Remedies for Hiker odor?

[ridgewalker777]

Any alternative to hiker odor but washing clothes and dips in watering holes? Has anyone had luck with essential oils?

[smokymtnsteve]

the chemo-threapy worked well for me as it dystroyed my sense of smell

[SGT Rock]

Learn to live with it and do laundry in town.

[Pencil Pusher]

Perhaps some Royal Crown 'Pomade'? It'll get you looking clean real quick...

[grrickar]

"I don't want Royal Crown! I'm a Dapper Dan Man!" Got hairnets?

What about the Dr. Bronner's Peppermint soap? I would think taking a sponge (towel) bath with a bit of that stuff each day would have you smelling like a candy cane. It smells strong in the bottle....

[Sleepy the Arab]

Hang out with those smellier than you.

[Moon Monster]

Though I've not totally tried it, I'm considering slowly converting to silk, wool, and other natural fibers as I replace my hiking clothes. They usually hold odors much less than plastic clothes.

I think that it's often our gear and clothes that give off the bulk of the odor.

And yes, you'll have to live with that because even though you can easily wash clothes in town, you'll have a lot of gear that you just won't be able to detoxify. Even the handles of my Lekis smell.

[smokymtnsteve]

Hiker#1
YEA....Hiker Odor..PHEW...guys some of you smell purty bad out there...take a bath occasionally...yo ..bath...water...

Hiker#2
Stink ? REAL HIKERS are supposed to stink cuz

Hiker #3
Hikers are what real people smell like not the washed up fake people who live in cubicle farms. (hey leave that plate there I'll eat that when nobody is looking.)


Now on a more serious note..

there are a few ways to help with hiker odor.

1) Make sure to air out your sleeping bag everytime you get a chance
sometimes when i stop for lunch or a long break I pull my bag out and let
it air and dry...sleeping bags hold a lot of moisture thus moldy mildewy stale smell... same with the rest of your gear.. jackets, long johns, underlayers..a little air and sunshine helps.

2) Food and garbage odors...one thing that I don't like about cook in the bag meals..you end up with a bag that has food particles that is left in it and it is hard to clean...same goes for the salmon and tuna packs that carry ...I rinse the packets out and use that water in my cook pot (you also get a few extra calories this way) after rinsing most of the food out of the packet I add little drop of the trusty doc bronners organic peppermint soap (with HEMP OIL) ...smells better than stinky fish!
and your garbage can stink up your whole pack ..also plan your meals to reduce garbage. use your food items that won't make stinky garbage the first couple days and then save your fish (salmon and corn chowder with cilantro fritters) a day or two before you hit the next town or trash can.

3) Brush your teeth..doc bronners again


4) Along with airing your sleeping bag and other gear ...Air your boots ...take a boot off break ...Change socks.. as often as you can..in good weather keep a pair of socks hanging off your pack to let them air and dry, next break take those boots off and change socks...rinse, lather, repeat (let your feet air w/o socks on your break too..weather permiting)

5) Bathe...I use my cooking pot and put just an inch of water or less..fold and put in my bandana...get it hot ..add just a little doc bronners and use that to scrub and wash up a little...I dispose of the water..(forgive me LNT,inc)
rinse the bandana out with cold water and then heat another inch or so of water rinse with the warm bandana.

6) Alcohol or WET ONE...feet,pits, groin,


There is a Prize for the first WHITEBLAZE member that correctly identifies the 3 mystery hikers... you can pick any book from my Ed ABBEY or John Stienbeck collection.. and I'll mail drop it to you. (mail drops are important)

[sgtjinx]

If you throw your shorts at the wall, and they stick to it! That's when you know when it's time to wash them.

[Kozmic Zian]

Yea....Stink Pitt........My remedy is simple.....Salt.....it kills the bacteria that causes odor. Get a small tube of hard salt at the health food store. Cheap, light, long lasting and effective. One small rock went all the way to Me.and lasted 6mos. KZ@

[bearbait2k4]

There is one remedy that seems to work well.


Stop hiking. Burn your clothes and gear. Shower 5 times, then repeat.

After that, you shouldn't have much of a problem with it.

[MedicineMan]

Smartwool

[Kerosene]

Applying No-Rinse Shampoo and Body Wash after a long day of hiking makes me feel almost human and helps a lot with the smell. However, the clothes are still a problem, but SmokymtnSteve's airing can help quite a bit if you give it long enough.

