Time Stamps for the Mobile Folks: 00:37 General Tips for Staying As Fresh and Clean As You Want 02:11 Pocket Shower 02:37 Managing Long Hair 03:48 Brushing Teeth 04:42 KEEP FEET CLEAN 05:32 Laundry 06:28 Shaving 07:08 Pee 10:32 Poop 13:51 Trail Bidet 15:12 Chaffing 16:04 Menstruation 16:30 Tampons 17:46 Menstrual Cups 18:47 Period Panties 19:28 Something to Keep in Mind About Your Fellow Hikers
Sponge bath twice a day: once when you get up in the morning and later once you've pitched camp to wash the day's sweat off. Use a real fino sponge - it holds water so much better - and the tiniest smears of soap you can get away with to avoid polluting the environment and to save on rinsing water, if water is scarce. Body odour is caused by bacteria feasting on stale sweat. Washing twice a day - particularly when you get to camp after sweaty hike - goes a long way to eliminating the problem. It will help if you trim the hair in your armpits. All three of them. In winter, wear the absolute minimum you need to keep warm on the trail to avoid perspiring and wear Merino next to your skin. If I don't sweat into it and wash twice a day, I can wear the same Merino top for a week - even if I'm sleeping in it at night too.
I've been using a 0.6oz portable bidet. Only takes 8-12oz of water, very clean. The bidet actually has a strong canned stream. I just my "dirty" Smart Water bottle. No soap needed when you use an actual bidet and not just a water bottle. With a real bidet you dont touch down there.
@@Boodieman72 So I experimented with not using soap for a bit over a month. I'd shower and shave and everything else like normal, but I used no soap or shampoo. I got the idea from Adam Carolla. It turns out he was right. Just washing with warm water worked fine. No body odor, no rashes....nothing. My hair was a bit weird for a week or so, then it got used to not having the natural emollients scrubbed away by shampoo. After that first week it became normal and healthy just like my skin. A thorough wash with nothing but warm water (if warm water is available), is all I need.
I have only discovered Dixie's channel over the last week or so and the amount of incredibly useful information I have learned already is huge. Brilliant for newbies who feel a bit overwhelmed at the number of things you need to think about so as to be well prepared.
Dixie, I took my sleeping bag stuff sack bag and filled it up with water and hung it up on a branch. It made a perfect shower, enough to quickly soap up and rinse off! It just sprinkled me so nicely! And it dried very fast, but I really didn't need to shove the sleeping bag back into it anyway, so kept it outside my pack to finish drying. I was so tickled at my discovery and thot I was quite brilliant!
One of my secrets that I've never heard anybody else mention concerning WHERE to dig cat hole; dig between brace roots of a medium size (10-24" diam) tree. There is usually a root and soil free gap perfect for #2 plus you can lean against the trunk.
Really happy you covered this. As a female I have always steered away from anything overnight in the wilderness because of my menstrual cycle. Mine is so heavy that disposables can't keep up during my heavy flow, and 1 heavy overnight pad would leak after about 40 minutes. I now have a menstrual cup plus cloth pads. The Casco cup and Merula XL cup are the ones I own and both work like a charm for me. Combining the cup with cloth pad/liner (which I bought on etsy) have allowed me to feel comfortably dry for 2-3 hours (during my heaviest flow). This has also helped me with irritations and chafing that I used to get with disposable products. Plus, I save myself and my mom a bunch of money by using a menstrual cup plus cloth pad.
I am one of those people who simply MUST bathe at the end of the day as I can't stand going to bed salty and dirty. I deal with that by carrying a small squirt bottle of unscented Bronners soap and a 3 liter bladder for my water. I first get as clean as possible by scrubbing myself with just water and sand to get all the dirt, grime and salt off. Then I fill up my bladder and move away from the water source. I hang it from a tree limb or just hold it up when it's time to rinse. I mostly just soap up my pits, crotch, feet and scalp and then rinse off. I also keep a spare set of light weight clean clothes/underwear/socks to put on afterwards. Those are my "camp/sleeping" clothes that I wear in the evening and to bed. In summer they may just be running shorts and a tank top, in winter some long undies & an extra pair of warm socks and I wear my jacket and rain/wind pants over them in camp until bed time. They not only allow me the luxury of being really fresh and clean in the evenings, they keep my sleeping bag clean and free of odors as well so I haven't really ever had to wash it much which really makes it last longer. The next day I stash the clean stuff and put on the dirty hiking clothes again. Not fun, but I do alternate undies and socks the way you do, washing them between uses so they don't get too gross. A 10" micro fiber cloth serves as a washcloth, then squeezed out repeatedly as my "towel" to dry off with. I'm not bone dry afterwards but it works just fine, and I toss the cloth in my mesh pack pocket to dry out for the next time. I also use my drinking tube as a kind of pee 'bidet.' I just unclip the tube from my shoulder strap, lower it fully, point and pinch the self sealing mouth piece. Since the mouthpiece is below the level of the water bladder, water flows out via gravity as soon as I pinch the mouthpiece. I point it into my other hand and splash it on, washing myself clean of all urine. It doesn't take much water and even though I'm a bit wet afterwards, I'm sweating anyway so the undies are damp already and it's a lot better to have them wet with fresh water than pee! Also, because of sweating during hiking, those little wash ups during the day really keep any chafing rashes & UTI's at bay. I always use a menstrual cup on the trail with the addition of a wafer thin panty liner when my flow is heavy. That way if there's any leakage the liner catches it and of course I feel it and deal with it immediately before the leakage spills over the liner's capacity. And of course I've gotten used to how quickly the cup fills up during heavy flow times and am in the habit of knowing when to preemptively empty it BEFORE it overflows, using the same wash up technique as I do with peeing afterwards to thoroughly wash up the cup as well as my nethers and hand before reinserting it. I only change the pad when there's a leak or at the end of the day, and find I can easily get through the whole day 98% of the time with no overflows. In this way, just one wafer thin panty liner is typically my only additional trash for the day and my undies are kept free of spills. Each night during my bathing I wash the cup thoroughly with soap and water. Easy peasy and SOOOO nice to sleep fresh and clean. It REALLY keeps my spirits up on a long thru hike!
you don't need soap to get clean.. actually you are almost never dirty.. one could get fungea invested yet such is more or less dictated by levels of moist, not fat.. actually fat might help prevent fungea..
@@Roonnam that's not exactly true soap act as a surfactant reducing the surface tension of the water, the reduced surface tension allows the water emulsify any oil and dirt and carry it away.
@@justindunlap1235 well it is treu.. i havent used soap for half a year..really nothing changed.. i do rub dry with a towel.. i think that where all the exes oils go.. i feel my skin is better of without the liquid drain unblocker.. with fancy chemical smells.. but you just do the way your thought without real reason.. you will develop fungea and psoriasis .. but who cares. We cant change whats tought young..
I spent 10 years in the ARMY as a front line soldier. long term deployments in areas that did not have rear areas to return to caused us to live by the theory of "clean the pits, privates,feet and teeth, other than that, embrace the funk" also, every time you stop for any kind of break, CHANGE YOUR SOCKS! I carried 5 pair of socks with me, and every night, I would wash all that I have used, and hang them to be dry in morning.
@@bocolife Various bodily functions. Although we all have them, talking about them publicly can be a delicate matter that makes some people uncomfortable (or behave like a juvenile) if not dealt with tactfully.
@@SophisticatedDogCat Grew up in the USA and now live in Europe and can 100% confirm this. We have so many stupid hangups about perfectly normal bodily functions.
Years ago, we had a neighbor who had an adult son who was very challenged and he lived with his parents until their deaths. He didn't understand about hygiene (or many other things) and you had to treat him like a small child. He smelled terrible because he walked the banks of the lake where we lived, picking up anything dead and everything that caught his attention and I was always on a vigilant lookout because he was enamored by my new baby and I had to constantly run interference to prevent him from picking the baby up and cuddling him. On the days that we caught him in clean cloths and smelling clean, before he searched the banks of the lake for dead fish, I would make a point of letting him hold the baby. Many bags of chips and cookies were given to him because he could get a grubby hand into them before you could pour something out for him and I became weird about eating from 'community' bags. Also, a few microbiology courses will screw with your head regarding who you share things with. When you consider that a majority of men do not wash their hands after urinating, I don't eat after anyone who is not as germ-phobic as I am.
