View Full Version : What soap do you use?
Class2010AT
03-16-2010, 21:31
i have use doc bonner's peperment b4 and it worked great but i smelled like a hooker at christmas. So i swapped to sea to summit body wash concentrate, you can clean up completly with 3mL or so of it, i like it but its kinda hard to find. Anyother suggestion?
mweinstone
03-16-2010, 21:44
dr bronners baby soap. same soap. no smell. us it for all my life. like,.....3 times at least!i shave with it when hiking. and wash my dishes and clothes.
Mountain Wildman
03-16-2010, 21:52
I bought the Dr. Bronners Peppermint, Used it on my hiking clothes so far.
Basegear has your Body Wash http://www.basegear.com/sea-to-summit-trek-and-travel-liquid-soaps1.html
soap? lol
rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer 4 me
I use this: http://www.grandtrunkgoods.com/ProdDetails.aspx?prodId=69
fiddlehead
03-16-2010, 22:18
small bar from hotel.
any kind.
just smaller is better.
Class2010AT
03-18-2010, 08:10
I bought the Dr. Bronners Peppermint, Used it on my hiking clothes so far.
Basegear has your Body Wash http://www.basegear.com/sea-to-summit-trek-and-travel-liquid-soaps1.html
I should have said its hard to find on trail
garlic08
03-18-2010, 09:43
small bar from hotel.
any kind.
just smaller is better.
Ditto this, if any at all. Sometimes I forget, and that's OK too. I often just scrub with a bandanna. I heard from a health pro that most of hand washing is mechanical, not chemical, anyway.
I agree on the odors--after a few days out there, every time I pass a day hiker I wonder why even the guys smell like French whores. Then I realize it's all the perfumed shaving cream, deodorant, shampoo, soaps, etc. in our daily lives. It's good to get away from all that. And then I wonder what I smell like to them....
In desert country, I look for a handful of sage and scrub with that. In higher terrain, some fir needles. Can't beat that for smelling good.
Jonnycat
03-18-2010, 11:02
A few drops of campsuds when I need to take a pot bath. I fill up a visine bottle with the stuff and it lasts me a few months.
Blissful
03-18-2010, 14:48
I may bring a little unscented castile soap. That's it
Username75
03-19-2010, 02:11
and Dr Bronners.
although the shampo is cheaper.
cheaper than joy dishwashing detergent
all 3 are biodegradeable.
daddytwosticks
03-19-2010, 07:32
I stopped carrying soap. I do ensure I have hand sanitizer and some adult-sized babby/butt wipes to clean up every now and then. :)
Hawkwind61
03-19-2010, 07:53
Dr Bronner's in lavender scent. (Lavender helps repel some bugs.) Hand sanitizer and wipes. If you let the wipes air dry just adding a bit of water will make the wet/moist again for use.
Hikes in Rain
03-19-2010, 12:52
Since I wear contacts, I look for a soap that doesn't have oils or perfumes, just soap. Ivory is one of my favorites, but the bar tends to get mushy in a plastic bag. Recently I got the bright idea (remembered something, actually) of a liquid Ivory that was out way back when. Even came in a pump bottle that looked like a cake of soap. Sadly, now that I'm looking for it, it doesn't seem to be available. My optomitrist recommends one of the clear liquid disinfection soaps, which doesn't seem to leave residues. On my next trip, I think I'll take a little bottle of that (with an Ivory sliver as a backup).
Did I just propose soap redundancy? Really?
Have you looked on Ivory.com?
I start off with a liquid soap but if I'm on the trail long enough to run out of that I replace it with small bars of soap that I get when I zero in motels.
Panzer
Dr Bronner's. Use it sparingly. A couple of ounces should last a month.
Pacific Tortuga
03-20-2010, 15:25
what ever someone has left on top of a shower door or ?
Hikes in Rain
03-20-2010, 16:30
Have you looked on Ivory.com?
I did, thanks. They have a liquid hand cleanser which would probably work just fine, but it's not available here in Tallahassee (that I've found).
Is there a better way of taking a bar, or rather a piece of one, than getting is all soft and mushy in a zip-loc?
kayak karl
03-20-2010, 16:38
"Soap? We ain't got no Soap. We don't need no soap! I don't have to show you any stinkin' soap!"
