Sanitation in the Great Outdoors

Sanitation is as important in the field as it is at home, but harder to achieve. 

While either travelling through terminals or roughing it in the wilderness washing is essential but not always optimal.

Cooks should understand the importance of washing hands before food preparation and food serving. Cleaning pots, pans and utensils after use are the first line of defence between food borne illness and expedition members. 

Serving food dry or hot will help reduce food borne pathogens. Avoid giving flies to walk on your food (their foot pads are frequently in contact with faeces and they very quickly spread bacteria).

Without refrigeration foods will spoil more quickly than at home.

Food leftovers should be not considered safe on the trail and discarded (burned, buried or packed out). 

Water disinfection should be observed whether by boiling, chemicals or ultraviolet treatment, to ensure safety.

After the meal, air-drying of washed and rinsed eating and cooking utensils is preferable to drying them with a dirty camp towel.  If water and fuel is plentiful, dipping washed utensils into a pot of boiling water, as a final step will help destroy bacteria. 

Hand washing stations can be set up with a collapsible plastic water jug and a bar of anti-bacterial soap between the tents and the eating area to encourage hand washing.  That failing, a squeeze bottle or tube of commercial hand washing disinfectant may be made available to all camp members and encouraged to be used prior to consuming food. 

Keeping odors and trash down from the campsite will keep insects and other pests away from the camp.

Insects are attracted to smells so another way to cut down on mosquito bites is to bathe regularly.

Finally keeping the trash away from the campsite and suspended in a tree (15 ft off the ground and 5 ft from the tree trunk) is always a good idea in bear country. Avoid giving a bear or wild animal any good reason to visit you at night.

Any latrines in the wilderness should be far away from the camp (300 ft) as well as any tables of water (200 ft). Outdoor experts advocate using “cat hole” method where a small hole 6-8 inches deep is used to bury human waste

Wherever campers and travelers may go, maintaining good hygiene not only makes people feel more comfortable but also helps maintain morale and keeps them healthy. It is always good to avoid bites from both the big and little creatures.