Shampooing hair between town visits

[birdygal]

As I got older I found that my head actually hurts if my hair is greasy, Guess my scalp just can't handle the extra weight of my hair , I do have short hair but its thick, What is the best way to handle cleaning your hair every 3 days

[Slo-go'en]

Try to get to town every 3-4 days? Washing your hair on the trail can be done, but is not easy. You could hang your water bladder (if you use one) from a tree and use it like a shower. It's gonna be a cold shower. I haven't seen one in a while, but "solar shower" bags used to be available. If you have time to kill, you fill these with water, put it in the sun for 3-4 hours and you get 60 seconds of hot water.

If you can talk a hiking partnter into it, having some one wash your hair would be the easiest way to go and not have to get all wet. Sit and lean back, like at the hair saloon. Wet hair, shampoo and rinse. On second thought, I suppose one could do that one's self. Just never thought to wash my hair sitting down until now.

But however you do it, wash well away from the water source. Even so called "bio-degradable" soap does not belong in any spring, stream, pond or lake. So, you may want a way to carry a fairly large amount of water some distance from the source. Since your not going all that far with it, a plastic shopping bag works. I've also used these bags to wash clothes in.

[Maple_Sky]

Here's how I would do it: get a bottle of water, a bandanna, and your camp soap (Dr. Bronners is what I use... they have the original as well as lavender and almond scent...). Go away from the water source pretty far, wet down your bandanna, rub it on your scalp and hair until it's just wet enough,not soaked, put just a drop of the camp soap on your fingertips and rub it on your scalp, then use the wet bandanna again to "rinse" out the small amount of soap. You could use another (dry) bandanna to towel your hair, and then hang them both up to dry for the next day. That's just the best way I figured out how to do it on my long section hike this summer, since using a small amount of water and soap let me dry out more quickly before I got cold. However, I don't think there's a "wrong" way to wash your hair, as long as you're not doing it in the water source.

[Amanita]

If I have a big water source, like a lake, and it's a warm day, this is how I do it. Go swimming to get my hair wet. Fill up 1-2 nalgenes and walk away from water source. Lather up hair with small amount of soap, and slowly pour water from first nalgene through. Wring out hair, repeat. If my hair/clothes still feel soapy I'll haul more water away from the source to rinse more, otherwise, just go swimming again. Since you've just been swimming and gotten used to the water, pouring it over your head isn't as shocking this way. Swimming afterwards is mostly to get the mud off your feet and legs, because they will get pretty dirty on the way to and from the water.

[Wil]

One of the few extravagances I carry is a collapsible wash basin. Campmor, I think. Very light, holds a lot of water. Will not last a thru, leaks, maybe 2-3 replacements will be required along the way, fewer if you're careful.


When I'm camped near a water source I do a full body bath every night, including hair washing.

Fill the basin, carry at least 100 feet away from water source. Wash body areas one at a time, starting with face. Hair, feet and groin area last, in that order. Wet the area (just a small handful of water needed). Lather up with the Bronners (figuratively; you really don't need a lot of Bronners or real lather); rub/brush clean; rinse with handfuls of water while over the basin, so most of the water flows back into the basin. You dunk most of your head to rinse hair. For feet and groin area I'm standing in the basin. Dry with pack towel. Dump the basin water. Obviously the water you're using late in the process is getting soapy/dirty (when I was growing up, poor, we had a clothes washer with a "suds saver" feature, same principle).

If access to the water source is easy I may go back for a second partial filling for a final rinse. Over time I've learned to use only a modest amount of soap to start with so there's very little in that final rinse.

[quilteresq]

You also might want to google "no shampoo." I thought they were nut cakes, but I now do my hair twice a week with baking soda (1 T per quart container mixed with water) and vinegar rinse (same - one T per qt of water) - and my hair immediately stopped coming out by the handfuls in the shower! I shampoo once a week now. It will transfer nicely to the trail.

[WILLIAM HAYES]

I carry an extra nalgene lid that i have drilled several small holes in and use it to shower with -just fill up your nalgene bottle replace the lid with the shower head one liter just about handles everything i need to wash using Dr Bronners

[Blissful]

Town is usually every 3-4 days. I'd also make sure your comb it to distribute the oils.

[Bat321]

They make waterless shampoo. You put it in your hair and rub your fingers and it lathers up. Then you towel your hair dry and your done. It is used in hospitals. The bottle I have has the brand name OUTGO. I got it at an outdoor gear shop.

[BlackCloud]

You guys are killing me. Baby powder. The greasier your hair the better. Dirt & grime is covered by the grease in your hair (short of your dunking your head in the dirt of course). The grease clings to the baby poweder. Simply put enough powder in your hair, wait a minute, & shake the powder out w/ clean hands of course. No water needed. Your hair will feel clean & dry & is.

I'm OCD. Beleive me, it works at any temperature.