Posts tagged hygiene
When camping in freezing conditions, does normal toothpaste freeze? I imagine it would be hopeless to get it out of the tube.. And in the event that it does indeed freeze, are there some non-freez...
How do I get rid of bad smell of mountaineering boots / skiing boots which comes from sweaty feet? I know the best way is preventing that smell by putting them in a ventilated area, but sometimes ...
We are wandering around Netherlands (on foot, hitch hiking, bicycle). We don't sleep in camping site, we put our tent anywhere "in the bush". We are use to travel on this way in Southern Europe bu...
How can I handle multiple months of menstrual cycles on a long trek like the Appalachian Trail? I am asking about how to handle the mess. Here are my personal considerations: Using hormonal bir...
I use a regular hydration pack. I had given to a friend of mine to use it as she had her pack leaking. I guess she filled it with some sort of refreshment/flavored sports drink, and that has caused...
People have speculated that women hiking in bear country during their menstrual cycle might increase their chances of a bear encounter. Is this true? What can be done to minimize risk? Related que...
This weekend we went "pole camping". A pole camp site (dutch link only) is a camp site offered by the departments of forestry in the Netherlands and Belgium. It is very basic. What is offered is a ...
There are times when I just barely miss getting sprayed by a skunk (there are a lot of them in my area). I haven't actually gotten directly sprayed, but I would like to be ready in case that happen...
Is it possible to clean yourself and clothes with ocean water only, without polluting the water and almost without budget ? If so, how ? I've read that it's possible to: brush your teeth with sa...
Recently, I've started drinking more and more tap water instead of buying bottles all the time (which is usually absolutely no issue in Germany). I like to use a bottle for that not fill a glass a...
Following the thread about Everest Base Camp related questions, its almost a globally known fact that the Everest Base Camp is very much crowded and consequently very much into garbage disposal pro...
So I was watching this video, and got to the part where this guy and girl are discussing and demonstrating whose method of peeing off the portaledge is scariest. Then I of course thought to myself,...
I am looking for sustainable alternatives for carrying out human waste. WAG bags, though convenient, sadly have to end up in land-fills. I am looking for a system where the non-biodegrading compone...
When in the great outdoors, nature is bound to come calling, so what are some good natural toilet paper substitutes when the real thing isn't available?
I am a staunch proponent of leave no trace. I don't carry dish detergent (sand and small rocks work much better on stainless steel anyways,) and I don't use soap or shampoo, not even of the biodegr...
I want to buy a drybag for washing clothes while backpacking (travelling, not hiking) and also keeping dirty/wet clothes until it is time to wash them. I have available near me 5L, 10L and 20L dry...
I was sitting and thinking last night... If you have gas and loose stool (diarrhea) and you are squatting over a cathole in the wilderness how do keep your pants and foot wear clean? Related ...
When I'm home running or on a day hike, I prefer to pierce the skin as soon as a blister forms and drain all fluid from a blister to reduce the pain and further irritation/inflammation. In this cas...
We use Coghlan's Camp Soap when camping, it is available in handy containers at most stores that have any amount of outdoor supplies. But we can only find it in the 4oz bottle, we would like to ...
I've got athlete's foot after having my feet in the same boots for extended periods of time. How can I disinfect my wool hiking socks to prevent this from spreading and reinfecting my feet?
For our little baby's merino wool overtrousers-diapers we use Lanolin, which is absolutely recommendes by all producers of this kind of overtrousers. My question has two parts: I have googled thi...
I love hiking but there is a serious problem - I find it disgusting to be sweaty or dirty. I am literally unable to function properly if I do not get a thorough and warm shower every morning. This...
Some background. Whilst car camping down in Weymouth recently I was unfortunate enough to encounter a stomach bug (we initially thought it was food poisoning but later realised it was a bug as my o...
I'm a big fan of ultralight hiking. One of the more creative aspects of not taking much on the trail is personal hygiene. My hygiene kit consists of: Toothbrush & toothpaste Dr. Bronner's so...
I'm looking for a good solution for clothing (or clothes washing) on long hikes with the following considerations Southeastern United States, Appalachians We hike light 10+ day trips I don't wa...
I am looking to setup dish and hand washing stations for a group of folks in a fairly-wild woodland, in a car-camping summertime setting, for 2-5 days (depending on the occasion). Is stream water f...
Remote, private land with no 'improvements'. Dirt road access up to a small field with a campfire, stream down a hill nearby, surrounded by vast woodland. A group of ~20 people gathering on site f...
For some reason or the other, when I wear one of my shoes, my sole itches a lot. I know I can always get rid of the insole of the shoe, but I am yet to find a way to stop the itching in my sole. ...
In areas where the park service asks hikers to burry their feces, it is commonly suggested to dig a six-inch hole. I have come close to filling up one of those before, which got me wondering: What ...
I have gone through the answers of question When is it not OK to leave feces behind? It did answer a part of my question "I would really like to know how and where exactly do I select this area?" I...
Yesterday I was out in the woods and had a runny nose. When I wanted to blow my nose I looked for maple leaves, because I knew what they were. Not sure if the list of bad choices is small enough ...
This partially answered in this question about toilet paper alternatives but it only says be careful what plants you use. I'd like to know specifically what plants are the best in your part of th...
When going camping on a multi-day trip, how do you clean metal pots, metal silverware and plates (for metal or ceramic)? The solution that came to mind was to bring dish soap and a sponge. However...
How can I prevent (re-)infecting myself from my barefoot shoes? The obvious answer would be not to wear them while I am infected, but taken that aside, are there possibilities to clean/disinfect th...
How can I prevent (re-)infecting myself from my barefoot shoes? The obvious answer would be not to wear them while I am infected, but taken that aside, are there possibilities to clean/disinfect th...
Related: What size dry bag is best for keeping and washing clothes? Washing clothes on long hikes After reading the first question above, I'm wondering to myself, is there an effective "bag method...
"Should one be shaving on a lengthy high altitude trek?" shall be the question that I'd like to ask to great mountaineers with wisdom in high-altitude mountaineering. If you have observed, there ar...
It's about -30°C this morning, and a couple random thoughts popped into my head while enjoying a nice hot shower. The first was how terrible would it be to get out of a shower at -30°C in a tent. T...
How do female-urination-devices like the Shewee and the GOGIRL perform on backpacking trips that are at least a week? Do they start smelling? Do they attract bears?
I have several friends with full beards. After talking at length with one, he started to convince me the protection it offers might be worth it. So, I thought I would come and ask. What are the P...
I have been trying to get my weight down on longer backpacking trips. I have already taken to buying very strong soap and using very little, but I was wondering is there something I can replace the...
