3 Smells That Will Get You Killed When SHTF

Showering will be a thing of the past
 

When I speak to people about this topic most of them just flat out don’t believe me. I could not be more serious though. During my deployment to Iraq, a country that is pretty much in a constant shtf situation, there was nothing that smelt good. I started noticing scents that were not so strong to me before. Little by little my clean laundry started to smell stronger and richer.

One day I was in need of some caffeine so I went to our nearest Green Bean and got an iced mocha. On the return walk to our CP I caught a whiff of something flowery and fresh. It was almost overwhelming. I thought something had to be nearby that was giving off this pleasant aroma. I looked around and saw nothing but gravel.

Then, I looked ahead of me since the wind was in my face and there it was… We only had two or three females in our battalion and it was her perfume. That being said, there is nothing impressive about that in itself. After all we have smelt a nice perfume when someone walks into a room we are occupying right? The impressive part was that she was about 80 meters ahead of me. In an open desert with swirling winds. I was impressed, but never really thought about it again till later in the deployment.

About one half of the way through our deployment we started doing Air Assault aka TST missions (time sensitive target) for those of you who are military acronym savvy. This is when I connected the dots and realized how important smell is in tactical situations. We would work with Seals, Rangers, and several other sf groups. What did they have in common? Besides being able to kill you 1,001 ways with their bare hands.They all practiced smell management. None of them smelt good but they didn’t really stink either.

Now, I would not compare Iraq to the US in many ways but I think the principle is the same. If shtf here at home then all of our priorities are going to drastically change. Except for those of us who are already prepared, but even ours will change as well whether you realize it or not. People are not going to be worried about showering daily.

#1 Avoid Perfumes.

We have already established that smells are going to be amplified in an apocalyptic scenario. So, what can we do to avoid becoming a statistic in these nightmare situations?

1. Avoid using perfumes, or any strong scented body wash’s or soaps.
2. Do use unscented soap.
3. If you only have scented soap use it lightly.
4. Don’t bathe as often.

Most of these only apply when you are traveling so it may not be an issue. Just keep in mind that you never know when you are going to want to go undetected in a post collapse situation. Please keep these things in the back of your mind.

#2 Be Aware of Food Smells.

Something that may be terribly obvious to most people is the smell of food. We have all had those situations where we catch a scent of burgers grilling a whole block away. You may not even see smoke in the air but you know instantly that somewhere remotely nearby someone is preparing a feast. Just think how much this will be amplified after someone hasn’t had a real meal in days or weeks.

1. Use MRE meals, still be cautious if you use the built in heater.
2. Place all cooked food in scent proof containers, like Tupperware.
3. If you need to cook food and feel people may be somewhat close, wait until late night, around 2 or 3 am to cook it. Make sure to hide any flames if cooking over an open fire.

#3 Human Waste Stinks!

Old School Outhouse

I guarantee the most overlooked topic by new preppers is what they are going to do with human waste. Have you ever smelt a port-a-potty stand from a significant distance? I know I have on several occasions. It is a horrid stench that catchesyour attention immediately. You need to have a plan for what you are going to do with this waste, especially if you are planning on bugging in.

1. Dig a deep hole, far far away from your living quarters especially if you have a well for drinking water.
2. Make sure the hole has a good seal on it. You should be able to engineer something cheap with some plastic like visqueen.
3. Carry the waste there in a 5 gallon bucket. Be sure not to dispose of urine on top of the ground near your living quarters. It may not stink at first but it will smell like male cat urine after a few days.
4. You can burn solid waste, but this presents a whole new set of issues because burning poop is very hazardous. I would research this topic thoroughly if you plan on doing it yourself.

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