A Burial during a Crisis

By Mike

A couple weeks ago I had the unfortunate task of burying my sister cat (little man). Not because she was physically unable to do but mentally unable.  It was about 11pm and very dark where I live. Knowing that we had to put the animal in the ground soon I went outside and proceeded to look for a good resting place for little man. I finally decided to on a spot and began to dig the hole. Now I know that digging in florida ground is not that hard but what I did not realize that it would not be easy either. What I found out that the dirt and sand mix in florida is extremely heavy and hard to dig into. Its hard because the sand likes to spread out and and collapse the hole when you get about a foot down. After I got the hole dug and let me tell ya it took a half an hour to dig a 3 ft hole I went inside retrieved the cat and buried the remains.

The next day after having a cup of tea and trying to wake up I began to think about what happened the night before.  The first question that came to mind was “what would happen if I had to bury someone I care about or anyone for that matter?”  That’s when other questions started to pop into my head. This article is about those same questions that most people don’t think about. Not because they don’t want to, no in fact because we don’t realize them. It truly amazes me how hard it would be to do such a task under such stress. Most of us have a basic plan on what to do with the remains, but have we really thought about how hard it will be?  Here some of those questions that I came up with.

“What would happen if I had to bury someone I care about or anyone for that matter?”

After the initial shock of death it is best to get the body in the ground quickly. There are many mental factors that you will have to overcome. First of all your still grieving their death and that makes it alot harder to think and react to whatever you have to do. This is where your mental training and preparedness comes into practice. You must be ready for such a scenario as it happens, how you prepare is entirely up to you. However  it might be better to discuss this with family and/or your group first. This might make decisions and help get a SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) ironed out in advance, that way you’re not trying to figure this out at the last moment.

     “LOCATION, Where do I bury/burn the remains?”

Sounds easy right? Well not really, see it would be more difficult in the city then say the rural areas. For those of us who live in urban areas it’s not like we may have a large backyard to lay down a corpse. Will I be noticed burying a body? More than likely you  will, and that will create problems of its own. In the cites you may not have a place to bury it and burning the remains might be an options. Your morals and personal beliefs will have to steer you in what direction you might want to go. In the rural areas it will be easier to find a location, and much more discreet than in a city or  town. Burning the remains have their challenges themselves. If you live in an urban area, burning something might get you noticed and attract others who might want to do harm. Ultimately burying might be the best option.

    “How do I dig the hole and will it be difficult?”

Its not like you will have a backhoe readily available to use, (and would you use it if you did? That might attract attention!) Which means that you and a few others are digging the whole. That is no feat in itself, and please do not go by the tv shows or movies example where the hole is dug in commercial break. Graves take time, that time depends on many different factors. One is the composition of the ground your digging into, is it sand /dirt mix like mine or straight dirt? Is it rocky or packed clay? The conditions will differ from place to place. Weather will also be a factor as well, like rain or snow. You will not have the luxury of picking the time of death.

“How much time will I have to do this?”

Time is the key. Time is everything. You will not have a lot if it and may not have enough of it, but time will be the ultimate factor on whether or not  you decide to bury or burn it. The more time it takes to dispose of remains the more exposed you are. If you are noticed by others they might take advantage of you grieving and decide to strike. On the other hand they may feel your pain and decide to help out it’s a 50/50 chance. This chance is not only dangerous for your group but could be deadly. You will ultimately have to decide what to do and when to do it. I strongly suggest that you take a little time now and plan before SHTF so that you don’t have to waste too much time after. Discuss, Plan and Prepare.

*   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *

ModernSurvivalOnline.com Survival & Preparedness Guest Post Contest

The post above was an entry into the ModernSurvivalOnline.com Survival & Preparedness Guest Post Contest which from through December 31st. Have a guest post you want to enter? Send in to emergencycd(at)gmail.com.

Some great prizes are lined up!!!

 – – 1st Place – -

1. OnPoint Tactical has donated one of their Urban Escape & Evasion classes. Value: $795

2. Directive21.com has provided a Royal Berkey System Value: $283.00

3. CampingSurvival.com has offered up two cases of MRE’s  Value: $200

4. The entire NEW WORLD Series by G. Michael Hopf from Penguin Group Publishing   Value: $50.00

5. PrepperPress.com is donating another multi-book package consisting of 5 books of your choice from their preparedness library. Value: $75+

 – – 2nd Place – –  

 3. Author Archer Garrett is providing your choice of 5 books from his series – The Western Front, Kratocracy Part 1, The Nine of the North, and many more. For selection visit his Amazon page HERE.  Value: $50.00+

4. Mike the Gardner has provided a 1 Year Membership to the Seeds of the Month Club.

5. The latest books from James Wesley, Rawles courtesy of Penguin Group Publishing   Value: $30.00