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Trail Shower from a 10’x12’ Dining Fly ???


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Home Forums Scouting Philmont Trail Shower from a 10’x12’ Dining Fly ???

Viewing 6 posts - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)
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  • #3580420
    Kevin Sweere
    BPL Member

    @sweerek

    I’m rather partial to sleeping clean, but with BSA YPT rules its tough to sneak away in open country to wash-up completely.  So I got to thinking…

    Would this work?

    #3580464
    SFOldManClan
    Spectator

    @sfoldmanclan

    Locale: Washington DC

    I bought a sea to summit 10 liter bucket, which weighs one ounce and plan to wear my rain kilt so I can scrub up daily and wear clean shorts daily (launder my shorts and hang in my tent to dry).  They also sell a 20 liter bucket too which weighs four ounces.

    If you get a kilt, don’t waste money on Zpacks Vertice (only benefit is Vertice is really breathable and for $70 it should dry clean itself!, get a kilt that can hide everything underneath it while you do laundry and clean up. I would Mountain Hardwear Men’s Elkommando Kilt or  get this one or the UL Hiker ones on eBay for about  $30 or this one.  Here is one in Scout colors – Damn Near Kilt ‘Em Men’s Techlite Rogue Utility Kilt.  I’m just going use my rain kilt since it will dry really fast and I could wear it in the shower and out.  Also I wouldn’t get Cuben Fiber (DCF) due to the transparency, which kinda defeats the purpose since you can’t pull the skivvies for a quick clean or change, without providing a twin moon salute to the troops, which in the current climate would make the national news.

    Another option is a MYOG Tyvex Rain Kilt. Just make sure you wash it a lot to loosen it up (no soap, just water)

     

    #3580499
    David Y
    BPL Member

    @moonshine

    Locale: Mid Tenn

    It is all about weight. Don’t carry anything you don’t absolutely need or can live without.

    The big crowded camps have shower houses, the small trail camps have few other campers. It’s not that hard to find some privacy to bathe yourself a short distance from trail camps. Or bathe with your shorts on.

    Backpack washing machine.

    I carry a two-gallon freezer-grade re-sealable plastic bag and Campsuds to do laundry and bathe myself in camp whenever we’re at a good source of water.

    I half fill the bag with clear cold water and place, one at a time, a T-shirt, hiking shorts or set of socks to rinse out dust and sweat, place rinsed items on a clean surface, sump the dirty water and continue this process for all my clothes. Then I repeat the process using Campsuds. Then I repeat this process to rinse out the Campsuds.

    I hang wet clothes on my 25 foot of 3mm nylon cord clothes line in the sun and breeze to dry. I put on wet T-shirt and shorts and wear them dry in just a few minutes in the very dry humidity. Thick socks take longer on the clothes line.

    With the same bag, clear cold water, Campsuds and one of my bandanas I can sponge bathe myself. With a dromedary bag hung on a tree I can shower.

    Without real bath soap and deodorant your freshness won’t last long but at least you got the dirt off.

    Information is key. When you want or need privacy make your intentions and whereabouts known so others can avoid you.

    #3580513
    David Y
    BPL Member

    @moonshine

    Locale: Mid Tenn

    Privacy and vanity seem to melt away in Philmont’s backcountry.  It is meant to be a semi wilderness and there’s just not that many separate facilities there. But campers accept this and give each other their space and privacy or just ignore what is right in front of them. Adults, youths, males and females can all share this experience without intruding on each other’s space.

    The bath houses have either separate youth and adult sides or reversible signs for youth and adult times. One or two big camps have separate male and female shower houses also with youth and adult sides or reversible signs, but that is rare.

    Latrines are even less segregated. There are no his and hers latrines. And few privies are private, just a wood box to sit on, sometimes out of sight of trails and camps, sometimes not.

    One latrine at Tooth Ridge trail camp is right on the overlook where campers take photo ops of the Great Plains to the east and Camping Headquarters below. But campers accept this and just ignore what is right in front of them. Camper just walk right by indifferent to anyone sitting bare butt on the wood box as if it was an everyday thing, which it is.

    Information is key. When you want or need privacy make your intentions and whereabouts known so others can avoid you.

    “Philmont should be enjoyed, not endured.” Moonshine

    #3580585
    Brad P
    Spectator

    @brawndo

    These shorts weigh almost nothing and dry fast.  You can wear them while you bathe and wash your clothes and cover your nakedness.

    #3580953
    Kevin Sweere
    BPL Member

    @sweerek

    Thank you all for the replies.

     

     

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