Patrick, I really haven’t posted any detailed photos. We’ve had a lot of rain.
Doing Dishes
#21
Posted 10 June 2023 - 03:56 AM
I am haunted by waters
#22
Posted 10 July 2023 - 02:52 PM
I think I have perfected my water rationing, washing system on our most recent 3 week journey.
- Use little rubber scrapper and remove all food particles (it has a stiff side for serious scrappage)
- Heat water on the stove (this is key!)
- Pour a small amount of HOT water into blue spray bottle with 2-3 drops of detergent. We were using way too much soap! I noticed that most of the water waste comes from just trying to get all the soap off.
- Plug sink and spray each dish with soapy water stacking in sink.
- Wipe each dish with dish cloth utilizing the little water that gathers in sink with a dish towel. I'm liking the towel better than sponge. It has one side that is abrasive and doesn't soak up water and get moldy. Dries quickly as well.
- Pour a small amount of HOT water into clear spray bottle and spray off soap.
- Wipe dry with clean towel and put away.
Whole process uses less than 1 cup of water. Wife was using 2+ gallons before!!!!!!!!!!! She is not an immediate fan of my rationing technique but the system is growing on her. We are only conservative to this extreme when filling up water is not an option for a few days. When we get to a CG or water is plentiful, we adjust within reason.
Any burnt on craziness happens in the cast iron and is handled with chainmail scrubber and boiling 1/4" of water in pan.
#23
Posted 10 July 2023 - 03:05 PM
Tacoma/Fleet 2018.
#24
Posted 11 July 2023 - 12:24 PM
I'm sure your wife wouldn't go for it, but we rarely heat water for dishes and don't bother with soap or bleach except for a rare exception when I think there is something that could actually make a person ill. Each of us gets a paper towel at meal time. The dog does pre-wash, then we just use a few drops of water and the leftover paper towels to clean up dishes and eating utensil. The skillet is cast iron, so no soap there for certain, just a wipe down. The pot is mostly used for boiling water and rarely needs to be cleaned. If a dish is really dirty, I will heat a cup or two of water on the stove, but even then I probably won't use soap. I once had a single bottle of dish soap last me close to 10 years.
I realize the lack of soap or bleach will seem gross to many people, but it works fine with zero health consequences, been doing it this way for almost 20 years now on all sorts of camping and backpacking trips. Maybe I have been exposing us to all sorts of gems and such, but maybe that's part of the reason we both have excellent immune systems and rarely get sick.
#25
Posted 11 July 2023 - 01:08 PM
We lived in a small town in New Mexico that basically ran out of water. They started charging by the gallon and charging LOTS! We learned real quick how valuable water is and still practice it ti this day, a bucket in the shower to catch the water while it is warming up…my wife has a a meltdown when she sees some one constantly running the water while doing dishes, so we maintain those practices while camping. We have a shell and no plumbing, everything is mobile. We use those collapsible basins for sinks and a growler with a battery operated sink or a Waterport outside. Like most have stated if a pot is used a little water in it is used to do dishes or washed/rinsed off in the basin. We have camped in some extremely hot temps in Big Bend and Devils River using very little water. The vast majority of our water goes into the dog.
2007 Tundra 5.7L Dbl cab
2020 Hawk Shell
#26
Posted 13 July 2023 - 07:23 PM
This is the way I was shown on a 10 day rafting trip many years ago and it has worked well for us.
1. Use a paper towel to wipe down as much as possible (can burn the PT if you’re allowed fires in the evening campfire)
2. We have 3 small collapsable bins.
A. The first one gets warm water and a small amount of biodegradable soap for washing.
B . The second bin gets fresh water for rinsing
C. The third bin has a 10% Clorox solution for disinfecting
We can usually get by with using about 1/2 gallon or less. I forgot to mention that we just stack any breakfast or lunch stuff in the sink and wash everything once after dinner.
Eddie
KO4CPL
Travel light. Travel far. Travel safe.
#27
Posted 12 April 2024 - 07:11 AM
We also carry an assortment of paper plates and bowls for sticky things like instant oatmeal where it would take a lot of water or many paper towels to get the residue off.
Edited by DesertDog, 12 April 2024 - 07:54 AM.
#28
Posted 12 April 2024 - 07:47 AM
An old but fitting joke.
A minister goes to visit a church member at their home. While there, he/she/they, is invited to stay for dinner by the (husband, wife, spouse, significant other or select your preferred pronoun). The minister, a straight upright person whose motto is "cleanliness is close to godliness" is visible apprehensive as the old house is a bit shabby with dust and occasional bits of dog hair in sight. The homeowner seeing this, and a bit embarrassed, says, "Oh, don't worry minister, me dishes are as clean as soap and water can make them". Calmed by this, the minister sits and enjoys a wonderful dinner of stew - but being a stew, there is some gravy left on the plate. Afterwards, and being a polite person, the minister asks if the homeowner wants help with the dishes. To which the homeowner repeats, "Don't ye worry minister, as I told ye, I will get these as clean as soap and water can made them". The minister says farewell but as about to leave, nearly faints to see the homeowner place the plates on the floor and call out "Here Soap! Here Water! get yer dinner!
#29
Posted 12 April 2024 - 02:19 PM
2003 Ford Ranger FX4 Level II 2013 ATC Bobcat SE "And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years."- Abraham Lincoln http://ski3pin.blogspot.com/
#30
Posted 12 April 2024 - 09:34 PM
paper plates
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