Trail hygiene

[TwoForty]

What does everyone normally do for trail hygiene? I read the article in the articles section, but I was wondering what other hikers did/do.
How often did you get a shower, a swim, or do a baby-wipe-down? How often did you get to wash your clothes? How much alcohol gel did you use? Etc, etc....

[mdionne]

What does everyone normally do for trail hygiene? I read the article in the articles section, but I was wondering what other hikers did/do.
How often did you get a shower, a swim, or do a baby-wipe-down? How often did you get to wash your clothes? Etc, etc....

a tooth brush and some tooth paste. showers came when i hit towns. there is a point of saturation at which you just can't get any dirtier and so you live with it.

How much alcohol gel did you use?....

i used a lot of alcohol but probably not in the manner you are reffering to.

[the goat]

i like to go several weeks between showers. it's true, at a certain point, you just can't get any dirtier.

[TwoForty]

a tooth brush and some tooth paste. showers came when i hit towns. there is a point of saturation at which you just can't get any dirtier and so you live with it.



i used a lot of alcohol but probably not in the manner you are reffering to.

That is why I added the gel

I've never done any hikes more than a week long, but each time I brush my teeth twice a day and use alcohol gel, that's it. I was just wondering what others do for longer distance hikes as I am preparing for my first. I may bring some baby wipes along and see if they are worth it.

[Fiddler]

That is why I added the gel

I've never done any hikes more than a week long, but each time I brush my teeth twice a day and use alcohol gel, that's it. I was just wondering what others do for longer distance hikes as I am preparing for my first. I may bring some baby wipes along and see if they are worth it.

Don't worry about it. Try to stay as clean as your own level of comfort demands. You will probably find that this level will change as you get farther along in your hike. You will always see others as dirty as you, some even dirtier. After a short while you can't smell them and they can't smell you.

[Pennsylvania Rose]

Once you get used to yourself, you'll get some nasty looks from dayhikers as your smell wafts their way...

...and because you're sniffing them because they smell so GOOD!

[mingo]

ode to my baby wipes

my baby wipes, oh my baby wipes
the monkey butt, they chase away
and make me happy all the hiking day

[Topcat]

The funny thing is, more people get the AT trots from shaking hands than drinking untreated water, so please, at least wash your hands every day in some way or another and dont be offended if i just wave when you walk into camp..:-)

[max patch]

The funny thing is, more people get the AT trots from shaking hands than drinking untreated water, so please, at least wash your hands every day in some way or another and dont be offended if i just wave when you walk into camp..:-)

I've always thought the custom of shaking hands is ridiculous; when I finished my thru upon recollection I don't think the offer to shake hands was ever given by me to others or offered from others to me. Maybe thats one of societys "rules" that don't apply in the woods.

[Footslogger]

My experience in 2003 was that about every 4 - 6 days I was able to get a shower if I really reaked and felt like I needed it. That said ...I didn't really shower that often. I carried the odor free aloe wet wipes and used them for toilet as well as hygeine in between town/hostel showers and it worked OK. Everyone smells so the need for a shower is more about you and your needs rather than social acceptance (or lack thereof).

'Slogger

[Singe03]

Other than religiously brushing my teeth, I only worried about how dirty I was or how I smelled in town. My first priorities were usually a shower and laundry once I hit town but on the trail itself, I was a typical dirty, smelly hiker happily surrounded by other dirty, smelly hikers.

Slogger, you have to admit that in 2003, at least the early parts, showers were not a problem :-) Simply strip to your shorts and walk out of the shelter in to the rain with a bandanna to scrub off the mud that had really caked on. If it was not raining RIGHT then, it would be 5 minutes later, the entire Appalachian trail was natures own shower.

[saimyoji]

Just inform people that you are Buddhist and don't shake hands: wai (press hands together with fingers pointed up and bow slightly) to people and appologise for your behavior. People will admire your zen-ness and not give you their nasty ditry germs.

[Footslogger]

Slogger, you have to admit that in 2003, at least the early parts, showers were not a problem :-) Simply strip to your shorts and walk out of the shelter in to the rain with a bandanna to scrub off the mud that had really caked on. If it was not raining RIGHT then, it would be 5 minutes later, the entire Appalachian trail was natures own shower.

=================================
You got that right. We used to talk about getting T-shirts made after the hike that said "Appalachain Trail Swim Team". There were times when the water source WAS the AT. Funny how time has tempered those memories. But I do remember being damp and having everything I owned damp for well over 3 weeks at at time.

'Slogger

[jackiebolen]

Every 5-10 days, I would try to get to a shower and a laundromat. Besides that, I would use some alcohol hand sanitizer after wiping my butt and that was about it for hygiene. I also brushed my teeth once a day. Besides that, I didn't swim or use baby wipes or anything.

[orangebug]

It may be worthwhile to do a sponge bath with a bandana every other day, at least as a possible preventative for tick borne illnesses.

[Fiddleback]

A wash-cloth--sized 'camp towel' (synthetic microfibre), and body-wash--sized baby wipes (~8 1/2 X 13"), toothbrush and toothpaste, and a small vial of alcohol gel, e.g, Purell.

Besides wiping up condensation and other wetness, the camp towels seem to really wipe the grit and grime off the bod. A light scrub with a damp camp towel and a follow-on wipe wipe-down makes for a very thorough and refreshing clean up. Not much more than a swallow of water required.

FB

[minnesotasmith]

Hands, mouth (brush/floss daily), rear end, wet wipe off dirt on lower legs above socks, rest can wait until I get to a shower.

[John B]

Almost everyday with Dr. Bronners, a nylon scrub pad, and a 2.4L Platy. waterbag. Brushed teeth after every meal and even after snacks. Used gelled alcohol religiously. Carried a travel-size deoderant as my luxury item and used it everyday. Shaved everyday, too. I'd also put on clean socks and underwear everyday, wash out the dirty stuff, and hang them off my pack to dry while hiking. Even remembered to say the Lord's Prayer everyday. I was so clean that I damned nearly squeaked while hiking.

[Smooth]

On my Thru-Hike I showered at (nearly) every town, about 4 days apart, and sponge bathed often in-between. I liked to be clean, it felt good.

Pennslyvania Rose,
By the time Thru-Hikers get to New England they not only smell to you, YOU smell to them! I can remember hiking along with others and calling out the SOAP they laundry with from 20 feet away. Even worse is the stink of fabric softener, I have never been able to use it since the Big Hike, though I used it before the Big Hike.

[Bunny]

I haven't done this myself, but a friend of mine who has thru-hiked at least once, maybe twice, said he took some form of a shower everyday! He carried half a milk-jug with him. He would boil more water than he needed for dinner, use half of it to let his food rehydrate, and mix the other half with regular (cool) water in the milk jug. He stripped down to a pair of nylon shorts, poured the water from the milk jug over the top of him, and scrubbed down. He said he was clean and mostly dry by the time his dinner was ready to eat. YMMV.