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Overview
There are some geologists who brag about going into the field
for two months of research and showering only once a week during that stretch.
In doing so, these people are living like barbarians. That they're camping
with limited water or working in a
delicate environment is no excuse -- it's arguably simple to clean yourself
without using any water or polluting the environment.
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| Once they're on you, many problematic organisms will explore your body
for hours before laying eggs or burrowing in, so a simple shower at the
END of the work day is strongly advised. If you're camping, you
probably can't shower every day. But with a little effort in a few
key places, you can avoid the onset of the itching, burning, blistering,
stinking, disease-ridden consequences later on. |
Lice,
chiggers, ticks, tapeworms, leaches, fungus,
bacteria and viruses
are only a few of the justifications for exercising near-DAILY field
hygiene |
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Areas that can be particularly
intolerant of near-daily cleansing are the:
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mouth
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feet
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genitalia
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anus
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eyes
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After about three days of poor field hygiene, body acne,
athlete's foot, jock itch
and/or mildly irritating rashes can develop, and if left unchecked, these
easily preventable and treatable cases can quickly flare into
scorching reminders of your need to clean up more frequently.
Fortunately, modern pharmacology and chemistry are here to help.
Successful prevention of a problem is far better than having to treat a
problem. As a backup plan, the ability to render competent treatment
is better than suffering the painful irritation, embarrassment and
distraction associated with personal problems of this nature. |
Tips
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Ultraviolet radiation
from direct sunlight can work in your favor. There's a good
reason why no life-forms lived on dry land prior to formation of the
protective ozone layer...
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UV radiation will kill
much of the bacteria present in your clothes (especially socks),
sleeping bag, and dishware when set out in direct sunlight. This
is called sun-bleaching. An added bonus is the automatic
drying effect which also kills bacteria. This works regardless
of temperature though on hot days you get yet another advantage --
high heat. (Be sure to secure your gear so it doesn't blow away!
Also,
watch the weather so you don't end up leaving your sleeping
bag out in an unexpected afternoon rain storm while you're miles from
camp.)
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Weather permitting,
direct sunlight on your skin will also kill much of the bacteria
present there, but be aware of the
risks from sunburn!
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The use of
unscented soaps, antiperspirants, etc. is preferred being that fewer
mosquitoes and flies (and
possibly big game) will be attracted to you.
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Clean up at the END
of the work day. Even after my military experience and all the
expeditions I've been on, I'm still amazed at how many people go to bed dirty
and crawling with who knows what only to shower the following morning before setting out
to get dirty all over again.
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If you can't take a
shower (due to camping, the cold, water shortage, etc.), take a "spit bath."
That is, scrub the critical places while in your tent or a secluded area with a small amount of
water and/or no-rinse soap or the like.
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©
2002 Reuben Johnson |
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Don't bother shaving
if you're in a low water or delicate area -- it only wastes water,
pollutes
the environment, and creates the need for more gear.
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Men, be aware that women
aren't the only ones who can get yeast infections on their genitals.
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Women, see the page regarding the precautions you
may need to
consider if
working in bear territory while menstruating.
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- In the absence of soap or other cleansers, wet sand or gravel
makes a wonderful scrubbing agent for your hands and body as well as
dishware. Both you and your pots will come out squeaky clean.
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| If cooking for others,
sanitary hands and dishware are a MUST -- especially when working in
large groups living in close quarters. |
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Synthetic camp towels
will dry more quickly, absorb more water, weigh less, take less space,
and offer greater resistance to mold and mildew than will other towels.
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A callous scraper
should be considered essential to any long-term field work. You'll
likely be doing a lot of footwork and therefore developing new, thick
calluses. If these go too long without scraping to thin them down,
they'll become dry and may crack open. At this stage, they'll be
very painful and difficult to deal with. Infection becomes a
serious threat.
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A small nail brush
for cleaning under your fingernails is also quite handy.
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