@@lindamcdaniel2828 : At any family gatherings / cook outs or what ever . I ALWAYS get that big variety box at SamsClub , of individual chip bags . Never do I eat or serve a ‘big open bowl’ of chips / snacks .
I am a balding senior male and love the pocket mirror,brush combo. Alcohol gel sanitizer, and fire starter, are a hikers ultimate friend. Those doggie poo bags make great TP, wipes or feminine product transport bags that don't look disgusting. When picking a campsite, having a dug cat hole ahead of time is a great plan. Bad camp hygiene is a bigger problem than bad water.
@@jparrish6751 no mention of those button size TP balls that you add a few drops of water and they open up to a nice usable size. Has anyone used these?
The best number 2 trick for areas that have mosquitoes is to first poo halfway almost into your pants. Then start running. Take off belt while running and aim for a tree. Now, this next part needs to happen in one fluid motion. Drop pants, throw belt around the tree and let the momentum swing you around and while in the air *POP* your fibrous poo shoots out like a sausage from a shotgun. Then start quickly running again while wiping. Mosquitos didn't even have a chance. You're welcome.
If you cut your handle off your toothbrush, make sure it in long enough that you do not have to have your fingers go into your mouth. I saw someone with a toothbrush about 2 inches, he had his fingers in his mouth to use it. Not a good idea, the extra 2 grams of the handle could keep you from getting yourself sick.
One additional thing about the cup: they can be used for 12 hours at a time, which makes them really ideal for hiking. Would require soap and water or at least hand wipes and sanitizer. And, I agree: it's got to be mastered at home before hitting the trail. It took me months to get comfortable using a cup. Would not recommend Thinx for hiking. They have to be changed out more often than you might think and they can retain an odor.
use a sterilizing cup from Pixie cups, boil water, put the hot water in the sterilizing cup with your menstrual cup and pop one of those Milton's sterilizing tablets they use for babies bottles in, screw the lid to the sterilizing cup on and leave it for a few minutes. There, you've sterilized your menstrual cup.
Yes to Milton's sterilisation tablets! They stop your cup going brown as fast too. You only need a tiny bit of one so I break mine up and fold the tablet wrapper up. I need to sterilise mine every day, but I have a little kit. That's fine for a nice indoor bathroom, but I don't know if I could get my hands as clean as I'd like before inserting on trail. I notice that Dame have come out with a reusable tampon applicator that you could use with organic cotton non-applicator tampons, so maybe that would be a happy compromise, because at least the applicator would be zero waste. Edit: I use the Milton tablets with cold water, you do not need to use hot or warm water. 😊
Good stuff again, Dixie. One big omission, though: TISSUE TABLETS. They are easy to carry, extremely light, easy to protect against water, can be used like a baby wipe without having the toxic chemicals in baby wipes (which can cause a serious health problem for some people, too), are biodegradable, and they are so compact that you could make a cupful of them last close to a month. Two tablets handle no. 2. Wipe once with the first tablet. Fold over and wipe again. Then use the second tablet to insure your glory hole is spotless. Each tablet is about the size of a Canada Mint. It takes a couple of drops of water to hydrate a tablet. I use old Nuun tablet vials to carry them. One vial-ful lasts about four or five days. For deodorant, I use lime juice. Kills the bacteria that causes odor. A little bit goes a long way. No health risk of aluminum toxicity. To prevent or treat foot and toenail fungus, rub your feet and nails with minced garlic or garlic oil, or soak your feet in vinegar for 15 minutes when in town. Foot powders do not work well. I hope these suggestions work for people.
The other thing, "keep your hands away from your face"! This is perhaps more applicable to the last few minutes of your video but, if you assume that your hands are dirty, keeping them away from your face (eyes, mouth, nose) will go a long way to keep bacteria away from those areas which will help to decrease illness.
Yes good rule even off the trail. A couple of years ago I made a special effort to be mindful of when my hands are not freshly cleaned (like I've touched doorknobs or such since washing) - and keep my hands away from my eyes and mount and nose until I can wash or use hand sanitizer again. I went from getting sick usually 2 or 3 times a year to now it's been over 2 year since I've been sick
Occasionally someone on the trail will extend their hand in order to shake hands. Extending your hand with a closed fist will precipitate a fist bump. Because of the reduced skin contact and resulting bacterial transfer, one study has recommended that the fist bump be adopted as a more hygienic alternative to the handshake.
Nice trick. I am an older white guy, pre fist bump mainstream generation. I just don’t shake hands on the trail, which feels off putting to me. But that is a nice compromise solution. Thanks.
I'd seen this video before, but thank you again. My daughter is graduating from Cub Scouts this coming year and as a result, she'll be preparing to do frequent campouts, backpacking, and even trips with the horse cavalcades because she's a rider. I can't relate to the feminine hygiene issues and my wife is not a camper (I've been camping/etc in scouts for 35 years, her idea of roughing it is an old Holiday Inn). Anyway, I appreciate that she has a good resource outside of her troop that she can research on her own time. We teach all Assistant Scoutmasters and Scoutmasters an "Introduction to Outdoor Leader Skills" course in order for them to be considered "Trained" and wear the patch. As a result of that, we do have several ladies who have "How do I deal with my cycle on High Adventure trips?" questions and the staff of these courses are still male dominated, so I'll refer them here until we can get more of them to staff. I also appreciate that you've incorporated several outdoor ethics concepts into this (like 200 feet away from a water source, pack out, etc), which we also teach in IOLS.
For peeing out on trail, I highly recommend the Kula Cloth! You can hang it on the outside of your bag, but it has a snap to fold it in half to keep the side that you wipe with clean. Besides being an awesome product, it’s also a small woman owned company.
I love your format of posting a TOC! It’s made it very easy to watch only those segments I’m interested in, and to know from the outset what you were going to cover. I love the idea of a trail bidet, but not so much carting around an extra water bottle that is likely to become contaminated. As long as you don’t get into poison ivy or the like, and the leaves aren’t all dried out like in the fall, leaves are actually an excellent method of cleaning oneself. I did a good bit of primitive camping in my youth - and digging cat holes (or latrines intended for a few days for a group), and yes, using leaves. No, they don’t feel as nice as TP or baby wipes, but they do work just fine, and you don’t have to worry about them decomposing or having to pack them out. Neither baby wipes nor feminine wipes existed in those days, and we never had a problem. Broad, flat ones are best. I like your idea of using moss, and in a pinch, a handful of grass works, too.
I appreciate your honesty and bluntness about being on the trail as a woman. Heading to the Appalachian Trail in April and your tips have been super helpful.
I have found, for camping, for evening cleanup before getting in a sleeping bag, etc. homemade alcohol wipes work better for me than baby wipes; you just fold up a small stack of paper towels, put them in a zip-lock, and add enough rubbing alcohol to get them wet. It totally destroys armpit odor, etc. before putting on your sleep shirt or whatever. One wipe can get all your critical areas (if you do it in the right order, backside last) and go into a used-wipe ziplock bag. And it doesn't have the lingering scent of many hand sanitizers. Downside, if you have any soreness or cuts, it can sting like anything; but those areas will feel better in the morning.
I'm going on my first backpacking trip in about a week, and this information is invaluable. I really appreciate how you answer questions I might not be comfortable asking, or worse just didn't think of. Thanks for all the great content.