[bobgessner57]

Baking soda in the pits works wonders as a deoderant alternative. Also works on teeth and insect bites, etc. Haven't put it in shoes but it should help. Mostly I use airing as a good excuse for a long break at a nice overlook. Occasionally the whole pack gets dumped, wiped and sunned, sleeping bag always feels and smells better aired out, warmer in winter, too.

You know you stink when you turn around to tell the guy behind you he stinks and nobody's there.

[MOWGLI]

There is a Prize for the first WHITEBLAZE member that correctly identifies the 3 mystery hikers... you can pick any book from my Ed ABBEY or John Stienbeck collection.. and I'll mail drop it to you. (mail drops are important)

Here goes Smokeymountainsteve:

#1 KZ

#2 LW

#3 Blue Jay

Please send me Monkey Wrench Gang is you have a copy. I gave mine away years ago.

Jeffrey Hunter aka Little Bear

[smokymtnsteve]

Here goes Smokeymountainsteve:

#1 KZ

#2 LW

#3 Blue Jay

Please send me Monkey Wrench Gang is you have a copy. I gave mine away years ago.

Jeffrey Hunter aka Little Bear

Congratulations Jeffery..

please send me your mailing address by Private Message.

[bluebird]

Hiker odor... my favorite subject :-) You don't HAVE to stink... but if you want to well, please stay downwind.

First thing... I smelled okay most of the time and stayed away from those that didn't bother with hygiene. This wasn't because I was stuck up but because I had no desire to be around those folks nastiesness... it was pretty
gross.

1) Carry one set of clothing to sleep in, NEVER hike in it, NEVER eat while wearing it.
2) Use a lightweight sleeping bag liner (I prefer silk) and wash it as needed.
3) A key thing is to get out of your sweaty hiking clothes as soon as possible.
3) If you're tenting for the night then set up the tent as soon as you hit camp. Take your boots and socks OFF. Carry very light weight, inexpensive flip flops for around camp. Prepare and eat your meal. NEVER eat in your tent. It gets little bits of food stuff that start to smell with time. Get inside the tent and wash up, use Wet wipes (antibacterial, unscented) on your groin, pits, arms, legs, face, chest, back, and FEET. Take off your hiking clothes. Wash em if you need to, hang em to dry if you need to.

4) IF in a shelter for the night then lay your sleeping gear out for the night, and then eat. Wash up and change into your sleeping togs. Hang your gear to dry.

5) Carry a food bag and a separate garbage bag. Strap the garbage bag to the outside of your pack as you hike and burn or dump it whenever possible. This keeps garbage smells off of your other gear.

6) FEBREEZE. Use town time for getting cleaned up, that means you AND your gear. When you get into town take a shower and then give your pack a shower, let it soak and scrub up the back and straps as much as possible. Rinse REALLY well. Leave it to air dry and then spray it with antibacterial Febreeze. It doesn't smell perfumy! Hang out with a few beers and other hikers while you're waiting for it all to dry.

7) Don't let your gear stay wet. As soon as possible hang your tent,sleeping bag and pack to dry.

8) Use deodorant. It doesn't have to be heavy. Take your regular deodorant and put it into a small plastic container. Every morning take some and rub it into your pits. Put it on your groin area if you tend to get major smelly.

During the humid months you're going to stink. Nothing helps but you can reduce the overall funk if you keep a daily routine. Main thing is to keep hiking smells off of your sleeping gear and to wash your pack from time to time. Also... deodorant IS a good thing.

Given all of this... I do understand that some folks want to have the experience of getting as nasty as possible... no washing, no deodorant. All I have to say is to each their own.

Blue skies... Bluebird

[Rambler]

Get a campfire going, hold your shirt as if you were trying to dry it near the flames. Soon it will smell like smoke, not hiker sweat.

[Jaybird]

Any alternative to hiker odor but washing clothes and dips in watering holes? Has anyone had luck with essential oils?

a LONG, HOT SHOWER!




as per the oils...you're masking the smell...not taking it away!

[Megabite]

wool t-shirts forever! i wore an icebreaker wool shirt for my entire hike - used the same one too. it doesnt smell. at all. its amazing... worth every penny, dries just as well as all that synthetic crap, and it's just as durable too

--megabite