Hard to tell with the zoom of the phone cam foreshortening things, though camp isn’t quite as close to shore as it appears.
Still, too close to dump grey water from the sink, so I walk it up a good ways. Then it has far more earth to filter through before getting to the lake.
From habit and practice my grey water is basically clean rinse water. My dishes, pans, and all cooking utensils are wiped clean before washing so there is no food matter in my rinse water.
It’s easier than it sounds once in the habit. If you do end up with food particles in your rinse water, strain it before dumping. Animals don’t need it and you don’t want animals attracted near camp.
Wash Water: I make a very small amount, just a cup or two, with a couple drops of biodegradable soap in a wide mug, just big enough to hold a 3M sponge. I clean everything with the sponge over an empty tub. I don’t make a whole tub of wash water and another of rinse water. Too wasteful and unnecessary. The small mug of wash water is usually empty by the time I’m done with dishes.
For notes on what soaps and wetwipes I use when traveling and in camp, as well as what to do when there are no toilet facilities, check my Health and Sanitation page.
Once everything is washed, it all gets rinsed under a trickle from the tap. That gets caught by the tub.
No food particles, little to no soap bubbles; virtually clear rinse water. That water stays in the sink for quick rinse after messing with gear or firewood or for a quick wipe of the counter.
When the sink nears full, which is often only after a few days, I’ll walk it up and away from a shore a good ways to dump it.
Might not think so, but even biodegradable soaps take a while to break down and will accumulate in bodies of water, altering the normal balance.
Around bodies of water popular with campers, hikers, and small boats, that accumulation can be significant.
As will the amount of urine seeping into the lake from folks peeing in the woods too close to shore. Might not think this matters either, but it does. The sheer number of campers and hikers throughout a year can alter the ph of the water, allowing and encouraging different plant life and algae bloom.
Do I adhere religiously to all the above?
Nope, I’m not perfect at it. Though I keep it in mind and am getting better every day at evolving my routine and making it an easier part of my daily camp life.
|