Personal hygiene

Great thread guys. Thanks for all the valuable input. Just learned another use for the freezer bags.

What works for me is a small collapsible bucket. It only weighs a few ounces and if I'm carefull it won't fall over. I fill it up at a stream or spring and carry it a safe distance away and use a cup to scoup water out and pour over me. When I'm done washing up, I can use what water is left over to wash clothes.

Nothing feels better than to be cleaned up after a long day of hiking (except for the after dinner refreshments).

> As for nether regions…if you all carried TP you wouldn't have said issues (monkey butt?) ;-)

Actually, using Mike C's method your bum should be cleaner than with using TP.

On my first trip I did 11 days in the Smokies with nothing more than an occasional face rinse. I wore the same outfit the entire time without washing it but use separate sleep clothes. Drove all the way home before showering.

Researchers are finding that trace amounts of bug repellent and sunscreen are not kind to amphibian species, which are in decline. If you're hardy enough to jump in that icy mountain lake, please wipe off the sunscreen and bug dope first.

My feet go in the creek or lake after a day's hiking. 10-15 minutes in and out of icy water after a day's hiking really helps! My face, neck, ears get sponged at bedtime. The nether regions get a thorough cleaning at potty time, using first dry and then wet paper towel sections (I have medical conditions which preclude the use of rocks and pine cones). The final cleaning is with a moist towelette, which I first use on skin folds in other body areas. Needless to say, the used stuff gets packed out!

The only clothes I wash are socks, which I rinse out each evening. If I have to rinse underwear, I either go without for a couple of hours or just wear it dry. A 2-gallon ziplock bag makes a great "washing machine."

I never use soap, another problem for aquatic life.

If you want to feel comfortable on longer trips, yes, you'll need to plan a little hygiene. And feeling comfortable in nature is the key to enjoying it. The surprise is how easy it is.

I depend on baking soda for cleansing/deodorizing, and corn starch for absorbing oils until the next wash. I have very greasy hair. Until I discovered corn starch, I had to wash it every day if I wanted to look halfway civilized. Now, I just rub some corn starch into my scalp on day 2 and it looks great (I'm blonde, so the white color doesn't look too obvious. If you're darker, try a dry shampoo, cinnamon, coffee grounds, or dirt). That can last 3-4 days, and when I really can't stand it any longer, I wash it with a few drops of wilderness wash or a bit of baking soda. Or I just rinse with some hot water, hot as I can stand it. Baking soda is also good for cleaning oily skin.

If you don't sweat a lot, you probably don't need deodorant. If you do, you might want to bring some. You can also wash/scrub the underarms once a day with baking soda and pat some on dry for longer deodorizing action.

The thing that will make you smell repulsive though, is dried pee. Instead of using toilet paper, just bring your water bottle with you and rinse after every time. For #2, I use leaves (avoid poison oak/ivy/sumac!) or a rock and then rinse. This will keep you smelling rosy and feeling clean.

The rest depends on the weather and availability of water. You could jump in a river every day or make do with sponge baths. Clean enough to be happy, dirty enough to be relaxed!