While we aware of increasing outdoor visitation and usage in the 1980’s and 1990’s in fact National Parks have recorded fewer outdoor visits since 9/11. The cause is not yet determined (air travel restrictions, economy?)

Biodegradable soap only works on land. It does not biodegrade in a water source.

As a group we were religious about using hand sanitizer (e.g. Purell) after any toiletry and before any food handling.

All shared group food (i.e. gorp, carrots, and munchies) was poured into hands or containers. No one ever reached into a bag for food, thus reducing the potential for transmitting germs.

I carried my plate and silverware in a large ziploc bag but was advised to store my cooking or eating utensils in a breathable ditty bag to cut down on the proliferation of germs and anaerobic bacteria. This is especially important for multi-day trips.

Mosquito netting makes a good water strainer/filter for capturing food particles from dish water. It makes a larger target than a skimmer net would. One person can hold the strainer while the other pours the dirty water through it distributing the water over a large area.

We usually saved a whole or half a bagel for the end of the meal to wipe our plates and bowls. Cooking water was “swilled” by the hearty. I found it to be palatable mixed with hot cocoa.