Planning for Overlanding in the face of a Pandemic

[GreyMudder]

Not sure if this is the right forum, and not wanting to spread fear, just I believe in a heads approach to be prepared and implement safe methods.. This is not a nice subject, so ... Wife and I have camped in the wild many many moons, and always on almost every trip, the nasty remains of other campers polluted the area and not just waste, but the worse of all, unattended feces.. We dug or bagged other peoples shit.. literally . But in face of what I understand this could a source of concern. What does the community think of how we should approach this issue?

I confess, I offer no solution here , hoping that the community is getting better in taking care of the wonderful lands that we use. We have not overlanded or camped out in the last 20 years, this will be our retirement activity. But I fear that cleaning up after ones self is not well observed.

To mods, please swap it to a more appropriate forum or delete if you feel the content is too harsh.

 

[USStrongman]

I think its simple. Take yourselves where others don't go. To me that's a basic tenant of what this community is all about. I will never camp in pullout campsites just for this reason. You can't fix stupid people.

I am currently dealing with about 100 contractors who for 19 months have been building our new 12 story city hall across the street. (we own a 4 unit loft building in a 1940's 3 story warehouse) They park in my parking lot adjacent to my building and another outside my front door. The amount of trash the fuckers leave behind is asstounding... considering they have to walk past dumpsters to get back on the job site. My neighbors and I pick it up every weekend. City police, manager, codes, city councilman... don't care. Contractor and subs don't care.

Same applies to camping. Campers don't care. Forest service et al are spread too thin to be of any practical use. I camp where no one else goes and I leave it the way I found it. It takes more work and requires more equipment sometimes, ut its worth it

 

[Motoboss]

First world problems. Leaving trash is non excusable. Leaving a banana peel, apple core or just plain feces is fretting over nothing. Everything that nature provides is reclaimed by nature. We are no more than animals in the chain. "Pandemic" is total alarmist speak. Lighten up Francis!
Jeezzz, don't go to India, you wouldn't survive!

 

[McKenzieOverland]

I find once we "get out there" those fears kinda fade away and you find solitude in places where people that leave their "garbage" (within a given radius of populated areas) don't travel.

 

[J.W.]

I’m much less concerned about being exposed to COVID-19 out camping that I am at the grocery store.

As for the trash, over time I have found that the people who leave the most trash are the laziest sort. Rarely do they spend much effort to get to the ‘out of the way’ places. Will you find trash in those hard-to-get-to places? Sadly yes, but there will be less of it. Human waste is something I haven’t come across very often. Maybe I’m just lucky or maybe it’s because I would likely just keep moving if I came upon a site with random piles of poop lying around. My guess is that if the campsite has exposed piles of poop, there are probably other issues that would prevent me from stopping there.

How you deal with garbage that you find is (in my opinion) a very personal choice. I always have a few garbage bags with me and usually fill at least one with beer cans etc on my way out. I will not, however, be cleaning up someone else’s bowel movements.

Mother Nature will take care of the poop, Karma will take care of the person who left it exposed.

 

[Baipin]

I don't have nearly as much experience overlanding as many here do, but I have plenty of experience RV'ing with my family as a kid and into my teens, and I think the same "rule" rings true in either case. The further you get from those easy to reach spots, the less litter you're going to find. Like other said, litterers and those who treat our environment like crap, tend to treat themselves like crap too; they're lazy, they don't put the effort in - whether that be in cleaning up after themselves, or going out of their way to find a new camping spot.

I think having a healthy amount of fear about Coronavirus is perfectly rational. Not caring at all would just be naive. Bottom line is that, while not particularly deadly, it's unbelievably contagious. As overlanders, we're probably in a uniquely good position to survive should things get really rough: We're self sufficient, and have the ability to be self-sufficient away from large groups of people, on a whim.

 

[leeloo]

Come on flu ( influenza) kills many more people than this.. You barricade yourself in the house during the flu season ? ... Storm in a glass of water.. ..
No worries, most projections say in about 1 year between 40 and 70 % of earth population will have it.. so eventually you will get it as well.

 

[Billiebob]

I find once we "get out there" those fears kinda fade away and you find solitude in places where people that leave their "garbage" don't travel.

Without a doubt the waste is disgusting and will not magically disappear. I too pick up garbage. I think the answer, or part of the answer, is using these forums to educate the ignorant. Public shaming, using facebook, I'd say no limit to using the internet to draw attention to the problem. I use our local, community, facebook page to post pics of the trash left on the beach. Be kind of polite, suggest a solution. We live in the forest and fires are a huge concern, I always post a picture of the fire left burning, often just that picture creates the pressure to send the local partiers out to clean up their mess.

Be polite, post the problem, ask, tell them to clean it up. If it is people travelling thru, find another forum to post the pictures. This is a huge problem perpetrated by a few. They need to get the message.

We have spent far too long ignoring the issue but municipalities, property owners, resource companies know how to stop the problem. They gate and decommission roads and bridges to keep us out. Be great if forums like this were more vocal.

I came across this bonfire in the making....



And posted it with the Total Fire Ban sign from the road onto the beach.



A flurry of comments and it was dismantled before it got lit.

 

[MidOH]

Are people with covid still edible?

That's are major portion of my bug out plan.

 

[leeloo]

Are people with covid still edible?

That's are major portion of my bug out plan.

If you cook them properly :)

 

[USStrongman]

Every year the world is going to end. Chicken Little has recreated himself every year, yet here we are discussing it... again.

The media needs viewers/readers. Perpetuating a constant lie, or even one that is just a small fib, is retold and respun into something it never was to being with. How soon we forget.

 

[GreyMudder]

The responses are very interesting and welcome the diversity of the group, all have positive points, not sure of what to make about if infected people are edible.. About Covid-19, I like to be informed and take precautions.. I fear we are not being told the truth, but I can understand why. For the piles of feces, I find it very disgusting when its left out there, buts thats me.

 

[eharris2]

I just got of a 25 year healthcare career and your topic is interesting. Currently there is a very limited supply of personal protective gear (PPE) available. N-95 masks for example are not as widely available, or not available at all. When you do find PPE it is expensive. Any new bug is scary at first. All new bugs are then vetted out and usually becomes less worrisome. However some bugs have staying power and more importantly killing power, think Ebola. We fear the unknown. Human history is littered with examples of pandemic tragedy. There is currently a lot of focus on this subject, which is a good thing. To make people, “Think” about it serves to remind folks to use caution and prepare. People live how they live, trained by themselves (mostly) out of habit and repetition. Cover your mouth when you cough or don’t, wash/sanitize your hands before you eat or don’t and so forth. Again, we are creatures of habit. We train ourselves over time with lots of repetition and practice. Some people train themselves to be successful and some train themselves to be infectious reservoirs.

Personally I am not going to willfully deal with another persons feces. I have certainly moved campsites to avoid such issues. My advice, without appropriate PPE it is a risky and unworthy practice. Some people are in the habit of being infectious reservoirs, it is best to avoid contact with them. Unfortunately they don’t wear a sign saying they are pigs, universal precautions are then implied for every contact, unless they crap in their campsite, that’s their sign and more importantly yours.

My advice, don’t participate in any fecal related activities except your own.