Category: Sanitation

Letter Re: Sanitation in Grid Down Situations

Hello James,   I read the recent article on survival for apartment dwellers and I hate to burst a bubble but a major factor was left out: SANITATION. It’s incredible domino effect is truly mind boggling!   Back in 1999 I was involved in writing a white paper for the government on the effects caused by no running water.   I am afraid I know what I am talking about and it’s not a pretty picture.  In 1998 in Auckland, New Zealand there was a lengthy power failure that in turn led to several days without water and what happened …


Traditional Womanly Arts for Austere Times by Sue of Suburbia

Sometimes I ponder what it means to be a woman in our society of hyper-consumption.  If you watch television or read today’s women’s magazines, you are led to believe that the activities most preferred by a woman are shopping, poisoning her nails, getting her hair yanked around in a salon, zapping packaged foods in the microwave, and ingesting a concoction of prescription drugs to stay sane through it all. I tried some of these things in the past.  Each time, I was left with an utterly unfulfilled feeling and thinking, “There has to be more to being a woman than …


Lessons in Survival: Family Innovation and Industry in the U.S. Great Depression by W.J.

I have always been fascinated with history and might have become a history teacher if there had been any possibility of making substantial money at it.  Growing up in the 1950s and ‘1960s in rural Texas the lessons of the U.S. “Great Depression” were still fresh in the memories of my family, so our frequent family get gatherings produced many stories from those days, some of which were “not so good old days”.  I want to relate some of this story for the benefit of those preparing for possible future, harder times: There was no money.  For a few years …


Some Experiences with Hazmat Cleanup, by Pat O.

I spent three years working through college as part of several emergency response teams dealing with hazardous materials (Hazmat) containment and cleanup.  There are simple lessons that can help prepare for various emergencies and materials that might be encountered.  This is not a do-it-yourself type of endeavor nor is it safe unless you are properly trained, equipped and monitored.  Safety is most important and your responsibility: Never put yourself or others in danger when a substance or environment is unknown or dangerous.  Take basic precautions and obtain all information about any potentially dangerous materials you may encounter or store as …


Letter Re: Bathing in a World Without Electricity

Good Morning; My wife and I were once again looking at our list of to-do’s in our quest to prepare. I was looking at the list and noticed she wanted to find a wash tub that we could bathe in. Fortunately we live about one hundred feet from a year round creek and water will not be a issue. I started looking around  the house and my eyes fell on the woodstove and the 2.5 gallon water tank on the side. Now that water gets very warm obviously and I thought ok well that solves the hot water problem. Well, …


Letter Re: Off-Grid Living on an Alaskan Island

Hello, Many US military personal who serve on an isolated duty station, in effect live off grid.  For example I was in the U.S. Coast Guard and stationed at Cape Sarichef, Alaska for a year. [It is at the end of Unimak Island.]           We had three large Caterpillar generators.  We got our water from a reservoir that was filled from mountain runoff.  I would go the reservoir when needed and start a small hand pull pump (during the winter could take almost 30 minutes to get started.) This would pump the water along a buried pipe line, with …


Preparedness on a Tight Budget, by Mrs. R.J. in Arkansas

I have read many of the stories on survival blog but have yet to read a one from someone on a very tight budget. That leaves those of us with tiny incomes at a disadvantage and feeling vulnerable. For about two years I have had a small voice inside me telling me to fill my storehouses with food for the coming famine. As a Christian and minister I believe that voice is God and He wants His people to be ready. Although Many Christians think we are crazy and don’t believe they should have to worry about storing foods for …


Letter Re: Being Prepared: A Tale of Two Hurricanes

Dear Sir, After reading A Tale of Two Hurricanes by N.D., I thought I would share some lessons that my family and I learned from Hurricane Ike. First off, I became turned onto the prepping mindset about a year and a half ago. I have been trying to get my father thinking in this mindset and he recently read “One Second After” by William R. Forstchen which seems to have truly sparked something inside him. I plan to let him read my copy of your novel “Patriots” as well. Well we live in the “country” northwest of Houston. Most people …


Earthships: Sustainable Living for TEOTWAWKI, by Sgt. P.