If I'm on a long walk, I keep a bar of ivory soap in a bounce box, and cut a motel-sized sliver off it as needed.
On shorter hikes, I sometimes substitute an ounce or two of liquid ivory dishwashing soap which is available in every supermarket. It's good for washing dishes, hair, stinky tee shirts, and body parts.
Consumer Reports a decade or so ago included liquid irvory dish washing detergent in a blind test of shampoos. It was rated in the middle of the shampoo pack.
All ordinary soaps and detergents are equally biodegradeable, and totally harmless when used in moderation on the trail.
Weary
Dr Bronners can also be used for brushing your teeth.... but to save some ounces, i don't carry soap any more, just use hand wipes or bandana, also carry the small hand sanitizer gels
....but to save some ounces, i don't carry soap any more, just use hand wipes or bandana, also carry the small hand sanitizer gels
Which means you don't really save any weight. Hand wipes and hand sanitizer gels are significantly heavier than a sliver of basic all-purpose Ivory soap or an ounce or two of detergent a week.
Weary
Isn't hand sanitizer just alcohol with a bunch of gel to make the alcohol spread more easily? Seems wasteful to me. I find that a tiny bit of Dr Bronners goes a long way, and I need the soap to break up my body oils. I do use wipes though, and while I won't argue for it, I won't argue against it either.
Yeah one of the reasons I prefer Dr. Bronners is because it can be used to brush your teeth as well as for cleaning dishes and clothes. It's versatility makes it worth the weight for me.
Isn't hand sanitizer just alcohol with a bunch of gel to make the alcohol spread more easily? Seems wasteful to me. I find that a tiny bit of Dr Bronners goes a long way, and I need the soap to break up my body oils. I do use wipes though, and while I won't argue for it, I won't argue against it either.
Yep, that's what hand sanitizer is. Easier, and cheaper, to buy a bottle of 91% Isopropyl and fill up a dropper bottle.
I use Dr. Bronners Peppermint and the Almond at home, the peppermint on the trail and just started using the Shaving Gel in Tea Tree. Anyone know if the critters get attracted to the other scents?
tothetrail
04-04-2010, 13:34
I also use Dr. Bonners. But I'm always on the look-out for good biodegradable soap.
flemdawg1
04-06-2010, 14:14
Burt's Bees has a biodegradable soap. I tried it for a weekend trip and liked it. Unfort the only place I've seen it was on clearance @ Walmart and my store no longer carries it.
Since then its been Camp Suds.
Am I the only one who uses soap leaves?http://www.rei.com/product/791155
Doc Bronner's peppermint ounce by ounce is the best stuff I've ever used. You can wash anything with it, use it to clean your teeth, and peppermint is suppose to be a good deterrent to ward off mosquitoes and supposedly other varmints. The stuff just rocks.
Doc Bronners. I like the peppermint smell, certainly better than what I normally smell like. There are other scents too, I think they sell about 8 or 10 of them.
Jonnycat
04-06-2010, 18:02
lol @ brushing your teeth with soap. If I didn't have toothpaste, I'd just use water.
Not everything on the side of the Dr. Bronner's bottle is based on reality....
Hikes in Rain
04-06-2010, 18:09
Am I the only one who uses soap leaves?http://www.rei.com/product/791155
Hmm...interesting. Very much so. I noticed they're fragrance free; do they leave any kind of residue on your hands that might transfer to contact lenses? Are they hand wash size, or more body sized? This might be an answer to my problem.
I never found a residue on my hands after rinsing. But I never put in contacts either.....They are more hand size. But if the amount is too much, just tear it in half. They are thinner than a piece of paper. And super light! I won't be useing liquid again.
Ladytrekker
04-06-2010, 18:44
http://www.seatosummit.com.au/showdetail.php?Code=AWW
I use wilderness wash it is concentrated so a very small bottle lasts forever, got mine at Gander Mountain.
