Personal hygiene on extended trips (The Deodorant Debate)

Speaking of underwear, I'm reminded of an old Boy Scout joke..... One pair of underwear will last a scout 4 days: front, back, rightside out, inside out. But if you share a tent with another scout, you can each get a good 8 days of wear.

I must be the wimp here. I take deodorant 'cuz it makes ME feel better. In hot weather I also take baby powder (anyone need an explanation?)

I need an explanation.

I bring campsuds but prefer a plain swim every couple days.

I hate to bring up that four letter word, but for me tick checks put a lower limit on my trip hygiene. It's one thing to be a happy healthy pig without a care, but if I have to inspect every square inch of skin I can't be blissfully ignorant about any filth.

Water is the best solvent, or so I've been told. I swim and rinse clothes on occasion with plain water. I do take the smallest, maybe 1oz, bottle of dawn dish soap with me just so I can wash my hands on occasion. I hate going to bed with greasy fishy smelling hands.

mark

I got to keep my uh, um, nether regions clean to avoid nasty rashes. I’m a fan of using wet wipes as well.

Being in the Bush is not a reason to forget good hygiene. I still like to wash my face in hands with warm water. I still try to maintain good oral hygiene as well. However, how I smell is of no consequence to me. I’m not getting close enough to anyone to offend either.

Grandpa Paddler said:

I must be the wimp here. I take deodorant 'cuz it makes ME feel better. In hot weather I also take baby powder (anyone need an explanation?)

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Try something called No More Monkey Butt for when it’s too late but routine anti chaffing cream from MEC for cyclists prevents the problem altogether

there is no need to use soap, water does just fine-this eliminates the problem of soap pollution to the pristine areas we often paddle in. Putting soap in the water is also illegal in the adks I believe.

Anyone ever try a hot shower? I believe one's possible with a drybag arrangement.

One of the kids on a school trip brought one of these things with him, https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0009PUT20?linkCode=gs2&tag=gearmoose07-20 He seemed to enjoy using it, and said the water was warm after sitting in the sun for a couple of hours.

mike Mcrae, I tried the beard thing way back in '78 but had to give it up around 1980- it kept getting caught in my zipper.....

I went on a group trip where one of the guys brought one of those "solar showers". He also brought a crock pot and I got stuck humping it. One day I took a nice hot shower while everyone was out fishing, he mentioned his shower that evening was lukewarm. HaHa, must suck to be you.

I was there when Odyssey took that slippery rock plunge. If his wife wasn't there I think we would have laughed...ha

I went on another group trip where a guy pulled out an electric shaver and he also used deodorant.

I have 2 pair of black nylon underpants I wear on trips, they dry out fast. My wife always reminds me to not forget my "panties", she's funny.

I like to bath at least once during a trip, maybe more if the conditions are good. I try to wash my hands and face often with soap. Sometimes I just have a "coyote breakfast", walk down to the lake, wash my hands/face in the water and have a good look around.

I use a liner in my sleeping bag which has really kept my bag clean over the years.

JackL's navy story reminds me of my time in the Army. Longest I went without a hot shower was 90 days, probably took 3-4 hot showers in the 8 months I was infantry. We got a set of clean fatigues once a week with a pair of clean socks. Didn't wear underwear for 14 months. It was nothing to strip down, later up and rinse with cold water in front of your brothers.

I've found in a pinch, that pulling your junk through your underwear and having cloth between it and your leg helps

Bathed in the runoff in a Tank Trail once that we had dammed up.

I'm not overly concerned with hygiene on trips as I don't see the need to smell better on trips than I do at home. That being said I do have a great way to bathe and do laundry. My food pack is a seal line dry bag into which I slid a plastic kitchen sized trash can cut down to the proper height to fit. I remove the plastic liner and empty the contents and the proceed to fill it with hot water until there is at least a few gallons. Away from the waters edge I dip a small pot into the trash can and pour it over myself. Then wash my hair and soap up and use some of the remaining water to rinse off. There is usually enough water left that I can add just a little soap and throw in my laundry. After that I dump out the remaining water and refill with lake water to rinse the clothes.

It really is a great system that anyone who takes a blue barrel can use. Heck with unlimited water and firewood, and a big enough pot, an ambitious person can get enough warm water in a canoe to take a bath. Probably not recommended for w/c.

Robin, you must be quite the man needing to wear two pair of underwear, even if they are only panties

I think I'll pick up a Katadyn Shower Adaptor. Thirteen bucks to turn my old gravity bag (drybag filter) into a shower. Just fill it with hot water. I think this adaptor might fit a wide mouth Nalgene too. That's more like it, I have 3 of those bottles. A couple of litres of water from the fireside pot would do the trick.
I have to remember that coyote breakfast. Cool.

lowangle al said:

Robin, you must be quite the man needing to wear two pair of underwear, even if they are only panties

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Ha, One time I washed out the first pair and hung them on a string to dry in the sun. Two dudes paddle by and I see them looking at my panties hanging on the line near my little solo tent. You know how sound carries over water....I could hear them wooping it up for quite a ways down the lake.

Now I hang them out back on a bush.

I wash every few days if weather permit.... On the other end, My brother in law and my sister in law use deodorant to cover there smell lol, I hate the smell of highly parfume cheap deodorant.... But he uses it pretty much every day on trips! Stinky b*st*rd! I always face cloth or two with me( I don't believe in disposable baby wet cloths/wet-ones) one for below the waist and one for above the waste kind of deal!!

PaddlingPitt said:

I need an explanation.

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PM me and I'll try to explain the facts of manhood.

I've found in a pinch, that pulling your junk through your underwear and having cloth between it and your leg helps

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Pics or it didn't happen!

memaquay said:

Pics or it didn't happen!

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In a pinch, you may find wisdom in my experience.