Thank you for your diplomatic but informative treatment of a delicate subject. Bidet method sounds high risk (which bottle was my drinking water? Dang! I can't remember!) but I guess some people make it work. See last 2 paragraphs for more bathroom tips. Regarding eating other people's food out of a bag they have been sticking their hand into, I've noticed since the pandemic when people at work bring a bag of something, reaching into the bag has become a big no-no! Standard op now is to pour it out into your hand or a bowl. People will actually call each other out for sticking their hand into a bag of goodies. Probably a good idea at camp or in regular life for us to use the pour method for the sake of others. Like you said though, if you see people reaching in, best to take a pass. Lastly, two tips regarding bathroom issues. Imodium is a great thing to bring. You can burn through a lot of toilet paper if you are having a problem with your stomach. At night when the temp drops into the 20's and you are having to run out into the forest and drop your drawers every 30 minutes, it is pretty miserable. One time with every trip to the woods I would get colder and colder until I started shaking so badly I was fearing hypothermia. A dose of Imodium could have ended that problem before it even got dark. Lastly, I love headlamps for going pottie. You don't run the risk of propping a flashlight up against a log and having it inevitably fall over into the hole you just dug and pooped in (Gross!). Or worse yet when it falls it breaks and you are 200 feet away from your camp in the pitch darkness trying to finish your business and get back without getting lost. With a headlamp when you hear a crunching of leaves nearby you don't have to reach for a light, you just look that way and realize it's only a bunny rabbit! The three light one's are a little heavy but give a lot of security because you can click to the setting where the two smaller lights shine together. My wife has scared off wild dogs with this. The light is intense and it looks like two eyes to any predator. Hope this helps some of you. Imodium and headlamps. Have fun!
Funny - just this morning I was thinking you should link your hygiene video or add it to the playlist for this series. And here is this new, even more streamlined version! This advice will be pure gold to many people :)
I carry a small bottle of Campsoap/Campsuds and a dollar sponge. Works well with water, easy to clean, cheap to replace. Even if I don't have soap, a second sponge works well for a sponge bath before I get into my sleeping bag. I always feel clean and keeps my sleeping bag from getting truly nasty. The extra weight is minimal and dries relatively quickly. I keep it in a ziplock bag. I must be missing something because I never see other hikers/thru hikers carrying a sponge.
Great tips and great round up of things to consider. I use Bio Wipes by Coleman and they work almost as good as baby wipes for a quick "shower" or for a final refresher after using TP for #2. They claim it degrades in 3 weeks (depending on environment). Also instead of washing/rotating my underwear, sometimes I would just pack pantyliners. They go well with my pStyle urination device, because I use the pStyle to sort of "wipe off" some of the excess urine, and whatever is left, gets absorbed by the liner and does not cause any smell. Saves me from having to carry and use extra TP for wiping. I have the pStyle in its sturdy canvas pouch hanging within easy reach. I don't even rinse it every time, urine is sterile anyway, and it's kept neatly away from any other items - both dirty and clean. There are pros and cons to each method, and many things may need to be adjusted based on the type of hike you're doing. I did an 8 day track out in the arctic (with daytime temps hovering just above freezing), and while it was amazing that I did not yearn for a shower due to not sweating as much, it meant that exposing my bottom every time I needed to go #1 would have been very unpleasant, hence the urination devices make a lot more sense. The other thing about panty liners is they can be a real saver if you end up having an unexpected period or spotting. I got an IUD a few months before my arctic trip, and that made my periods somewhat irregular (and much lighter too, thankfully).
This was such an informative and well-organized video. As a first-time backpacker, I came across your channel and subscribed because of your personable and helpful approach to sharing your trail experiences and advice. Thanks Dixie!
Having just a clean face and neck can be really refreshing and help with trail fatigue. I use a dedicated bandana for this. Also, when it's really hot I soak the bandana in a stream and place that on my neck or wrist. The cool evaporating water over key circulatory veins/arteries can really help with heat stress. Nice content! Thanks for posting your videos.
5 Stars!!! Fabulous!!! Informative!!! I love you Dixie. Seriously, I've watched all your videos, you're certainly inspirational, and I'm excited for you that you've been able to turn your passion into a livelihood. How on earth were you able to maintain a straight face while discussing all of this? I'm 62 and have backpacked all my life but have never enjoyed, so much, your most recent instruction. Keep up the good work.
Dixie, thank you so much for doing these daily uploads for two weeks. I'm not a newbie hiker, but I love these just like I love all your videos. Busting my ass off right now trying to finish my PhD and your videos give me something fun to look forward to every day.
Idk if anyone else tried this before but I after having my son the hospital gave me a postpartom peri bottle. It helped out a lot postpartum and after I didn't need it anymore I continue to use it because it made me feel so clean afterwards, especially when it was that time of the month. When I started going hiking again after having my son I loved it, helped me feel nice and clean throughout my trip, I even sometimes put a few drops of Feminine cleaning wash in it every once in awhile. I recommend it, you can buy them online and at some stores.
PStyle all the way!!! No more mosquito bites on the butt. No more deep snow squats! It’s made of hydrophobic material and with just one quick shake, all moisture is gone, back in the pack it goes. For those who also like sea adventures, really good for going over the side of the boat like the guys do. No more messing with a wide mouth water bottle in waves, or even worse, not going at all.
When I was in the Navy I used to hang my tush over the transom of the patrol boat and do my business (#1). I just made sure my gunner kept the boat pointed in a direction that would keep my ass off of camera views. Lol.
This cleaning secret, backpackers never openly says, but you are the only one who done it, clearly & openly, everything, i appreciate that. About doing with no.2 , I use tissue first, then water and then I rub my fingers on the ground, sand or mud, finally use water to clean it. I again do it with water and soap when ever I get near the stream.
I am so thankful you are doing these videos!!! It’s like going to hiking school, and I have a really amazing teacher! 😃. Thank you Dixie, I appreciate your very informative and candid discussion on all of your topics. You are the BEST❗️👏🏻. Kind of funny....I can’t really remember having that “one” teacher in school that left an impression on me.....but you have 🤣
Great vid Dixie. I'm an older hiker and in ....the olden days.....we sometimes carried baking soda. It can neutralize the funk most times,helps heal chafing, is great for stings and bites, good foot soak, and can be used for upset stomach relief. Vaseline was our skin lube and burn treatment. Keep up the good work. I'm 62 and still love the trail.
@Dallas Bryan I have a question for you. I have had two total knee replacements and although I can walk just fine, squatting is impossible. What idea would you have for an older person to go #2 in this case? I'm sure there is a solution or others may have a clever invention of their own for this issue. TIA
Andi , Years ago I heard about an older outdoorsman ,or woman, using the tree hugger pose. Gripping a tree in front of you for assuming the position, haha. Though I have never done it myself, I think that as always where there is a will, there is a way. I would practice this maneuver before taking it on the road, so to speak. After the deed is done you could pull your self upright using upper body instead of leg strength.
Karen, That is something that I had not considered, but should not be ruled out. As always, make sure to practice the placement and knot tying at home where the learning curve is not as steep. Hahahaha
Thanks for being so candid and not afraid to talk about the more taboo topics. All your tips are great! I particularly love the baby powder idea for hair. I use baby powder for keeping my shoes dry and smelling good, and have used it after baby wipes in the nether regions, but I hadn't thought of it for my long curly hair that I have to brush daily. Happy trails!
An older video on trail hygiene was the first video of yours I ever saw. 😊 I was intrigued because I had never thought of many of those issues before. So that was it-I got hooked on your very informative videos on so many hiking topics! For now, I’m a woods walker but one day maybe I’ll be able to hike.
I'm planning a 336 km hike along the East Coast Trail in my home Province of Newfoundland, Canada, and I can't tell you how helpful your videos have been. They're the most encompassing and thorough videos on RUclips on the subject.
As someone who has had both really long and really short hair, I think long hair is easier to work with. Long hair you can braid, bun, put in a ponytail, whatever. Short hair may not be long enough to braid or put in a pony tail, and even if you do, you have to deal with a lot of fly away baby hairs.
