View Full Version : Stinkiness on trail
tucker0104
06-03-2008, 10:47
I was just wondering what everyone brought to stay clean while hiking or if you bring anything at all? I have always stuck with baby wipes for the quick bath.
Lone Wolf
06-03-2008, 10:48
nothing at all
Appalachian Tater
06-03-2008, 10:48
Baby butt wipes, but with rubbing alcohol added.
warraghiyagey
06-03-2008, 10:49
Mother nature
baby wipes here. I gotta get the sticky grime off before I go to bed. I mean go to sleeping pad.
Baby wipes &/or bandana in the creek... but who really stays 'clean' and who cares? everyone is just as dirty/stinky as you are.
tucker0104
06-03-2008, 10:54
I know but everyone needs the self satisfaction of thinking they are somewhat clean.
warraghiyagey
06-03-2008, 10:56
I know but everyone needs the self satisfaction of thinking they are somewhat clean.
On the trail that concept has a different meaning for some - not everyone.:)
Pokey2006
06-03-2008, 11:00
I don't see any reason to completely throw out personal hygiene just because you're on the trail. I think guys do that because its some kind of twisted badge of honor, to see how gross and smelly they can get.
If you'd rather not play that game, then baby wipes work wonders. You can also fill your cooking pot with water, wander off away from other people and water sources, and have a sponge bath.
Yes, you'll still be stinky. But there's no need to be completely disgusting.
I don't see any reason to completely throw out personal hygiene just because you're on the trail. I think guys do that because its some kind of twisted badge of honor, to see how gross and smelly they can get.
If you'd rather not play that game, then baby wipes work wonders. You can also fill your cooking pot with water, wander off away from other people and water sources, and have a sponge bath.
Yes, you'll still be stinky. But there's no need to be completely disgusting.
read thoroughly before you slam. he asked what people BROUGHT. some, like me, BROUGHT nothing. that doesn't mean we don't clean off regularly with water.
Lone Wolf
06-03-2008, 11:06
I think guys do that because its some kind of twisted badge of honor, to see how gross and smelly they can get.
i think you're FOS on this one :rolleyes:
warraghiyagey
06-03-2008, 11:07
I don't see any reason to completely throw out personal hygiene just because you're on the trail. I think guys do that because its some kind of twisted badge of honor, to see how gross and smelly they can get.
If you'd rather not play that game, then baby wipes work wonders. You can also fill your cooking pot with water, wander off away from other people and water sources, and have a sponge bath.
Yes, you'll still be stinky. But there's no need to be completely disgusting.
All sweeping stereotypes aside, there are plenty of folk, regardless of the spelling of their chromosones, that know how to stay somewhat trail hygenic while hiking. Sorry to burst your bubble. For the rest, it's their life and hike to do as they will from day to day. I love them all, and love meeting them.:)
Pokey2006
06-03-2008, 11:08
i think you're FOS on this one :rolleyes:
Nu uh. Guys are gross.
Nu uh. Guys are gross.
I resemble that.
I stink, therefore I am.
Lone Wolf
06-03-2008, 11:13
Nu uh. Guys are gross.
yeah well i went to a musical festival last week and there was no lack of dread headed, nasty-ass filthy chicks in attendance. they think patchouli oil smells good :rolleyes:
y nasty-ass filthy chicks in attendance.
I miss my youth also.
Blissful
06-03-2008, 11:16
Didn't bathe until town (which is always about 4 to 5 days away at most). Thought I would and brought dry oil of olay cloths, but was too tired to do it with all the other camp prep like the meal, getting water, setting up camp. Sent the cloths home.
And in defense of guys, a thru hiker last year sponge bathed every night in the summer.
tucker0104
06-03-2008, 11:17
Does anyone bring that special soap that they sell in the 4oz bottles? The DR brommers or something like that?
warraghiyagey
06-03-2008, 11:19
yeah well i went to a musical festival last week and there was no lack of dread headed, nasty-ass filthy chicks in attendance. they think patchouli oil smells good :rolleyes:
How did you get in to the Michigan Womyn's Festival??? I've been tryig to do that for years!!!!!!!!!!:mad::p
warraghiyagey
06-03-2008, 11:20
Does anyone bring that special soap that they sell in the 4oz bottles? The DR brommers or something like that?
