Body care

Unless it’s in the 20’s or lower, a rinse of the face, shoulders and arm pits before bed does the trick for me. If it’s a little warmer, a good dunking of the head and upper body feels great. It’s best to first rinse the worst of the body oils, sweat and sun block off some distance away from the stream or lake using a water bottle, then enjoy a dunk or a swim. Never had a problem with chaffing or rashes – just foot blisters. Toughening up the feet on training hikes helps a lot, plus taping hot spots quickly before they turn into blisters.

Lester,

Good idea on rinsing off the sunblock. I have literally never had a blister but I do get chaffing. When I used to run marathons I would get it in my inner thighs, nipples and arm pits. I ran the second half of a marathon once with bleeding nipples(I could barely shower for a week afterwards it hurt so bad). I wear wool socks and never had had any feet issues outside plantar fasciitis

I thru-hiked 500 miles last summer in “moderate” temperatures (CT), and really didn’t have any problems with chafing/rashes/skin issues.  I hiked between 15 and 20 miles per day.

I think you’ll find that running a marathon causes a lot more of those issues than hiking (because of the level of exertion in marathoning).  I think a little rinse at the end of each day (to keep the dust/sweat under control) should be sufficient, and I’m really not convinced that you need all the other stuff.

I think that doing longer days (20-30 miles per day) and/or hiking in very hot environments can cause more of these issues, but if you’re not doing that, no need to worry. :^)

I’ve hiked 23 miles in a day and I definitely had chaffing in the places I specified. Generally not on shorter miles but with the high vertical gains and losses we will have daily I am concerned about this.

I rinse off pretty much everyday if it’s above freezing and even then, if there is sun out and not much breeze, I have been know to break through thin ice on occasion.  I sleep so much better when I clean up and as a result don’t miss out very often.  I also carry a few single baby wipes for days that it doesn’t happen.

When thru hiking I didn’t follow such a strict policy as some days I just dropped and plopped, often right next to the trail.  I do get in the water during the day as well, sometimes I just can’t pass up a sweet swimming hole.  It takes less than five minutes to strip and dip.  Often the water is so cold that as I am diving in I am turning back toward shore before making contact with the water.  I am amazed when I am beat and tired in the afternoon how rejuvenating it can be and how many more miles I can cover afterwards.

I have not had chaffing issues, but occasionally get between the toe blisters.  I try to take care of hot spots before they become a problem and take my boots off at breaks longer than 20 mins or so, as well as dip my feet if taking a break near water.  I don’t use lotions or sunscreen much, maybe just my nose, back of my hands and the tops of my knees.  I hike in a long sleeve shirt and shorts unless it is snowing and windy and operate under the premise that the best sun protection is a good base tan, something I may pay for dearly later in life.

Hiking I don’t find a need for band aids on my nipples but when I used to run I did. My top is a long sleeve base layer that is snug but not tight and consequently it doesn’t rub back and forth much.

I use Dr Bonners daily for good hand cleaning and on my pits, nether region, and face/neck.  I do this over the cat hole when I first get to camp and then make my deposit in the morning if required and cover it all up.  1/2oz lasts a couple of weeks including some clothes washing in a gallon size freezer bag.  I keep my hair pretty short but will use Dr Bonners if it gets too bad following the same procedure listed above.  I carry a 1/2oz bottle of baby oil/palm oil for dry areas and that will last three weeks at least.  Mostly its for cracked and dry fingers.

Other than that I try to pay attention to what my body is telling me and address things early on.  I find as I get older this is very necessary to having an enjoyable and safe time.

I use lotion but only use sunscreen on my face and the back of my hands as I wear a OR sunrunner hat, sunglasses long sleeve shirt and pants when hiking. I might roll my pants up to the knees but I always wear pants. I have had a few hot spots in the past but only when I wear synthetic socks now I only wear wool. I plan on wearing wool underwear and a wool tech t lite shirt to help keep the funk down.

https://backpackinglight.com/backcountry_health_hygiene/

Thanks Ken. I work in a hospital. I am religious about washing my washing my hands and using hand sanitizer.

Sure, just putting it out there as associated reading. Bandana for mopping yourself works for me. A wipe down before bed does wonders.

I brought a little bit of tea tree oil. When I felt a little butt chafe starting up I washed up with a bandana and applied a little tea tree oil. It’s supposedly antiseptic. Smells strongly herbal.

I have big thighs and wore a skirt on a recent 10 day PCT trip in the desert. I went commando without any chafing problems at all. I think all that air flow really helps keep the whole nether region cleaner and healthier, too.

I have big thighs and wore a skirt on a recent 10 day PCT trip in the desert. I went commando without any chafing problems at all. I think all that air flow really helps keep the whole nether region cleaner and healthier, too.

Ventilation is probably a big help vs. constant perspiration in certain areas. Each of us are going to be different.

If the OP knows what worked for a marathon, then it might be a good idea to bring that stuff along. Since backpacking isn’t exactly the same as running a marathon, it may not be necessary to prep as you would for a big run, but having the remedies in your pack just in case could be a good strategy on a multi-day hike. Over time each of us learn what works best for themselves. I’ve never had any kind of chaffing problem when hiking.

When I was a mechanic working in summer temps averaging 115F everyday, I would get “jock itch” because I had to wear company issued hot uniform pants, and it was really bad on days with humidity. A doctor told me it was from fungus that grew in a warm moist environment. He recommended using an over the counter fungal spray each night after a thorough shower. Worked and I didn’t need to apply anything else at any time… just each night.

I get chafing on my inner thighs sometimes when hiking–usually when I’m try to do 30+ mile days in rain or high humidity.  I prefer some kind of salve or ointment (I’m currently using this stuff) over body glide for two reasons: (1) It is a lot less painful to apply a soft semi-solid ointment to an irritated or already chafed area compared to doing the same with a solid stick of body glide; (2) I can apply ointments a lot thicker than I can body glide, which allows for better lubrication.

If this is your first long trip, then I would advise being cautious and bring a little bit more than you think you’ll need.  I did a 7 day backpacking/biking trip this past summer and ran out of the ointment that I used to prevent/treat chafing.  For the last couple of days I ended up using a tube of carmex lip balm, and that was less than ideal.

Rather than apply things to my body I brought a pair of spandex shorts. I didn’t wear them all the time and fortunately it ended up I didn’t need them for chafing at all. The desert is nice and dry. As long as I walked pretty fast I generated a decent amount of air flow.