Staying clean - Appalachian Trail

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#1

Hey All,
I’ve been interested in attempting a long distance hike for a few years. The thing that always makes me wary is not being able to take a shower each day. I think being filthy all the time would make the experience unenjoyable.
It seems to me that if one was so inclined,one could just boil some water, and take a sponge bath each night. Is this a practical idea? Along with streams, lakes, and of course showers, it seems that one could keep clean each day, but I want to know the feasability of this.
Thanks,
Steve.

Steve

#2

A lot of people have good ideas on this. I always carried individually packaged wetwipes to sponge down at the end of the day. Then I carried an extra shirt and pair of shorts to sleep in, it helped keep my sleeping bag cleaner too and let my sweaty clothes dry out over night. There are collapsible water bags that are jsut an oz or two that let you scoop water out fo a stream or river for a bucket shower as well. You can keep clean while hiking. Just make sure when you are bathing in a stream or river you do it downstream from everyone collecting water or you’ll quickly become unpopular.

Good luck!

Grassy Ridge

#3

Steve-
It’s possible to stay relatively clean on a long-distance hike. I cannot stand getting into a nylon sleeping bag swetty & dirty, so i do a number of things to stay clean on a hike.

(1) Sweating: Try to sweat as little as possible: I use various layers to regulate my body temp. according to the conditions, but primarily i try to keep from sweating. This means that even in cold temps I will hike in shorts and t-shirt a lot. When i stop for a break, i put on warmer clothes. In hot temps. i will soak my shirt in a stream/creek and put it back on wet (on a really hot night, this also helps with sleeping on top of a sleeping pad). The reduced sweating not only helps in keeping cleaner, but it also reduces the hypothermia issues in colder weather and by keeping your body cooler, it works more efficiently, so you can walk greater distances with less effort if you need to.

(2) Swimming: I always swim in ponds/lakes/rivers unless its winter-like conditions. This greatly aids in keeping clean. I never use any soap & i always swim downstream of a trail crossing if its a creek/river.

(3) Towel Bath: At the end of the day i heat up water in my cook pot, add a bit of “Dr. Bronners” peppermint soap, and take a full towel bath from head to toe. (i carry a wash-cloth) I then put on my clean sleeping clothes (town clothes) and cook dinner. This takes a bit of time, and some of my trail buddies give me a hard time for doing it (they’re jealous!), but it sure feels great to get into the sleeping bag squeaky clean! It also helps with general hygene, chaffing, and foot issues.

(4) Motels/Hostels: Once in a while, its great to get fully clean and wash your hair, shave, etc.

On my first thru-hike ('96 AT), the Ranger @ Daicey Pond did not beleive that i was a thru-hiker - too clean! He said that i was lying & that i could not stay in the thru-hiker area (back then, it was @ Daicey and it was FREE to thru-hikers)!!! I didn’t know what to do, other than to go get the other thru-hikers to vouch for me, but then the Ranger said, “Don’t bother, they are probably your friends so they will lie as well.” Finally the thought occurred to me to show him my feet (i hike in sandals), so i propped my feet right on top of his desk, and he finally realised that i wasn’t lying & let me stay with the other hikers! (my feet looked like i had been through a war, without combat boots)

freebird

#4

There comes a point in June in Pennsylvania where you are just going to feel disgusting. That’s what makes the weekly shower so great though. The problem is the lack of water is some places. The girl I hiked with was a clean-freak and wet-one’d her whole self every night. That just made me feel sticky. Eventually, you just can’t tell how bad you totally stink, although visiting family & friends certainly can & let you know.

Shera, Princess of Power

#5

Flame (my wife and hiking partner) made a valiant effort to stay clean on our thru hike in '02. (And insisted that I do the same.) At every opportunity she would bathe and used baby wipes every night. Even in the 10 and 20 degree weather in GA and NC she would find a stream and collect water in a gallon zip lock and take a cold bath away from the stream. On occasions she would comment on the “smelly” hikers.

When we reached Shaws in ME, they had just finished the bunk house across the street. We were the first to stay in one of the individual rooms upstairs. Clean, fresh, new paint, it smelled brand new. I went down stairs while Flame took a shower. When I got up stairs after she had her shower she was sitting on the bed with a strange look on her face. She said, “It’s me!” I said, “It’s you, what?” “It’s me that stinks, I stink! This room now stinks! And I just had a shower! I stink!” You can try your best, but 5 to 6 months of wearing the same clothes and carrying the same pack… You will stink!

Our son and daughter-in-law picked us up in ME. We had washed everything three times with Tide and bleach, bought new clothes to wear home, soaked our packs in the tub with Tide and bleach and changed the water for two days! Packed everything, including packs, in double garbage bags. We had only traveled a few miles and he rolled down the window and said, “you guys are making me sick, you stink!” He bought a can of Lysol and sprayed us and the car several times and drove back to TN with the windows down.

Do your best, but you will stink!

Papa Smurf

#6

I always give myself a water bottle shower away from the spring or go way downstream. I have a shirt and light pants for camp and town wear. Papa Smurf is right, after a while even this is not good enough but it definitely helps. I do the best I can and the cold water always helps also after a long day to bring me back.

roadrunner

#7

As a society, we are unhealthily obsessed with cleanliness. I’m sure that I stunk to high heaven but I also noticed how perfumy alot of day hikers smelled.

One of the great things about Thruhiking is realizing how simply life can be. Part of that has to do with living with only what you can carry on your back but it also has to do with living without modern convenieces, TV, deodeant, fast food, etc…You soon to realize what the basic neccessities are and how much freedom there is in doing without the luxuries.

Still there comes a point when you just don’t feel right and its time for a bandana bAth swim or a trip to town.:boy

Jalanjalan

#8

I saw this topic and thought it was about staying clean and sober. So if there are clean and sober folks out there who hiked the AT, did you hit some meetings along the way? I’m interested. The longest I’ve hiked is about a week and that is prob. the longest I’ve gone without a meeting too. Anyway… as far as the staying clean shower wise, getting dirty is cool, makes a shower that much more enjoyable. :smiley:
OZ

BktoOZ

#9

Hi…I know that there was a similar question about a yr ago; maybe do a search to find out. Best of luck! Keep going; literally “one step at a time”!

Leah