Really, no one talks about this stuff. The most I've seen so far is "duh cut your toothbrush in half to save weight" (even though you can buy a mini toothbrush kit for vacations). But no one wants to talk about anything "too gross" even though beginners need that information before they go out there confused.
@@-desertpackrat Yeah but it's gross to use hand sanitiser after a number 2 - it's not a substitute for soap and water, it isn't meant to be used after dealing with bodily fluids.
As a dental hygienist, I'm glad you understand the importance of brushing your teeth daily. I agree you can skip showers, but never your oral health. Looks like y'all are living the good life!
Ahh. Now this is the life. I loved living outside for months on end. Best. Feeling. Ever. So free. My favorite is how quickly the social norms go out the window. You realize how pointless they are. You tap into your more primal self. It is the best. I lived this way before cell phones were normal in every hand. Even the mail couldn’t reach me, and I remember absolutely loving that. Have fun!
@@lazeyrz3805 My backcountry experiences were all 100% free because I was working as a scientist, and the trips were funded by research grants, minus the tent, backpack, sleeping pad and bag, field clothes, hiking boots, etc, which cost about $2000 to initially procure back in 2001. my first tent was a pretty crappy one that I bought at Walmart, but it worked for what I needed it to do.
I get that hygiene becomes quite primitive when out in the wild but I'd be so uncomfortable using sunscreen and not being able to wash it off, I hate the feel of it lol
@@thatsthat2612 Oh yeah. Additionally: In those times of the year where I have to use sunscreen here in Norway, it's also warm enough to swim and clean myself in the numerous rivers and lakes. There's no restrictions on access here, except if the lake is used for drinking water. That's off course a regional thing, and not possible everywhere, but I'm sure the hikers in your area have ways to work around the dirt and sun screen issue. You're not alone in your concern.
@@willek1335 we have restrictions in England but half the time it's too cold to bother with sun cream lol. I have a friend from Norway but he doesn't camp, the only time he's been camping is with us in England and he spent the entire 3 days sitting on my chair, eating chicken and proclaiming to the entire campsite that he is "a true viking"
They would last a while.. but eventually you want protein.. and that’s where the back country hunter would outlast. Same gear setup has hikers, with the ability to kill, butcher, and pack out the meat.
I don’t wear underwear unless I’m menstruating but my periods are absolutely miserable. I’d definitely need a break during that phase! I’d also carry a bar of soap 😂 I bet the shower feels amazing when they grab one though.
When my wife and I spent a few weeks on the CDT we'd send a luxury box with town cloths, shampoo, shaving supplies ect, from town to town. Worked amazing. Love you guy's content and living vicariously through your adventures. Peace, strength, love and many many blessings 🌈
Praying for you. Seriously! That was me last year! Wanted to just be gone. God’s redeeming EVERYTHING! The Lord Bless you And Keep you Make His Face Shine Upon you And Be Gracious To you The Lord Turn His Face Toward you And Give you PEACE AMEN! Numbers 24-26
@@田桃-c7g it doesn’t cure anything but it like many structures helps bring routine and order back into your life which can benefit depression greatly. I’m not saying it’s the only way but you’re just blatantly denying reality when you say that it hasn’t helped anyone. I’ve got an atheist relative who’s also a psychologist and even she acknowledges that it works for a lot of people to help with their depression or addiction
People don’t realize that you can chase money your whole life but never experience what these two have seen. I wish I could go back and work in the Tetons 😢
Don't they offer seasonal positions? I knew an older gentleman in his 70's that worked in state parks, he would do the seasonal jobs and then work at a cafe when it was off season. He tried to get me in on it, but I'm not as much of a fan of the outdoors 😅
I can't imagine not brushing my hair for a month. I have curly hair and if I don't brush it for 2 days it gets 10000 knots. I admire them so much and hope one day I can't meet someone to do this with ❤
@@formgebenliterally what I came to the comment section to ask. I don’t see what brushing your hair has to do with any of the other things they’re talking about. You don’t need running water to brush your hair. So confused. Because I didn’t know it’s different for straight haired people (?!?!?!) but if I (as a curly girl) don’t brush my hair, it’ll be so knotted it’s painful.
@@formgeben They travel extremely light, I mean they only have one spork to share.. So I assume she thinks a hairbrush is just extra weight. But she has straight hair, for me it wouldn’t be an option either, besides there are small lightweight brushes.
