com/story/28643506/sewer-line-break-causes-raw-sewage-back-up

And that was just the first page of a Google search. What would your water be like after something like these examples? Would you even want to eat in your home after it being filled with raw sewage?
Removing human waste from ever being in my home solves that and many other problems. And then I only have to deal with grey water from the shower and kitchen sink. And since those are closed systems I personally fill I have better control and better understanding of what is happening in my home.

Modern convienances are nice, but as with anything there is a trade off and the trade off is when it goes bad it can really go bad.

The point of this thread was to learn about propere sanitation practices without modern conveniences. Sanitation involves far more than buildong an outhouse or using a porta potty.
How and where you bathe, controlling pests, preventing disease, protecting your water supply, dealing with refuse all play a part in this and it is a topic I can't remember being discussed so let's keep this on topic and not turn it into a pissing contest as it seems to be headed.

I studied Architecture and specialized on disaster and self sufficient architecture. I spent years studying it and can tell you for a fact running tap water and sewer are directly linked to longer life expectancy and stopping diseases. I understand you are happy with the arrangement you have, but the logic is incorrect in focusing on not having things because they can fail. it's like cutting my leg of in case I break it or have a foot infection one day. Anywhere in the world where you install sewers and water, conditions drastically improve immediately. Many places around the world still don't have it
, and it's very easy to compare with those that do. In any part of the world, and it doesn't matter if it's rural or metro, water and sewers directly impact the health of people. It's not just one factor, we know it's THE factor. The fact that it sometimes needs repair and repair doesn't change that, and honestly it happens very rarely.
FerFAL

Again I am going to have to disagree with you. The main factor is education. Educating people on proper sanitation, proper use, and proper maintenance is the main factor. The mechanical systems are just that. Without education it's just a thing. You can hand someone a clean bucket of water but if they use it to wash off the chickens before dinner then give their baby a bath with the same water then you really haven't done much for them. Or give them a flush toilet but don't teach them how to sanitize it or maintain it.... In a few days  or weeks you will be right back where you started.

I will also disagree on the very rarely part.  A quick Google search brought up over 100,000 plumbing companies and over 300,000 plumbers employed full time. Not sure how often things break but to keep that many people employed it has to be more than rarely.

I'm surprised in a survival forum you are arguing modern grid systems without offering more detailed info based on your stated education.


I would be interested in hearing how a modem system without power can be maintained. Or maybe without water pressure. Or the steps to properly clean up a raw sewage back up. It seems those would be things you could help explain to us instead of just disagreeing with me with no facts or further details.

Now for my part I will add a few details I have learned about my out house. A bottle of 10% bleach solution and paper towels has been important. The proper ventilation is critical also. The vent pipe should be placed higher then the seat hole so as to allow the gasses to escape with airflow coming into the seat and up and out of the pipe. Painting the pipe black can help with drawing the cooler air up and out. The hole should be deeper then 5'. Many people use lime or wood ash, however this can fill a privy very quickly. And all it does is change the ph level to inhibit the bacteria growth which causes the smell. Proper ventilation will handle most of that problem and will allow the waste to decompose and extend the life of the outhouse. A clean 10 gal jug of water and good quality sanitizing soap set up on the exterior of the out house for proper hand washing is also important.
I use modern toilet paper in mine as the cellulose material will break down fairly quickly similar to a septic system.

Much of the information I researched was from Europe. Where in many modern countries outhouses are still regularly used in residential settings. I was actually very surprised to see just how much of the modern world outside the U.S. still uses them. It was eye opening once I really started researching the topic.

I am now almost 8 months into using the main outhouse and a second smaller one also has use in my property. So far I haven't had any issues with odors. The fill level allows me to estimate I might have a full 5 years or more of use left on the main one. And so far the total cost was about $200.00 and $50 of that was a nice double pane slide out screened window.

You seem happy enough not having running water in your house and no toilet, what's the point in trying to convince you otherwise? My education took many years, I can only tell you that water and sewerages are the cornerstone of any civilization that ever existed. You can believe me or not, if not I guess you can read a few books and learn it yourself.
By the way, outhouses are not “regularly used in residential settings” in Europe. I actually live in Europe. No idea what made you think that they are commonly used around here. You won’t get a permit for an outhouse in most places. Maybe you’re confusing Europe with Africa or India.
FerFAL

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Composting_toilet

http://sustainable-solutions.info

There is a reason for that.

Drinking water sanitation and waste water treatment are probably the two biggest advances in human health, ever!



 

Oh most definitely. I fully agree.

However as preppers and knowing that should make it that much more crucial we learn alternative methods. Since it is a skill that the majority of our population has lost.

Just like food production has become safer then any time in our past....

But that shouldn't keep us from learning home butchering or gardening techniques.

Pretty sure this thread has been derailed...but anyways, I had a buddy move in with me. He therefore has running water, sewer, etc, all modern conveniences. He has always had someone clean up after him, ie: mom, maids, imaginary girlfriends etc.

This relates to what Georgia is talkin about, within a month or less I checked the bathroom that for all intents and purposes is his alone...mold everywhere, floor peeling up, absolutely trashed...I only bothered to check because it began to stink up my house. A perfect example of what Georgia is referring to. This grown ass man couldn't bother to wipe down the marble shower, or throw his towel down before stepping out...ever.

The flip side of that coin is I enjoy not having to put shoes on to go take a crap. I enjoy all modern conveniences to the 87th power,  they make life so much easier, I have no desire in my day to day life to rough it. That said when I am roughing it, sanitation is at the top of my list of priorities.
I think when the house of cards falls, it won't change anything as far as people's personal sanitation habits. The stank wafters will still stank and the clean freaks will still be as clean as possible for their circumstances. The only difference will be how much time you consume doing previously expedient things. Just my 87 cents..
Eta break up wall of text

I think if your idea of survival is a hotel room in another country you might face some adjustment issues. If however you have spent time camping and hiking in true austere environments then sanitation will be second nature.

You would think so but you would be amazed at the number of people that don't know how to dig a sanitary latrine or how far away from your camp it should be.
 

Or that it should be downstream from water intake.