9 Backpacking and Camping Hygiene Tips
If you’re going backpacking or camping, you’re not going to end your day smelling like a field of daisies. You are going to sweat, step in mud, sit in dirt, and maybe even get rained on throughout the day. Not to mention you likely won’t have access to a proper shower. You might event wear a couple of the same items of clothing for several smelly days in a row. But don’t let this deter you from enjoying the great outdoors! We have some backpacking and camping hygiene tips that will help you limit the stink and discomfort.
Below are some of the tricks we’ve learned while on the trail that keep us feeling comfortable despite not having a proper wash for days. I’ll add a quick disclaimer – I can’t say I smell lovely on a camping trip. However, following these tricks do keep me from feeling grimy, especially on long backpacking trips.
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1. Take a Dip
While there are plenty of other, more important qualities to look for in a campsite, I’d opt for a site near a moving water source over one without.
Not only does it provide convenient access to water throughout the night, but it gives you a nice place to rinse off after a long day. A stream, river, or pond can help you wash off dirt, mud, sweat, and anything else that caked itself onto you over the course of the day.
On most trips, I’ll bring along some biodegradable soap and shampoo for a deeper clean. Here is the soap I recommend. Just make sure not to rinse the soap off directly into the water source, because it can affect water quality.
Be warned, these water sources can get rather chilly. When you’re bathing in a creek near the top of a mountain the water can be icy cold. For these instances, you’re better off splashing yourself in a makeshift spongebath rather than fully submerging.
Taking a quick bath can make you feel like a whole new person and really limits the amount of grime you build up on your skin and hair while backpacking. It seems so simple, but a quick jump in the water is always a go-to backpacking and camping hygiene tip.
2. Bring Baby Wipes or Shower Wipes
You won’t always be fortunate enough to set up camp near water when you’re backpacking. In this case, you’ll have to clean yourself off without water. This is where baby or shower wipes can come in handy!
You can use these wipes like a sponge bath, rubbing it on the dirtiest or sweatiest parts of your body to freshen up a little. Though this is not as refreshing as taking a dip in a pond, it can keep you from feeling nasty after a hot day of trekking. That’s why many people consider baby wipes a staple for backpacking and camping hygiene. Just remember to pack up those used wipes and bring them back out of the woods along with your other garbage.
Check out these shower wipes by Nurture Valley, they give a thorough clean without needing a bunch of them and they don’t have a lingering smell.
3. Air Out Your Gear
If you’re on a short backpacking or camping trip, you might be able to bring enough clothes to change into a fresh outfit each day. However there will still be articles of clothing, such as your boots or jacket, that you’ll need to wear throughout your trip. These will get sweaty and smelly fast.
Bring along a rope or cord that you can stretch between two trees and hang up any clothing items that you wear frequently. This will give them time to air out and dry up, which will make it feel and smell more fresh than it would after sitting in your bag all night. Set your boots outside, preferably in the sun, with the tongues pulled forward and soles out to allow air to flow through them. This will allow your boots to dry up and air out.
4. Maintain Typical Hygiene Practices
You should try to keep your backpacking and camping hygiene practices as close to your typically daily practices as you can. While it can be easy to let your normal hygiene routines fall to the side when you’re out in the woods. However, it is super important to continue to brush your teeth, wash your face, and comb your hair throughout the trip.
Carrying on these little habits while backpacking will help you feel a little more clean, even when you haven’t showered in a week. Be sure to wash your hands with biodegradable soap or use hand sanitizer before having a snack, as well. You never know what you could have touched while on your hike or setting up camp. Keeping your hands clean will keep you from getting sick or seriously ill.
5. Use Deodorizers (But Limit Scents!)
Please, don’t forget to bring your deodorant. Not having deodorant on a backpacking trip literally stinks. Bring a stick for your underarms and if your feet get particularly sweaty, you might want to consider some powder for the insides of your boots or socks. This not only keeps the stench at bay, but can reduce your risk of developing blisters from the moisture.
My secret weapon boot powder – Dr. Scholl’s Odor Fighting X Foot Powder
However, you should try not to mix too many strong scents with your toiletries or beauty products. Attempting to mask your scent with a stronger artificial one will result in one smelly disaster. The goal of backpacking and camping hygiene is to limit the stink and grime, not add to it!
In addition, scented products might attract animals to your campsite. Animals have a good sense of smell, but they don’t know the difference between scented lotion and a snack. If you can’t find an unscented variety, opt for fresh, subtle scents like clean laundry or rain that are rarely overpowering. Regardless of how subtle the scent is, be sure to store those products with your food at night.
6. Wear Fresh Socks and Underwear
Depending on how long your backpacking trip is, you will probably re-wear some of your clothing in order to save on space. This is a great way to limit how much you pack. However, try to have a fresh pair of socks and underwear every day if you can.
These pieces of clothing are in close contact to some of the hottest and sweatiest parts of your body throughout the day. They get really soiled from just one day of use. Even if you dry them out at the end of the day, they feel stiff and grimy when you put them back on.
Wearing the same pair of underwear for multiple days of backpacking is uncomfortable and potentially unhealthy for women. The bacteria and moisture that gathers in underwear can increase a lady’s risk of getting an infection. Avoid that risk and icky feeling by following this backpacking and camping hygiene tip – bring plenty of underwear!
7. Have Clothes Dedicated for Sleep
Climbing into an unsoiled, warm set of sleeping clothes before tucking into your sleeping bag is a little backpacking luxury that is hard to beat. Though your body itself might still be dirty, your clothes won’t be covered in sweat and mud which will help you feel more comfortable throughout the night.
This also has the added benefit of limiting the amount of dirt, twigs and ticks that might get into your sleeping bag. If you climbed in wearing the same clothes you just hiked in, you could be bringing a whole mess of filth into it.
8. Do Laundry
If you’re going to be in the woods for the long haul, you might want to consider doing some laundry in the woods. There are many ways to do this, you can try different methods and techniques to find one that suits you.
Bring along some biodegradable detergent in your bag along with a trash bag. Fill the bag with some water from a nearby water source, add the clothes and detergent and shake it up! Rinse out the detergent in the nearby water source and hang it up to dry. This won’t give you a perfect, washing-machine clean but it will freshen up your clothes a bit.
Pro tip – laundry detergent sheets are light weight and get the job done. We recommend these by Tru Earth.
9. Clean Your Gear After Every Trip
When you get home from a backpacking trip, it can be tempting to just toss everything in the closet or garage and just veg out. While you can certainly take a day or two to unwind, make sure you are cleaning your gear before putting it away or packing up for your next trip.
Open up your tent and allow it to dry out, especially if it rained or was dewey in the morning when you packed it up. Be sure to wash your sleeping bag and clothing in hot water to kill any ticks and insects that may be hiding in them.
For a complete list of things to do to clean your backpacking gear after a trip, check out this checklist! Staying in the habit of keeping your gear clean will allow it to last longer and will make it more pleasant to use them on your next trip. Future you will thank you for having good post-trip backpacking and camping hygiene.
Conclusion
It’s hard to stay clean on a backpacking trip. You likely won’t ever feel as fresh as you would on a typical day. However, if you follow some of these backpacking and camping hygiene tips, you won’t feel quite as grimey!
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Cover photo by Heather Morse on Unsplash
