Living long periods outdoors, Hygiene & washing clothes

[NWNWNWNWNWNWNW]

Hygiene theirs absolutely no excuse to keep yourself from smelling like a deceased corpse if you were spending any prolonged time in the outdoors & its even more uncomfortable for you if you decided to spend it with a fellow companion who refused to wash , if no washing utilities around. Id personally drag them to the nearest watering hole & through them in with a bar of soap ! I just bought a the ideal gadjet a solar shower bag which you fill & let the sun heat it up & if no sun add boiling water to it , then suspend it from a tree & use some dead logs as a base.
CLOTHES - i only preach what i know works regarding sound researching to other peoples experience ! Here`s my best choice iv found 1) two plastic buckets with snap on lids . 2) Large plumbing plunger 3) bar soap or powder
cut a hole in the middle off both buckets Lids to fit the plunger handle width k ! now half fill both buckets with water or to cover intended amount of clothes to be washed. leave clothes over night to soak. next day add soap, put plunger head on top of clothes with handle fed through the hole & snap lid back on. plunge plunge plunge away . next take out clothes into the the clean water bucket & fit the plunger again & plunge the suds out ! now just hang out your clothes to dry (nice clean clothes)
To add fun to this when introducing a new adult convince them they must sing for natures clean god spirit to be pleased or else clothes wont be as clean & bad luck will ensue ! make this the most hideously nursery ryme you can think off ! This one works well -

This is the way we wash our clothes
wash our clothes.
This is the way we wash our clothes
in the afternoon.

while you hide behind an open window in STITCHES hee hawin n laughing & sore ribs , while thinking of that guaranteed check from you`v been framed . A Star in the making poor sod , Its the best way off ensuring your best mate will hate you for ever & day but hey what a lauf its worth it really.
The wonderful thing about this way the buckets are extremely light & excellent for storage for say supplies kept in while transporting makes it a double bonus. Iv heard off boiling clothes i wouldnt recommend this as most involve wool - unless you want to be reported as an escaped person from an asylum whos managed to untie his stray jacket which is drooping way down past his knees ! mummy a man in the woods with long arms nee naw nee naw....:theyareon

 

[BOD]

I really do not know what to make of your post.

usually my preconceptions and biases provide me with a compass to react to a post a certain way. if it is not clear my mind comes to help

This time everything is spinning helplessly

 

[rik_uk3]

Well that's me totally confused

 

[santaman2000]

So let me get this straight. You fill your backpack with a couple of five gallon buckets (relatively light but even nested they're extremely bulky), a solar shower, and enough water to take a daily shower (over what? a 2 week trek) and all this on top of your normal gear, then hike in however far (what 30miles? 40?)

And then lets make that trip your annual deer camp. You strip naked and shower outdoors in the winter cold of deer season in a mountain forest of about 8000-10000 feet at the base camp?

Might work for car camping but then there should be proper facilties nearby in that case.

 

[redandshane]

A bin bag a bit of soap and water knotted left in the sun and shaken not stirred occasionally will work
I do take one of those ? Dutch folding basin things its light and has many uses
Personally I find it remarkable how long I can go without changing my clothes when out in the woods
So does SWMBO when I return!!
But man that first shower is good

 

[RichardIT]

Submarine wash?

 

[John Fenna]

Field washing tub
Take 4 logs from your woodpile
Form a square on the ground with the logs, well away from your water source
Cover the logs with your tarp
Fill the depression in the centre of the square with water - heat the water by adding hot water (heated in your billycan over your fire) to raise the general water temp to hand hot (cool if washing wool or delicates)
Add a little biodegradable soap
wash your clothing in the water
Wring clothing dry
empty water by lifting tarp over logs
Replace tarp
fill with water
rinse clothing, dispose of water, wring out clothing and repeat until the water remains clear.
No extra kit to carry, no problems.

I have used this method in the wilds to wash clothing, cooking kit and my body!
If you cannot be ersed going back and forth to your stream/lake/river to fetch rinsing water then carry a supply up to your washing point - rucksacks, drybags and cooking pots all are waterproof enough to store water for short periods and if your clothing/body is so filthy that you need a field wash/laundry, then they can probably stand a bit of a rinse anyway!

Best to choose a nice hot but breezy day so that everything dries quickly - and your tarp is not needed for shelter.
Smaller versions can be made using bin bags over logs/rocks to make a basin.

 

[Toddy]

Unless covered in blood and gore then outer clothing usually manages fine for a loooong time.
Underwear is smaller and easily washed in very little water. If you use basic shampoo it'll do fine, or the washing up liquid, or soapwort if you can find it nearby Underwear makes outer clothing comfortable to wear and protects it from sweat and grease.
In the past folks didn't wash outer clothing, they used a good brush and at most a damp cloth to keep it clean. We've moved past that but you can still manage a long while without the buckets and plungers.

Neat idea if you're living on a site for a couple of years though with no electricity.

I like John's tarpology idea though

cheers,
Toddy

 

[Bushwhacker]

I have no idea what's going on here.
Is this what you mean?
http://i883.photobucket.com/albums/ac40/Bushwhacker78/***.jpg

 

[R.Lewis]

Eh?????????????????????????????

