Author Sara F. Hathaway
The Changing Earth
"Dream, Survive, Thrive"
Episode 16 S1-16
Survival Sanitation
Featuring:
Day After Disaster Ch 16
Special Guest:
James E. Hart
In the Day After Disaster adventure, Erika wakes up from the exodus in a familiar place but has to get cleaned up before she can face the new day. Survival professional and author of Urban & Wilderness Survival, Emergency Preparedness, James E. Hart, joins Sara to discuss the importance of survival sanitation and how you can steps to maintain good hygiene after a disaster scenario.
Sanitation is the Key to Survival Success:
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You do not want to be sick in a survival situation! You don't want to be in any more danger than you are already in.
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In a survival situation: Make a shelter, start your fire, find water, then sit and assess your situation. Including, what you have, how you can get our of the situation and how you will take care of yourself.
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Make a latrine that is far away and will not contaminate drinking water.
Make Sure Your Water is Clean!
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Use a survival straw for drinking water.
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Boil all of your other water and then filter it. Make sure the water you are using is as clean as possible, filter it and bring it to a rolling boil for at least three minutes. Re-filter the water after boiling.
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Iodine tablets are effective but you will have to get used to the unpleasant flavor.
Washing and Clothing Care:
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The three most important parts of your body to keep clean are your hands, armpits, crotch and feet.
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Use sand, ashes or soap wart and water for washing.
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Wash clothes in a stream and then hang them in the sun to dry. UV light will kill bacteria on the clothing.
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Make sure you are always carrying extra socks. Have multiple pairs of cotton ones for the summer and wool ones for the winter. In a desert climate you may have to change them 3-4 times a day.
Featured Quote From Today's Chapter:
“Soaking in this delightfully warm water, she almost forgot how much she loved hot showers.”
Featured Survival Product:
4 Person Hygiene Kit
Hygiene is easy to maintain with this all inclusive hygiene kit. A perfect addition to any evacuation kit.
The Changing Earth Series
The Federal Republic of America
Character Origins
James E. Hart
A veteran of 2 tours of duty in Viet Nam, James began his survival training at the age of 7 when he was stranded in the Mojave Desert for 7 hours without food or water during a family move in 1954. Since then he has been through the scouting program where he attained Life scout, served as Scoutmaster, Assistant Scoutmaster, Venture Advisor, and earned the Badden Powell Award. An avid outdoors man, he has winter camped in Utah and northern Quebec, Canada, snowshoed in upstate New York, Utah and Quebec, and camped in the Mojave Desert of California, the Uintah Mountains of Utah, and the Piney Woods of East Texas, among numerous other locations. James has traveled and been through 42 of the 50 states of the US. Three provinces of Canada, sailed the Pacific Ocean, and crossed the Equator and 35 countries from jungles of South America to the Himalayas of Nepal. Having earned an Associates of Photography Degree from Houston Community College, he has beautifully captured many of his travels with his camera.
Now retired from a career with the Trinity River Authority of Texas, James resides in Dallas, TX, where he lectures on Wilderness and Survival Training. He is the author of SWET Survival & Wilderness Experience Training, Urban & Wilderness Emergency Planning, 35 other booklets on wilderness training, monthly articles for Survival Life Magazine, and a column and articles for The Garland Messenger Newspaper. James also does workshops and speaking engagements.
