It may not matter much around other hikers, but townspeople definitely notice "hiker funk".
I stopped into a store in Daleville, VA for something on a long section hike, and the girl said "I know you aren't a hiker because you don't stink".
OoooooooooooKKKKKKKKKKKKay.
When my own personal funk becomes troublesome and obvious even to me, well, then it's time for a scrub down. This might not occur until after two weeks in the woods.
For me, it's not dirt which I need to get off me but "human grease", i.e. body oils, esp on the scalp/hair.
The best scenario is to bring your little dispenser of bronners and find a cold creek and a thigh deep pool (or deeper) so I can dip underwater and get thoroughly wet---then suds up liberally with bronners (current fave is rose scented)---and do a total body and hair wash. Bring cook pot and you can rinse away from the creek.
With a smaller creek you can do the same thing but use the cook pot as a "shower head" and get thoroughly wet etc.
A variation of this is to just wash my hair/scalp with the cook pot---and use soap of course. This is something I do all the time in the winter when the water's too cold for full immersion.
Another option is to wet a bandana or a couple paper towels and do a "marine bath"---with repeated rinsings of the towel(s). This is especially useful at dry campsites when you have a couple liters of water for cooking and camp as it only uses a few ozs of water to get pretty darn clean.
It's easy to stay clean, fresh and minty on any trail---the hard part is jumping into a butt cold mountain creek.
Two weeks, Tipi??? I mean, it's your call, esp. since you seem to be pretty much by yourself most of the time, but two weeks ??? And I mean this with all due respect and a sense of humor, but don't you feel... I dunno... kinda vermin-like after 24 hours?
In re Dr. Bronner's, gimme Tea Tree. That smell always makes me feel awake and happy. Some of the others, esp. lavender, just make me feel sleepy.
If I felt vermin-like after just 24 hours, well heck, I'd probably just stay home and watch stock car races on TV.
I'm used to go going long periods without a bath or a shower, it's ingrained and self taught---because for me the priority is to be outside backpacking and camping---and not bathing.
Some people are very particular about taking daily showers at home---but this in my opinion is bad training for budding backpackers. Cuz there's no hot showers out in the woods.
And then there's winter. Heck, on a long winter trip with 10F every night I don't even see most of my head and hair for weeks because it's all kept covered for warmth. The last thing I want to do is expose bare flesh to the cold.
There are ways around this of course. Cold weather bathing? Many solutions---build a quick sweatlodge and heat up a dozen campfire rocks. Once inside and sufficiently "cooked", leave the lodge and jump into the creek. Or heat several gallons of water over a fire and take a "hot shower".
Regarding Herr Doktor Bronners---I started out in the early days with peppermint. Went with almond and back to peppermint. Then got on a lavender jag and a tea tree fixation and then a hemp citrus thing and of course I had to use Eucalyptus for many months. Now I'm playing around with rose scented soap.
In warm weather I always take a shower after setting up camp to wash the day’s sweat way - can’t stand sleeping while feeling gross/sticky, seems to attract less bugs, and keeps my sleep system and extra clothes clean. I just use a small amount of Dr Bronners and my Sawyer dirty bladder with a spare Smartwater cap with holes drilled it for a showerhead. Learned to do full shower/shampoo with <1L of water, which makes it so much easier to carry for distance (to find a good campsite, and away from water sources and associated bugs), and also to heat up if necessary.
In colder weather, I don’t need to shower as often, or go to sponge baths and wash hair while bent over (as you might over a sink). I can also set-up my floorless mid in a sunny spot - it captures ‘greenhouse’ warmth really well, and with some heated water, can do a pretty comfortable ‘heated, indoor’ sit-down shower on a corner of my polycryo footprint.
Some years ago a regular on this site,Cosmic Zian,told me about Naturally Fresh Deodorant Crystal.No,not any of their "stick or roll on" products,but their original,the one that comes in a box.It looks like a big salt rock.I break off a chunk and work the obsidian like sharp edges off because it could cut you.However,it works well and has no detectable odor as far as I can tell.It's very inexpensive compared to any other sort of deodorant too.
I watched "The Revenant" a couple years ago. I remember noticing how greasy looking everybody's hair was, and thinking how true-to-life that probably was. For those guys, a bath was a rare event.
Here is a similar product that is also available at Minimus :
https://www.amazon.com/Crystal-Miner.../dp/B000L998JY
Due to skin irritation from regular deodorants, I have used this product for years. It is just alum in stick form with a smooth surface. No odor and the travel size will probably be a lifetime supply for backpacking, just wet the surface when you are ready to apply it, works reasonably well.
Last edited by TexasBob; 09-22-2019 at 09:57.
If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything.
I've never seen the movie but I have read that bear grease was applied to exposed skin in sub freezing temperatures by fur trappers in the 18th and 19th century to prevent frostbite. When I was marathon training in the Mid-West, sometimes logging 100 to 120 miles per week in sub 20f I would put vaseline jelly on my face. Felt gross putting it on but it made a huge difference in my comfort level on long, cold runs.
"I love the unimproved works of God" Horace Kephart 1862-1931
I too like to clean up after a long day--it definitely helps prevent chafing! I use 1 liter soft drink bottles to carry water. I bring along an extra cap with several small holes drilled in it. A squeeze on the bottle makes it easy to spritz the unmentionables!