Keeping Clean on the Trail

I don't consider a bluegrass festival to be backpacking on a Trail as in your title. So of course at such a festival cleaning options could be very limited. Otherwise, in the Southeast where I go backpacking there's always the near daily opportunity to find a creek and either go swimming or use my cooking pot as a dip-shower-head for a full bath.

In a hot dry ridge camp I will use my filtered drinking water and a paper towel or rag to do a sponge bath. Hair and scalp can be thoroughly cleaned at the next creek you reach---using your cooking pot or water bottle as a "shower head".

In the winter at 0F you will not want to bathe in any fashion although I will wash just my hair and scalp in such conditions if it's been 10 or 12 days since cleaning. The longest I ever went without a bath was 76 days in the winter when I lived at my NC ridgetop Tipi. I am programmed to go days w/o a shower or bath. It's all just part of living outdoors.

I use a wet wipe if necessary. Sometimes I'll use a handful of hot water after cooking if there's any left. I hate carrying water for external use.

There are also the no rinse shampoos and baths; they're used in rehab facilities and hospitals. But they do add extra bulk.

As to baby powder, no offense to lostwalker , but I wouldn't use baby powder or any powder that might have talcum in it. It may still be controversial whether or not the talcum has asbestos in it, but why take the chance?

For more reading on this issue:

www.safecosmetics.org/get-the-facts/chemicals-of-concern/talc/

www.bloomberg.com/features/2016-baby-powder-cancer-lawsuits::

"Forty-five years ago, British researchers analyzed 13 ovarian tumors and found talc particles “deeply embedded” in 10."

That's not necessarily indicative of causation, and there's much more discussion in the foregoing link, but that sentence should be enough to raise issues of concern.

www.huffingtonpost.com/toby-nwazor/the-talcum-powder-lawsuit_1_b_10609474.html

Personally, I wouldn't take the chance of using talcum powder at all.

Temps were in the mid 70's during the day, humidity low, a nice stiff wind was blowing on Friday ( with partly cloudy conditions). The hurricane/ tropical storm that affected the east coast over labor day weekend was causing the wind.
I didn't think I'd feel grungy, but I did. I like the wet wipes suggestion by Bigload ( thanks!). I know I hate the feeling of having to peel the t-shirt off of myself, and feeling the sleeping bag stick to me because of the sweat on me.

OK, so they weren't "Conditions that approximate conditions on a trail in winter". But low humidity helps a LOT.


It'll take time.

Lightweight, breathable, quick-drying fabrics help. Cotton is pure evil. Nylon, polyester, Capilene, and other fabrics are your friends. Wool is OK, too, although not usually my favorite.  Others swear by it.


So use it like a blanket instead.  You're not required to be completely in it.  The idea is to be comfortable (within reason), not to fully use all of your equipment.  Maybe just drape the bag over your legs if your torso and arms are comfy.  A long sleeve shirt is probably more than enough in those conditions.  I probably would have opted for a lightweight short sleeve synthetic.

I kinda have a different view on this subject than most. I think it is important to get clean, even in the winter. I don't like to use wet-wipes and such. I take two wash cloths, one is green and one is red. The red one is for crotch and ass while the green on is used for everything else.I usually don't use soap, but if I do it is only a drop or two of unscented Dr. Bronners liquid soap. Anyway, my usual thing is to heat some water and then add enough cold water to cool it sufficiently. I end up with some warm water. I pour some water on the green wash cloth and clean my face and such. I wring it out and repeat until I have cleaned myself except in the funky areas. Then I repeat with the red wash cloth in the nether region. I thoroughly rinse and wring the wash cloths and hang to dry, then use a hand cleanser on my hands. My head is shaved so I don't need to wash my hair, but my partner does whenever she deems it necessary. we usually repeat the water heating procedure and I pour the water on her head. The body washing can be done inn the tent if you pour and wring in the vestibule. Hair washing obviously happens outside the tent. After you get the routine down, it really is not difficult or time consuming. And being careful, it doesn't take much water so you are not expending a lot of fuel to heat. In warm temps, just wash off in a creek or lake.

I have a very good friend who showers every night, regardless of the weather. He uses a Sea-To-Summit Shower and carries extra fuel.

I do not like to get in my bag or under my quilt all salt encrusted and feeling dirty, that is why I wash. I get a better night sleep because of that.

Rumi

I've heard that corn starch works well for this too, though I've never tried it.