I love that you guys are so comfortable with eachother. Lots of people would be at eachothers throats over body odor and hair etc.. I love not having to shave my legs all the time and having no one telling me I have to
What? 😳 who's telling ya that? Especially when u r out in the wild theres plenty air to not in each other's odor that much plus ur partner is stinking themsleves
So interesting! But it's a mistake not to bring a towel, that's the most essential part! A towel is just about the most massively useful thing an hiker can carry. Partly because it has great practical value. You can wrap it around you for warmth as you bound across the cold moons of Jaglan Beta; you can lie on it on the brilliant marble-sanded beaches of Santraginus V, inhaling the heady sea vapours; you can sleep under it beneath the stars which shine so redly on the desert world of Kakrafoon; use it to sail a miniraft down the slow heavy River Moth; wet it for use in hand-to-hand combat; wrap it around your head to ward off noxious fumes or avoid the gaze of the Ravenous Bear; you can wave your towel in emergencies as a distress signal, and of course you can dry yourself off with it if it still seems to be clean enough.
A lot of products (especially scented ones) also are laden with extra chemicals that you'll be washing into waterways which can be ingested by or harm local fish, frogs and other aquatic life. Frogs in particular have sensitive skin and not enough people think about the impact of going into water with makeup, sunscreen, deodorant/perfume spray and everything else on their skin when they go to waterholes and creeks to swim
Thank you for addressing how you deal with your period! I was hoping you'd touch on that at some point but I'm happy you did. It's always nice to see people open enough to acknowledge the things that not everyone is comfortable talking about.
Also! Period underwear is a thing, if you don't like menstrual cups. You do need to wash them everyday, so you need a few pairs, but it works if you don't like the cups.
@@briciolaausually it is enough to just empty the cup or rinse it quickly. When my period is over I sterilize it by putting it into boiling water, let it dry and then put it in a small box until the next menstruation. In a comment section I one read that there are women who pee on it to clean it as pee is sterile, but that's not really for me. So I think getting the cup empty/clean is probably easier in the wild than in a restroom setting where the sink is outside of the cabin.
You can use sterilizing tablets to sanitize it but really only necessary before and after a period. She could get away with dumping the blood out and lightly rinsing in between. There is attachments for a water bottle to act as a bidet and works for cleaning the cup too. Probably the best option for in the wilderness.
Me with 2 ft long hair.... I put it in a braid and it stays good for almost a week when I'm ready to wash it again. But I'm not very active either. It's fine
Hey, this one is a bit expensive but I use this Hawaiian Tropic "Silk Hydration Weightless Face" sunscreen. It's a 50 mL (1.7 fl oz) container for about $11, I grabbed two for like $5 because my Fry's had them on the clearance shelf and that was a steal. This stuff is freaking amazing, it's for the face but sometimes I use that on my arms too, because it's sooo light, it's not all oily and nasty, and sticky. And it smells nice, it has a coco butter smell but I've never had it attract bugs or animals to me like other fruity smells (I even use plain chapstick instead of flavored), but the smell is nice to me and not like the chemical smell on other sunscreens. And it doesn't make my skin itch, I have atopic dermatitis/eczema and I'm really sensitive to products but it's great for me. And sometimes because that stuff is so pricey, I only use it on my face, ears, neck, and then I use the Coppertone Sport spray-on on my arms, it's still a bit irritating though, the Hawaiian Tropics is the nicest stuff I've ever put on my skin.
"Fragrant!" 😂 I live near the AT, so thru hikers are always walking down the highway, headed into town after a week on the trail. They're the only hitchhikers I'll still pick up. (No lectures, please, folks. ) But yes, the windows are DOWN!! 😅
Carry a small travel spray deodorant for when going into towns without the intention of using a shower. People are much happier to help someone that doesn't smell awful, it's very common in long distance cycling.
Id rather offend someone's nose for two minutes than attract a bears nose. No matter how small it is or how "unscented" it claims to be, the bear will smell it if he's around.
@@joel.ha. the bear will smell you regardless of whether you're wearing any form of deodorant or scented soap. It sounds more like an excuse to not use it if anything.
I can say that from my limited experience - you get used to it. As long as there's no one who would judge you (because they're also stinky) you don't feel the same pressure
If you’re not in the hassle of everyday with work and stress, but spend your days in nature not have a care in the work I can imagine in general one doesn’t need to reset.
