View Full Version : Stupid question
Dodds1990
03-28-2012, 16:09
I feel this is a dumb question, but I'm trying to cut out stuff from my pack and was wondering if I should bring deodorant or not? I mean, we are going to smell terrible at some point anyway so does deodorant even make sense?
royalusa
03-28-2012, 16:10
Leave it at home. Not needed for the trail.
RWheeler
03-28-2012, 16:12
BO is better than a handshake.
Dodds1990
03-28-2012, 16:14
That's what I was thinking haha thanks
House of Payne
03-28-2012, 16:23
If you are bringing a question about taking deoderant or not I can imagine what else is in that pack of yours that may be in question. Definitely NO deoderant...
hikerboy57
03-28-2012, 16:40
use cologne instead:sun
Dodds1990
03-28-2012, 16:46
If you are bringing a question about taking deoderant or not I can imagine what else is in that pack of yours that may be in question. Definitely NO deoderant...
I actually only have a 38 liter pack and my weight is 20 pounds after food water and fuel, I was just trying to make it even lighter.
peakbagger
03-28-2012, 16:53
The odor coming out of your clothes and gear will render b.o. a mnor issue
There are no stupid questions, only stupid people!! :) It all depends on whether or not you enjoy smelling yourself, personally I bring my deodorant with me I hate when im trying to sleep and have my nose in close proximity to my pit on day 3 or 4. A good tip for those guys who aren't worried about coming off a little effeminate is to trim underarm hair very short with a beard trimmer before you head out or if daring enough shave it completely (I cut it short personally). I find that this helps a great deal in cutting down on the BO.
P.S. This also helps for all of the notoriously hairy parts of the male anatomy. :eek:
atmilkman
03-28-2012, 17:26
P.S. This also helps for all of the notoriously hairy parts of the male anatomy. :eek:
Are you talking about shaving that winky too? I ain't shaving my face and I sure aint shaving my pits or winky. :eek:
Cookerhiker
03-28-2012, 17:28
As Peakbagger said, your shirt will probably be smellier than your body. And I doubt it helps to smear deodorant on your shirt.;)
If I were to bring a deodorizer of some sort, I'd get something for my feet. They are truly raunchy; I wouldn't want to wear muddy shoes inside a hostel but I also feel guilty about walking in after having just removed the shoes. :eek:
hikerboy57
03-28-2012, 17:33
maybe rub a fabric softener sheet, keeps the bugs away too.and bears, apparently.
lush242000
03-28-2012, 20:21
Ditch it. Your brain has a way of filtering out your own stink.
RWheeler
03-29-2012, 00:30
Ditch it. Your brain has a way of filtering out your own stink.
I'm a brain scientist. I can vouch for this statement.
rocketsocks
03-29-2012, 00:54
I'm a brain scientist. I can vouch for this statement.C'mon that's a no brainer!
use cologne instead:sun
I use cheap gin. Cheaper than cologne and doubles as mouthwash.
I carried a travel sized deodorant stick with me. Didn't use it on the trail but it was good to have when I got in to town and took a shower. At least when I was in town I didn't stink.
rocketsocks
03-29-2012, 07:17
Warm some water,pick some flowers for birdbath potpuri type thing....3..2..1
hikerboy57
03-29-2012, 08:19
I use cheap gin. Cheaper than cologne and doubles as mouthwash.cheap gin is widely available in most trail towns.
flemdawg1
03-29-2012, 15:10
And so is juice.
15605
fins1838
03-29-2012, 15:26
Shave your winky? Now thats funny.
I feel this is a dumb question, but I'm trying to cut out stuff from my pack and was wondering if I should bring deodorant or not? I mean, we are going to smell terrible at some point anyway so does deodorant even make sense?
It makes absolutely NO sense to bring deodorant on the trail. It would be the most useless thing you carry. Every hiker, yourself included, will smell like hell in a couple days or weeks so you might as well get used to it. You won't even notice the smell after a while.