If I remember I'll take one to the shower in the morning to see if its body sized...:)
Hikes in Rain
04-06-2010, 19:19
At the price, it'd be worth getting some and just trying them out to see. If they're just soap and nothing else, they should work nicely. I sort of assumed you could divide them if they were too big, but it's great to have it confirmed. Thanks for the tips, I really appreciate them.
turtle fast
04-07-2010, 00:12
Has anyone got Dr Bronnors peppermint in their "neither" region....it will make you SING! Have used a lot of the soaps but have been getting partial to Campsuds...the stuff at Walmart used to be made by them...not sure if it still is.
Has anyone got Dr Bronnors peppermint in their "neither" region....it will make you SING! Have used a lot of the soaps but have been getting partial to Campsuds...the stuff at Walmart used to be made by them...not sure if it still is.
You will go up an octave. That's true. The peppermint, and the tea tree versions both do that.
johnnyblisters
04-07-2010, 12:20
Gotta love Doc Bron's for teeth and underneath!
I also use Dr. Bonners. But I'm always on the look-out for good biodegradable soap.
Just pick up any soap you want at your nearest drug store, shopping mall or convenience store. All ordinary soaps are equally biodegradeable. Let me repeat. All soaps you are likely to find in the stores these days are exactly as biodegradeable as Dr. Bonners.
The only exceptions are a few specialty detergents loaded with a heavy dose of nitrogen and phosphorus compounds.
Weary
Just pick up any soap you want at your nearest drug store, shopping mall or convenience store. All ordinary soaps are equally biodegradeable. Let me repeat. All soaps you are likely to find in the stores these days are exactly as biodegradeable as Dr. Bonners.
The only exceptions are a few specialty detergents loaded with a heavy dose of nitrogen and phosphorus compounds.
Weary
If that's an exception, wouldn't the reverse be true? Soaps without any nitrogen or phosphorous are more biodegradeable?
BigFoot2002
04-08-2010, 18:23
No soap needed on the trail. Purell is a necessity.
If that's an exception, wouldn't the reverse be true? Soaps without any nitrogen or phosphorous are more biodegradeable?
Neither Ivory liquid, not Ivory Soap contain phosphous or nitrogen compounds. Nor does Dial bar soap. Not even liquid Tide contains phosphorous or other ingredients that will not biodegrade
Cascade powder, designed to be used only in automatic dishwashers, contains 8 percent phosphates, a very minimal and mostly harmless amount, but no one should carry Cascade on the trail because it should not be used in ways that allow any significant contact with human skin.
These are the only "soaps" I have on hand at the moment. But I've checked dozens of others over the years. With the exception of special use detergents designed for difficult commercial cleaning, all were free of phosphates and other things that are not biodegradeable in the natural environment.
Dr. Bonners and other so called "biodegradeable" products are simply capitalizing on memories of practices abandoned decades ago, before public resistance forced soap manufacturers to remove non biodegradeable" substances from their products.
Weary
Neither Ivory liquid, not Ivory Soap contain phosphous or nitrogen compounds. Nor does Dial bar soap. Not even liquid Tide contains phosphorous or other ingredients that will not biodegrade
Cascade powder, designed to be used only in automatic dishwashers, contains 8 percent phosphates, a very minimal and mostly harmless amount, but no one should carry Cascade on the trail because it should not be used in ways that allow any significant contact with human skin.
These are the only "soaps" I have on hand at the moment. But I've checked dozens of others over the years. With the exception of special use detergents designed for difficult commercial cleaning, all were free of phosphates and other things that are not biodegradeable in the natural environment.
Dr. Bonners and other so called "biodegradeable" products are simply capitalizing on memories of practices abandoned decades ago, before public resistance forced soap manufacturers to remove non biodegradeable" substances from their products.
Weary
That's good to know....because I didn't.
I realize most of the nitrates and phosphates enter the river systems through ground water run off, but I still use the phosphate free dishwasher detergent and laundry detergent. Even if it's miniscule, I'd rather not contribute.
That's good to know....because I didn't.
I realize most of the nitrates and phosphates enter the river systems through ground water run off, but I still use the phosphate free dishwasher detergent and laundry detergent. Even if it's miniscule, I'd rather not contribute.
The only advantage of being old that I can think of, is that it gave me decades more than most hikers these days to learn such things. A final thought on phosphates. They should never be used in homes that discharge into public sewers and public treatment systems that discharge into lakes, rivers and streams.