I get terrible thigh chafing, creams and powders and stuff just make it worse, never found one that helped make it better, every single one I tried only ever made it *worse* because they get absorbed into the skin via rubbing, or just rubbed off onto clothes, within 5min. I reccomend biking shorts as underwear to help with that. Get synthetic biking shorts, they dry quicker than cotton, as long as they reach down to a couple inches above the knee, then they provide the glide without rolling/riding up, and obviously fabric doesn't get absorbed by the skin. Everyone says "no synthetic undies!!" But cotton absorbs water, sure it's more breatheable but the "breatheable" only comes into play if you're getting a breeze down there to remove that soaked up water anyways, ie wearing a skirt or dress, and ontop of that requiring a thigh gap... so the cotton breathability is useless for thick thighed people who get chafing on trail, where you're prob also wearing pants or shorts. Where synthetic is like a plastic mesh, cotton is like a organic sponge, at the end of the day in my experience synthetic is better for UTIs, smell, and dryness, than wearing what's essentially a sopping wet *hot* sponge on your cooch. You can have 2 pairs of synthetic, wash them, and switch them out as often as you need on the trail, even twice a day, because they dry so quickly. Where cotton needs almost that full day to dry, will stay wet the entire time you wear it with no hope of drying because of lack of airflow, and once it's wet it becomes a chafing irritant, because of how it sticks to your skin, instead of gliding. Ever tried to put on wet cotton? Yeah it's like trying to put on wet cling film. Whereas putting on wet synthetic is like putting on wet togs, slightly easier, and dries out quickly after you've put it on. Seriously cotton is way overrated for women's issues. Maybe in the old days where every woman was stick thin. But not now where majority of women either have thick muscular thighs or thick chubby thighs, very few people have that willowy figure anymore which is needed for cotton to work the way its claimed to work. And besides all that... "cotton kills" is one of those top rule for hikers anyways isn't it?
I came to watch one video; I’ve watched your entire catalog and became a subscriber. You’ve been detailed and the time stamps are great although I’ve been watching these videos straight thru
Well done. Along the line of not knowing where other peoples hands have been, trail registers and pens are a common way to spread contamination. My 2016 thru hike was cut short just prior to Harpers ferry because of e.coli poisioning.
I watch quite a few of your videos, you are my go to hiker for information. What I am always amazed with is your ability to talk about anything without stalling, forgetting, running out of energy, saying "uuuuh". Its truly perfect. Have you ever thought about a career in broadcasting.
Not saying that you don't, but for those who don't know, remember to always use biodegradable soap 200 feet away from any water source. It may seem counter-intuitive, but contrary to their names, they are not that eco-friendly. They are chemicals that need 'biomass' (dirt) in order to degrade. They will not degrade when used in water, like a river or a lake, and can cause harm to local aquatic species. Also, since they don't degrade in water, those who choose to use their soap too close to a water source are subjecting those who may need to drink from said source to used bathing water. Just my personal opinion from here on, so please feel free to ignore this: If you're going on a backpacking trip, of any length, then don't bother bringing soap. You're going to be outside. You're going to get sweaty. You're going to get dirty. You're going to smell bad - even if you use soap. Just accept it and wipe down with plain water and a washcloth. The soap can wait for when you get to an actual shower in town or whatever, where the local water utility can treat and recycle the water, making it safe for everyone.
I do bath in a water source but don't use soap just a bandana to scrub with. I have not researched biodegradable soaps so at this point i'm doing the same thing I've done for the last 50yrs.
sameh ali except most “eco friendly” soap is just marketing. For the most part, the eco-damaging part of soap is that it is soap. Folks that slap eco friendly, biodegradable, or green labels on their products are beholden to no standards. Use them if you want, but keep them away from water supplies, and you aren’t a better person for the product choice. A simple bar soap with few extra ingredients works great.
Awesome breakdown. Something else I'll add to older women who think they're periods have left forever, I had a troop mom have her first period in two years in the middle of a backpacking trip when I was in the scouts. Just something physical exercise can do. So carry some supplies just in case. And fellas, tampons are great for nose bleeds too. So having one on you can be useful to you and can really help a lady friend out.
I absolutely love the P-style, mostly because when you are done, you can lift it against yourself a little bit and slide it forward so that it wipes you clean. Really pretty amazing.
Love the video, thank you for the info. I have personally used the female urinal that you spoke of and didn't not care for it. It was really flimsy and made a mess. I went to Walmart to the automotive section and bought a beveled oil funnel (yes for draining the oil from your car :) and it worked like a charm!! It was .98 cents and easy to clean. It snug up against the female anatomy to create a good seal and it held up to the pressure that some of us may have when we wait to long to pee. I didn't have to expose myself that much . It worked great for me !!
If you carry lotion for dry skin, you can also use a dab on a finger and apply to the nether region as you assume the fecal position. This makes the paper work more efficient and you are less likely to have "cling ons" AND you may not be 'Churning Butter" as much. A little dab will do ya.
I would add my tips: 1. To avoid getting lost while going for biological needs my app “All trails” helped me several times signalling me I’m out of trail. Make sure you downloaded all your necessary maps before hiking so it’s not dependent on gps coverage. I think the app is calculating position an fit you into the map. 2. For ladies: since I’ve got my IUD, I have a happy free life for all sports. No menstruations at all, no missed pills
I’ve had long and short hair camping (and not) and absolutely prefer short. It takes less soap to clean when/if you shower. A buff helps no matter the length in keeping it clean during the day and night. Always wipe yourself down every day somehow. For feminine hygiene, I like using silver infused reusable pads. You can wash them out and re-use them. Granted, I’m at the end of my cycle, so my cycles are quite light. I use a female urinary device and a silver infused rad to wipe with for #1. Game changer for keeping my pant legs and shoes clean. A portable bidet is a good idea if you are menustrating.
Finally a video on the subject I have been curious about. Am new to backpacking and this was very helpful! Seems all the info is about gear and very little on hygiene. So glad I found your channel! You are awesome!
Great video as always! When I was in India and Africa, I got very good at squatting over their ground level toilets, so on the trail is easy. 😁 Plus plenty of practice as a kid out camping in New Zealand. We can do lots of squats prior to hiking, in preparation for the trail - it makes a big difference. Also in India, and parts of Africa, we always use the left hand for the bathroom washing, and the right hand for eating. In Kenya and Uganda handwashing before eating is a solid ritual. 👍🏿
Hmmm my longest time without a shower (when I was on a Hotshot Crew) fighting wild fire in the mountains was 10 days, working 16-20 hour shifts of soot , sweat and grim. My FF equipment could stand up on its own, like they were heavily starch. Lol 😝 . Great Intel 👍👍👍
Dish soap bottles rinsed & filled with water & peppermint Dr Bonners a must! Squirt bottles help to ration & control water.. reaches behind well :) Also, reusable cloths for face & arm pits! (Separate colors) Butt wipes are adult size wet wipes.. I noticed that adult size wipes are more expensive, but more thorough! Wet wipes are trucked out in a ziplock wrapped in a black plastic bag.
Oh, man, I grew up in Georgia, though moved out of state nearly 13 years ago. I haven’t heard a southern accent like yours with any consistency in over a decade! Great info in sanitation and hygiene!
I camp a week at a time from canoe or motorcycle. I take along 2 or 3 pocket-containers of waterless hand cleaners. Also, two sandwich sized Ziplocks of some modified baby wipes. Modified as follows: Torn in half because standard size is too large. Added white vinegar because 1. Otherwise they dry out, even sealed inside a Ziplock. And 2. white vinegar is antibiotic. They serve for a spit bath, and TP. Courtesy of Half Vast Flying
For black hair. Protective styles are great. Dreadlocks and protective styles are my preference. I've backpacked with relaxed hair, loose natural, and dreadlocks. Living in Wyoming, dreadlocks won by far!! But any protective styles with a bandanna works well
Also baking soda is great for hair, body and teeth. But I don't usually wash my hair while backpacking. Living in Wyoming where it was COLD, my scalp has adjusted to less washing. In heat i do more...but not while camping.
I hear everyone say to use cornstarch powder instead of talc (not just backpacking, everyday mom life too) But i remember learning when we struggled with diaper rash that the yeast causing the irritation actually eats cornstarch, so we were essentially feeding the yeast. I'm not exactly sure what the best method is, We choose to use talc and it cleared up better. Just throwing that out there!
The talc issue remains unsettled. The original cancer link is because raw talc has asbestos in in and is known to cause cancer in talc miners. However, manufacturers have eliminated asbestos from talc consumer products for decades. There are mixed results with consumer talc in high exposure animal testing, but very little evidence of any human cancer link. On the other hand, cornstarch does work well, even when treating yeast infections. Apparently the desiccating properties, when used correctly, are enough to inhibit yeast growth. It is similar to how granulated sugar keeps well in a sugar bowl, despite yeasts present in the air. Doesn’t matter as long as it is dry.
