Of all the crises that people try to anticipate, disease is often overlooked.
But illness can be a silent and persistent killer if precautionary measures aren’t taken.
And this one skill will help safeguard you against the possibility of contracting a nasty disease.
A deadly pandemic is always a threat to trigger a nationwide—or even global—emergency.
And this fear has been validated by the rise of nearly incurable superbugs.
The overuse of antibiotics has contributed to emerging virus strains that are resistant to them.
For example, Candida auris is an aggressive germ with a near 50% mortality rate.
- auris and other bugs prey on people with weakened immune systems, and one surefire way to compromise your immune system is poor hygiene.
That’s why knowing how to build a proper septic tank will go a long way in helping you maintain good health.
Cleanliness isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when discussing survival, but poor hygiene is one of the quickest ways to meet your demise when the SHTF.
The main reason for our massive jump in life expectancy over the last two centuries was improved hygiene.
It’s gravely important, even if it doesn’t seem so.
If you’re a survivalist and you’re off the grid, you’re going to have to fend for yourself, and you won’t have a plumber a quick phone call away.
That’s why you need a sound plan for waste disposal.
In functioning cities, we take for granted services like water treatment and garbage collection.
Third-world conditions could arise quickly without these overlooked duties.
There are various tutorials available for building a do-it-yourself septic, but there are four rudimentary steps:
Figure out the size of the tank you’ll need, decide on the type of tank (steel, fiberglass, concrete), determine the location of the tank (downhill is better because it allows gravity to do its job), and dig a hole to fit the tanks.
It all depends on your specific needs.
Most homes have septic tanks that can handle between 1,000 and 2,000 gallons.
A smaller system for a homesteading lifestyle could be fitted with two 55-gallon drums.
The builds get very detailed and depend on specifications, but they’re very doable with just a little determination.
And if you’re in an area with no underground sewage, the septic tank becomes a necessity.
Building a smaller system provides a happy medium between Dark Ages-level sanitation and an expensive system that could be difficult to manage on your own if the SHTF.
Also, for the truly hardcore homesteader, you can use human waste to compost and fertilize your garden.
While it works, it’s not for the faint of heart.
Whichever route you choose, make sure it’s at the forefront of your survival plans.
If society does eventually collapse, the spread of disease could be the number one cause of death.
Don’t increase your chances of contracting a serious illness by neglecting the necessary steps to prep in a maintainable sanitary space.