Dodds1990
03-29-2012, 16:16
This is turning into an interesting post lol
Wise Old Owl
03-29-2012, 16:17
how about writing out your pack list.
Rain Man
03-29-2012, 22:30
Take some rubbing alcohol and cotton rounds. Very multifunctional. Squirt a little alcohol on a cotton round, wipe your underarms, clean your private parts, clean your feet, use it for fire starter. Takes care of smelling, chaffing, rotting, and cooking. :)
I'll never understand people who whine about snorers in shelters, but think stinking up the place is okay. After all, one doesn't have to stink, PLUS, you can plug your ears, but not your nose.
Rain:sunMan
.
Wise Old Owl
03-30-2012, 00:08
I played around with the store bought ones - not great but better than nothing....beats listening to the wife.
http://lh6.googleusercontent.com/public/5iv0cUk_3buoa58Jy5UzBhYeFSVuCqVo6692RpqDDyt77ZVCy_ 7yPyFb4T_XF8FC3cB8J9sfYMiYlksB8L25MNh8kqzZ3BLFOsKZ Cgv1ErM-Z-4WKwDOgnU0PLqAoSlcL2UoTu6loQUKWUV_MzZGUsKxK4dKZmwG 6JkHLw
Dodds1990
03-30-2012, 02:20
how about writing out your pack list.
This is the link that has my pack list on it.
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?80797-March-2013-NOBO-Gear-List-Amateur-Hiker
I changed a few things on it from when i first posted it. I dont have the Eureka Solitaire tent, i have the black diamond beta mid now. I also got rid of the fleece and bought a patagonia nano puff pullover. Im carrying less socks too. Im just taking glove liners and not mittens.
T.S.Kobzol
03-30-2012, 07:49
agreed. There are many ways to keep clean on the trail. Shower when it's raining, stuff your clothes into a running brook to wash them (kind of), small sponge and tiny hotel soap will go a long way...
Take some rubbing alcohol and cotton rounds. Very multifunctional. Squirt a little alcohol on a cotton round, wipe your underarms, clean your private parts, clean your feet, use it for fire starter. Takes care of smelling, chaffing, rotting, and cooking. :)
I'll never understand people who whine about snorers in shelters, but think stinking up the place is okay. After all, one doesn't have to stink, PLUS, you can plug your ears, but not your nose.
Rain:sunMan
.
One of the joys of hiking for me is learning and practicing simple and sustainable ways to perform daily ablutions while on the trail, including laundry, and cookware, as well as the body. With the exception of food, the ultimate objective is to be able to hike indefinitely, even when you are only out for 2-5 days.
The appalachian trail is probably more challenging in this respect than where I hike here in New Brunswick. There is more traffic, and it is alot hotter, so you probably can't depend as much on being able to burn sticks to boil lots of water, and you can't use as much moss or plants or other such materials, and you have to be more careful around streams. Still, I think the extra challenge would be fun, but I would definitely have to adapt.
For the most part I just use hot water.
One of the joys of hiking for me is learning and practicing simple and sustainable ways to perform daily ablutions while on the trail, including laundry, and cookware, as well as the body. With the exception of food, the ultimate objective is to be able to hike indefinitely, even when you are only out for 2-5 days.
The appalachian trail is probably more challenging in this respect than where I hike here in New Brunswick. There is more traffic, and it is alot hotter, so you probably can't depend as much on being able to burn sticks to boil lots of water, and you can't use as much moss or plants or other such materials, and you have to be more careful around streams. Still, I think the extra challenge would be fun, but I would definitely have to adapt.
For the most part I just use hot water.
