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Thread: How to make Soap

  1. #1

    Default How to make Soap

    How to make Soap

    Hygiene is a vital part of survival.
    Here is an exert from the Army Survival Field Manual 21-76.


    Extract grease from animal fat by cutting the fat into small pieces and cooking them in a pot.
    Add enough water to the pot to keep the fat from sticking as it cooks.
    Cook the fat slowly, stirring frequently.
    After the fat is rendered, pour the grease into a container to harden.
    Place ashes in a container with a spout near the bottom.
    Pour water over the ashes and collect the liquid that drips out of the spout in a separate container.
    This liquid is the potash or lye.
    Another way to get the lye is to pour the slurry (the mixture of ashes and water) though a straining cloth.
    In a cooking pot, mix two parts grease to one part potash.
    Place this mixture over a fire and boil it until it thickens.


    After the mixture - the soap - cools, you can use it in the semiliquid state directly from the pot.
    You can also pour it into a pan, allow it to harden, and cut it into bars for later use.
    Last edited by Jedi Knight; 08-28-2008 at 03:54 PM.


  2. #2
    Senior Member snakeman's Avatar
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    Ive seen that before too. Never made any but I would like to. You can also make some easier but not as effective soap by putting birch leaves is boiling water and letting it cool. And welcome to the forums.

  3. #3
    Administrator Rick's Avatar
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    Thanks Jedi. We have that in a couple of other threads around here. Welcome to the forum. Why not wash your way over to the Introduction section and tells us a bit about yourself. By the way, do you know Luke Skywalker? He's from Philly I think.
    Tracks Across the High Plains...Death on the Bombay Line...A Touch of Death and Mayhem...Dead Rock...The Griswald Mine Boys...All On Amazon Books.

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    walk lightly on the earth wildWoman's Avatar
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    What works really well for getting greasy camping cook gear clean is just using some of the ashes from your camp fire for scrubbing out the pots. I suppose it sort of acts like soap as you have the main ingredients on hand: ashes, grease and water.
    Try it on your next trip!
    Actions speak louder than words

  5. #5

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    Yes, just mix the ashes with the grease already in your pans and it works fine.
    Earth - love it or leave it.

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