I bring Camp Suds - rarely use it:o
Lone Wolf
06-03-2008, 11:24
How did you get in to the Michigan Womyn's Festival???
i'm a lesbian
warraghiyagey
06-03-2008, 11:25
i'm a lesbian
Who isn't?:):p
vonfrick
06-03-2008, 11:25
i'm a lesbian
that there is funny :D
Farr Away
06-03-2008, 11:27
I bring a little (an ounce?) camp soap, baby wipes & an auto-dry 'towel'. If I can, I clean off with water and soap; if not, I use the baby wipes. I sleep better 'clean'.
Footslogger
06-03-2008, 11:30
Nothing ...just went shower to shower.
'Slogger
warraghiyagey
06-03-2008, 11:34
Nothing ...just went shower to shower.
'Slogger
Footslogger, cleanest hiker this side of the Pacos.:)
Footslogger
06-03-2008, 11:56
Footslogger, cleanest hiker this side of the Pacos.:)
=======================
I wouldn't go that far ...
After a while though it really doesn't matter what you do while you're on the trail - - you are gonna stink !! Once the clothing adopts the stank even washing it only lasts for a day.
'Slogger
warraghiyagey
06-03-2008, 11:57
=======================
I wouldn't go that far ...
After a while though it really doesn't matter what you do while you're on the trail - - you are gonna stink !! Once the clothing adopts the stank even washing it only lasts for a day.
'Slogger
Sage words . . . as always.:)
I was just wondering what everyone brought to stay clean while hiking or if you bring anything at all? I have always stuck with baby wipes for the quick bath.
Nah, seriously, I just use water and my bandana every night, but I also only take two sets of clothes, one to wear that day and one to put on that night when I rinse off at camp. I rinse out the set I wore during that day's hike and lay them out to dry. Get up in the morning already dressed and the previous day's stuff goes in the pack for tomorrow. I used to take Dr. Bronner's (peppermint, ahhh!) but I rarely used it and the first time it leaked, it was gone. Never missed it.
gravityman
06-03-2008, 12:03
Wipes for after a BM. Really helps me keeps from smelling like, well...
Washed up with bandanna w/o soap every night once it was warm. The sticky salt drove me nuts if I didn't do that.
Wife had more of a regiment, included olay cloths for face and wipes for feet. That's about it really. People always told us we 'looked so clean.'
Also kept clippers in bounce box to keep hair under control.
Gravity
ChinMusic
06-03-2008, 12:46
Once the clothing adopts the stank even washing it only lasts for a day.
'Slogger
I certainly do NOT have any thru-hiker experience but I think merino wool shirts barely have any smell after LONG time in use. I did an "experiment" with my Icebreaker merino wool shirt and didn't wash it for several months while backpacking with it on weekends and on dayhikes.
I couldn't MAKE the shirt stink.
That is the same shirt I'm wearing in my avatar.
Footslogger
06-03-2008, 12:56
[quote=ChinMusic;635777]
I couldn't MAKE the shirt stink.
=====================================
I'll bet I could make it stink ...
'Slogger
I certainly do NOT have any thru-hiker experience but I think merino wool shirts barely have any smell after LONG time in use. I did an "experiment" with my Icebreaker merino wool shirt and didn't wash it for several months while backpacking with it on weekends and on dayhikes.
I couldn't MAKE the shirt stink.
That is the same shirt I'm wearing in my avatar.
I have a few shirts that stink even after you take them out of the dryer. I guess its a gift?:D
Bandana baths at the end of the day and baking soda. Use baking soda as a deodorant, sprinkle in my shoes, as a foot powder at the end of the day, brush my teeth/mouthwash, body powder, washing my clothes with a little Dr. Bonners (in a gallon zip lock bag), windburn/sunburn/insect bite salve and shaving. Google baking soda to see all its uses.
