The long sleeves and pants! So, so true. I'm more of a day hiker, so sometimes I just jump in my truck without too much thought outside of snacks and water. Not so much of an issue dealing with dirt, but the harsh, pokey plants on the trails of my local state parks remind me that I should have changed into breathable hiking pants instead of comfy shorts.
I picked up a thru hiker along the CDT and gave him a ride, 15mi to his trail head. The foulest smelly human being I've ever been near... and I worked construction... lol!! Near Glacier National Park
Agree with the long clothes. Sunscreen, sweat and dust are really hard to remove without hot water and soap. Plus, if I do have the opportunity to wash somewhere, I'd rather not have anything on my skin, that might pollute the water.
Regarding bandana bath versus baby wipes, I do the combo you alluded to, and it works pretty well for me. I wipe my body down with a damp bandana (rinsing the bandana a few times while I do this) before I put on my sleep clothes. Then I use one baby wipe to first wipe my yoni, then my bum. So I carry one bandana and a baby wipe for each day on trail. I am considering adding soap to my kit for washing my hands after number 2. Currently I just use hand sanitizer, but noro virus scares me enough I might switch to soap.
Great tips. I use baby wipes and baby powder. I have a small towel for face and hands only, use the baby wipes for "other places" and put the used ones in a small plastic bag to prevent contamination. Baby powder is great for chafing and feet.
I really like using Duke Cannon cold shower wipes. Individually packed, light smell, and refreshing. Plus the towel has a little bumpy texture that helps scrub a little bit. Start with the face and move to progressively grosser areas.
I not only have a bidet for the end of my water bottle, but recently bought a mini shower head that goes on the end of my bidet only water bottle. The maker is on Etsy, lighten up outdoors.
+💯 for a bidet, which can also double as a shower. I also think, even if I put dry clothes on, I always feel cold until I wipe the days sweat off. Finally, last year, we did an extended Four Pass Loop, and my synthetic clothes stuck after one day, but my merino clothes by Wooly were still stink free after I wore them the next five days. I swear by merino and alpaca these days.
Dixie’s first hygiene videos from the AT on the trail helped me get my adult daughter on the trail. Code words for Dad doesn’t know everything. Older hikers or those with devices that need a denture adhesive, remember to stick your tube in your puffy to warm it up. Less than 40 deg F (20c) it is tough to push out. This is good refresher updated with some years and miles of experience.
CHASSIS Powder is seriously legit. I do dry out baby wipes (a package at a time) and reconstitute as needed, about 5-6 per day. A bidet is a real thing. Long sleeve and pants is also a real thing. Dixie nailed this topic on the head!! Except for the bidet we Marines do all of these things also and if there was such a thing as a field bidet when I was in the USMC I would have used one then too.
Dixie it depends on what you wear in winter i wear big walking boots with carbon foot pads and knee high gators and a pair of carbon pants that seems to draw moisture from my nether regions and a good 72 hour arm pit protection it takes time to search them out but its worth it ???
Do trail laundry 200 ft from water - not in the water. This is particularly important if you treat clothes with permethrin for bug control. Permethrin can be harmful to aquatic life. Can't over-emphasize hand washing. Do it frequently in camp and always before eating. Try not to directly touch food with your hands. After 50 years of backpacking in boots, I switched to trail runners this year. My feet go MUCH dirtier - a disadvantage that I hadn't considered. I do love the light weight but I am still on the fence with this choice.
Bamboo holds sweat and becomes soo heavy… Im cringing at bathing in a water source…contaminates the water…and do not wash your clothes in the water source. All that sunscreen and big spray into a clean water source can really contaminate the stream or source🥰🥾🥾⛺️
Studies show that it’s better to not make your bed first thing after getting up. Leaving bedding open for a bit allows for moisture and odors to dissipate better. So, while I always shake out a tent, I will not be making my bed. 🍻
Just saw a couple of videos on the status of the AT from Southern Virginia on South. It's basically a no-go zone in many areas because there are no intact roads, major bridges are down and the hiker support infrastructure is gone. Prayers might be in order for any hikers who were caught on the trail the last few days.
I have found that Wysi Wipes compressible towelettes work really well and are reusable a few times before they start to shred, so the first time, I use them to wash my face and freshen up, then I rinse it out and use it to clean my feet, then the third time, it becomes my booty wipe, before going in the trash bag. Like Dixie, I do not like using a dirty cloth on my face!
with all the flooding after the storm in nc, there's a ton of talk about not being in the water. on reddit, a thread about that said it's not just flood water you have to watch out for- someone hiking in the cascades got very ill from swimming in the queets river, for example. this has me wondering just how safe it actually is to wash off your body and intimate clothing in random rivers you cross by, as well as using the water to purify for drinking. how do you know if the water's safe enough?
Grayl water filter cleans bacteria and viruses out of the water. As far as chemical contaminants, it has a cartridge filter that filters PFas, VOCs and chemicals.
I wonder, if one could make existing clothing 'antibacterial', by rinsing it in water with silver ions. I have a package with those little silver tablets you can use to keep water from spoiling.
Whewwww, went out for two days, one night, up in the Smokies. My wife and daughter dropped me and picked me up. The way they carried on, you’d have thought I had been hit by a skunk. Thanks for the heads up. I’ll try the baby wipes. Soaking feet in a cool creek is like heaven. BTW, watched the Alabama vs Georgia football game. Whew, Bama stayed in there and won (without Nick), ROLL TIDE. Thanks from…an old man in the east Tennessee mountains.
Thanks for giving us an update on the Alabama game. By the way, what’s your favorite color? Are you registered to vote? Have you ever been to Bangladesh? Surely you’re not going to stop with your life story with just an update on your favorite football team on a hiking channel.
@@millsmarkchrisI took it that he was conversing with Dixie thinking she went to Bama. For 10 bonus points and a free wet willie, where did she graduate from?
I use both for long trips that don't have a water spout at my campsite. I use the baby wipes for chunkier more visible dirt and then the doctor bronner's and a rag to really feel clean and always separate fresh pj's and socks