Tim In general, the biggest factor in dermal yeast is dryness. Neither talc or cornstarch will keep you dry indefinitely. I question the effectiveness of either for preventing yeast infections during an endurance activity, such as hiking, but am not aware of direct studies in that context. They are mostly used for comfort, so in that sense, users choice.
Thanks for the tips! I have OCD and I am preparing for a pack trip in 2024. I am really freaked out about going to the bathroom outside. I think you gave some really great tips and tricks!
Good on you for addressing potentially embarrassing issues on multiple videos re: backpacking. Your friendly, direct language is educational and appreciated. Nice Work !
I appreciate the attention to detail and talking about subjects that others don't want to. When base camping on trail - we set up a small sanitation station with a water source and soap - so anyone who uses the cat hole can wash their hands right away after.
A handful of dirt. A handful is thick enough of a barrier between hand & feces. A light wipe with the first handful, then with the next handful wipe a little harder/better. By the 3rd/4th handful, you're pretty much safe. Before i do the first handful i usually wipe with a stick or rock, then start the handfuls of dirt. Moist soil works best for the first wipe, dry dirt/sand works best for the last wipes. Dirt also cleans the hands. Moist soil cleans better. But both work if done thoroughly. It works so much better than leaves & grass. Dirt is also a great deodorant & armpit dryer. I learned this trick from my cat who rolls in the dirt before going out to hunt. Sometimes I mix a little bit of bush or flower in with the dirt to add a natural scent. Baking soda is a great all purpose thing. From tooth paste, deodorant, drying agent, foot powder, splinter remover, infection etc plus its not harmful to soil. Just don't rub it on too hard because it is a bit abrasive. Oh & i even put a dust layer of dirt on my bandana to help keep it dryer longer while wearing it. And I never wear a hat without a bandana on. Its like underwear for your head. Although I only wear underwear when its cold or My skin is raw, or on those hot days when I just want to hike in a nice pair of soft cotton boxer briefs & no pants. Other than that, underwear is pretty much redundantly useless. Oh and black socks & bandanas seem dry faster in the sun. ..but that's just me. 🤷🏼♂️
Doggy bags inside a ziplock for human waste items, hides the gross and adds a double layer. Use a baby wipe for feet/pits, save that one for #2. If you use moss/tundra for a wipe, cut a chunk, dig the hole, use it and return it UPSIDE DOWN (a sign for others it was recently dug). Baking soda makes a good tooth paste, brush/rinse first water only, sprinkle some soda on the brush/rinse again.
Definitely give menstrual cups another shot! Master using one while at home (there are TONS of videos for troubleshooting) and once you get over the learning curve it's a breeze. In addition to my regular Lunette cup, I have a Lily Cup compact what collapses down to a disk about the size of an Oreo (at least the case is that size. You could ditch the case and go even smaller).
End of day routine for me is to boil a little water and bathe using a 5L Sea to Summit kitchen sink then apply army foot powder to my feet. Sleep so well not feeling grimy.
I use the Lena cup for my period and absolutely love it. Would definitely recommend it. You do have to stickers up and in, so you'll want to be mindful of how clean your hands are when putting it in and taking it out. There are a lot of different brands and sizes, so I recommend ladies do a little research to find the right one for them. Also, patience is required. It's something totally new from pads and tampons, so it might take 2-3 cycles to get used to.
Your last comment was spot-on. I do not let anyone put their hands in my bag of trail mix. Everyone on the trail has a runny nose for the first hour at least. I gladly share, but pour my M&Ms out into their hand. No hands in my bag of snacks. I'm not usually afraid of germs, but the hand to nose to eyes path is well known by now.
I see way too many toilet paper poppies on the trail. There is absolutely no excuse not to have a 2nd zip-lock plastic bag to pack out used toilet paper. The bag weighs almost nothing and you already packed in the TP. For more ease and comfort, I make a set of "poop kits" each consisting of a zip-lock bag inside which I put a blue nitrile glove, an opaque plastic dog poop bag, a baby wipe cut in two, and a few sheets of TP. I dig the hole, put on the glove, do my business, wipe any which way with baby wipe and TP held in gloved hand including last with added hand sanitizer, pick up the paper, pull glove off inside-out enclosing the used paper, place in opaque dog poop bag which goes back in the original zip-lock bag (triple-bagged!). Weight of kit is about half an ounce and could be less if one puts several in single zip-lock bag. Also I split toilet paper into 2 zip-lock bags, so that only one is out at a time keeping the other dry. I suppose a thru-hiker won't carry the extra weight or find nitrile gloves in resupply places, but they could be included in a resupply box mailed to yourself. And not everyone is thru-hiking nor out for more than week anyways. BTW, the blue nitrile gloves could be useful when dealing with menstrual products, too, as they will enclose a dirty hand.
@@julianne2saw It turns out that lots of people do not bury their toilet paper (nor feces) at all or only partially bury it. Winds blow it around just like all the plastic bags you see caught in fences along roads and in your neighborhood. And baby wipes do not decompose easily in any case. So I think I am in the middle of nowhere and there it is. Yuck!
Thanks for some great tips. When doing a #2 when backpacking: Bring some disposable gloves and pack any used ones out in a sealed plastic bag. Put on the disposable glove before you do a #2. Take off a used disposable glove by using the other hand and sliding your fingers into the inside portion of the cuff of the glove so as not to touch any contaminated areas and turn it inside out and place it in a plastic bag. I suggest using some hand sanitizer on the hand used for cleaning after taking the disposable glove off. I have been at parks that have portable toilets, and they usually do not have hand wash stations. I suggest carrying some disposable gloves when ever you go somewhere. At home, using a clean hand, I put some hand sanitizer on some folded up toilet paper as the final clean up. I then use some more to dry the area. The toilet paper with the hand sanitizer can be flushed in the toilet or buried where permissible when out on the trail.
You are so hilarious “stinky foot sock water” 🤣 and I just love the way you present these delicate issues. These are very real considerations when out in the wilderness. Thank you for the tips!
Excellent informative video. My daughters choose reusable pads for because they can wash and dry them, keeping down the bulk and waste, and never have to worry about running out. Plus, they say they’re super absorbent and comfy.
I use Knix leakproof Panties. They are super thin and you feel damn near naked when wearing them. I have a heavy flow so I use a menstrual cup with the period Panties and find it good. At home I just hang them to dry and they are dry by morning as I wash in the evening. I do workout in them and they do absorb sweat. I’d take 3 pairs and rotate on trail. I’ll test it out this summer. Snowpack needs to melt first. Again, Knix leakproof Panties are pretty damn amazing, breatheable, and super light.
Also on the subject of toilet paper, I look to the Roman army, soldiers used a sponge tied to a stick and would wash it in the river, they kept it salted to prevent disease. Light weight, eco friendly, and leaves you squeaky clean. I’ve said it, a study of history is a big help as all major armies were hikers, especially the Romans.
Another excellent video. I had to laugh about the last tips. I thought that I was the only one who worries about other people's dirty hands. Must be an engineer thing. Good Luck, Rick(retired civl engr.)
Hiking in Washington State I find the ground very hard to dig in and in some places the gopher holes are so abundant it's hard to resist just using one of those for #2 and then filling it in. I also leave a stick marker in the covered hole as a warning to others to not dig in the same place.
Take the carboard middle out of a half-roll, then use duct tape on the outside. Pull the TP from the middle. Some water and coleman's camp soap keeps my nether parts nice and squeaky clean at the end of the day. I use the 1.5 oz. gold bond friction defense to prevent chafing, but you have to carry it in a separate snack Ziploc because if it gets too hot it melts.
Another option for the ladies when it comes to what to use to wipe the pee off is a peri bottle. They are lightweight, just add filtered water and a little squirt and it rinses the pee and gives you a fresh feeling (especially during that time of the month). I actually use this method at home too (found out about peri bottles 24 years ago when I gave birth for the first time lol). Anyway, for #2 I also use baby wipes, I just feel like they clean better and I am totally fine with packing them out and I found I use less compared to TP. I will say though that I may be switching my peri bottle out to a portable Bidet as they work better when held upside down (i.e. when you are squatting). I recently discovered and have started using a FUD, what a game changer lol, after I use it I use my peri bottle to quickly rinse it. I love it....my husband thinks it's weird seeing me pee standing up but I could care less. He's just upset that I can aim better than he can LMAO!
