hey there :) since the weather is warming up i thought id start processing for the very first time. ive never encountered irl gore, do you build a tolerance to it like you do w the smell? any basic supplies ill need to get beforehand as a beginner besides bags buckets and gloves? xoxo

prettydeadstuff:

Hello! Ahh, I remember when I first started processing deads.

It took me a while to get used to it properly… like, I was very interested and fascinated and that drove me foreword, but I felt so… weird about seeing the gore and skinning and seeing them half decomposed. It was low-key horrific but I was too intrigued to stop. I remember watching a badger decompose in the woods, visiting it every couple days and it felt like a magical experience, honestly. I always wanted to get closer but I also didn’t want to get close :’)

You may get used to it. I think it depends on the person, but I definitely have. Things like maggots and guts used to squick me and I would have to keep stopping, counting to ten and telling myself “this is normal, this is fine, this is normal, this is fine” and well. Now I don’t bat an eyelid. Infections and sometimes saliva can still eek me, but that’s it really.

Basic stuff I keep handy for processing:
Gloves
Bucket/tub
Bags
Scalpel/knife (+ pliers to change blade)
Plastic sieve
Small stick to scramble brains

Other useful stuff:
Lots of little cups (teeth/claws)
Fishtank heater
Scissors
Tweezers
A way to keep away scavengers (cage, brick, inside shed etc)
Dish soap
Biological washing powder
Hydrogen peroxide
Isopropyl alcohol (I love using this to make mummies + clean)
Antibacterial hand gel
Possibly a tarp, though I tend to skin/deflesh over bags and then hose down area
Something to take pics with
Slow cooker if you want to try it
Somewhere to hang carcasses to skin them (I don’t have this and I need something badly!)

Good luck anon! This is very exciting. I hope everything goes well for you – bring on the warmer weather!