Running water and soap

[kev]

This weekend at the deer camp, I was reminded how important it is to have soap and running water.

Nothing broke down, the water pump did not go out - it was not anything like that. After getting back from a late hour 4-wheeler ride with my sons, I went to bed without a shower. The next day (sunday) I got up feeling all dirty. It was that nasty, yucky feeling.

Another problem, we were running low on soap at the camp. All we had was dish washing liquid.

[Daniel964]

Soap is something I'm building up a supply of also. It will always be nice to be clean. Helps cut down on the chance of infection or disease and could be a good trade item if needed. I also think I could make soap from basic ingredients. Lye which you can get from wood ashes, water and fats. Either animal or plant. I have made soap with red devil lye and lard before. Turned out real good. We used it and never bought store bar soap for almost 5 years. I still have some left. Only reason I stopped making it is I was doing it as a hobby and got tired of doing it.

[Per Ardua]

If stocking up on soap I suggest a non-perfumed soap. Running water is nice, but even a sponge bath makes a world of difference. While hunting I have used baking soda instead of soap in order to help keep the odor down.

Daniel - I would love to see a post or article on your experience with making soap. There is lots of sites that give instructions but I expect most are somewhat watered down and miss the little 'oops' and tricks that make for a successful experience.

Cheers,
-Per