For me, portable bidet = UTI 😟 & 10 days on antibiotics. Stuck with baby wipes after that. Anything that's used repeatedly is hard to keep germ-free while on the trail.
@@geripfromnyc27 I don't use the portable bidet for #2 that is what baby wipes are for. I have chronic UTI's (6+ a year for the last 25 years). My urologist actually prescribes me a years worth of antibiotics at a time so I don't have to go in to see her every time. Anyway peri bottles work amazingly for rinsing off the front region and keeping you clean (recommended by my urologist, better than toilet paper and less chance of getting a UTI) the only reason I mention using a portable bidet instead of peri bottle is due to the angled neck which works easier in the back country. Peri bottles are great when you have a toilet but in the back country something with an angled neck that works upside down works a lot better lol!
I tell ya, When you buy from a store buy the cheap handled plastic bag. Hang it in a tree, heat some water to warm. Pour it in the bag. Strip off get everything ready then puncture the shopping bag with a single hole in the lowest hanging corner. Instant warm shower. Plus if the hole is small enough it will still make a great trash bag. Or turn it inside out let it dry and use it again.
Get some Birch leaves, shake them in some water and you get soapy water, which also has a pleasant smell. (You can use a lot and dry it to make your own bars of soap if you want.) The little buds on the trees in the Winter taste very soapy, so it's always available. If there are no Birch trees then many other plants also contain saponins which you can use in the same way.
From a guys point of view, shaving can be delayed. And, as far as menstruation, I have "saved" the day, on numerous occasions, by having tampons in my first aid kit.
Cleanliness is a huge health issue on trail. This video covered the basics well. It's easier to sort these issues quickly than to become sick in trail in the middle of nowhere.
Time Stamps for the Mobile Folks:
00:37 General Tips for Staying As Fresh and Clean As You Want
02:11 Pocket Shower
02:37 Managing Long Hair
03:48 Brushing Teeth
04:42 KEEP FEET CLEAN
05:32 Laundry
06:28 Shaving
07:08 Pee
10:32 Poop
13:51 Trail Bidet
15:12 Chaffing
16:04 Menstruation
16:30 Tampons
17:46 Menstrual Cups
18:47 Period Panties
19:28 Something to Keep in Mind About Your Fellow Hikers
There is another option to toilet paper a travel bidet.
ruclips.net/video/6oxpObyS4DE/видео.html
Sponge bath twice a day: once when you get up in the morning and later once you've pitched camp to wash the day's sweat off. Use a real fino sponge - it holds water so much better - and the tiniest smears of soap you can get away with to avoid polluting the environment and to save on rinsing water, if water is scarce.
Body odour is caused by bacteria feasting on stale sweat. Washing twice a day - particularly when you get to camp after sweaty hike - goes a long way to eliminating the problem. It will help if you trim the hair in your armpits. All three of them.
In winter, wear the absolute minimum you need to keep warm on the trail to avoid perspiring and wear Merino next to your skin. If I don't sweat into it and wash twice a day, I can wear the same Merino top for a week - even if I'm sleeping in it at night too.
I've been using a 0.6oz portable bidet. Only takes 8-12oz of water, very clean.
The bidet actually has a strong canned stream. I just my "dirty" Smart Water bottle. No soap needed when you use an actual bidet and not just a water bottle. With a real bidet you dont touch down there.
@@Boodieman72 So I experimented with not using soap for a bit over a month. I'd shower and shave and everything else like normal, but I used no soap or shampoo. I got the idea from Adam Carolla. It turns out he was right. Just washing with warm water worked fine. No body odor, no rashes....nothing. My hair was a bit weird for a week or so, then it got used to not having the natural emollients scrubbed away by shampoo. After that first week it became normal and healthy just like my skin. A thorough wash with nothing but warm water (if warm water is available), is all I need.
This is becoming a complete backpacking encyclopedia. Very well documented. Great stuff for a book.
jd onrust Thank you!
this channel has been one of two of my go to places for information on hiking/backpacking. The absolute best!
I have only discovered Dixie's channel over the last week or so and the amount of incredibly useful information I have learned already is huge. Brilliant for newbies who feel a bit overwhelmed at the number of things you need to think about so as to be well prepared.
Dixie, I took my sleeping bag stuff sack bag and filled it up with water and hung it up on a branch. It made a perfect shower, enough to quickly soap up and rinse off! It just sprinkled me so nicely! And it dried very fast, but I really didn't need to shove the sleeping bag back into it anyway, so kept it outside my pack to finish drying. I was so tickled at my discovery and thot I was quite brilliant!
One of my secrets that I've never heard anybody else mention concerning WHERE to dig cat hole; dig between brace roots of a medium size (10-24" diam) tree. There is usually a root and soil free gap perfect for #2 plus you can lean against the trunk.
Love reading extra tips in the commment section!
Really happy you covered this. As a female I have always steered away from anything overnight in the wilderness because of my menstrual cycle.
Mine is so heavy that disposables can't keep up during my heavy flow, and 1 heavy overnight pad would leak after about 40 minutes. I now have a menstrual cup plus cloth pads. The Casco cup and Merula XL cup are the ones I own and both work like a charm for me. Combining the cup with cloth pad/liner (which I bought on etsy) have allowed me to feel comfortably dry for 2-3 hours (during my heaviest flow).
This has also helped me with irritations and chafing that I used to get with disposable products. Plus, I save myself and my mom a bunch of money by using a menstrual cup plus cloth pad.
I am one of those people who simply MUST bathe at the end of the day as I can't stand going to bed salty and dirty. I deal with that by carrying a small squirt bottle of unscented Bronners soap and a 3 liter bladder for my water. I first get as clean as possible by scrubbing myself with just water and sand to get all the dirt, grime and salt off. Then I fill up my bladder and move away from the water source. I hang it from a tree limb or just hold it up when it's time to rinse. I mostly just soap up my pits, crotch, feet and scalp and then rinse off. I also keep a spare set of light weight clean clothes/underwear/socks to put on afterwards. Those are my "camp/sleeping" clothes that I wear in the evening and to bed. In summer they may just be running shorts and a tank top, in winter some long undies & an extra pair of warm socks and I wear my jacket and rain/wind pants over them in camp until bed time. They not only allow me the luxury of being really fresh and clean in the evenings, they keep my sleeping bag clean and free of odors as well so I haven't really ever had to wash it much which really makes it last longer. The next day I stash the clean stuff and put on the dirty hiking clothes again. Not fun, but I do alternate undies and socks the way you do, washing them between uses so they don't get too gross. A 10" micro fiber cloth serves as a washcloth, then squeezed out repeatedly as my "towel" to dry off with. I'm not bone dry afterwards but it works just fine, and I toss the cloth in my mesh pack pocket to dry out for the next time.
I also use my drinking tube as a kind of pee 'bidet.' I just unclip the tube from my shoulder strap, lower it fully, point and pinch the self sealing mouth piece. Since the mouthpiece is below the level of the water bladder, water flows out via gravity as soon as I pinch the mouthpiece. I point it into my other hand and splash it on, washing myself clean of all urine. It doesn't take much water and even though I'm a bit wet afterwards, I'm sweating anyway so the undies are damp already and it's a lot better to have them wet with fresh water than pee! Also, because of sweating during hiking, those little wash ups during the day really keep any chafing rashes & UTI's at bay.
I always use a menstrual cup on the trail with the addition of a wafer thin panty liner when my flow is heavy. That way if there's any leakage the liner catches it and of course I feel it and deal with it immediately before the leakage spills over the liner's capacity. And of course I've gotten used to how quickly the cup fills up during heavy flow times and am in the habit of knowing when to preemptively empty it BEFORE it overflows, using the same wash up technique as I do with peeing afterwards to thoroughly wash up the cup as well as my nethers and hand before reinserting it. I only change the pad when there's a leak or at the end of the day, and find I can easily get through the whole day 98% of the time with no overflows. In this way, just one wafer thin panty liner is typically my only additional trash for the day and my undies are kept free of spills. Each night during my bathing I wash the cup thoroughly with soap and water. Easy peasy and SOOOO nice to sleep fresh and clean. It REALLY keeps my spirits up on a long thru hike!
