Hello, my friend and welcome back! In today’s post, we are going to look at the silent killers that will exist in a post SHTF world and what you can do to protect yourself. Grab a cup of coffee and have a seat while we visit.
While so much time is spent finding ways to protect ourselves in a post SHTF world, many of us fail to consider how they will defend themselves from the “Silent Killers” that are sure to be present. I’m talking about disease and you can bet your last dollar that it will become a very serious issue if you don’t know how to protect yourself from it.
Dysentery will be a big one if you don’t know how to properly dispose of human waste. If you are not careful, it could get into your water and make you very sick or even kill you. According to Wikipedia, Dysentery is an inflammation of the intestine causing diarrhea with blood.[1][2] Other symptoms may include fever, abdominal pain,[3] and rectal tenesmus (a feeling of incomplete defecation). Not something you want while fighting for your life.
It can be caused by a number of different infections such as bacteria, viruses, parasitic worms, or protozoa. This can occur when raw sewage leaks into the water system that you are using. While boiling your water helps, all it takes is one slip up and you have a serious problem. To help prevent this, you need to know how to properly dispose of all of your sewage.
If you have already invested in a sewer system, which utilizes septic tanks and irrigation pipe, then you are probably already set. But, should you be forced to abandon your site and set up someplace else, knowing how to create a simple system that works is good to know.
So what is the best way to do this? There are many ways you could do it, but here are a few: Use composting toilets, which are basically five-gallon buckets with a toilet lid on it and saw dust in the bottom. Each time you use the toilet, you add a little more sawdust to it until it is full. While there are some much more expensive composting toilets are there many Preppers seem to prefer just using the bucket. Next, you will want to take it out and bury its contents, but not just anywhere.
You will need to select a site, well in advance and prepare it for just this purpose. You will want to layout a spot that is about eight feet by eight feet, and four feet deep downhill from where your water well is located. Now granted, being downhill is no guarantee that it will not get into your water source, but it does greatly lessen the chances. You will also want to locate it as far away from your home as possible, due to the smell.
You are going to want to line the bottom with gravel, but if gravel is not available, then consider using crushed soda cans, instead. Next, you will want to put about a foot of sand on top if possible and if not, use six inches of regular soil. Now as you add the contents of each bucket of waste to the hole, you will want to cover it very well with at least six inches of dirt and place either plastic sheeting or tightly fit boards on top of the pit to keep out any flies. If you have a little lime powder, to sprinkle on top of where you just emptied your bucket, then that would also help.
Continue to use the pit for emptying your human waste, until it is about a foot from the top. At this point, you will want to finish filling it in with dirt and pack it down really good. It wouldn’t hurt to throw some extra dirt on it and mark the spot well so you can find it later on. At some point in the distant future, it could actually be dug up and used as fertilizer for your garden if you chose to. Personally, I would rather not, but that’s just me.
You will also want to pay attention to anyone you come in contact with that has a cough or a rash, that you can’t identify. Proper disposal of human waste, boiling all of your water, regardless of how safe you think it is and staying aware of possible sickness in others, are your best defense against illness and avoiding the “Silent Killers”.
Now, I am no expert on the subject, but this is what I have been taught on this subject. Please do a little research on the subject, on your own, before you need to know how to do it. Prepping means learning new things as well, so get started now and when the time comes, you will know how to do it.
That is it for today and I hope you have enjoyed today’s post. If you happen to have something to add to this post or know more information about doing it, please add it in the comments below. Like you, I’m always learning as well. Until next time, please stay safe, stay strong and stay prepared. God Save America!
-The Sargent-
For more information on abdominal pain, see this article: http://www.thebabbleout.com/health/abdominal-pain/
I just wanted to say thank you for your time, dedication and research. It seems every time I pop over here, your latest info is something I was just contemplating throughout the week.
Thank you! My readers are what makes it all worth it. 🙂
-sarge-
Thank you very much Sargent for your timely article. I think this will work very well for folks in a semi rural setting. But I live in a trailer court in the middle of a large city. I live two lots away from the trash bin and I know exactly what is going to happen to that garbage and waste. People will continue to throw one bag on top of another even though it is not being collected. Soon I imagine that will include human waste. I would think my neighbors will be very polite and set their waste down ever so lightly…just in the right place….now it is someone else’s problem. Mine!! Just because of proximity. It would be nice if I could dig a really large hole and begin to fill it with the refuge…but most of the folks here are elderly, like myself. I can make some signs and ask them to dispose of it on their lots….but I don’t think they would make the effort. Too much trouble to carry it 100 yards back to their own lots. Maybe burn it every week in a central area? Anyway, thank you again….I need to talk to the airhead manager and ask her if she has a solution. LOL…she will say just don’t worry or think about it till it happens. Good luck to all my SHTF friends. Handy
William, Thank you for your kind words, they are appreciated. Just for the record, exposure to the burning of human waste is not believed to cause any short or long term health risk. The biggest issue will be dealing with the smell. Best of luck my friend.
-The Sargent-