Cleaning yourself outdoors

[gunnix]

heh great guys, I'll stop using shampoo now and just wash with water daily!

 

[rik_uk3]

If your only out for 1 to 2 nights why bother. If any longer just use a river.

I go with what he said

 

[Toddy]

It's a personal choice thing really. I *like* water, I joke it's a tenet of my faith, water all over me at least once a day My bother says he's a Scotsman and it's written into his contract with his maker, rained on at least twice a day
I love feeling just cleaned, I suppose like men must feel freshly shaven ? I seem to spend my life kind of grubby with one thing and another When I'm out I check over my gear and then I clean me up. It's an at peace with the world sort of feeling.
I have friends who adhere to the no washing thing, on the whole there's not an issue, but sometimes they really just look filthy and I itch like a Mum looking for a damp cloth for a sticky kid Terribly rude of me so I resist, but sometimes it's hard.
Every society known has/ had some kind of personal grooming; strange really that it's the developed Westerners that are trying to get back to their *natural* with none

I like the ring of stones idea, that's neat

cheers,
Toddy

 

[gunnix]

It's a personal choice thing really. I *like* water, I joke it's a tenet of my faith, water all over me at least once a day My bother says he's a Scotsman and it's written into his contract with his maker, rained on at least twice a day
I love feeling just cleaned, I suppose like men must feel freshly shaven ? I seem to spend my life kind of grubby with one thing and another When I'm out I check over my gear and then I clean me up. It's an at peace with the world sort of feeling.
I have friends who adhere to the no washing thing, on the whole there's not an issue, but sometimes they really just look filthy and I itch like a Mum looking for a damp cloth for a sticky kid Terribly rude of me so I resist, but sometimes it's hard.
Every society known has/ had some kind of personal grooming; strange really that it's the developed Westerners that are trying to get back to their *natural* with none

I like the ring of stones idea, that's neat

cheers,
Toddy

I agree it's nice to be clean and smell nice. I also noticed in most videos on "primitive" people they're all looking clean and good. So they definately take care of themselves. I just don't think they're using chemical shampoos and stuff like that. They probably use natural soap from plants etc. But I also think they look good because of eating good healthy food and being outside a lot. They also don't seem to wear clothes that can't ventilate. A lot of smells come from the body trying to get rid of toxics trough the breath or trough sweat. So in trying to be decent looking and smelling I think it's important to eat healthy wild or organic food too. Ofcourse washing with water (=swimming ) and sometimes washing with soap is needed I guess

 

[British Red]

Well my techniques are a little different. I'm with Toddy - clean is good. I find its a minset thing too - look after yourself and your kit.

I use a few other things than mentioned. I have a collapsible dog bowl that has a drawstring at the top. It is my washkit and bowl in one!

I carry Lush solid shampoo in a small metal tin. Allied with one of those "scrunchy" things that BB uses its great for an all over scrub. The scrunchies are nylon and don't get stinky or stay wet. My mates missus took pity on me and sourced one in OG to look manly (seriously - cheers mitsiblue). I do like em though - never get that fusty damp smell

Red

 

[Eric_Methven]

If it's for one or two nights I just use baby wipes for a rub down and bacterial hand gel for when I've been to the toilet or preping food. If more than a few days, I like a good body wash with a bowl of hot water a scrunchy and soap to exfoliate and one of those super absorbant kitchen wipe cloths, well loaded with water to get the soap off. That does me until I get home then it's a hot soak in the bath. I don't bother with shampoo as my hair is barely a quarter inch long all over (I have my own shears and use a No2 cutter regularly). I just wash my face until I reach the back of my neck.

Eric

 

[wanderinstar]

I bought a groundbait mixing bowl from a fishing shop. They do various sizes. I got one 13" x 5"deep, for about £4. Bit big I know but what holds a lot holds a little.

 

[Grooveski]

I tend to just rinse down in a stream, in summer a swim then rinse off the salt.

Was out for a week last summer and there was no swimming because of jellyfish. When I set off I left the wheels in a quiet spot in tarbert and when I came back the fair was in town so I paddled in to a lively crowd. One guy asked if I had just crossed the atlantic which I took as a tipsy joke but when I'd packed up, climbed into the car and caught sight of myself in the mirror I had to laugh and could see where he was coming from.

Sunburned and unshaven was bad enough but something crazy had happened to my hair as well. The look was somewhere between shipwrecked and totaly demented.

 

[RobertRogers]

If you think about it, we modern people wash off the natural oils and bacteria from our bodies nearly every day. But for many thousands of years people did not do this.

There must be some reason for these oils etc on our bodies - but it may take some time without washing before this becomes apparent because the system has been knocked out of balance by washing every day.

I found that after nearly two weeks without bathing there appeared to be some advantages. Of course we smelled a bit, but it seemed we were less affected by cold and dampness. Maybe there is a reason.