Um so I struggled with that too, and I promise this is true and not some religious stuff I heard. I read the Bible and prayed to the Lord and He healed me and the psalms helped me a lot. So maybe try reading the Bible? It actually brings you peace in a way nothing else can, because the Lord is the giver of peace. So Jesus is our peace if we let Him be, and I highly recommend reading His word, it resets your mental health in a better way, you will not be the same after reading His word, it's impossible unless you truly don't think on the words and let them take you on a ride. If you turn to Jesus and let Him guide you in the Word of God(because only He can teach you His word), I promise you'll be more than mentally healthy. We all need Him and He is amazing. Just some advice. Love you, be safe if you do travel. Shalom.
@@lovejubileee I have clear skin now but I am still very acne prone. Also I can't use things like essential oils or my face will break out for sure. I have sensitive skin as well. Thank you though.
Not to be a hater or anything but as a girl or woman you can’t possibly grow enough facial hair to look like a dude with a beard. And before you argue, woman don’t have the same facial hair hormones as males which doesn’t allow them to grow it out to far. 😊
I didn’t shave or pluck one November to participate in No-shave-ember. It was empowering to go around with my mini beard! Why do we, as a society, not accept women for who they are, body hair and all? I’m not fully there yet for myself, so the hairs were all plucked at the end of the month.
@@RainbowMama143 the second year of movement a girl friend and I grew me my movie and her her armpit hairs and we raised funds it was awesome fun and lots of people donated to the cause ❤️
Norovirus is not killed by hand sanitizer, so you MUST use soap and wash those hands! It’s been known to spread through hiking groups trying to save space/weight by not bringing soap.
I hike with my girlfriend in the UK around Snowdonia and Scotland, you are welcome to join us 👌 we are hiking into Portugal next year. But we do carry a towel 😊
I like how Renee especially keeps it real! It’s awesome what you’re doing, experiencing the land through your body. I’m happy to hear how little energy is wasted on performing femininity! I’m also impressed and y’all’s sunscreen game! You seem to stay well and protected!
Y’all are naturally good looking people! I camped in Kentucky for a week, was able to shower once… we brought body cleansing wipes though because we had our car and were able to collect trash/recyclables and properly dispose of them. But I still looked rough 😂 my hair was greasy AND frizzy… my skin def broke out and my legs needed a good shave after that. Not saying there’s anything wrong going natural and I’m sure your body adjusts… but yeah… I wouldn’t even consider myself high maintenance either but I do require maintenance 😂
You guys are amazing. You have the most radiant and infectious smiles! Always make me laugh and smile as I love the outdoors and used to do a ton of outdoor adventure, but have recently been in the hospital a lot. Note: If I didn’t brush my hair in over a month, I’d have to chop it off, it would be so matted and impossible to comb through as it’s long and curly! 😅 hats off to you guys! Happy trailblazing!
You guys are amazing!! I love watching your journey. The one product I’d recommend adding to your kit, is Dr.Bronners soap because it’s all natural and doubles as toothpaste/hair/body wash, and a little goes a long way. Happy hiking!
“Scented products can attract wildlife” followed immediately by using sunscreen made my chuckle. If a bear like the smell of soap it’s gonna like your sunscreen too. That said, I also don’t take soap. It’s perfectly fine to be dirty for a while. It’s just the logic behind wildlife that made me chuckle. You guys are awesome.
I was wondering about her period through this. I can't imagine having to do all that walking/hiking for months, while bleeding, and having cramps. My cramps are debilitating so I'm in bed the 1st day or medicated. I would never do this kind of a trip, but if I did, I would be taking a birth control that eliminated my period for those months.
Not everyone cramps or bleeds alot. Thats me and some people do and its doesn’t keep them in bed. You just got the rough end symptoms of a cycle. 🤷🏼♀️
@@wonder12374 see! You are able to and some arent. I just don’t understand why everyone assumes every woman is the same like we are some packaged “vagina” and the instructions are set in stone. You go girl! I salute you!
