Guide To Essential Camping Hygiene

When you’re out in the great outdoors and away from the comforts of home, your hygiene seems to suffer. Without access to your luxury beauty products or running water, you’re more likely to get smelly and dirty, so we’ve compiled some tips for maintaining personal hygiene while camping to stay clean outdoors.

How Do You Keep Clean While Camping?

Always carry hand sanitizer during your camping trip to keep your hands bacteria-free, especially when handling food. A camping hygiene kit includes biodegradable wipes, a microfiber towel, enough moisture-wicking clothes, biodegradable shampoo, biodegradable soap, a toothbrush, and other outdoor essentials. If necessary, women should bring feminine hygiene products to maintain personal cleanliness while on a camping trip.

What Are Some Camping Hygiene Hacks?

Spending several days outdoors with less access to water to clean oneself can be a downer. To ensure this doesn’t take away from the experience, explore these hygiene tips and tricks for staying fresh during your outdoor camping adventure.

Pack Some Wipes

A simple tip for good personal hygiene while camping comes from a pack of biodegradable wipes. These can be used to give yourself a quick once-over when you’re unable to go to the bath, or some might find them helpful after a trip to the outdoor toilet. Be sure to pack your wipes away when you’re done, as they can be extremely damaging to the environment. Store used ones in a zip-lock bag and keep them with you until you can dispose of them properly when you break camp.

Choose The Best Spot To Go

Although it’s not the most enjoyable part of camping, it’s a necessity, so finding the right place to use for bathroom breaks is essential. According to the REI, go at least 200 feet away from your campsite. Find a site with good access to ample sunlight and soft, fertile soil to help you cover up. When you’re done, remember to clean up and ensure there’s no trace left behind.

Swab Yourself

One of the biggest risks of camping is the bacteria that can build up on our skin, and some areas are more worrisome than others. Some campers might like to carry a few cotton balls and a bottle of hydrogen peroxide to keep themselves clean. Simply dab the balls in the peroxide and use it under your arms, on your palms, face, feet, and groin. These are areas of high bacterial growth, and the peroxide can help prevent it from spreading.

Carry Some Hand Sanitizer

Hand sanitizers are one of the simplest things you can pack to keep yourself healthy and hygienic. A handy little bottle that fits in your backpack will do. When you don’t have access to running water, these are great for bathroom trips or if you’ve been preparing food and want to clean your hands. They aren’t ideal as the only source of hygiene, though, so when given the chance, clean yourself under running water with soap.

Pack Enough Clothes

When packing your bag, aim to pack two outfits a day so that you won’t be smelly and put everyone off the campsite. Choose loose-fitting and comfortable clothes that are less likely to cause sweating and smell, and if presented with a chance to wash some clothes along the way, do so you won’t run out of clean clothes in the middle of your camping trip.

Bring Water For Washing

Unless your campsite has access to water facilities, most campers will be fully prepared with their water supply. You should also factor in how much you’ll need to wash clothes and yourself, as some people seem to forget this importance. If you can get cheaper water in bulk then use this for your washing as it doesn’t need to be the highest quality for drinking, but just enough so that you can create a makeshift washing machine with a tub and some mild detergent.

Keep The Smells Away

Some people assume that hygienic means smelling good, so they might use overpowering scents when camping. Not only can they be annoying to fellow campers, but they can also attract insects and animals to your campsite. Use mild deodorants, soaps, and washing powders, and leave the perfume at home when you return.

Store Waste Correctly

Observing good hygiene while camping should be equally important as taking care of the environment around your camp. Everything you consume or use must be stored away correctly, as not to create a stench. Keep waste in a sealed bag and cover any mess you make on a bathroom trip.

The aim is to leave no trace behind, and this is especially important when you think of the smell it might leave.

How to Shower When Camping

Get Into Nature’s Bath

The best way to get clean when you’re camping is to have a bath in a natural body of water, so if you’re allowed to do so, you should take it. Some may pass by water sources on a hike, and even though it might not be time for a bath, you should grab the opportunity to do so when possible. Be careful not to wash with harsh soap, and ensure you’re using running and clean water. Never bathe in stagnant water, though, as this can be full of harmful bacteria and diseases.

Bring a Shower Bag

A shower bag comes with a shower head and is a lightweight option that can easily fit in a backpack if you want to take showers while camping or backpacking. Hang the bag on a tree branch or a shower tent, then bathe and freshen up underneath it. If you can’t stand bathing with cold water, purchase a shower bag made of materials that heat water naturally.

Bring A Portable Shower

Although it might be considered a luxury for some, having a portable device to shower when camping is the easiest way to ensure you smell good and feel clean. Portable showers can be connected to just about any water supply, whether a fresh body of water, a tap, or filtered water you’ve bought from home. Give everyone a designated time limit for showers, like one or two minutes each, and you’ll ensure that everyone stays clean and smelling their best on the trip.

Camp Shower in Your Campsite

If you made reservations at a campsite equipped with shower rooms, you don’t have to bother bringing shower supplies. Instead, you can focus on the other essentials you’ll need during your trip.

Shower Tents

Shower tents are versatile because they can be used for many purposes, such as a space for changing clothes, a toilet, and bathing. For bathing, hang a shower bag inside the tent and position it above you. You can also simply bring a bucketful of water and a dipper to wash yourself.

Resources:

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CDC