 

[ScotsSurvival]

I rememeber when I was young we got a bath once a week on a sunday and our school clothes cleaned a couple of times a week.

In the last maybe 15 years there has been a move to shower twice a day change full clothing every day. ohhh and the 99% killing bleaches and sprays ect ect. I have a theroy that these changes have lead to people being more prone to having allergies and getting sick from slighty dodgy food quicker.

If we where all little dirtier lol we would be happier (every heard of a dirty kid is a happy kid). Also if everyone washed less they we would get used to smelling a bit more.

 

[Scottishwanderer]

Have went 48 days with the same clothes on, changed socks and shreddies and your fine.

Natural clothes are better than man made in this instance.

 

[Retired Member southey]

I have no idea what's going on here.
Is this what you mean?
http://i883.photobucket.com/albums/ac40/Bushwhacker78/***.jpg

That pic has cheered me up today, many thanks Whacker of much bush!

 

[Corso]

I have no idea what's going on here.
Is this what you mean?
http://i883.photobucket.com/albums/ac40/Bushwhacker78/***.jpg

someone knows how to hold a good party

 

[santaman2000]

redandshane
John Fenna
Toddy

Thanks. Much better (more practical) suggestions.

 

[mrcharly]

I used to live on a boat, on a mooring with no water supply (once a week I motored to somewhere with a tap).

Keeping water consumption down was very important, and you wouldn't want to was a dog in the river water.

Hand-washing uses an amazing amount of water. I bought a 'manual washing machine'. It's a small drum like a butter churn - you put the clothes in with a small amount of hot water and soap, then tumbled it for a while. It sealed tight and the hot water plus tumbling pressurised the drum something wicked. The combination of tumbling and pressure was brill at cleaning small quantities of clothes.
There is one reviewed here http://www.testfreaks.com/blog/review/wonderwash/

Not something you'd take backpacking, but very worthwhile if setting up camp long-term.

 

[NWNWNWNWNWNWNW]

I cant believe how ungrateful some folks are for a perfectly tried & tested method of cleaning ones self & clothes being posted out to only give more options & ideas of useful tips for the out doors ! To want to shoot some one down in flames for passing on knowledge tells me one thing , you are the type off people that says misery , jelouse & loud mouths hiding behind you computer !
bod & rik uk if you cant understand simple instructions layed out in black & white thats your fault not mine ! Odd bod if its the fun part its called a sense off humar ! Then again i get carma off you saying you take life to seroiuse & a snob if im right being politicaly correct always.
Santaman did not one time did i mention hiking with these or carrying water ! stop putting words into peoples mouths . you are the type to a new comer lets contradict & make an idiot off . like your idea to the long time members as you state . my solar shower bag is the same as the bin liner being tied togeather & heated by putting in a sun spot so you like the full time meber but not mine ? & i was referring to a base camp where gear & kit was dropped off & water fetched. your a joke !!!
The photo was fun i couldnt stop laughing my self having a sense of humar , wouldn`t like to think it had a message saying all who has bushcraft skills are stupid for having life saving knowledge , which im sure you didnt & meant well for a chuckle !
The rest were positive with good ideas & interesting to hear , i myself remember one bath a week as 3 brothers & 3 sisters had to make best use off the coal fire heating system too. Very little in material terms back in those days.& not to forget its true a little dirty does stop you from being less imune to disease . muther preached it all her life & a nurse at that but theirs difference from just being filthy & no hygiene principles which does the opposite to your health inviting all sorts off germs. By washing when needed is important to health.
Now wonder what the arrogant negative know all smart alecs are going to say , just see them going over evry line for an excuse for an argument ! well before you do il have words with you & leave this site & take my passing knowledge to better forums if this is what this forum is all about ! no wonder people prefer to just read it from the out side & not sign- up . smart alecs a plenty on here santa man sooki bottom , i want to make friends with the full time members dont go about it by bringing me down right !
If it takes me to put a link up here shuting up the doubters that this is a popular way off washing clothes with out electricity & used in the outdoors i have more than a few films using this method !!!
p.s to the man in the mountings both the washing & shower method can be done in you r shelter & by fetching your water from a water source, not that hard to work out so you wont need to freez outsides numpty !

 

[Toddy]

And on that note.....chill please ?

It's a discussion, every body and their auntie has an opinion, and you'll get them all when you start a thread
Especially on something everyone does.

I do query those who suggest the black bag thing though; in Scotland it's damned hard to get enough warm sunshine to heat it up reliably.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[Ex member - Bilgerat]

I used to live on a boat, on a mooring with no water supply

..........

 

[santaman2000]

...Santaman did not one time did i mention hiking with these or carrying water! stop putting words into peoples mouths

No you didn't mention that. I did. Because your original post said, "There's NO EXCUSE..." I was pointing out that we don't all camp where there's a water supply. Sometimes some of us trek where the only water is the water we hump in over a many mile trek. Same for all the bulky gear.

I did concede that it would work fine in a base camp.