@@colecole4638 A menstrual cup is worn inside the vagina and holds the menstrual blood inside you until you empty it out. It can be worn for up to 12 hours depending on your flow. Does a pretty good job of keeping everything neat and clean.
i really would have expected hair to be super matted after that length of time hahaha. i chemically straightened my hair because it tangles almost immediately and even so, i use detangling spray and use a wet brush and only really brush my hair while it’s wet, after combing it when i condition it, it’s just past my hips so there’s a LOT of hair to detangle
I have curly hair too and I would literally have to shave my head if I didn't brush it for a month lol it also seems like it would make your head hurt bc it would be so tangled
Just had this conversion with my girlfriend. Really interesting. I have curly hair too but I can go a week easy without brushing (and I just use my fingers or a really wide toothed comb). Could probably go much longer too. I'll have minimal tangles that can be easily brushed out with just my fingers. My girlfriend also has curls and she can't go a day without brushing or I have to sit and help untangle all her knots. I wonder what the difference is. We both have chest length hair, similar curls. My hair is slightly thinner and she generally takes better care of hers
I would look into lume unscented stuff. Like the acidic wash. It's pretty good at cleaning without being scented and without being "soap". The wipes come in a small pack and would be great for longer runs between towns. You could probably add water to it and keep using it until it's too gross. Then toss the couple wipes you used when you get to town. They do a great job on the hygienic areas like pits, tits and groin. Or to get off buildup of sunscreen.
You could use the baking soda deodorant. It has no smell. I couldn’t go without a hairbrush. You can get a comb or tiny hairbrush. Y’all are awesome! But hygiene is very important. 😳😳
If I hiked that far and didn’t brush my hair my hair would all be tangled on top of my head in one big knot. You are lucky your hair still looks nice haha! 😂
Not my kind of life......i love my shower and do want it at least 2 or 3 times a week....if im not working......im a nurse so i do have to shower daily to go to work and sometimes when i come home. Depends on where im working
My 2 daughters have wicked bad periods too. My other 2 have normal rly bad periods. I had normal rly bad periods. My 2 daughters could not walk anywhere for 2 days of their period, out on the trail. They live on ibuprofen. Round the clock. We don’t have another single med in the house, only herbs (& other superfoods like offal and aromatics), EOs & supplements. But we do have ibuprofen. Glad she do it. Even my more normal periods 2 daughters n I would not want to be suffering out on the trail that week.
As someone who is neurodivergent and really obsessed with personal hygiene, I respect you guys, I couldn’t do it. I can’t go 2 days without washing my hair or I go crazy
That is the literal idea of mental anguish to me. I was homeless for two years, Walmarts have bathrooms and while I sink bathed EVERYDAY (even doing laundry that way), the longest I went in between washing my hair was three days and I was thoroughly disgusted by then. Body filth is the grossest of all filth. This is NIGHTMARISH TO ME. 🤮
I’m so sorry you had to go through that. *hugs* They might be enjoying this lifestyle, but as a kid I didn’t always have running water in my home and this makes me have a weird upset feeling in my stomach.
Try Zote soap. It's multipurpose, cheap, and you can find many uses for it in the wild. Like a repellant, has citronella. Just quite big but it's light.
I appreciate that they can do this. I couldn’t take not washing for so long especially when you can’t wipe after going to the restroom and my hair is so curly I would look like I stuck my finger in a light socket after one night 😂
I also use solar chargers, I haven't done backpacking yet, just car/tent camping, but I always bring two with me and I have my actual phone with data, hotspot and that I use to text and call and gps and my alltrails app, but then I have a second phone for photos because my regular one has a useless camera. My phones drain super fast so I have to charge them many times a day especially if I try to do any video, even a few minutes. So far I've been for 2-night trips without having to use the second power bank and the first one barely about to start dying at the end of the trip. Sometimes I also have my tablet with movies downloaded and can even charge that if it gets low. And a few times I charged my friend's phone because she didn't have a charger. And also at night because my friend snores, I wear bluetooth sleepband headphones and play ambiend thunderstorm noise on my phone to drown her out, so my phone is literally plugged in all night and that power bank still keeps going the rest of the trip. I also let them sit out in the sun anytime it's sunny out, or even partly sunny. The solar is a trickle charge, so very slow, but it works. And you can even buy just a straight up solar panel you fold up in your bag and plug your phone into and lay it out in the sun, and directly charge your phone with sunlight. My other friend came with us and brought one last time and I used his solar panel to charge both my phone and my half-dead power bank to full charge in about 4 or 5 hours total. Not sure what brand it was but that thing was killer.
Go do some weekend trips to gradually adapt. It's not the big hurdle it seems. Remember that thousands make the adjustment every year and it wasn't too long ago when it was basic routine for millions, some variation anyway.