Thanks for the detailed info!
you don't need soap to get clean.. actually you are almost never dirty.. one could get fungea invested yet such is more or less dictated by levels of moist, not fat.. actually fat might help prevent fungea..
@@Roonnam that's not exactly true soap act as a surfactant reducing the surface tension of the water, the reduced surface tension allows the water emulsify any oil and dirt and carry it away.
@@justindunlap1235 well it is treu.. i havent used soap for half a year..really nothing changed.. i do rub dry with a towel.. i think that where all the exes oils go.. i feel my skin is better of without the liquid drain unblocker.. with fancy chemical smells.. but you just do the way your thought without real reason.. you will develop fungea and psoriasis .. but who cares. We cant change whats tought young..
I spent 10 years in the ARMY as a front line soldier. long term deployments in areas that did not have rear areas to return to caused us to live by the theory of "clean the pits, privates,feet and teeth, other than that, embrace the funk" also, every time you stop for any kind of break, CHANGE YOUR SOCKS! I carried 5 pair of socks with me, and every night, I would wash all that I have used, and hang them to be dry in morning.
Longest I ever went with out a shower was 18 days in an artillery unit. Body funk PLUS cannon funk.
Sensitive topic handled expertly and gracefully. Thank you.
Which part was a sensitive topic?
@@bocolife Various bodily functions. Although we all have them, talking about them publicly can be a delicate matter that makes some people uncomfortable (or behave like a juvenile) if not dealt with tactfully.
@@KimberlyGreen People have to start being real. You're not at home. You're miles (usually) from help. Sanitation is bloody important.
It’s only sensitive to Americans who get made uncomfortable by just about everything.
@@SophisticatedDogCat Grew up in the USA and now live in Europe and can 100% confirm this. We have so many stupid hangups about perfectly normal bodily functions.
That very last point about eating out of others bags, etc, is so smart. Not something I would have thought about either. So, that was helpful to hear.
Years ago, we had a neighbor who had an adult son who was very challenged and he lived with his parents until their deaths. He didn't understand about hygiene (or many other things) and you had to treat him like a small child. He smelled terrible because he walked the banks of the lake where we lived, picking up anything dead and everything that caught his attention and I was always on a vigilant lookout because he was enamored by my new baby and I had to constantly run interference to prevent him from picking the baby up and cuddling him. On the days that we caught him in clean cloths and smelling clean, before he searched the banks of the lake for dead fish, I would make a point of letting him hold the baby. Many bags of chips and cookies were given to him because he could get a grubby hand into them before you could pour something out for him and I became weird about eating from 'community' bags. Also, a few microbiology courses will screw with your head regarding who you share things with. When you consider that a majority of men do not wash their hands after urinating, I don't eat after anyone who is not as germ-phobic as I am.
@@lindamcdaniel2828 : At any family gatherings / cook outs or what ever . I ALWAYS get that big variety box at SamsClub , of individual chip bags . Never do I eat or serve a ‘big open bowl’ of chips / snacks .
There's solid evidence that "water borne" pathogens are more commonly spread from people who didn't wash their hands, sharing food / dishes.
I only eat from other people’s bags. Fecal matter improves your immune system.
@@SophisticatedDogCat That set my gag reflex off for a second. : P
I am a balding senior male and love the pocket mirror,brush combo. Alcohol gel sanitizer, and fire starter, are a hikers ultimate friend. Those doggie poo bags make great TP, wipes or feminine product transport bags that don't look disgusting. When picking a campsite, having a dug cat hole ahead of time is a great plan. Bad camp hygiene is a bigger problem than bad water.
They also make biodegradable doggy bags! Love that idea!
@@jparrish6751 no mention of those button size TP balls that you add a few drops of water and they open up to a nice usable size. Has anyone used these?
@@andi2234 I have not but I would be open to the idea. Does this actually exist and, if so, can you give more information, please?
Idk where to get them but there are RUclips videos about them. They seem like they'd be great to use.
@@lindamcdaniel2828 A few years ago, Amazon sold them - there were multiple brands and multiple sizes. I bought some - but I haven't used them yet.
The best number 2 trick for areas that have mosquitoes is to first poo halfway almost into your pants. Then start running. Take off belt while running and aim for a tree.
Now, this next part needs to happen in one fluid motion. Drop pants, throw belt around the tree and let the momentum swing you around and while in the air *POP* your fibrous poo shoots out like a sausage from a shotgun.
Then start quickly running again while wiping. Mosquitos didn't even have a chance. You're welcome.
If you cut your handle off your toothbrush, make sure it in long enough that you do not have to have your fingers go into your mouth. I saw someone with a toothbrush about 2 inches, he had his fingers in his mouth to use it. Not a good idea, the extra 2 grams of the handle could keep you from getting yourself sick.
At that point get one of those finger cap brushes lol
One additional thing about the cup: they can be used for 12 hours at a time, which makes them really ideal for hiking. Would require soap and water or at least hand wipes and sanitizer. And, I agree: it's got to be mastered at home before hitting the trail. It took me months to get comfortable using a cup. Would not recommend Thinx for hiking. They have to be changed out more often than you might think and they can retain an odor.
And they do need to be boiled to sanitize them occasionally. If you're not okay with tree nut in your food pot then I would use a different method
use a sterilizing cup from Pixie cups, boil water, put the hot water in the sterilizing cup with your menstrual cup and pop one of those Milton's sterilizing tablets they use for babies bottles in, screw the lid to the sterilizing cup on and leave it for a few minutes. There, you've sterilized your menstrual cup.
There are quick dry period underwear that have carbon absorbent crotch Knix brand work great. Use it with a cup and yr golden
@@laur-unstagenameactuallyca1587 I had not heard of a sterilzing cup before, thanks for the tip!
Yes to Milton's sterilisation tablets! They stop your cup going brown as fast too. You only need a tiny bit of one so I break mine up and fold the tablet wrapper up. I need to sterilise mine every day, but I have a little kit. That's fine for a nice indoor bathroom, but I don't know if I could get my hands as clean as I'd like before inserting on trail.
I notice that Dame have come out with a reusable tampon applicator that you could use with organic cotton non-applicator tampons, so maybe that would be a happy compromise, because at least the applicator would be zero waste.
Edit: I use the Milton tablets with cold water, you do not need to use hot or warm water. 😊
Good stuff again, Dixie.
One big omission, though: TISSUE TABLETS. They are easy to carry, extremely light, easy to protect against water, can be used like a baby wipe without having the toxic chemicals in baby wipes (which can cause a serious health problem for some people, too), are biodegradable, and they are so compact that you could make a cupful of them last close to a month.
Two tablets handle no. 2. Wipe once with the first tablet. Fold over and wipe again. Then use the second tablet to insure your glory hole is spotless.
Each tablet is about the size of a Canada Mint. It takes a couple of drops of water to hydrate a tablet. I use old Nuun tablet vials to carry them. One vial-ful lasts about four or five days.
For deodorant, I use lime juice. Kills the bacteria that causes odor. A little bit goes a long way. No health risk of aluminum toxicity.
To prevent or treat foot and toenail fungus, rub your feet and nails with minced garlic or garlic oil, or soak your feet in vinegar for 15 minutes when in town. Foot powders do not work well.
I hope these suggestions work for people.
@Chris Eidam great info! thanks :)
Omg! I live by baby wipes - awesome alternative! Thank you!
Gimmicky and not readily available. If you know how to pack some space for tissue paper is NOT a concern.
The other thing, "keep your hands away from your face"! This is perhaps more applicable to the last few minutes of your video but, if you assume that your hands are dirty, keeping them away from your face (eyes, mouth, nose) will go a long way to keep bacteria away from those areas which will help to decrease illness.
That’s also very good advice against viruses around people. You don’t want to catch the cold or flu during travel.