Bandana baths at the end of the day and baking soda. Use baking soda as a deodorant, sprinkle in my shoes, as a foot powder at the end of the day, brush my teeth/mouthwash, body powder, washing my clothes with a little Dr. Bonners (in a gallon zip lock bag), windburn/sunburn/insect bite salve and shaving. Google baking soda to see all its uses.
That is really good info thanks for sharing
River Runner
06-04-2008, 02:43
I have a few shirts that stink even after you take them out of the dryer. I guess its a gift?:D
The gift of polyester. The smell that lingers...
One reason I now wear Merino wool for the most part.
WalkingStick75
06-04-2008, 08:01
Bandana and stream whenever I can, swim when conditions permit, lots of soap and water when I find a shower.
My wife says I carry that trail odor when I get home, little does she know she did too, if you hike you stink! Women don't burp or fart either :)
yeah well i went to a musical festival last week and there was no lack of dread headed, nasty-ass filthy chicks in attendance. they think patchouli oil smells good :rolleyes:
Why do you subject yourself to such indignation?? :rolleyes: Admit it. You like hippie chicks.
Jason of the Woods
06-04-2008, 08:17
Savor the hiker funk.;)
My daughter and I were having this conversation yesterday while out hiking and discussing our upcoming JMT hike. We plan to swim as often as possible. That's something I didn't do nearly enough of in '06. I also have a GSI dualist cooking system that includes a small sink that the pot sits in. My kid is going to prolly bring a few ounces of Dr. Bronners and use a few drops here & there - and rinse with a bandanna. I HATE the idea of soap in the backcounty, and don't personally carry it or advocate for it. So I emphasized the need to use only a COUPLE OF DROPS of a biodegradable soap - well away from any water sources. She was puzzled at first - but she gets it.
Appalachian Tater
06-04-2008, 10:21
On a long hike, hygiene is not just to avoid smelling bad. It also helps prevent problems such as chafing, athletes foot, and rotten teeth.
Does anyone bring that special soap that they sell in the 4oz bottles? The DR brommers or something like that?
I bought some and brought it, but didn't really like it so I sent it home. Now I just buy a pack of wipes in each town when I resupply. I like to use one before I go to bed to get the grime off.
Bandana and stream whenever I can, swim when conditions permit, lots of soap and water when I find a shower.
My wife says I carry that trail odor when I get home, little does she know she did too, if you hike you stink! Women don't burp or fart either :)
Women do snore, burp, sweat, or pass gas. Therefore, we must bitch or we will blow up...
Women do snore, burp, sweat, or pass gas. Therefore, we must bitch or we will blow up...
I want the farter version.
I want the farter version.
Women do not snore, burp, sweat, or fart. Therefore, we must bitch or we will blow up....
Happy?;)
Women do not snore, burp, sweat, or fart. Therefore, we must bitch or we will blow up....
Happy?;)
So thats why.........:D
So thats why.........:D
now ya know! also, just for the record, we always smell like roses. even while hiking...:rolleyes:
Spcshiznit
06-05-2008, 09:02
yeah well i went to a musical festival last week and there was no lack of dread headed, nasty-ass filthy chicks in attendance. they think patchouli oil smells good :rolleyes:
I'm missing Bonnaroo this year for my section hike. Oh well, I think I'd rather be in the mountains.
Lone Wolf
06-05-2008, 09:06
bonnaroo isn't a festival, it's a zoo.
Spcshiznit
06-05-2008, 12:04
bonnaroo isn't a festival, it's a zoo.
Damn its fun though.
Bare Bear
06-05-2008, 12:28
I rarely carried or used any soap of any kind figuring it is sorta a wilderness.......
I did wash out my shirt every time I could which seemed to help. If I got to camp too early I did wash all clothes in water alone and wring them out. I double washed them in town.
I carried lots of single use alcohol wipes which I used nightly for personal hygiene.