@@paulrevere2379 is STILL the standard for hundreds of millions of people. Look at India and africa, as well as Parts of China and many island nations. Plumbing is a luxury. A $30K usd salary puts you in the top 1% of the world
You guys are a bit dorky but I love what you do. Whenever I can here I get out on the long distance trails. Last was Hadrians wall. Always wanted to do the Appalachian and Pacific crest trail. God bless.
I love that they prioritise what’s really important, such as dental hygiene, sunscreen and clean underwear. Furthermore they seem a really nice and well balanced couple :-) congrats, such blessings!
This is the life! I use baking soda for quick washes of both my essential body parts, tooth brush and undies. Easy to carry in a sandwich bag and little goes a long way! So jealous right now!
I think you look cleaner than many people I see daily because you're both very fit and healthy and natural and how humans are supposed to be. You exercise, eat well, and live close to nature. ❤
I’m a new subscriber and I live every single one of your videos they are so informational and I love seeing how y’all survive in the wild, I would never be able to do that, I can only go for a week but it looks so fun! Stay safe!
Your other hygiene video actually made me think of switching to a menstrual cup. Living in a country with a war going on, you gotta be secure with your life and needs, and for me it's a menstrual care as well. Also, I don't have as much camping/traveling experience, but you guys make such a helpful content, it's only sad that it might be used in such a terrible context
Be Careful and Safe! I feel for you and the people on both sides. I wish leaders of countries that want war would have to fight each other through Boxing, Martial Arts, MMA, or straight-up wrestling Best out of 5 Fights BEFORE they can start a WAR! If the aggressor loses, they can't start a WAR! Sounds good to me and the people of both countries would be spared the hostilities. and loss of life on both sides could be avoided!
I tried the menstrual cup, useless for me , as I had very heavy periods it needed tipping every 1.5 to 2 hours or it leaked , then rincing with clean water before re-using, it was a big bloody mess all the time.
Get a years supply of estrogen/progesterone combined pill, will stop your cycle until you choose to have it.(unless you're unlucky few it doesnt work for)
This was the comment I came to make, you put it WAY more delicately than I was thinking. Thank you for saying this in a much less savage way than I would have!
I’m sorry I have to ask…as a female walking sweating and sitting in your clothes for long periods of time in between showers, has this ever resulted in a UTI or yeast infection?
Y’all should bring along a benzoyl peroxide wash off cream instead, no scent and you really only need a little Take a dip then put the cream on the areas that make skin to skin contact, wait a few minutes then wash off. It kills the bacteria that’s responsible for BO and it’s anti acne!
That would be horrible to get in the water supply. It's really not good for people either, it's an extreme oxidizer and creates free radicals, increasing aging and has even been tied to cancer. Definitely not something to contaminate a stream with.
@@1CE. Hmm, interesting. It's pretty easy to look up papers on PubMed that discuss its ability to create an oxidative environment and free radicals (this is simply the nature of all peroxides), as well as its role in DNA damage, tumor promotion, etc. The effects largely depend on the concentration of the product, the frequency of use, and the duration of use over time. Some will argue that it's not damaging enough to outweigh the benefits (some even argue that its anti-inflammatory properties cancel out its drying and aging effects), and that's a personal choice you'll need to make if you intend to use it on your own skin long term, and mostly beside my point. My point in commenting is that the rest of the biotic environment doesn't get to make that choice for themselves when you contaminate the water with this chemical. And benzoyl peroxide is only the active ingredient. There could be other ingredients in that cream, like surfactants, that are even worse for aquatic life. Please don't pollute natural water sources with soaps or personal care products.
My hair is so long and thick that if I did not brush it or use conditioner and leave in conditioner and all the other stuff it would be in the biggest rats nest you’re lucky that your able to get away with that. Thanx for sharing your travels with us all.
When I traveled around the country, I had very long hair- as well as having really thick naturally curly hair. I didn't brush it, and it looked good bc of the curls. But at the end of the trip, I had a few good dreads that had developed unintentionally lol. So yes, rats nest or dread locks whatever you'd like to call it 😄
If you're not washing it either you're probably getting off without the conditioner, and finger combing works pretty well in my experience (also long & thick hair).
You can use non-scented soap, lotion, deodorant etc that is “psoriasis or eczema safe,” it usually will be approved by an associated society on packaging. I have a family from related skin problems, so this is common for me and might be a great option for you.
@@_.-._.-. thanks for noting this! would coconut oil-based or petroleum products be okay placed in sustainable packaging as lotion? They also are good for keeping wounds moist in scenarios of first aid.
