BACKCOUNTRY BODY ODOR

Joined
Apr 21, 2015
Messages
970
I use wet wipes with antibacterial in them and then take a small bottle of scent away soap with Triclosan.
Anti-perspirant before departure on pits, groin, and feet. Cotton skivies to sleep in so day gear can dry and air out.
Canteen shower if it gets bad. Otherwise just wash the skivies every few days.
 

Marble

WKR
Joined
May 29, 2019
Messages
3,219
I've brought a gallon bag that contains another sandwich baggy with detergent in the bag. Fill gallon bag with some water and detergent and slosh it around. It can sit in the bag for hours. If you want. Rinse well and let it dry. I only do this with my shirts since those seem to be the worse.

I've also used the dry wet wipes. Their ok.

I normally bring two rags and use them for dishes and baths. They just hang on tree in camp all day to dry.

Sent from my SM-G986U using Tapatalk
 

rclouse79

WKR
Joined
Dec 10, 2019
Messages
1,727
Luckily my sense of smell is terrible, so ignorance is bliss. I have used Life Wipes, which are individually packaged full sized body wipes. They seem to do a decent job. I recommend using them strategically; wash your face first and save your nasty bits for the end of the job. That is common sense for most, but you never know.
 
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tuffcity

WKR
Joined
Nov 2, 2013
Messages
557
Location
YT
As mentioned, merino is key! Although my wife favours the lulu lemon stretch shirts with the silver thread- those work too. Not sure if they come in manly sizes but hey, its 2021 and there's no judgement here ... :D
 

ChrisAU

WKR
Joined
Jan 12, 2018
Messages
6,053
Location
SE Alabama
Employed dehydrated wet wipe whore baths and tiny mitchum sticks since I started doing extended backcountry hunts and honestly I've been surprised how clean I've been coming out of the woods using those strategies.
 

Rob5589

WKR
Joined
Sep 6, 2014
Messages
6,243
Location
N CA
Thorough shower just prior to leaving; Arm and Hammer scent free deod; plenty of unscented diaper wipes; rinse in creek if/when needed. Multiple days in the woods hiking around without a shower, you're gonna stink.
 

Moserkr

WKR
Joined
Feb 26, 2020
Messages
997
Location
Mountains of CA
Just wait until your pack is bloody from a pack out and theres still tags to fill. The flies will make you feel like the living dead, and the smell makes BO insignificant at best. I soaked my pack in the creek to get as much blood out as possible and thats using the sling load, cant imagine putting quarters inside a pack 🤢
 

rclouse79

WKR
Joined
Dec 10, 2019
Messages
1,727
Just wait until your pack is bloody from a pack out and theres still tags to fill. The flies will make you feel like the living dead, and the smell makes BO insignificant at best. I soaked my pack in the creek to get as much blood out as possible and thats using the sling load, cant imagine putting quarters inside a pack 🤢
I slide a contractor bag inside my pack and then load the meat. If I am careful I don’t get any blood on my pack. I have not noticed any ill effects to the meat.
 

WoodDuck

FNG
Joined
Sep 24, 2017
Messages
94
Location
Wisconsin
1. Shave/trim all body hair. This helps a lot.
2. Merino base layers.
3. A 40 degree creek shower does wonders halfway through a hunt.
 
Joined
Nov 14, 2020
Messages
1,002
All good advice above. But as my son says nearly every night after day three when he crawls into the tent...”Smells like ASS in here!!”
 
Joined
May 19, 2014
Messages
320
Location
So Cal
Good advice above. Personally for me there isnt much difference between day 3 and day 7... you are just dirty and stinky so i just embrace it. It really makes that hot shower at home or in a hotel room on day 10 feel real nice!
 

xcutter

WKR
Joined
Aug 22, 2014
Messages
1,398
Location
Connersville, IN
I've been using baby wipes to clean up a bit like most everybody else (mostly face, feet, pits, crotch). Something I am going to try this year though is to purchase some Dead Down Wind Body Wipes. There scent killer formula tends to keep the bacteria at bay that causes stink. If I get a shower at the truck with one of those bag showers I use the Dead Down Wind soap and put on some of there deodorant.

For some reason on day 3 or 4 I don't hardly notice my own stench anymore but my buddies sure do. LOL
 

Rich M

WKR
Joined
Jun 14, 2017
Messages
5,107
Location
Orlando
They sell scent free deodorant, there are various cleaning wipes (witch hazel works good too), bring a change of undies and socks - wash the smelly ones, don't go on hunt with stinky people.
 

Scoot

WKR
Joined
Nov 13, 2012
Messages
1,521
On back country hunts I bring a thin baby washcloth and a very small squeeze bottle of camp soap. I boil extra water for my mountain house meal and wash up With the wash cloth, soap, and hot water. I get much cleaner this way than I do using wipes. It's crazy how much I can feel like a whole new man doing it this way.
 
Joined
Oct 2, 2016
Messages
2,652
Location
West Virginia
It’s a crap shoot for me. Sometimes polyester doesn’t get too bad. The last two years, it’s gotten bad. Bad enough I’m starting to wear more merino or have extra garments if it’s polyester.


Funny thing is I made a statement here a couple years ago about not getting stinky in polyester base layers. I think I put sone bad mojo on myself. It was so bad two years ago while hunting out west, the shirt I changed out of stunk up the whole tent.

By all means carry baby wipes. But, for 7 days hunting if you are wearing polyester, you’d better have some changes with you.
 
Joined
Jul 21, 2019
Messages
524
From work and hunting I’ve found, for me, the simplest way to address the funk is a small water bottle, camp soap, and small rag. They pack light, clean up, and are reusable. I heat some water and pour it into a bottle, soap up and wash with rag, and rinse off with the bottle. Not perfect, but functional. I focus on cleaning and caring for “FAN’s” as an acronym: Feet, ass, and nuts. Seems to keep me going.
 
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