Reminiscing

Richard Mondavi wrote:When we know the A/C will be running almost constantly, we make sure we have our water heater on gas instead of electric.

You reminded me of a story. Scruffy's uncle had a farm in Southern Illinois. They used to go down there from Chicago in the summer. There were two cisterns. He put a pump and some plumbing in one of the cisterns. He had a huge tank in the rafters of the old smoke house, and he walled off a small section of the smokehouse to use as a shower room. Every morning he would fill the tank with water, and it would sit in the heat all day. Well, Richard, you know how hot it gets in the Marion area in July. By evening, there was plenty of very warm water for the family to take their showers. The shower used the gravity system. If there were a lot of family members present, we'd take navy showers so everyone would have warm water. Thanks for bringing back a fond memory of days gone by.

Tater

And your shower story, Tater, reminded me of taking showers when my wife and I were tent campers. Getting clean was bathing in a river, or a sponge bath out of a bucket, or black camp shower bags that were heated by sunlight and would produce wonderfully hot water. Sometimes I miss the simplicity of those tent camping days.....sometimes.

When our children were still toddlers, we didn't take them in the shower. Instead, we put a galvanized wash tub half full of water out in the sunlight. By evening, the water was very warm, and we could wash the chiggers off.

Tater

Memories of military field showers.

At least, with our trailer parked in the side yard (at the farm) we had our own facilities. We used the outhouse like everyone else did during the day - two seater - but could use our own at night. Drew water from the cistern to cook with and wash dishes, and dumped the dishwater on the ground. Staying a week at a time, we tried not to fill the holding tanks.

Tater

I'm so glad I was born into modern times. I've used outhouses, but I don't like it. And the concept of a two-seater freaks me out. Thankfully I wasn't born in a time when I would have served in the military during the civil war, I wouldn't have been able to deal with the outhouses at a fort. I probably would have volunteered to charge enemy lines so that I wouldn't have to use a ten-seater.

Here's a photo of a 10-seater I took at Fort Morgan on Mobile Bay....yes, my vacation photos are strange.



And here's an explanation of how it works.

Too funny! I take pictures of restrooms at Disney World.

Took a long time for the second picture to load (connection problems). Scruffy says he sure wouldn't want to be #350-400 to use la latrine on any given day. I guess that would be 40 men per hole.
S T I N K Y !

Richard Mondavi wrote:I'm so glad I was born into modern times. I've used outhouses, but I don't like it. And the concept of a two-seater freaks me out. Thankfully I wasn't born in a time when I would have served in the military during the civil war, I wouldn't have been able to deal with the outhouses at a fort. I probably would have volunteered to charge enemy lines so that I wouldn't have to use a ten-seater.

Here's a photo of a 10-seater I took at Fort Morgan on Mobile Bay....yes, my vacation photos are strange.



And here's an explanation of how it works.

Interesting. Washed them out using bay water. Very interesting. Like the bar we had around here. Flush and 2 the river it went. Used many 6 and 8 hollers. Some with dust so thick that U need a shovel to scrap it off. When have to go U will use what is available even if you have to use a shovel first.

Portagie1968 wrote:Memories of military field showers.

One summer while in the National Guard I was a Jeep Driver for the Battery CO. I took the Jeep trailer and sealed up the drain holes and filled it with water and put the cover on it. Later that evening I had a nice big tub of Hot water. That was better than the miliary shower.

Dan said - "When have to go U will use what is available even if you have to use a shovel first."

Not if you are a girl.

That is the one thing I complained to Moses about,,, when he hit the rock with his staff, out came cold water.

Scruffy and Tater wrote:Dan said - "When have to go U will use what is available even if you have to use a shovel first."

Not if you are a girl.

If U in the military and that all U got what else U gonna do. If U on a farm and stuck out in the north forty what U gonna do. Shovel and TP.

Frank wrote:

Portagie1968 wrote:Memories of military field showers.

One summer while in the National Guard I was a Jeep Driver for the Battery CO. I took the Jeep trailer and sealed up the drain holes and filled it with water and put the cover on it. Later that evening I had a nice big tub of Hot water. That was better than the miliary shower.

Memories. Seen that done. I borrowed an idea a little bit better. Got a pallet, took aluminum tent for the holes drilled in the pallet, drilled and tapped 1/2 threads in the top, made a plastic pipe shower curtain holder for the top(have to have privacy in the wild), got a 55 gallon garbage can and an immersion heater, snacked a fuel pump, hose and a shower head. Heat the water, turn on the pump and have a navy shower. Trick
is getting the temp right.

Nothing like a good dump in the woods. And tater I've seen girls go in places you wouldn't even think about going. Even in plain view. Some of the motocross enduro events out in the middle of no where can bring out the best of people. In the Baja races girls riding 4 wheelers or dirtbike stand up let it go and air dry never stopping to go tinkle. :). Guys drop a drain hose down their pants legs. I know , not fare is it.

Maybe I should have said "Not if you are a lady." I haven't tinkled in the woods since I was a little girl - and got poison ivy!

Poison Ivy. Ouch.

If I were going someplace where toilets were scarce, I'd be taking one of these with me.

That's cute. A portable outhouse. Is it weighted down good at the bottom? Does it have a floor? It might make a good dressing room at the beach.

It does work both ways.

You can always dig a "cat-hole"...

When I was in Viet Nam we had a 55gal barrel cut in half and filed it with desiel fuel and in the evenings we would burn it and replace it with the other half, I hated barrel burning duty, you had to pull them out from under the seats and if they hung up when pulling them out they a had a tendency to splash.

This is no doubt the strangest thread I've read on this forum.

I remember the barrels. The last time I saw them used was on the compass course at Fort Ord. The old 6 holler. Add some gas and watch the poop burn. Do not get down wind.

It sure does take all the fun out of it. Besides this thread has gone to pot.

It started in ten holes and nobody has stopped digging!