smelling fresh
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I wash.
One set on, one set washing/drying, one set for a change. 3 in all, and you're sorted......goes for socks and underwear.
Two flannels, one for tops and one for bottom, bar of soap or suitable available leafage and clean water.
Actually, you can wash successfully in a pint of water.......and for menfolks that includes shaving. British army training WW2 for North Africa and it became a standard thereafter for a while. Bound to be a link somewhere on the net on how to do it.
There is an easier way nowadays though. Baby wipes
cheers,
Toddy
One set on, one set washing/drying, one set for a change. 3 in all, and you're sorted......goes for socks and underwear.
Two flannels, one for tops and one for bottom, bar of soap or suitable available leafage and clean water.
Actually, you can wash successfully in a pint of water.......and for menfolks that includes shaving. British army training WW2 for North Africa and it became a standard thereafter for a while. Bound to be a link somewhere on the net on how to do it.
There is an easier way nowadays though. Baby wipes
cheers,
Toddy
if its just a weekend then i dont bother. smoke is a good deodorant lol. On a weeks wild camping i would normally use my water bladder (with some hot water added) to take a luke warm shower. lifeventure soap leaves are good. you can get them at tamarack.
holy trinity are feet, sack and crack. look after them and youll be dandy
holy trinity are feet, sack and crack. look after them and youll be dandy
Depends how much water you have available, after a weeks hard graft in Namibia with only enough water for drinking and cooking it was noticable that the worst smells were from those that applied scented products to try and not smell! I washed with Pine tar soap and used a crystal deoderant and was fine.
Cheaper to buy it simply as alum crystals.
Apparantly you want Volcanic Alum rather than the reprocessed stuff, but both work.
cheers,
M
Apparantly you want Volcanic Alum rather than the reprocessed stuff, but both work.
cheers,
M
I shower in the secluded waterfall always handily nearby... 
. Or sometimes I bathe in the Crystal clear waters of the lagoon...
. Or sometimes I bathe in the Crystal clear waters of the lagoon...
thanks for all your replies not to keen on the cold water lagoon idea maybe when it's hot but i can't remember when that was here in scotland
Wrights coal tar soap will lather up anywhere!!
i remember my Grandad using it in the sea!
It's naturallly antiseptic and Will clean your spare set of clothes a treat too,...
I seemed to get mozzied less too In my clothes washed in it,....
i remember my Grandad using it in the sea!
It's naturallly antiseptic and Will clean your spare set of clothes a treat too,...
I seemed to get mozzied less too In my clothes washed in it,....
???? I keep clean by washing and laundering.
At the very worst wet wipes are a godsend Pocket showers are usefull, lakes and streams are ... bracing ... and you need to ensure you do not polute them with soaps etc.
If you want to go "natural" a scrub down with horsechestnut leaves (or grated conkers), soapwort etc, mashed in warm water, will be useful and non poluting. For tooth care try a chewed end of a hazel twig as a toothbrush and salt or soot for toothpaste (tastes bad but works - rinse thoroughly), crusty gobs of spruce resin make a good antiseptic chewing gum for reduction of bad breath - as does chewing various herbs in the mint family!
Rubbing "body folds" with sweet smelling herbs or strongly scented flowers helps make you smell sweeter still - but beware of adverse reactions from sensitive skin!
As Toddy says - one set on, one in the wash and one ready and you have all the clothing you need. This is the system I used for years on long hikes (the longest took a few months and covered 1000km) and on month long expeds around the world.
Natural fibre fabrics tend to pong less and not as fast as artificial fibre clothing.
Horse chestnut "soap" can be used on clothing and by adding mint, lavender, pine etc to the final rinse you get nicely scented smalls
At the very worst wet wipes are a godsend
Pocket showers are usefull, lakes and streams are ... bracing ... and you need to ensure you do not polute them with soaps etc.If you want to go "natural" a scrub down with horsechestnut leaves (or grated conkers), soapwort etc, mashed in warm water, will be useful and non poluting. For tooth care try a chewed end of a hazel twig as a toothbrush and salt or soot for toothpaste (tastes bad but works - rinse thoroughly), crusty gobs of spruce resin make a good antiseptic chewing gum for reduction of bad breath - as does chewing various herbs in the mint family!
Rubbing "body folds" with sweet smelling herbs or strongly scented flowers helps make you smell sweeter still - but beware of adverse reactions from sensitive skin!
As Toddy says - one set on, one in the wash and one ready and you have all the clothing you need. This is the system I used for years on long hikes (the longest took a few months and covered 1000km) and on month long expeds around the world.
Natural fibre fabrics tend to pong less and not as fast as artificial fibre clothing.
Horse chestnut "soap" can be used on clothing and by adding mint, lavender, pine etc to the final rinse you get nicely scented smalls
Baby wipes help when you just want a quick freshen up. Got a mate who used to take them to Glastonbury as part of his concert kit.
For me I have two considerations when it comes to cleanliness which are clothing, the cleaner it is the more insulative it is.
As for the body I follow the Goethe Carlin way of thinking that you should aim for the 4 key areas, armpits, crotch, backside and feet, not only are these areas the ones that'll smell worst but most likely to get harmed if you don't wash.
I change underwear and socks daily and launder as often as possible, any ex or serving infantryman will tell you if your feet are knackered then your knackered so clean socks are essential.
For a weeks camping apart from changing underwear and socks in not concerned about the rest, smell is a personal thing, for me in not bothered by me or my friends smelling after a week.
The best place to get advice is from the desert boys, I recall from one of Cody lundins books that he says a soaked towel used vigourosly removes dead skin and does a perfectly adequate job and violently shaking shirts removes dead skin
I have long hair as in sure a few of us guys do and I find that daily combing is perfectly adequate and the odd hair dip in a river is gd ( that grease is there for a reason)
As for the body I follow the Goethe Carlin way of thinking that you should aim for the 4 key areas, armpits, crotch, backside and feet, not only are these areas the ones that'll smell worst but most likely to get harmed if you don't wash.
I change underwear and socks daily and launder as often as possible, any ex or serving infantryman will tell you if your feet are knackered then your knackered so clean socks are essential.
For a weeks camping apart from changing underwear and socks in not concerned about the rest, smell is a personal thing, for me in not bothered by me or my friends smelling after a week.
The best place to get advice is from the desert boys, I recall from one of Cody lundins books that he says a soaked towel used vigourosly removes dead skin and does a perfectly adequate job and violently shaking shirts removes dead skin
I have long hair as in sure a few of us guys do and I find that daily combing is perfectly adequate and the odd hair dip in a river is gd ( that grease is there for a reason)
I wash where I can, but for weekends or somewhere where water is premium I find 1 baby wipe = a wash and 4 = a shower
I make my own biodegradeable soap with insect repellant herbs and essential oils in. Its good for hair, body and clothes. I find one of those nylon shower scrunchies is great because it doesn't absorb water. Lather it up and have at it with an invigorating scrub. Wingstoo's missus kindly bought me one in olive drab as my existing one didn't match my masculinity apparently
I make my own biodegradeable soap with insect repellant herbs and essential oils in. Its good for hair, body and clothes. I find one of those nylon shower scrunchies is great because it doesn't absorb water. Lather it up and have at it with an invigorating scrub. Wingstoo's missus kindly bought me one in olive drab as my existing one didn't match my masculinity apparently
Cheers Red, thats a cracking idea and not one id considered. packs very compact too i imagine!
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