Two Speed
06-05-2008, 12:33
Women do snore, burp, sweat, or pass gas. Therefore, we must bitch or we will blow up...Mmm, back in the day my ex must not have bitched enough. Woke herself up with a blast that I'd have been proud of, then blamed me.
No roses in that one.
Women do not snore, burp, sweat, or fart. Therefore, we must bitch or we will blow up....
Happy?;)
:-O
it's like i've awoken from a coma and now know the secret to life.
Wise Old Owl
06-05-2008, 13:24
I resemble that.
I stink, therefore I am.
Uh Huh, find a deep pot hole down a creek, bandanna or even better a camp sham-my.
Kanga that just isn't right.... what happened to Ladies? My My, Click here at your own risk
Kumar
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3oAjBwteHo
Uh Huh, find a deep pot hole down a creek, bandanna or even better a camp sham-my.
Kanga that just isn't right.... what happened to Ladies? My My, Click here at your own risk
Kumar
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3oAjBwteHo
why? why did i just click on that? WHY?!!!
Analogman
08-15-2008, 15:05
[quote=ChinMusic;635777]
I'll bet I could make it stink
Overshare!
leeki pole
08-15-2008, 15:49
Women do not snore, burp, sweat, or fart. Therefore, we must bitch or we will blow up....
Happy?;)
Seems like I've heard this one before. Most likely from my wife or two daughters. :D
paradoxb3
08-15-2008, 16:10
Please tell me yall aren't all in the same group that promote the use of a bandana to filter your drinking water as well... :D
Baby wipes &/or bandana in the creek...
Nah, seriously, I just use water and my bandana every night...
Washed up with bandanna w/o soap every night once it was warm.
Bandana baths at the end of the day and baking soda.
Bandana and stream whenever I can,
Uh Huh, find a deep pot hole down a creek, bandanna or even better a camp sham-my.
cuz if you are, the question becomes, how "clean" can one really keep a bandana on the trail??? :eek:
take-a-knee
08-15-2008, 17:27
How did you get in to the Michigan Womyn's Festival??? I've been tryig to do that for years!!!!!!!!!!:mad::p
I have to ask how does a properly motivated man even know about a gathering of she-coon man-haters?
flemdawg1
08-19-2008, 11:19
Please tell me yall aren't all in the same group that promote the use of a bandana to filter your drinking water as well... :D
cuz if you are, the question becomes, how "clean" can one really keep a bandana on the trail??? :eek:
Just don't use Cuffs' yellow bandana. :eek:
ct1974rlw
08-19-2008, 11:40
I pack a washcloth in a small ziplock bag and mark it "bath" so I don't confuse this with any other baggie. At night when I am done doing everything else, I boil some water before I put away my stove and take a quick sponge bath. I wash the important areas and rinse out my washcloth AWAY from camp and any water source. I also pack biogradable camp soap but less than a teaspoon for my entire trip-so each time there is only a drop or two used.
In between from sun up to sun down-I stink. And I make no apologies for it-I know I am a girl but hey-we can be proud that we worked hard too! :D
adventurousmtnlvr
08-19-2008, 11:47
Juniper is also good to chew on to keep the mouth clean, and can be burned to provide a “smoke bath" ... if there are any around it's a natural way of keeping clean :)
I'm a clean freak myself so "I'll find a way regardless! because I care how I smell for ME! lol" ... but to each their own
Blissful
08-19-2008, 11:48
I don't like going to town smelling. That bothers me the most. One lady who gave us a ride to Gorham kept her windows down. We were pretty rancid. I felt bad for her.
Two Speed
08-19-2008, 13:16
I have to ask how does a properly motivated man even know about a gathering of she-coon man-haters?I gotta ask how a properly motivated man would know this is a gathering of "she-coon manhaters." :p
Plodderman
08-19-2008, 13:29
I put a wash cloth in a baggie and bring some kind of soap small bar of the natural stuff that is biodegradible. A few years ago in the Grand Canyon while rafting and hiking the guides told us that you no longer needed to bring the biodegradible soap and shampoo because it did not have much of on effect on in the river. So I bring soap and a small was cloth.
rocketsocks
02-27-2018, 22:35
WHO KNEW
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2018/feb/28/hate-body-odour-youre-more-likely-to-have-rightwing-views
WHO KNEW
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2018/feb/28/hate-body-odour-youre-more-likely-to-have-rightwing-views
There are those rare moments in life when all becomes clear.
rocketsocks
02-27-2018, 23:22
I Find the study flawed in that i dont mind skunks, its just strong, but not as strong as my opinions on...and ill just leave it there.
