How do You Stay Clean While Backpacking?

Not a lot.  I take an extra pair of undies and rinse the day’s undies in the evening, so I always have at least one “clean” pair to wear.  I just rinse them in a bit of water and wring them out.  I used to do the same with my socks, but now I use HappYaks, which do not need/want washing much.

Maybe once every three or four days I’ll rinse out my shirt…on a warm afternoon when it will dry quickly. Pants stay untouched for the duration.

I rinse off each afternoon…or every other afternoon, or whenever.  Mainly my feet, but sometimes the rest of me, too.  And I after three or four days I take a couple cups of water far into the bushes and wash my hair/head.  That’s about it.

One of the books that helped my wife deal with this was an old Sierra Club publication called something like Hiking with Backpack or Burro.  It noted that unless you were going to be out more than two weeks, you didn’t need to bring a change of shirt or pants.

Wool clothes don’t stink up much but can get salty. Often I dip my clothes in the stream mid hike to cool off. This also reduces the salt and dirt build up. Other than that I will spot clean food spots at most.

After a sweaty day I’ll rinse off with a quick shower out of the water bag, ideally letting it warm up for a bit on a hot rock or in the sun.

My pants get quite dirty but I generally don’t do much with them. After a couple days I’ll rinse them in the stream at the end of the day. As a backup i always have sleep long John’s and my 40g Dutch Shorts from dutchware that I can wear for a couple hours

For hygiene, most days I’ll swim if near a lake or “take a bath” if near a stream with pools.  At a minimum I’ll wet my packtowel and sponge off.

Clothing-wise I will generally rinse everything with water and wring dry.  Otherwise everything, especially the shirt, gets pretty stiff with salt.  I carry an extra underwear and socks which I alternate daily.  Though the ones I rinse usually dry overnight if feel better about them if they air out and see the sun between wearings.

Yep. What Steve said.

On longer trips I pack the S2S 10 liter collapsible bucket. S2S offers an Ultrasil 30d version (1 oz) and a more durable 420d bottom and 210d sides version (2.8 oz). The 30d bucket is just way too thin and will leak with the slightest abrasion so it’s not an option IMO. I use the bucket to 1) wash clothes with a small amount of ALL Free and Clear liquid detergent and then dump the water far from streams or lakes. I carry one extra pair of synthetic underwear and wash the soiled pair when necessary. I also pack 1 extra pair of socks. As someone stated earlier, I try to wash shirt/pants/socks/underwear on sunny afternoons if possible in order to maximize drying, and I wear rain jacket or wind jacket if needed. 2) I also use the bucket to wash hair, body wash with camp towel and shave (to shave I heat up 12 oz water and apply to face with camp towel for a few minutes to soften stubble and then I use a new triple blade disposable razor. No shave cream needed. The hot water makes shaving infinitely more pleasant). If I plan on catching a bus or public transportation after a trip I certainly want myself and my clothes to be clean when I get around other people. I don’t even like to be around other hikers at shelters when I’m funky. And if I need to hitchhike I find that I can get rides 10 times easier when I’m clean shaved and with clean hair and clothes. 3) The bucket is also a great water hauler to camp for various needs.

I also pack 2 or 3 Preparation H Totables medicated wipes for extra cleanliness after a bowel movement (and after toilet paper cleaning). They weigh very little and allow me to stand myself far better. Don’t need to wash underwear as soon either.

I wash whenever I have the facilities to do so and a few free moments to make use of them; same goes for laundry.  I sweat a lot, so keeping the buildup to a minimum allows both me and my gear to last longer.  Shaving is always a challenge because I have both face and head to shear, but I can go a week without addressing either with anything more than soap and water.

I was just out for a week.  85 F.  I just wore the same clothes.

I wear gaiters which helps keep my socks clean.

If I get to camp early enough, and if the weather is conducive, I wash my body and my cloths every day. Not only does it keep the stink down and my sleeping bag clean, I feel refreshed and energized from the water on my skin. And I sleep better clean. For soap, I used Dr. Bronner’s diluted 50% and do the wash-up far away for lakes and streams.

