How Do You Maintain Your Personal Hygiene When You're Outside?
We love the outdoors, but the outdoors doesn’t always love us back - a great camping trip usually means getting dirty, sweaty, and stinky. But, if the shampoos and soaps we use aren’t made with natural ingredients like pine tar, they can be harmful to the environment. Below, outdoor enthusiasts offered their suggestions for keeping yourself clean and healthy while out on the trail.
Opt for a Camp Site Offering Easy Access To Toilets and Showers
In my experience, the best way to continue maintaining your hygiene outdoors is to choose the right sites when you are going to spend the night outside. While I love the outdoors, I also respect my own personal hygiene, which is why I’ll usually opt for a camping site that offers easy access to both toilets and showers. Going for the “glamping” experience is also an option, as it usually provides access to a greater variety of facilities that you need to attend to your own hygiene while you still enjoy the beauty of nature and the excitement of camping.
Bring Along Ample Personal Hygiene Supplies
As an outdoor enthusiast, I make sure to be mindful of personal hygiene while on my outdoor adventures. That means bringing along ample items for cleanliness, such as hand sanitizer, baby wipes, and antibacterial soap. After a day of activities in nature or near water sources, it’s important to wash with soap and warm water and dry off thoroughly without too tight clothes so my skin can breathe.
If camping overnight, use either biodegradable or compostable waste bags to dispose of any personal garbage properly. Dedicating some time each day exploring the outdoors is amazing, but taking the necessary steps toward maintaining good hygiene while doing that keeps everyone safe from germs and viruses.
Avoid Deodorants and Fragrances, Air Your Feet
Carrying a hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes, regular handwashing, and avoiding deodorants and smelly products are some of the basics of outdoor hygiene. Although challenging, it is possible to observe your hygiene outdoors, whether camping or attending a packed event.
For example, ensure you wear synthetic clothing that wicks moisture to avoid bacteria since they thrive in moist environments. If you are outdoors for longer than a day, carry an extra outfit and take a shower or dip in a nearby lake or river if camping.
Also, remember to air your feet whenever you can to reduce moisture from sweating. That said, the greatest trick to outdoor hygiene is bringing a bag of cleaning products that allow you to quickly and easily freshen up at any moment.
Use Wet Wipes, Sugarless Gum, Small Travel Toothbrush, and Toothpaste Tabs
Wipes are compact and easy to pack. I usually use a brand that is biodegradable.
Using a wipe is quick and easy and I don't have to worry about how cold it is outside. I also don't have to worry about taking a bath in a questionable water source (which may not be safe either).
Everything that I put in my pack for an extended trip outside needs to have multiple uses. Wet wipes are no different. Not only can I clean myself but I can also clean my cooking gear. After I use one, I let it dry out and use it for fire tinder. I really like this since there is no trash to worry about.
For my teeth, I pack sugarless gum and a small travel toothbrush. I chew a piece of gum each day and I find that it helps to keep my teeth clean. Instead of toothpaste, I like to use toothpaste tabs. They are easy to pack and I don't have to worry about a tube of paste getting busted in my pack.
This is a crowdsourced article. Contributors' statements do not necessarily reflect the opinion of this website, other people, businesses, or other contributors.
