Backcountry Hygiene!

cmeier117

WKR
Joined
Feb 24, 2012
Messages
1,552
Location
Salem, OR
What do you guys do in the back country for showers or just to keep yourself clean on a hunt. Last year I used body bath towels from scent shield, and I have to say I loved them, but at $2+ a piece they are kinda spendy and you have some weight and bulk, I also took unscented baby wipes with my but those are heavy but after you do your business (I need to remember there are women on here) it sure feels good to finish up with a wet wipe. I have heard of guys using dehydrated wet wipes that you add water too and those sound like the ticket. But are guys making there own or are they buying them? I have to say it was nice to have that body bath towel to clean up every few days, it is much larger and more durable than wet wipes. Just looking for something lighter and cheaper.
 

Matt Cashell

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Feb 25, 2012
Messages
4,500
Location
Western MT
I am going to use wipes that I air dry this year. A little water and back in business I think.

A small bottle of purel is essential as well.
 

Brock A

Super Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Apr 30, 2012
Messages
2,917
Location
Buckley, WA
I also am big on the wipes. Purel is good. Especially after you break an animal down. I like the Colgate Wisp for brushing my teeth.
 
OP
cmeier117

cmeier117

WKR
Joined
Feb 24, 2012
Messages
1,552
Location
Salem, OR
I used the Wisp this year as well and I liked them,

Matt are you just air drying baby type wipes?
 

Brent1321

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Aug 10, 2012
Messages
100
Location
Colorado Springs, CO
I use Hart EZ Towel, and really like them. They looked like a large Alka Seltzer. Add a little bit of water and they "rehydrate" and become a 9"x10" wet-wipe. I will have some in my toilet kit, and some in my pockets. Come across a stream for a quick break, dip one in the stream and towel off your face or whatever. Very refreshing, pretty darn light, and 100% biodegradable. I will typically bury a used one, keep it for another use, or burn back at camp. They work great.....

Brent
 

littlebuf

Banned
Joined
Feb 24, 2012
Messages
1,983
dirt bath just to keep the bugs off. it works for the elk so why not
 
OP
cmeier117

cmeier117

WKR
Joined
Feb 24, 2012
Messages
1,552
Location
Salem, OR
I use Hart EZ Towel, and really like them. They looked like a large Alka Seltzer. Add a little bit of water and they "rehydrate" and become a 9"x10" wet-wipe. I will have some in my toilet kit, and some in my pockets. Come across a stream for a quick break, dip one in the stream and towel off your face or whatever. Very refreshing, pretty darn light, and 100% biodegradable. I will typically bury a used one, keep it for another use, or burn back at camp. They work great.....

Brent

I will look at those, that is what I was wanting to find.
 
OP
cmeier117

cmeier117

WKR
Joined
Feb 24, 2012
Messages
1,552
Location
Salem, OR
Yep,

No short supply in my house.

I suppose you're house is about the same. :)

Ya they are everywhere, along with dirty diapers... I will give that a try, I found a recipe for making your own wet wipes and I was thinking of making my own with using those blue shope towels and using unscented body wash and then drying them. But I am already losing motivation as I type this so we will see.
 

unm1136

WKR
Joined
Aug 30, 2012
Messages
426
Location
Albuquerque NM
A few years ago when we had our first kid my wife was all crazy about household cleaning chemicals, and signed up for Melaleuka. She still hasn't learned her lesson, but that is another issue. Anyway, for our first kid she made home made baby wipes by mixing tea tree oil stuff and water, and soaking paper towels in it. It is supposed to be an anti-irritant and an anti biotic/fungal and whatnot. It works nice on bug bites, minor burns, and cuts. Since getting my youngest out if diapers last year, I still have half a Sam's club case of Huggies baby wipes. When I finish those I will look at making my own and using them.

pat
 

123 4/8 P&Y

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
May 17, 2012
Messages
276
Scent free baby wipes or DDW wipes. I use these on my swamp feet every night and then put on fresh socks and underwear before bed.

Here is one other thing that I have discovered. Regular bar soaps and shampoos have lots of moisturizers and perfumes (obviously) in them. I am a firm believer that they cause bacterial growth resulting in extra funk. In the spring when I am on a three day turkey hunting trip I can barely stand myself on the second night. I attribute that to me using regular scented soap before I left on the trip. But in the fall when I'm concerned with scent control I shower in scent free soap for a week straight before I head into the mountains. I think it helps cleanse my skin and hair of all the extra stuff found in regular soap that causes the mountain man funk. And then I feel like it takes me a lot longer to get extra stinky. Not that the elk wouldn't be able to smell me, but at least I can stand to be in a bivy with myself. :)
 

Trout bum

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
Messages
244
Location
Colorado
Scent free wipes, powder and hand sanitizer. Powder in the socks and elsewhere is a good thing. Stream clean when I can with small pack towel. Mini travel toothbrush, floss pick and paste. That combo plus merino helps to minimize scent but I don't think it can ever be eliminated entirely when chasing elk up high. After a bit, funk happens.
 

drthornton

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Feb 29, 2012
Messages
253
Location
Prosper, TX
If there is access to good water I use concentrated soap, small micro-fiber towel and a cup to take a bath almost every night. It is a cold SOB but man I feel like a champ after. If there is no access to good water I do the whore's bath method with the scent free wipes.
 
Joined
Sep 18, 2012
Messages
777
Location
Southern Utah
I was recently looking for something better than wet wipes and found a couple products I wanted to try... one was just a wipe that was bigger and had soap that was better desinged for a sponge bath than a baby wipe it came in a camo package but I cant remember what it was called. The other one was called Paper Shower and it looks like it could be a bit nicer than baby wipes.

Paper Shower: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byxFubJcNLw
 

ScottR_EHJ

WKR
Rokslide Sponsor
Joined
Mar 8, 2012
Messages
1,597
Location
Wyoming
I have done wilderness wash, wet wipes, dunking my head in water, you name it. Wisps are nice, just don't buy a big pack of a flavor you don't like.
 

Becca

Super Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Feb 26, 2012
Messages
2,043
Location
Wasilla, Alaska
The travel packs of wet wipes work great for a quick bird bath mid trip, or for cleaning your hands after gutting fish or processing critters. For longer (think a week or more) trips I have also brought along a travel size packet of face wipes, nice for getting the sweat film off your face and they hurt less if they get in your eyes. Never bothered to dehydrate them, but might give air drying a try this year...sounds smart.

Something else we always bring along are soap sheets. They sell them on the camping aisle at our local Walmart, and are pretty inexpensive (less than $4 a pack). Just put one in your hand, add a little creek water and lather up. When I first started buying them, the package said they were for hands, dishes and clothing. The new packaging just says hands, but I have used both formulations for all purposes and not had any trouble. They don't lather or rinse quite as well in super cold water, so I try to avoid glacial fed streams when possible....sometimes up here you don't have much choice.

a4d251b4.jpg
 
Joined
Mar 21, 2012
Messages
1,164
Location
Missoula, MT
Last edited:

rodney482

WKR
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
Messages
3,815
I use wet wipes
Sea to summit soap leaves
I also use 100 oZ bladder, filled 3/4 cold water and 1/4 boiling hot water.

Get lathered up,,,, rinse off with the warm water.

Purell for sure!!!


** i hang bladder in a tree
 

rodney482

WKR
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
Messages
3,815
*** before you use wet wipes on your butt.. Test them out at home first.

Clip toenails a week before heading out.

Manscape a week before hunt
 
Top