SURVIVAL TIPS: Field Hygiene & Five F's

One of the most important parts for consideration with any form of camping or survival; Hygiene is a must.

• Five F's

1.) Fingers

2.) Flies

3.) Food

4.) Fluids

5.) Fecal Matter

The above mention are the considerations a person or group must respect and correctly manage.

It's very important to always keep clean and segregate waste from living space and water sources. We all poop and urinate. We all need to wash and brush our teeth.

Never relieve yourself within 100 ft of your camp. Always wash your hands after handling raw materials, foods, waste or plants. This simple practice will prevent disease, and infections. Never corrupt a water source with human waste or human byproducts.

Burn or bury unused food waste to avoid unwanted predatory or scavenging animals. A good practice is bury food waste 1/2 Mile away from your campsite. This will help to minimize cougars, wolves, bears, and other like wild animals from encroaching your encampment.

Hanging food 16 feet or above from a rope will save your next meal from being stolen by animals.

Cryptosporidium & Giardia are parasites that are microscopic. Two of the major concerns for potential drinking water. All water must be treated or boiled. My preferred method is boiling by fire (Conduction) or Solar Boiling (Radiation). Convection is the third form of heat transfer used in camping or survival to make jerky or smoked meats. Also to heat shelters.

Hygiene also includes washing tools or pots & pans. Bad hygiene will always attract what you do not want; Animals or flies.

Dry wood such as mesquite when burned will deliver a smoke that Mosquitos and flying insects don't like. It also is good for masking the smell of food. Animals most generally don't associate smoke that smells pleasing to human noses as a signal for food. Animals by instinct associate smoke and a danger and will avoid at great lengths most generally.

It's important to remember that washing hands, face, or head should be done only with treated or boiled water. Giardia & cryptosporidium can enter your body by ears, eyes, nose and mouth. Wash your tools, pots & pans with treated water.