No shame, but if you're wearing synthetics, you're not smelling like a human anymore. Those fabrics are nasty, and you can't get the stink out. I've switched to wool - yes, it's more expensive and less durable, but you smell like a person (maybe with a bit of Eau de Merino) instead of a bacterial experiment.
I agree, if you PURPOSELY stay in shelters, hostels and regularly try to get rides then you need to take a shower once every couple of weeks and wash your clothes. It’s common courtesy. I met a guy on the trail last year who said he only stays in shelters & he never pitches his hammock unless he has to. Shelters are nice in bad weather but if it’s nice out I prefer to stay in my tent ⛺️ where it’s quiet & mice aren’t scurrying around
For the record, two weeks is my record then I took a shower.
I posted in this thread because I was wondering how many people bring a smallish 10L model, solar shower, like sea to summit for example, to avoid paying 35+ dollars to stay in a motel plus having to walk down the mountain . I could see staying in a hotel in bad weather or to catch up with News do laundry and get “town food” but I can’t & don’t wanna do it every two weeks $$$
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This is a helpful little device to wash your anus while backpacking.
https://cnocoutdoors.com/collections...kcountry-bidet
What a nice little item.
Took me a while to find out where to plug in, though...
I typically just go down by shelter drinking hole and trim my pubes, and wash my anus.
I was finishing a hike and went into the bathroom in a picnic area. I sat down to pee and the woman in the stall next to me started gagging. I wanted to crawl into a hole...but not a cat hole.
Whenever I go on a hiking trip, I take a small sponge and a gallon plastic ziplock. After I finish my camp chores in the evening, I fill the bag, strip down and take a sponge bath from head to toe, twice. Then I use the bag to wash my clothes. I do not use soap but you can still get surprisingly clean with a sponge only. Nothing goes back into the water source.
So at the end of the day, I am clean, my hiking clothes are clean, but most importantly, I don't stink.
As for synthetic clothing with a permanent funk, all you need to do is put them in sink, fill it with hot water, 1-2 cups of white vinegar and let it soak. A few hours later the smell will be gone. Wash it again and you will be ready to go.
After Thru Hiking the AT in 2018 and not showering for 10 days at a time and suffering through over 100* days and high humidity; I found that nothing caused more body stench than poor nutrition. I had ten days of diarrhea coming out of Harpers Ferry. Lost another 13 pounds for a total of 51 pounds at that time. No body fat meant my body was burning muscle protein to stay alive. When my wife visited me in Carlisle Pa., multiple showers did nothing to cure the oder. It wasn’t until I got back those 13 pounds and increased carbohydrates and Dairy. Chocolate milk by the half gallon was my drink of choice until I reach the heat of New England. Took four washings of my ULA pack with Vinegar and Borax to finally get rid of the last of that horrible smell! Nothing like burning body protein for energy needs!
"gbolt" on the Trail
I am Third
We are here to help one another along life's journey. Keep the Faith!
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Worst I looked and smelt was stumbling out onto a road south of Damascus after 11 days with no shower, rain on and off for those 11 days, kit totally reeking, having been lost off trail falling into a swamp slogging up to my knees in muck, getting mired in a sticky raspberry bushes all around that scratched me up like I had attempted an escape over the prison's barbed wire and then regaining the trail to find a CS and fire ring I tried stepping across falling into it that contained left over Chef BoyR Dee and ashes. Funniest thing second or third car a grandma I stuck my thumb out picked me up. She brought me to a 2.5 hr church service. First car swerved onto the other side of the road. I could hear the passenger in that first car say "what's that?"
Apprecciate your flowery descriptions, DW!
Yeah me too , laughed my ass off!!
My "worst" (best?) were two separate 3-week Denali expeditions w/o any hope of any resupply or any hope of even cleaning up a bit, either body or clothing, just too damn cold every day and night. Plus to be safe in case of a crevasse fall (which I did once), you have to dress warmly enough while climbing/hiking to survive in a crevasse, meaning you sweat like a pig most days. We all got really disgusting.
Check out this pic at the West Rib bar and grill in Talkeetna AK, after the climb but before we all took showers, we were just to hungry to wait. We at least had clean t-shirts on. Look at the lady sitting at the next table....
Lol, pictures worth a 1,000 words. Oh look honey how disgusting must be some more of that hiker trash, let's get out of here before the wind blows this way!
Tee shirt was ripped with either my right nipple or left nipple exposed with scratches across one nipple and on my chest and shorts were ripped with crotch partially exposed if I moved in the wrong way. I kid U not. True story. Grandma stopped by her house where I put on my rain jacket but those were the only shorts I had. I had imaginations of Kathy Bates in Misery. Of course she sat us down in the first row of the church pews and had to introduce me to every parishioner. She got me into Damascus in time to pick up a resupply box though. These are the experiences I refer when I say Thru hiking is not just about hiking. Cherish them as much as the MPD.
I bet if you would have heard her say " you know I'm your no. 1 fan" , you'd been running for your life! Lol, that truly is 1 of the funniest stories I've heard in a while. Thanks I needed a good laugh.