Search Results for: "night soil"

Letter: Night Soil

…planted, grown, and harvested with pure hand tools. Do look up Nixtamalization using wood ash. The corn patch will not be used for root crops and would go into a legume type rotation before I plan to eat root crops or those that might come in close contact with the soil. For another aspect, look up the Three Sisters from the Native American cultures. From my reading the Natives would not use any type of manure because it affected the taste of the corn. Also Google Painted Mountain Corn. Once you taste corn bread made from Indian Corn, you say, “Yummy.” – CM HJL Replies: Please see the many warnings in SurvivalBlog’s archives on using human fertilizer (night soil) for plants that are to be used for human consumption. Also, any night soil used for ornamental plants should be thoroughly composted before using and buried at least six inches deep….


Surviving EMP: Suburban Circle Garden- Part 2, by Northwest Native Elder

…urine. [Editors note: As usual, SurvivalBlog will add a strong proviso here. In our opinion, the risks of this practice far outweigh any potential benefit. Please search the blog for “night soil” or “humanure” for more details.] This suggestion may be repulsive to many but watching a loved one die from lack of food from a crop failure or reduced yield is much more repulsive to me. Human waste fertilizer is used in many parts of the world quite successfully. You should avoid using human waste from anyone that is obviously ill. You will not have public sewer service anymore, so use one of your 5-gallon buckets for a toilet to collect waste. Urine may be used anytime, but human or animal feces will require a cooling off period, so it won’t “burn” your plants and kill them. Find an area of your yard that is far from everything else…


The Bugs No One Talks About, by J.T.

…placed on personal prevention in areas that have the potential to harbor high tick populations.  Preventative measures include pre-treatment of clothing with permethrin, use of insect repellant with at least 20% DEET, proper blousing of clothing, and regular inspections for ticks on one’s body.    Preventative Measures Individuals as well as localities should incorporate education about parasites and discussions on what they can do as individuals/groups to better prevent parasitic infections.  Even though many preventative measures are commonsense, discussions should include abstaining from using night soil (human excrement) as fertilizer, and using proper latrines/disposing of human waste appropriately.  Also, ensuring that the water supply is filtered/treated properly is of key importance as is appropriate hand hygiene.  In malaria prone areas prophylactic medication should be taken as directed and permethrin impregnated mosquito nets should be used as well as permethrin impregnated clothing and insect repellent with at least 20% DEET.  If at…


A Realistic Assessment of Epidemic Disease After TEOTWAWKI- Part 2, by Dr. DMC

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…it. The germ had been introduced to the troops through locally grown foods fertilized with human waste or “night soil”. The sick Marines had to use the open latrines where enormous swarms of flies picked up the germs and then transmitted them to the lips and eyes of other Marines. Shigella is highly infectious and can be spread by only a few organisms; the feet of a fly can transmit thousands. So the outbreak grew and persisted. The fighting ability of several military units was ruined overnight by a combination of bad food, poor sanitation, and a huge swarm of flies. Similar Effects in TEOTWAWKI When Sewers Stop Working A TEOTWAWKI event would have similar effects, especially in an urban environment where sewers stop working long before the digestive systems of the local population stop. Of all the diseases that would affect a surviving remnant, diarrhea may be the most…


From David in Israel on Expedient Shelter/Greenhouses

…(large enough to stay clear) 1-composter toilet (plumbed into system, crank mixer/pump) x-sandbags (ballistic protection) 1-runoff rain barrel (plug/valve near bottom to plumb into system) 1-hand pump kit x-assorted vegetable starters x-bamboo starters 1-Tyvek instruction manual on how to setup and heat shelter, germinate and grow seeds and cuttings. A hand pump, pipe, and a sand spike would be a nice addition for the kit buyer. including sand bags in a kit would allow making of a “meklat” shelter partially dug in for those who want ballistic protection. This would likely last a maximum of 1-to-2 years but this would allow a permanent settlement to be built. JWR Adds:  I have one point of disagreement: “Night soil” (composted human waste) should not be used as fertilizer for growing vegetables.  The risks far outweigh the benefits!  I suggest only using waste from cattle or other herbivorous livestock for such a scheme….


Preparing Now For Good Sanitation After The SHTF, by S.T.

…strong clothes drying rack that will last many years. There are some very good ones available for purchase at www.homesteaddryingracks.com. Step 12- Purchase this book: www.humanurehandbook.com. (HJL Notes: Night Soil is a highly controversial subject, and one fraught with bad information on the internet and potential dangers. I highly recommend searching the SurvivalBlog archives for more information.) Step 13- Purchase a solar shower for each member of the family. If you can afford it, purchase a couple of extras also. Step 14- Purchase a good amount of clothes pins. The dollar store is about the only place I have seen clothes pins for sale in the last few years. They have both wood and plastic ones. I have a stock of both. Step 15- Make a clothes pin bag. Take an old button down shirt (toddlers size), button all of the buttons, turn the shirt inside out and cut off…


Letter Re: Getting By In Wyoming

…a filing cabinet near my desk to this day, just in case. – JM Hugh adds: JWR has also recommended old telephone books as a handy substitute. However, the best alternative is to just do what 2/3 of the entire world does. If you accidentally got “night soil” on your hand, would you consider it clean by simply wiping your hand with toilet paper? Of course not! Most of the world simply uses a cup of water and one hand to clean themselves. It’s a main reason that you don’t shake hands with your left hand throughout the world. However, in first world countries, we also have easy access to soap. Cleaning the bum with a hand and a cup of water and then washing your hands with soap and water is by far the most hygienic way to take care of the matter, as long as you have water….