[mic drop]
illabelle
02-28-2018, 06:28
WHO KNEW
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2018/feb/28/hate-body-odour-youre-more-likely-to-have-rightwing-views
Pffft......
AllDownhillFromHere
02-28-2018, 08:59
Pffft......
I'm not sure I'd trust The Guardian to decide what a "right wing view" is.
illabelle
02-28-2018, 09:44
I'm not sure I'd trust The Guardian to decide what a "right wing view" is.
Especially when they pair it with "authoritarian." As if!
Wülfgang
02-28-2018, 12:32
Wipes, I like the "Wet Ones" brand. Really the butt crack is the epicenter of all stink and filth. Armpits less so.
River/lake swims are best when available.
Sheriff Cougar
02-28-2018, 13:56
Tater, Have you ever wiped your butt with alcohol? You should try it. Hahahahahaha.
Sheriff Cougar
02-28-2018, 13:59
Blissful, My friend and I picked up a young lady hiker and I opened ALL THE WINDOWS! Pretty bad. Hahahaha.
rocketsocks
03-01-2018, 02:50
Wipes, I like the "Wet Ones" brand. Really the butt crack is the epicenter of all stink and filth. Armpits less so.
River/lake swims are best when available.Well I guess we know who you’ll be votin’ for in 2020.
AllDownhillFromHere
03-01-2018, 09:09
Blissful, My friend and I picked up a young lady hiker and I opened ALL THE WINDOWS! Pretty bad. Hahahaha.
Heh been there. Picked someone up once and did the same. It was November, but I told the kid "sorry dude" and hit all the window buttons at once.
nate.2346
03-03-2018, 12:47
If I want to bring soap a little bottle of Dr. Bronners goes a long way.
BuckeyeBill
03-03-2018, 17:27
Ah another words of wisdom from Boots McFarland:
https://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/files/8/574-154e-shirt.jpeg
kayakpro
03-04-2018, 16:30
Yes. It is castille soap. I use it for dish cleaning, clothes, shampoo and soap. Works fine. Not as elegant as other stuff but it works.
Knee Jerk
03-04-2018, 16:51
There are some people whose noses work extremely well and can sniff a smelly hiker from two states away. There are other people whose noses don't work at all - that would be me - and wouldn't be care if they slept next to a skunk in heat.
So whether a person smells good or bad is unique to different people: Unlike bears we, as humans, rely much more on our credit history then our sense of smell to provide our big four needs: Food, water, shelter and a wireless connection.
Me?
I bring a small towel, small-sized deodorant, small toothbrush and small toothpaste with me. Sometimes I even use them.
TwoRoads
04-07-2018, 21:06
I bring a cooling towel and use it also for sponging off (after walking a little ways from the stream). Travel toothbrush and paste. Then catch the first available shower.
steady123
04-08-2018, 14:34
Sponge bath every day after I smelled a dead rat in my sleeping bag. NO idea where it came from. Had disappeared when I looked for it.
I go the whole route: shower attachment for MSR Dromedary, I carry two Ti pans(also so I can make desert and dinner without cleaning a pan first) to heat water, medium size trail towel, multipurpose tyvek tarp(ground cloth, rain cover for vestibule, etc) to shower on for clean feet(I have used gathered rocks and wood)instead of dealing with a self made mud puddle, emergency cordage is used to hang the dromedary, and of course biodegradable soap.
I find after a day of hiking in summer heat a shower not only washes away the caked and glued on grime but a lot of fatigue too, makes sleeping feel almost sinfully luxurious, keeps sleeping gear and clothes cleaner. And also gives me a chance to rinse or even wash clothes away from a water source.