All thru-hikers stink after a while. It takes a little effort to try to stay clean. Some folks can do a good job and only stink a little. Other hikers don't care about how they smell. They never wash at all. As a thru hiker I met, mostly young guys, who stunk so bad that I couldn't get near them. One guy never took a shower even thow we were at a hostle with hot water and towels. I guess it's just part of the hike your own hike thing. I showered every chance I had. If I couldn't shower I used baby wipes to clean up before I went to bed. When it got warmer I would wash with my hankerchief and my cook pot. I also had a set of cloths that I wore in my sleeping bag.
rocketsocks
03-30-2012, 17:03
I played around with the store bought ones - not great but better than nothing....beats listening to the wife.
http://lh6.googleusercontent.com/public/5iv0cUk_3buoa58Jy5UzBhYeFSVuCqVo6692RpqDDyt77ZVCy_ 7yPyFb4T_XF8FC3cB8J9sfYMiYlksB8L25MNh8kqzZ3BLFOsKZ Cgv1ErM-Z-4WKwDOgnU0PLqAoSlcL2UoTu6loQUKWUV_MzZGUsKxK4dKZmwG 6JkHLwIf those wear edible,then that would be Awesome!.............................sorry awful!
This is what a woman said to me at a store in Cloverdale, VA during a hike last year:
"I could tell you wasn't a hiker because you don't stink".
Funny but I had just hiked from Waynesboro, 7 days without washing...
Leave it behind. We all smell the same after about 2 days.
Ive never not washed up and wiped down at the end of the day.I always considered this as part of being able to sustain in the woods.
Sassafras Lass
03-31-2012, 22:46
Sent home the deodorant at Neel's Gap . . . . you truly don't need it. Rubbing alcohol ain't a bad idea, but I'd think twice about rubbing a toxic dryer sheet over your skin - hell you shouldn't use them in any way, shape or form. Just do a TPA wash in between showers and you'll be fine.
Leave it behind. We all smell the same after about 2 days.
this is an opinion and it's wrong lol. u only think everyone smells as bad as you cuz your stank is overpowering everyone elses so you assume they must smell as bad as you. different people have different body odor outputs and that is fact.
Wise Old Owl
04-01-2012, 00:19
This is what a woman said to me at a store in Cloverdale, VA during a hike last year:
"I could tell you wasn't a hiker because you don't stink".
Funny but I had just hiked from Waynesboro, 7 days without washing...
She was just being polite - she lied.:D
NowWhat?
04-01-2012, 09:42
All these posts :STINK" !!
I leave Wednesday. I'm bringing it. It's a tiny half ounce thing. I'm not using it on the trail but I'll use it for when I'm in town.
Giantsbane
04-02-2012, 11:28
I bring a small stick that I only use when I start to get chaffed. It sounds kind wierd, but just cover the area that you're getting chaffed in it and within a few minutes the irritation goes away. The real trick is not to get it confused with your armpit one. . .
RichardD
04-12-2012, 22:33
I carried deodorant, washed every day and used a little every morning.
I noticed a big difference in those hikers who did not wash and passed up showers.
We will all stink on a thru hike but if you wash regularly and wash your shirt regularly then you probably only stink at a range of a few feet. Those that did not take care of hygene stunk at a range of 20 to 50 feet especially when they reached SNP and North in the Summer months. Each to their own but if you stink too bad then get a ride to town you will likely put that Angel off ever giving hikers a ride again.
SassyWindsor
04-12-2012, 23:35
Anti-perspiring Deodorant is great on feet to keep them dry and helps avoid blisters. This would be the only reason I can think of to carry the stuff. I'll take the extra weight as a fine cognac instead.
rocketsocks
04-12-2012, 23:48
Anti-perspiring Deodorant is great on feet to keep them dry and helps avoid blisters. This would be the only reason I can think of to carry the stuff. I'll take the extra weight as a fine cognac instead.My feets doctor gave me some lotion to stop the feets from and sweating,and it works great,but it's like $8.00 a bottle.I tried reg ole under the arm stuff and it works just fine,though not as long lasting,but hey for the price.....They both have Aluminum powder in them to close the pores.