Talc

[Little Lou]

Coming a mere three months late to the party...

Talc has other advantages too. Even the non-medicated kind is wonderful if you massage it into the foot before a day's hiking, and will significantly reduce the risk of blisters or any other friction injury. It needs to be done ON DRY FEET and at least half an hour before you set off though, or as SK says, the sweat turns it into grit and the result is... not pleasant.

Beyond that, it is a very good 'dry shampoo'. When water and soap are scarce, massage talc into your hair (deep into the roots) then brush it out - and it takes all the grease with it. I realize clean hair won't exactly be a high priority in a post SHTF world, but it feels a lot nicer, and you never know when you're going to bump into an Apocalyptic Babe. The medicated kind also deters nits...

(The danger is, of course, smell - which can betray you to both predators and prey. I wouldn't use even unscented stuff if I was planning on venturing anywhere dangerous).

Not sanitation-related, so I hope it's OK to add it here, but talc is also a lubricant. It's especially good to ease the passage of wood against wood. As a kid I learned to use it with a drawer that kept sticking, and in a world where we may be working with home-made furniture and equipment that could be very useful. Yes, a squirt of WD40 would be even better, but in a world where there isn't any and the home-made pump keeps sticking, then a few grains of talc could save the day.

Back in the 1920's talc was an essential item in a handyman's toolbox. It still is in mine.

That may be just me though. Try it at home, and I'd love to hear how anyone else gets on with it.