Hygiene is important. We know that improved hygiene has had a significant impact on the increased life expectancy seen over the last century. So hygiene for bushcraft is key if you’re spending time outdoors on your own or with a friend, but becomes increasingly important the more people there are in the group.
When I think about large groups of people living in the field, the armed forces come to mind (probably because I was a soldier many years ago). History shows that in times of conflict, more often than not, there were greater casualties from disease than from fighting. For example, in Burma during the Second World War it’s estimated that for every British soldier evacuated with a wound, 120 were evacuated because of disease.
So below are a few pointers on hygiene for bushcraft. Feel free to add your own thoughts in the comments.
Personal hygiene
When I’m heading out into the woods I’ll take a toothbrush and toothpaste, hand sanitiser and biodegradable wet wipes for a short trip. If it’s longer, I’ll also take a collapsible bowl and flannel.
Also think about taking foot powder and powder your feet before going to bed.
If you break skin, whether a cut or a scrape, clean the wound immediately to avoid infection and keep it covered.
Air out your clothing and sleeping bag whenever the weather allows to get rid of any damp that’ll build up.
Toilet
How long you’ll be in any given location will affect this. If it’s an overnight camp, I tend to wander off a little and dig a cat scrape.
However, if you’re in a location for a few days, you might want to consider digging a latrine. After using the latrine, cover your deposit with some of the soil you’ve dug out. You might need some kind of cover to keep flies away.
Make sure that you wash your hands after going to the toilet.
Whether you’re using a cat scrape or a latrine, avoid anywhere near a water source to prevent seepage into that water.
Food
Think carefully about the food you take with you and avoid items that are more likely to give you food poisoning. For example, I avoid taking food that needs refrigeration in the summer months but I’m a little more relaxed in the winter. I quite like bannock and bangers for breakfast, but I take chipolatas rather than sausages because it’s easier to cook them right through.
Keep your food off the ground but make sure that tree dwelling animals aren’t able to get to it. Depending on where you are, you might need to store your food a distance from your camp.
Make sure that your hands and any cooking utensils you use are clean before you start and make sure to wash everything after you’ve eaten. I take a little piece of scotchbrite and a small quantity of biodegradable washing up liquid.
The photo below was taken on exercise in Germany in 1987 and shows us doing a bit of ‘pan bashing’.
From left to right: me, wee Mac, Jock Lowe
Water
There are many water borne diseases that can make you ill so purifying your water is crucial. You’ll need a system to ensure that dirty water and clean water don’t get mixed up and so that you don’t contaminate clean water containers with dirty water.
Only touch clean water containers with clean hands. Put lids back on water containers immediately and don’t touch the threads.
Avoid washing your hands from the spout.
If you’re camped near moving water there’s an order in which you want to make use of the water. Collect water for drinking upstream. Wash yourself below that. Wash clothing etc. below that. Wash cooking utensils below that. If you’re with a group, decide on where these points lie so that everyone’s aware.
A note: There’s a balance to be struck; sometimes on courses we have people who are reluctant to kneel down in case they get dirty or don’t want to get mud on their hands. In bushcraft you’ll get a bit mucky, but don’t overly worry about it. In fact a bit of mud on your hands might even have benefits; Mycobacterium vaccae, a bacteria found in soil, can improve your emotional state and boost immunity.
Whilst hygiene is important on all of our courses, and is something we cover on the opening briefing, it’s especially important on our Wayfarer’s Weekend.
You can see plenty of photos from this course and all of our other courses on our Facebook page.
