How to reduce BO - aka Body Odor- SHTF Scenario

The original source of the picture did say body odor. However, she is a redhead, so...

 

Keep in mind that many of the items mentioned give off a smell that can also give you away... after SHTF most folks will have BO... the smell of soap /vinegar can be smelled from a distance...

YMMV

 

Me to my 14 year old son, “you don’t want to be known as the stinky kid.”
I have a little of everything. Also plenty of gold bond medicated powder and those moist butt wipes.

 

Which just reminded me of unscented baby wipes. Work great when camping too.

 

Darklight just brought up a whole new series of problems, not BO per se, but with babies, heat rash, cradle cap, chafeing , cleaning up when changing diaper, disinfecting diapers and baby clothes, preventing navel from getting infected, etc. Gold Bond, talcum powder, zinc ointment, vitamin E, boiling diapers, hanging them out to dry in the sun, diaper pails with disinfectants, all that old school stuff that they now use disposable diapers, baby wipes, etc, and don't even think about. Almost the same with "female" supplies, bandages for wounds, bedding and clothing care of the sick and elderly. Not to mention quarantine and disinfecting the space used and their goods. You really don't want to burn that AR15 to keep from getting infected do you? What about body lice, all those diseases that are catching, pink eye, scabies, mumps, measles, etc. Cleanliness next to Godliness wasn't a quote, it was a way of staying alive. Food, clothing, body, air, water, anyone of them are bad, you may die. Often heard that the biggest reason that our life span has more than doubled in last couple hundred years is clean water, good food storage and proper sewage disposal.

 

Aussie Vietnam veterans reported that they could often smell the VC before they could see them. Strongly scented deodorants should probably be avoided when on sneaky Pete ops...or when in SERE mode. A mineral salts deodorant stone would be an effective way of keeping BO producing bacteria in check without give away scents that are part and parcel of many commercial deodorants.

A different aspect of body odour is diet, and the odours that can be expressed by the skin, such as garlic, curry, and other strong aromatics that are consumed in one's diet. An Australian acquaintance of mine who had served a contract as an officer in the Sultan's army in Oman, had the devil of a job convincing his Baluchi mercenary charges from cooking and eating their beloved goat curries while in the field on ops....What one eats, can also be a factor in developing one's body odour signature.

 

Try hanging around some of our workers. They tend to use deodorant about once per year, whether they need it or not.
Sometimes, it's everything I can do to stand near them.

Thank God I delegate authority from a good distance away, most of the time. Unfortunately for me, today was NOT one of those times. I was right next to one of our workers, while he piped a new storage tank / water pump / PVC pipe system today, here at the farm. ALL afternoon - in Southeast Asia - where it gets hot, hot, hot, during the day. It is NOT a pleasant experience.

I kept thinking about Pig Pen, from the Charlie Brown cartoons, most of the day.

 

I rarely wear deodorant now. That stuff is toxic and usually doesn't work. Baby powder or witch hazel is what I have discovered and use. Baby powder can be used on feet, armpits and babies. Witch hazel is something I prep because it has so many uses like killed bacteria and use as a toner for the skin.

 

you need to careful about not breaking your OPSEC - BO stink will certainly be sheeple's lesser problem - especially during those initial few weeks when you'll still have contact with your neighbors, friends & relatives ....

your family coming to a block meeting smelling sweet - looking fit - wearing clean clothes - will be a dead give away that you have your shit together better than most >>>>>> Grey Man culture always

 

I have thought, numerous times, of getting away from commercial soaps, shampoos, and deodorants. I know there are tons of recipes out there for soaps, as I have come across many. We just haven't attempted to try to make any at home.

Not really sure of dangers, if any, from long term use of these products? (Of course, I'm not 20 years old, either. At (almost) 52 years old, maybe I might as well continue using them?

 

someone mention milk of magnesia as a deodorant but I don't get how that would work

do you have magnesia and mix water?


Update on Using Milk of Magnesia as Deodorant - Whole Natural Life


double use is as a laxative, always looking at how functional supplies are. I like to have at least 2 uses for everything

 

I don't believe so.

When I was a boy, my mom used to give me that stuff. I will never forget that chalky taste. Eeeeewwww. I will never forget. It's bad, but not quite as bad as was my one experience in tasting my parents' coffee, once - once!

 

I don't think it wise to use anything that might have a odor, to included deodorant, if in a serious scenario and don't want to be noticed. Believe me, you can smell cigarettes, soap, deodorant, even food (curry, BBQ, garlic, etc...) on people clothes and bodies, especially at night when your senses are sharper. The best thing to do is shave off as much of your body hair as possible (head, crotch, armpits...) to slow down bacteria and deny parasites (lice, etc...) and hose yourself down or jump lake or river, scrub with sand and do the same to your clothes. And, when you use soap, use something unscented. One can smell that 'Irish Spring' soap a mile away... I started shaving my head and pits when I went to Bosnia in 1995 and still do it. It helps one stay clean a bit longer and smell a bit better.

 

I have a poor sense of smell but even so, I notice the perfume & deoderent smells much more than reg body oder... to the point that many will give me a headache (and yes, walking through the cosmetics section in stores is my idea of hell)

All I use is Aleppo soap to wash with. No poofy smells and much better for your skin. (Ingredients are olive oil and laurel oil....)

 

In that case, I'm screwed. It would take a weed eater and a day and a half, to get all the hair off me. However, the "Boss" does shave my head and face fairly often, due to the hot weather here. Aside from that, I look like Sapper John's avatar! Well, I am much cuter than the fellow in the image. But, you get the idea.

 

Colloidal silver kills all bacteria , and I make my own .
distilled water, silver, 12 volts DC, and an hour .

 

Bingo! I believe Illini is correct. People will not have lots of water especially in urban areas so smelling is what everyone will be faced with. Some will try to camouflage with perfume and such but if you are clean, that will be an alert to the smarter folks.

Quick tip- mix milk of magnesia and benedryl, swish in your mouth, then spit out. This will help with mouth pain, canker sores and I read sore throats also.

 

@arleigh I had not thought of using colloidal silver for to kill the bacteria in my pits. I Wil have to try that. Have tried it in those problem areas?

 

another stick for @Meat just cuz his whole thread is based on.... a stick!!!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000L978FU/?tag=survivalmonke-20