burning bodies post SHTF as a viable option to burial.

[230gr]

Your retreat has been raided and, in defense of your family, you drop 3 of them. What do you do with the bodies? Although often hear in books, I do not believe burning bodies post SHTF is really a viable option to burial. To burn a body completely, it takes six hours and 1,102 to 1,323 pounds of wood (26.9 ft3). Now that not a trivial amount of wood. If you use Red Oak (our prime fire wood), it is, for a full cord (4 feet tall, 8 feet wide and 4 feet deep or 128 ft3), 3528 lbs dry or 4888 lbs fresh wood. Using only wood heat, we burn 5 to 6 cords per winter so each burned body is 20% of a cord. That is a lot of hand cutting, hauling and a terrible expenditure of resources. A shallow (2 to 3 ft) grave in the swamp is an old time tradition around here from the 1930s Chicago gang wars. No waste of wood or greasy smoky fire. Your thoughts?

[TWP]

The energy and effort expended cutting all that wood certainly does not justify cremation.

Shallow graves are a much better option.  Even a pile of rocks.

That being said, if there were a disease problem, cremation might be safer.  But again, perhaps not possible with too many bodies.

[beorn]

I dont know in some places and at some times it may be easier to collect 1/3 cord than dig a hole.

[TWP]

As you note, it depends on the situation.  I'd rather use wood to keep myself warm, given that I have the choice.

If I did not have a shovel or pick, then I would consider cremation...

If we (a group of people) were in a community, then burial with wood ashes might be an option.  The disease problem remains a justification for full cremation.

If I were alone, in a wooded area, then collecting wood would be an option.  Particularly if I were traveling and did not want to leave any sign of my having been there.

Also consider the smoke which may not (depending on the situation) be safe.

[230gr]

I received this question and thought I would post it.

I would vote for the shallow grave also, fuel liquid would be at a premium also.
How would handle a possible contaminated (bio or health (typhoid) body of a raider or animal?  Burying might not be the best option especially anywhere near the retreat; just a thought.

The way I handle a possible contaminated body would be the way I have disposed of an animal (skunk) that appeared to have rabies. Since people are heavy and you don’t really want to touch the body, I would loop a rope over it’s neck and drag it down slope from the retreat as practical but not too close to the river. Next I would dig a hole as deep as practical (probably 4 feet in this sand), cover the body wood ash (or lime if that is all I had), then a layer of brush topped with sticker branches (blackberry, Ragusa, gooseberry) then recover with dirt ending with replaced sod. The sod and branches keep animals from digging while the ashes greatly reduce the smell that attacks them. Rocks are in short supply here.

[230gr]

Another question and view.

It depends. Do you have a swamp close by? Or a patch of woods that is not close by and have no one living close to it?
You do have a lot of rope, a lot of rocks close by and river close by. Or the old Indian way. Lay them out on the ground so the great spirit can find them and take them home. 


We do have several swamps and bogs close by but a “patch of woods no one living close to it that is not close by” depends on your definition of close. Ropes yes, rocks not so much, and river close by yes. Laying them out on the ground might be necessary though it is going to attract wolves, coyotes and dogs into the area.   

Today I was looking at the sky and realized that my flock of turkey buzzards where circling in the sky over my back 5 acres and had been for most of the week. If they where nesting nearby, I might have another option for body disposal. Works in Africa! 

[pqtb]

I would be tempted to transport bodies to end of road (1 1/4 mile away) where it joins an artery heading north south and leave them as warning to others.  Nature is a great recycler and will quickly dispose of body in summer.

[230gr]

We are about that far the highway too. That would be a deterrent not to turn off on our road and, because it is just off the only bridge for 30 or so miles up and down the river, it would bee seen too.