How much did the average home owner in the United States pay for utilities last month?  Last Year?  How much will they pay for utilities by the time they pay off their mortgage?  If they averaged $250 per month in utilities, which is below the national average of “$264.33 per month” (Statistic quoted by White Fence) the answer is shocking.  With the average home loan lasting 30 years, without taking into consideration rising costs, utilities would be $90,000!  For that amount of money this homeowner could put one child through a four year-degree at a very nice university.  What if …


Four Letters Re: Paper or Plastic? — That is the Question

Sir,                 The question of how much toilet paper one must store is an important issue indeed.  One thing I feel that is often overlooked, and that some readers can personally attest to is that the method of “doing your duty” can play a role in how much paper is required.  I currently live in mainland China , and have for some time now.  The venerable “squatty potty” is much cleaner for the user and therefore easier on the supply of precious paper.  We have three children and as a whole, China does not supply paper in its …


Preparing for the Aftermath–Lessons from the 1930s, by J. E.

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It’s one or two years after an EMP attack and you are safely tucked away in your retreat somewhere in the middle of nowhere.  Your storage foods have mostly been used and your high tech electronics is useless.   The really bad stuff is mostly past.  Now it’s try to stay fed and alive and pray that civilization as you know it is coming back.  You’re going to have to work your environment to live.  Ever wonder what life might be like?  What would it really be like to have no running water, electricity, sewer, newspaper or Internet?  No supermarket or …


A Doctor’s View of TEOTWAWKI, by Michael S., M.D.

Dear Mr. Rawles, I am a physician in Iowa and have read SurvivalBlog and many books related to survival including yours. In general there are many good thoughts and insights in the Blog. History predicts the future and some facts of history seem to have been overlooked by many survivalists. Many predict that in a long term situation, those left would be in an 1880s situation. In Iowa, most counties had a peak population in the 1880 census. Most counties in Iowa have lost population every census since then (1940 was generally flat) this means that the land could support …


Letter Re: Cleanliness–Maximize Your Productivity and Protect Your Investment

Letter Re: Cleanliness–Maximize Your Productivity and Protect Your Investment James, Please remind your readers that there are two bars of soap that you should always keep a good supply stocked: The first is Lava hand soap. Lava bar soap will lather up even in cold salt water – so then there are no excuses that you can’t “clean up”. The second bar of soap is Fels-Naptha laundry soap. Fels-Naptha bar soap is so very important because it will lift urushiol from the skin when you get into a poison patch and keeps it suspended long enough to wash it from …


Letter Re: Avoid Using Anti-Bacterial Soaps

Mr. Rawles, I’d like to respond to the Cleanliness article by P. J. W.. The author recommended “lather (with anti-bacterial soap).” Readers should be aware of how unnecessary anti-bacterial soap is and how it’s loaded with negative side effects. Although anti-bacterial soap is best at reducing bacteria during hand washing, the use of non-antibacterial soap and water alone are most effective at removing viruses. See this YouTube clip. Also see this Mercola article. (You may need to register to read, though registration is free.) Studies have shown that people who use antibacterial soaps and cleansers can often develop a cough, …


Cleanliness–Maximize Your Productivity and Protect Your Investment, by P.J.W.

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Your preps are complete, your house is bomb proof, you run on alternative energy, and you are on the top of a mountain surrounded by a moat… Who can defeat you? Yourself! It doesn’t matter how extensively you have prepped, how secure your retreat is, or how well you are prepared for a TEOTWAWKI situation, if you let it all fall apart from the inside! So what are some simple things that you can do to set yourself up for success? We’ve all heard the proverb “Cleanliness is next to Godliness” and most of us have heard the expression “Don’t …