How to Deal With a Dead Body in a SHTF Scenario
Burying a Body
There are a number of scenarios that could play out which make burying a body the best option to consider. Perhaps you are far from home in the wilderness, and you need to create a temporary grave until the body can be transported and processed for a standard burial. Perhaps you are facing a game-changing SHTF situation and access to standard services are no longer available. In any case, it is important to determine how and where to bury the body, what to use for marking the grave and what action is necessary in terms of reporting the death to family members and authorities.
In normal circumstances, it is advisable to dig graves that are between six and nine feet deep and two feet across. It is also important that you do not come within 1 ½ feet of groundwater supplies. If you are in the wilderness and use groundwater for drinking, make sure that you bury the body downhill and far from the site in order to eliminate the risk of consuming contaminated water.
The first step is to wear protective clothing and gloves whenever possible. This should include draping yourself in a poncho, tarp or plastic bags to minimize the chances of coming into direct contact with the body. Ideally, you want to wrap the body in plastic in order to make it easier to transport while also giving the remains as much dignity as possible. Wrapping the body also limits the threat of contamination if the person died from typhus or cholera or an other communicable disease that is still present upon death.
In all cases, you want to avoid coming into contact with bodily fluids, and it is important to treat the corpse with care so that you don’t spread contaminants as you are transporting the body to the grave site. Dig the hole and gently lower the body. Fill with earth and cover the top with small stones. Leave some sort of distinguishing feature so that the location can be identified in the future.
It is important that you document the cause of death, note the location of the body and alert authorities as soon as possible to avoid being considered a suspect. It is perfectly reasonable to bury a body under extreme circumstances, but it is essential that you are clear, descriptive and completely upfront about the circumstances surrounding the death and the reason that you elected to bury the body.
Transporting the Body
If you are not in a SHTF situation, but are unable to summon or wait for help to arrive, you may want to consider transporting the body to a different location. The easiest way to accomplish this is to fashion a sled out of any available material and attach some cordage to use for pulling. However, it’s important that you secure and wrap the body in multiple layers of plastic or other material whenever possible to preserve the remains and avoid the risk of contamination. You can also fashion a makeshift stretcher and carry the body out if you are traveling with other individuals.
Remember to discard any clothing that has come into contact with the body, and thoroughly wash after handling the remains. You also want to cleanse the site of death, preparation and burial as well. Consider having an appropriate memorial or service in the field as a way to show respect and to honor any loved ones or friends who are present as a way to provide some form of closure.
The ultimate goal is to provide the deceased with a dignified burial while reducing the chances of contamination. Remember that it is incredibly important that you protect yourself, others and your site against contamination from a corpse. Conduct the burial off-site and carefully prepare the body so that it will not distribute fluids as you are moving it from one place to another