They are far less harmful in systems like mine, that discharge into a properly designed, and functional septic tank, and leach field. As near as I can tell, most of my waste water is evaporated from my leach field. The phosphorus in my dishwasher detergent, therefore goes into growing grass and dandelions, not changing the creatures that live in public sewer discharge waters.
Weary
mkmangold
04-10-2010, 01:15
Am I the only one who uses soap leaves?http://www.rei.com/product/791155
Couldn't you make that yourself by running a bar of soap - your choice - over a cheese slicer? Then let the slices dry and harden before packing into a ziplock bag? If you use a motel soap bar, the whole thing is pretty cheap.
I am a big fan of Dr Bronners mostly because I have had the chance to meet Dr Bronners son, Ralph but also like the soap. I do think it should be used sparingly in that it is something not usually found naturally and could effect animals and plants even though it is biodegradable. Yes I use the peppermint the most and for every thing from dishes to body to washing out socks and underwear. I did get a bottle of this for Christmas: http://www.vermontsoap.com/campsoap.shtml but havent used it yet.
I do also carry a small bottle of the hand sanitizer as well that can also be used as a fire starter. As far as Dr Bronners peppermint in the neither regions, what a way to get a wake up!
No soap on the trail, just some hand santizer. Never out for more than 7 or so days at a time, so shower and laundry does the trick once a week.
No soap on the trail.....
Why ever not. Soap performs wonders, on and off the trail.
Appalachian Tater
04-19-2010, 11:15
I also use Dr. Bronners for washing down and wool items.
I do use a lot of soap off the trail, lol--but am never really on longer than 5 to 7 days at a time. I carry some very light pre-soaped pads if I need them to wash up my face, etc--but hardly ever use them. I warm water to wash with, and rinse off with my bandana, use the sanitizer for removing contacts and before I eat.
Besides, most soaps smell. I don't want to be bear bait... ;)
Why buy soap when it's everywhere for free? The best soap I ever used was your run-of-the-mill pink liquid gas station soap. I washed my very long, straight fine hair with it and was able to comb it easily. No tangles. After I realized that, anytime I found a bathroom with pink liquid soap, I refilled my tiny little bottle with it. I wouldn't bother to carry soap since I don't use it on the trail, but it was nice to have it when I got to a bathroom that only had those infernal foaming soap dispensers. That stuff sucks.
Hikes in Rain
06-26-2010, 09:30
It does so because one end of the long chain, the salt of the reaction of an alkaline and a fatty acid, is soluble in water. The other end is oil-soluble. Pretty interesting property. It has the effect of making water "wetter".
Call me paranoid but I don't like to shake hands with people who don't use soap. I figure after they take a crap they must have at least some crap still on their hands. :eek:
Panzer
Megapixel
06-26-2010, 22:06
i have use doc bonner's peperment b4 and it worked great but i smelled like a hooker at christmas. So i swapped to sea to summit body wash concentrate, you can clean up completly with 3mL or so of it, i like it but its kinda hard to find. Anyother suggestion?
I use Miracle 2 soap on the trail... laundry, cleaner, deodorizer, soap, teeth, dishes, etc. all in one. all natural. good stuff!
Call me paranoid but I don't like to shake hands with people who don't use soap. I figure after they take a crap they must have at least some crap still on their hands. :eek:
Panzer
And it's not just an aesthetic matter. Stomach upsets are passed from hiker to hiker by skin contact, and by sharing food. Hikers that don't use soap are not a danger to themselves. Whatever they have in their intestines, they already have. But by not properly washing they pass there germs along to others.
These things are obvious. But they are hard to get the ignorant to understand. Even the medical profession resisted for decades and many practicioners still do. Why do you suppose the interior of hospitals these days have signs plastered everywhere to remind doctors and nurses to wash their hands before and after touching patients?
For decades after the discovery of germs and their role in spreading sickness, doctors thought it was an insult to require that they wash their hands before delivering babies or practicing surgery. Gradually, it was noticed that fewer women died after childbirth, when their doctors did so. And fewer battlefield deaths resulted when surgery was practiced with clean hands.
Weary
Wise Old Owl
06-26-2010, 23:40
http://glademade.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/s5.jpg