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We once had a cook burn supper while playing cards. After that, the new rule was the cook swills the cook pots. Never had a burned meal again.

 

By the way, did anyone look at the scout Handbook to what they suggest for cleaning dishes. Not that it is the best, because I found it does conflict with the dept. of health, but I still rather send a scout to find the informatin than sit debate about it.

 

I don't have the book next to me, but I think it suggest sanitizing second then rinsing. Dept. of health reverses that.

 

Barry

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The Boy Scout Handbook matches what I recommended:

 

Here is what it says on page 282 of the Boy Scout Handbook:

 

DISHWASHING

 

Whether you cook with a stove or over an open fire, put on a pot of water before you serve a meal. That way you'll have hot dishwater by the time you finish eating.

 

Begin cleanup by setting out three pots:

 

>Wash pot - contains hot water with a few drops of biodegradeable soap

 

>Hot-rinse pot - clear, hot water

 

>Cold-rinse pot - cold waer with a sanitizing tablet or a few drops of bleach to kill bacteria

 

Each Scout can wash his own eating gear. If each Scout also does one pot, pan, or cooking utensil, the work will be finished in no time at all. Wipe plates first to keep the dishwater as clean as possible. Use hot-pot tongs to dip utensils in hot rinse. When you're sure no soap is left on them, lay the washed items on a plastic ground cloth and let them air dry.

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As I mentioned before, I am very leary of having young boys handle pots with large volumes of boiling water. It is EXTREMELY dangerous and can kill.

 

For dishwashing, there is simply no need to be using extremely hot water.

 

When handling boiling water for dishwater preparation or cooking, I would prefer this be done by older boys or adults ... or use a smaller container to dip hot water out of a large pot.

 

Also make sure that the pot is stable on the stove burner. Very large pots should never be placed on small backpacking stoves.

 

Ken K.

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"It is EXTREMELY dangerous and can kill. "

 

Come on now. Sure it can, but so can repelling, whitewater rafting and swimming, but we do those things as well! It's just important to follow the appropriate precautions. I subscribe to the 3 pot method as long as you are in an established campsite. If you are backpacking or in an undeveloped area, use a LNT method.

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The troop I serve has modified the 3-dishpan method to a 4-dishpan method. The first pan now is the "gross decon" pan - nothing more than cold water. We found that even when the scouts wipe out their dishes (which at times doesn't happen) the spaghetti sauce, chili sauce, food remains, etc. make a mess of the soap pan quickly sometimes. If nothing else that red soap water is ugly. The "gross decon" pan is used to get the major mess off the dishes and can be changed out quickly. This subsequently leaves the soap water and rinse water cleaner longer.

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At our last jamboree there was a mild epidemic of dysentary. The four pot method sounds good. Much more than I do in my home but among 15 000 other campers it makes sense.

 

I daylight as an outdoor education instructor. Almost 100% of our school campers have dishwashers and we teach them how to use a sink as well as how to abseil and paddle. That still amazes me.

 

 

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As far as dysentery goes, da most likely culprit is not washin' hands before eating or food prep. Followed by improperly stored/cooked food, and soap residue. Not chemically sanitizing dishes is not even on the radar.

 

What Trevorum says is right of course, eh? LNT, like the scout oath and law, is practiced as an ethic, not a set of rules. So sure, if you have access to a sink that drains to a treatment plant or a large septic field, then whatever. When you don't, there are still times, as when treating wounds, when some soap is necessary for the health of humans, or when a touch of halogen is necessary for treating water.

 

But not usually for doin' dishes, at least not if you Plan Ahead and Prepare. Certainly not as a standard practice. And heavy chemical sanitizers or halogen dosing? Never.

 

I'd tend to apply this even front-country campin'. Would we really tell our kids that it's OK to dump their dirty, soapy dishwater and bleach on their neighbor's front lawn? Then why should it be OK in the public campsites we share with our neighbors?

 

 

Properly Dispose of Wastewater

 

"For dish washing... use hot water, elbow grease, and little or no soap. Hot water, a little elbow grease, and sand, snow, or other natural "scrubbies" can tackle most backcountry cleaning chores. Soap is unnecessary for most dishwashing jobs and can be difficult to thoroughly rinse off. If soap is used at all, it should be used sparingly. Soap, even when it's biodegradable, can affect the water quality of lakes and streams."

 

- Excerpted quotes from the Leave No Trace Master Educator Handbook and skills and ethics pamphlets.

 

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Would I dump my dishwater on my neighbor's lawn? No way, why waste it on his when I can use it on mine!

- If you wash dishes by hand, don't let the water run constantly. Instead, fill up big pots of water to wash in. Afterwards, you can use the dishwater to water your garden (make sure the soap you use is plant-friendly). Mother Earth News

- Using gray water actually provides a number of benefits. For instance, you can reduce your potable water usage--and your water bill--since you're not using tap water on your plants. And because the waste-water you're using on your garden isn't getting pumped back to the city's waste-water treatment system, you're also saving energy. Gray water also contains soap residue which adds phosphorous and potassium to your soil, reducing the need for fertilizers. And don't forget: the trees and shrubs in your landscape may be worth thousands of dollars. Being able to keep your plants alive during city water bans protects your investment. Garden Activist

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Has anyone thought of using paper plates? Minimal clean up & can be burned.

 

When we don't use paper, we use the 2 tub method. I wash i rinse. Sanitizer tablets in the rinse. Air dry. No one has gotten sick yet! Doubt if anyone will.

 

Ed Mori

Troop 1

1 Peter 4:10

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