 

[gregorach]

It's a personal choice thing really. I *like* water, I joke it's a tenet of my faith, water all over me at least once a day My bother says he's a Scotsman and it's written into his contract with his maker, rained on at least twice a day
I love feeling just cleaned, I suppose like men must feel freshly shaven ? I seem to spend my life kind of grubby with one thing and another When I'm out I check over my gear and then I clean me up. It's an at peace with the world sort of feeling.
I have friends who adhere to the no washing thing, on the whole there's not an issue, but sometimes they really just look filthy and I itch like a Mum looking for a damp cloth for a sticky kid Terribly rude of me so I resist, but sometimes it's hard.
Every society known has/ had some kind of personal grooming; strange really that it's the developed Westerners that are trying to get back to their *natural* with none

I like the ring of stones idea, that's neat

cheers,
Toddy

I don't think anybody has proposed not cleaning themselves - just not necessarily using fancy detergents and not necessarily doing it every single day.

As for the feeling of being freshly shaven, you can keep it!

 

[Toddy]

Sorry Gregorach, that must have felt like criticism, it wasn't meant that way. Personally I have no issues with good clean water on it's own, ( distinct memories of skinny dipping in some damned cold rivers and lochs and feeling *really* clean afterwards) but the folks I was speaking of don't even use that. No teeth brushing, no handwashing (unless sticky, and then it's usually just wiped on clothes). Hey, the world takes all types, and they're good people, creative, busy, active, involved; just an aversion to water
cheers,
Toddy

 

[gregorach]

Yeah, I've met a few like that... I guess it takes all sorts. Seems a bit wierd though, even to me. Even when I was least concerned with hygiene I still took a nice hot bath once a week.

 

[ferrol]

Good suggestions, gonna not wash my hair for alittle while on my next holiday and see what happens.

Nigel: Good point that but my trips will eventually get longer and longer so I'd like to be ready so to speak when it does. Plus I've been on long trips before without washing and my clothes end up dank clingy, so I'd like to try and keep them as clean as possible.

I had a look at the shower head and its pretty much glorified a ribbed pipe stopper around its edges, not paying 11 quid for that, gonna carve one instead. (Yup tight 4ss)

Am not too bothered that I'd smell too much just the affect on the performance of my clothing, which over along period of time would just mean, wash yer clothing!

Good Thread this so far! Thanks for all your replies!

ferrol

 

[william#]

Thanks for the replies!
Was also considering getting a shower conversion kit for the platy

http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/0040818075944

Has anyone actually used a outdoor shower? Any good?

I have visions of running out of water with a head n face full of soap. Then having to comically wandering round woods looking for water to rinse off from.... naked...

ferrol

they are great in warm weather
but tbh i tend to just ***** bath ie just wipe around the important areas if im only out for 3 days which is kinda of the limit i seem to do these days

 

[ferrol]

they are great in warm weather
but tbh i tend to just ***** bath ie just wipe around the important areas if im only out for 3 days which is kinda of the limit i seem to do these days

heh "***** bath", haven't heard that expression before.. funny.

Think I'll probably ***** bath (giggle), if a few days only and shower if longer or a hot day, regardless, I'll try them all!

ferrol

 

[dommyracer]

I tend to cover the important bits and the bits that tend to rub - groin, feet, pits.
like someone else said, wet them up, soap them up (pine tar, coal tar, bio travel soap) - then rinse off and dry with travel towel.

 

[gregorach]

Those of you thinking of quitting using soap / shampoo on your hair - be warned! It takes at least 6 weeks to get over the really manky stage, and about 6 months to settle down properly. (At least it did for me and everyone else I know who's tried it.)

The other option is to shave it all off first.

 

[gunnix]

If you think about it, we modern people wash off the natural oils and bacteria from our bodies nearly every day. But for many thousands of years people did not do this.

There must be some reason for these oils etc on our bodies - but it may take some time without washing before this becomes apparent because the system has been knocked out of balance by washing every day.

I found that after nearly two weeks without bathing there appeared to be some advantages. Of course we smelled a bit, but it seemed we were less affected by cold and dampness. Maybe there is a reason.

good point, totally agree.
By the way I always feel weakest after completely having washed myself with soap, I definately notice that the oils on my skin protect me and keep me strong. I could rub on other oils (and creams etc) on me but I don't really see the point if the body makes it itself.

 

[xylaria]

I tend to wash me and the kids by wiping with warm soapy water then wiping with warm clean water. But for short weekends wet wipes work just fine. I do find i am less smelly when outside, and kids just acculmulate clean dirt.

But saying that the LRP event we goto every august, most people are there from thursday and by the monday, some of the blokes are proper gamey. Getting squeezed up into a battle line with some bloke that has cultured his natural oils for five days is seriously unpleasant. Where I used to live there was some crusties (young, dreadlocks, alternative) across the road, the woman that lived there must of never bathed in anyway, she smelt like whitby at low tide. To smell bad is very anti-social IMHO. Every culture has different opinions on what is hygiene, but the planet more less agrees to stink is not good.

 

[Neanderthal]

I've often used large plastic pop bottles for carrying water in and a spare top with holes in makes a cheap shower attachment.

Tip: Make sure it really is private where you have a shower/strip wash. I remember a time backpacking in the Pyrenees when I was hopping round soaking wet trying to get my shorts on as some people came 'out of nowhere'. "Bonjour!"

Stu