Everything is used for multiple things...so while not the lightest possible setup, the extra weight is just small increases in things I'd carry anyway...heavier water container, extra fuel, more soap.
MuddyWaters
04-09-2018, 00:40
I find one good shower a week works.
Thats substantially more than people have had throughout human history....
Sponge bath every day after I smelled a dead rat in my sleeping bag. NO idea where it came from. Had disappeared when I looked for it.
LOL! Did ya check yer shoe(s)?? Probably ran and hid in one of yer shoes. Sometimes they'll hide there when yer not look'n.. 'Specially after some days of rain, lol
u.w.
rocketsocks
04-09-2018, 12:08
Sponge bath every day after I smelled a dead rat in my sleeping bag. NO idea where it came from. Had disappeared when I looked for it.prolly crawled up yur *** and died, it’s from eatin’ all that trail food :D
Jan Shuster
04-10-2018, 00:10
Does anyone bring that special soap that they sell in the 4oz bottles? The DR brommers or something like that?
I'm planning to.
OldWolfe
07-29-2018, 17:14
Baby wipes for the bum. Hand sanitizer on wipe for the pits, leg creases, between the toes, hands and face. Bring floss, brush and paste for teeth. Once a day wash the feet in a creek if possible. Good Foot hygiene is very underrated.
Traveler
07-30-2018, 07:25
"Well sure. You have a real good one when you finish the shove up north, like at the hotel in Alfred. Then one or two in the winter if you don't catch your death. Then a couple in the spring and one more good one before you start the shove up again."
Will Penny's answer to the question if he ever bathes.
I shower daily in warm weather.
Heat and gross go hand in hand - if I'm sweating a lot from hiking, I'll shower daily after setting up camp (usually wild). Reduces the bugs; keeps my camp wear, sleeping bag, etc. cleaner; and just feels so much better while relaxing and sleeping (main reason for me).
I use my dirty Sawyer bag, ~1L unfiltered water, and a Smartwater bottle cap with a few small holes drilled into it as my Navy shower; a small amount of unscented Dr Bronner's; bandanna towel; and just stand on boulder naked - then change into my cleanish camp wear. Extra weight: 1 gram for the 'shower head' + 2 lbs extra water between last water source and looking for wild campsite (usually <0.5 mile).
As temps drops (sweat less), I'll shower less often, perhaps need to warm water on the stove, or go to bandanna sponge baths, or bandanna wet wipes (diluted Everclear stove fuel), but I'll still use the shower to shampoo hair occasionally (bend over while fully clothed) as long as it's above freezing.
When I've been hiking for a while I actually can smell the day hikers coming before I can hear them sometimes. I can't stand my own reek after hiking so I do a few things:
- Dude body wipe (1 x day @ about .7 oz ea)
- .5 oz travel size deodorant (yes, I still stink but I don't have that foul ammonia reek)
- 1 oz travel size Gold Bond powder for feet and hair before I go to bed
Yes, it adds about 4-5 oz to my pack weight but in addition to stink relief it also helps reduce skin issues (chafing and rashes) which I am prone to if I don't take care of myself. YMMV.
When I've been hiking for a while I actually can smell the day hikers coming before I can hear them sometimes. I can't stand my own reek after hiking so I do a few things:
- Dude body wipe (1 x day @ about .7 oz ea)
- .5 oz travel size deodorant (yes, I still stink but I don't have that foul ammonia reek)
- 1 oz travel size Gold Bond powder for feet and hair before I go to bed
Yes, it adds about 4-5 oz to my pack weight but in addition to stink relief it also helps reduce skin issues (chafing and rashes) which I am prone to if I don't take care of myself. YMMV.
I always have deodorant too, for chafing. Works better than body glide for me and also obviously helps with the stank.
I also keep a dry/clean bandana and a visine bottle of Dr. Bronners, just in case I get the opportunity to do a quick bathing. I keep a Sea to Summit bucket just for that purpose.