Use a black trash liner bag to warm water in the sun . Foam sit pad under to insulate from ground . Always bring line to hang clothes on and bread bag plastic tabs to use as clothes pins.

Rinse and wring socks and underwear, then lay them on a rock in the sun. sun is a good disinfectant. Then, I swim or otherwise splash about while squeeling like a five year old in cold river water. Dry out nude in the sun.

I have used the STS 10L bucket, as described above, and recently used a 2 gallon ziplock for the same purpose. I also got a little plastic showerhead nozzle that fits on a water bottle, which was great for rinsing hair; distributed the water more evenly and IMO worth the weight. I use a bidet for bathroom #2 which keeps me shower clean. I definitely prefer to have a nightly quick wash, so that I’m not sticky or so stinky I want to leave my own tent! Wool t-shirts help, along with wool bra and undies. Whatever you do please do it away from streams, lakes and rivers. Please. Recently saw someone dumped their dinner into Arrowhead Lake in the Sierra. Guess what, when you dump something in a lake, it takes a long time for it to go away!

Well yes I rinse and wring clothes on dry ground away from the river or lake. I do rinse myself, or swim, briefly, in the lake or river.

I once had the privilege of seeing  ferret  enter a river and swim, and then haul itself out on a log and continue its stroll.

One caution about swimming to clean up… If you are using sun screen or bug juice… those chemicals go into the water when you swim… not good.

Yep. I don’t. I can’t handle Deet.  And I wear a big hat and spf clothing. A little sunscreen on my face: but I don’t wash my face in a lake. Just my sweaty body.

I don’t use sunscreen. Rarely deet or other repellant. Lately I’ve used a dab of soap on my bandana, to wip/rinse off whatever I can reach, at the end of the day. Away from any water source. Really helps.

Kelly

Unscented baby wipes to the groin and pits.

Choose camp site near creek
Pitch tent
Set up mats
Wander down to creek, strip and jump in. Wash. Climb out. Mind you, if the water is just ex snowbank, the transit time may be ‘brief’.
Also wash socks

Cheers

I simply do not backpack in the heat.  Yeah, that limits the number of my trips, but also eliminates the issues of sweat and bugs.  I try to make up for that by doing longer trips during the cold months.  So basically I stay clean by not getting dirty :)

My wife and I bring an extra pair of socks and wash the ones we are wearing each night. We also wash our underwear each night and hang them out to dry. I also have an extra cap for a Platypus I have made holes in so that we can use it as a shower.

Something that I totally forgot until just now: my brush.  Yes, I carry a brush.  Snicker all you like, but a lightweight boar-bristle brush works soapless wonders for any part of the body with hair: head, beard, moustache, and…umm…wherever else you might choose to store your excess fur.  For 1.5 oz. of weight, I can get rid of dead skin, dirt, sweat, oil, etc, from areas that are normally impervious to cleaning without soap.  That saves a lot of chemicals and water over time, although I still enjoy a good sudsing when I get back to the world.

Summertime week plus trips?   I’ll dry-camp away from streams, maybe giving muddy legs a rinse, but save a more detailed clean for camp.  I’ll use a small bottle of water that’s probably warm from the sun head to toe with a very little bit of Dr B’s., then rinse.   Paying attention to where the water flows, of course.   Sometimes I’ll remember to bring a small sponge and/or separate synthetic washcloth for … stinky feet. Finish up with a decent sized alcohol wipe that’s packed out.   Use mostly natural materials and a bidet system for that though I’m not a purist.   After a week I need a shower ..

I’m back to using lighter layers next to the skin, so those are mostly rinsed at least once daily before laundry day.

Colder trips see me do less of the above but I’ll still do some.

one week? ill rinse the liner in my shorts a few times, and my socks every other day. bandanna bird bath every day if possible.