soap and sunscreen

[cburnett]

just a straight forward question, hoping for straight forward responses

what soap do you carry for a thru-hike? what quanities?

What sunscreen do you carry for a thru-hike and what quanities?

Cordially,
IV

[Lone Wolf]

No soaps or sunscreens. I carry 100% tanning oil.

[Happy]

Dr. Bronner's Peppermint soap (2 oz) in purchased small squirt bottle (REI)
No name sunscreen available in 1/2 to 1 oz tubes (REI)

[azchipka]

The soap is a no brainer for me.......Vermont Soap Factory

www.vtsoap.com

Great products and a huge varity, even have a backpacker special.

Dont know about sun screen. I dont use it.

[MOWGLI]

just a straight forward question, hoping for straight forward responses

what soap do you carry for a thru-hike? what quanities?

What sunscreen do you carry for a thru-hike and what quanities?

Cordially,
IV

Soap? I started my thru-hike with either Camp Suds or Dr. Bronners. I forget which one, 'cause I sent it home at Neels Gap. IMO, soap (biodegradable or not) doesn't belong in the woods. That's what towns are for.

Sunscreen. I started with it, and it can be useful before the forest has leafed out. The problem for me was that I sweat so much, that I couldn't keep the stuff on. Plus, I didn't want to sweat it into my eyes. In other words, I carried it for perhaps 450 miles, rarely used it, and sent it home at Damascus.

Once the forest has leafed out, you are in direct sunlight perhaps 5-10% of the time. Perhaps even less. Of course there are exceptions, like above treeline in New England. It seemed as if I was walking in a cloud through most of those areas. Many hikers choose to wear hats, long sleeves and pants in lieu of sunscreen.

For those of you hiking in 2004, I have faith that you'll figure this out pretty quickly.

Little Bear
GA-ME 2000

[Footslogger]

I carried a 2 oz bottle of CampSuds and a comparable size bottle of sunscreen on my thru-hike in 2003. The soap is concentrated so you don't need very much. When you're in a town or at a hostel there is generally soap availble so you don't need your own.

As far as sunscreen goes, unless you are really sensitive to the sun you won't need much in the beginning of the hike. It's just excess baggage. Another thing is that there is more overhead tree cover than you might expect along the AT. In the Summer and Fall months when you are at the higher elevations some sunscreen come in handy for your nose and ears but a good wide brimmed hat will help a lot in that regard. One thing I can tell you is that I came back home with almost a full tube of sunscreen. That will tell you how much I actually used it.

You're mileage may vary ...and again, if you are really sensitive to the sun by all means carry and use sunscreen. This was just my experience.

[Peaks]

I carried and used a 2 oz bottle of camp suds. That stuff goes a long way when you only use it a drop or two at a time.

Poor hygene definately causes sickness and the trots for many along the trail. So, after every meal, I heated a little water and washed out my pot.

Didn't carry sunscreen.

[max patch]

I used either Dr. Bonners or Camp Suds (smallest bottle; don't recall the size). At night I heated water and soap and washed up a bit. I also washed out my cook pot.

I started 5/1 so didn't need any sunscreen. Early starters should bring some as many hikers get sunburned before the trees leaf out.

[weary]

just a straight forward question, hoping for straight forward responses

what soap do you carry for a thru-hike? what quanities?

What sunscreen do you carry for a thru-hike and what quanities?

Cordially,
IV

I carried a "motel-sized" hunk of Ivory soap, cut from a bar in my bounce box. I used it for body parts, dishes and occasional trail-side laundry.

I didn't carry sun screen. I walked outside quite a bit in the weeks before leaving for Georgia in the second week of April and figured my face and neck was pretty immune from burning.

I wore long sleeve shirts for the first week or more, and exposed my arms to the sun gradually. My legs sort of took care of themselves. I wore shorts on the warm parts of warm days, but these seem to have been rare enough so my legs just gradually browned.

I'm pretty fair-skinned and hate to be sunburned. But I didn't find the sun a problem with a mid April 1993 start. It was a pretty dry year. But despite the lack of rain clouds, I had no sun problems.

Weary

[smokymtnsteve]

I always carry a little tube of sunscreen

being blonde I have more fun

and more skin cancer risk.

[bobgessner57]

Soap: I like to carry a small bottle of campsuds for dishes, occasional laundry and personal hygiene.

Almost never use sunscreen as I work outdoors and keep a perennial tan and go from red to brown overnight. Yea I know skin cancer but can't stand the greasiness and I am a free sweater so it just washes away.

Windburn is more of a problem. Chapstick for the lips and olive oil on face if it feels too dry and crusty.