Yes good rule even off the trail. A couple of years ago I made a special effort to be mindful of when my hands are not freshly cleaned (like I've touched doorknobs or such since washing) - and keep my hands away from my eyes and mount and nose until I can wash or use hand sanitizer again. I went from getting sick usually 2 or 3 times a year to now it's been over 2 year since I've been sick
This comment DID age well!
I was just thinking the same!
😧this comment was written one year too early.
Occasionally someone on the trail will extend their hand in order to shake hands.
Extending your hand with a closed fist will precipitate a fist bump.
Because of the reduced skin contact and resulting bacterial transfer, one study has recommended that the fist bump be adopted as a more hygienic alternative to the handshake.
Fist-bump, AKA the PCT greeting : ) I was happy to find out it is a common PCT trail etiquette
Nice trick. I am an older white guy, pre fist bump mainstream generation. I just don’t shake hands on the trail, which feels off putting to me. But that is a nice compromise solution. Thanks.
Though maybe a nod or slight bow would work even better.
It's a common practice in the emergency medical services
Zach Novosad really? That is interesting. Makes sense but I hadn’t encountered it with that group.
You’ve done a great job of tactfully talking about these personally sensitive, but important
topics. You are very brave.
I'd seen this video before, but thank you again. My daughter is graduating from Cub Scouts this coming year and as a result, she'll be preparing to do frequent campouts, backpacking, and even trips with the horse cavalcades because she's a rider. I can't relate to the feminine hygiene issues and my wife is not a camper (I've been camping/etc in scouts for 35 years, her idea of roughing it is an old Holiday Inn). Anyway, I appreciate that she has a good resource outside of her troop that she can research on her own time.
We teach all Assistant Scoutmasters and Scoutmasters an "Introduction to Outdoor Leader Skills" course in order for them to be considered "Trained" and wear the patch. As a result of that, we do have several ladies who have "How do I deal with my cycle on High Adventure trips?" questions and the staff of these courses are still male dominated, so I'll refer them here until we can get more of them to staff. I also appreciate that you've incorporated several outdoor ethics concepts into this (like 200 feet away from a water source, pack out, etc), which we also teach in IOLS.
For peeing out on trail, I highly recommend the Kula Cloth! You can hang it on the outside of your bag, but it has a snap to fold it in half to keep the side that you wipe with clean. Besides being an awesome product, it’s also a small woman owned company.
Sounds great. 😊
So they only employ dwarf ladies.
Wouldn't a breathable case, similar to a toothbrush holder be better than folding? It could even be a dark color to take on heat and speed drying.
how small is she?
A small woman with big ambitions
I really love that she added time markers in the description!!
I love your format of posting a TOC! It’s made it very easy to watch only those segments I’m interested in, and to know from the outset what you were going to cover.
I love the idea of a trail bidet, but not so much carting around an extra water bottle that is likely to become contaminated.
As long as you don’t get into poison ivy or the like, and the leaves aren’t all dried out like in the fall, leaves are actually an excellent method of cleaning oneself. I did a good bit of primitive camping in my youth - and digging cat holes (or latrines intended for a few days for a group), and yes, using leaves. No, they don’t feel as nice as TP or baby wipes, but they do work just fine, and you don’t have to worry about them decomposing or having to pack them out. Neither baby wipes nor feminine wipes existed in those days, and we never had a problem. Broad, flat ones are best. I like your idea of using moss, and in a pinch, a handful of grass works, too.
I appreciate your honesty and bluntness about being on the trail as a woman. Heading to the Appalachian Trail in April and your tips have been super helpful.
I have found, for camping, for evening cleanup before getting in a sleeping bag, etc. homemade alcohol wipes work better for me than baby wipes; you just fold up a small stack of paper towels, put them in a zip-lock, and add enough rubbing alcohol to get them wet. It totally destroys armpit odor, etc. before putting on your sleep shirt or whatever. One wipe can get all your critical areas (if you do it in the right order, backside last) and go into a used-wipe ziplock bag. And it doesn't have the lingering scent of many hand sanitizers. Downside, if you have any soreness or cuts, it can sting like anything; but those areas will feel better in the morning.
Excellent comment! I will try this
I use them driving long distances with short stops, all fresh.
And they burn up pretty quick too. Less waste to pack out.
I'm going on my first backpacking trip in about a week, and this information is invaluable. I really appreciate how you answer questions I might not be comfortable asking, or worse just didn't think of. Thanks for all the great content.
Thank you for your diplomatic but informative treatment of a delicate subject. Bidet method sounds high risk (which bottle was my drinking water? Dang! I can't remember!) but I guess some people make it work. See last 2 paragraphs for more bathroom tips.
Regarding eating other people's food out of a bag they have been sticking their hand into, I've noticed since the pandemic when people at work bring a bag of something, reaching into the bag has become a big no-no! Standard op now is to pour it out into your hand or a bowl. People will actually call each other out for sticking their hand into a bag of goodies. Probably a good idea at camp or in regular life for us to use the pour method for the sake of others. Like you said though, if you see people reaching in, best to take a pass.
Lastly, two tips regarding bathroom issues. Imodium is a great thing to bring. You can burn through a lot of toilet paper if you are having a problem with your stomach. At night when the temp drops into the 20's and you are having to run out into the forest and drop your drawers every 30 minutes, it is pretty miserable. One time with every trip to the woods I would get colder and colder until I started shaking so badly I was fearing hypothermia. A dose of Imodium could have ended that problem before it even got dark.
Lastly, I love headlamps for going pottie. You don't run the risk of propping a flashlight up against a log and having it inevitably fall over into the hole you just dug and pooped in (Gross!). Or worse yet when it falls it breaks and you are 200 feet away from your camp in the pitch darkness trying to finish your business and get back without getting lost. With a headlamp when you hear a crunching of leaves nearby you don't have to reach for a light, you just look that way and realize it's only a bunny rabbit! The three light one's are a little heavy but give a lot of security because you can click to the setting where the two smaller lights shine together. My wife has scared off wild dogs with this. The light is intense and it looks like two eyes to any predator. Hope this helps some of you. Imodium and headlamps. Have fun!
Great tips. Dehydration, from diarrhoea or inadequate hydration can also contribute to hypothermia.
Funny - just this morning I was thinking you should link your hygiene video or add it to the playlist for this series. And here is this new, even more streamlined version! This advice will be pure gold to many people :)
I carry a small bottle of Campsoap/Campsuds and a dollar sponge. Works well with water, easy to clean, cheap to replace. Even if I don't have soap, a second sponge works well for a sponge bath before I get into my sleeping bag. I always feel clean and keeps my sleeping bag from getting truly nasty. The extra weight is minimal and dries relatively quickly. I keep it in a ziplock bag. I must be missing something because I never see other hikers/thru hikers carrying a sponge.
Great tips and great round up of things to consider. I use Bio Wipes by Coleman and they work almost as good as baby wipes for a quick "shower" or for a final refresher after using TP for #2. They claim it degrades in 3 weeks (depending on environment). Also instead of washing/rotating my underwear, sometimes I would just pack pantyliners. They go well with my pStyle urination device, because I use the pStyle to sort of "wipe off" some of the excess urine, and whatever is left, gets absorbed by the liner and does not cause any smell. Saves me from having to carry and use extra TP for wiping. I have the pStyle in its sturdy canvas pouch hanging within easy reach. I don't even rinse it every time, urine is sterile anyway, and it's kept neatly away from any other items - both dirty and clean. There are pros and cons to each method, and many things may need to be adjusted based on the type of hike you're doing. I did an 8 day track out in the arctic (with daytime temps hovering just above freezing), and while it was amazing that I did not yearn for a shower due to not sweating as much, it meant that exposing my bottom every time I needed to go #1 would have been very unpleasant, hence the urination devices make a lot more sense. The other thing about panty liners is they can be a real saver if you end up having an unexpected period or spotting. I got an IUD a few months before my arctic trip, and that made my periods somewhat irregular (and much lighter too, thankfully).
This was such an informative and well-organized video. As a first-time backpacker, I came across your channel and subscribed because of your personable and helpful approach to sharing your trail experiences and advice. Thanks Dixie!
Having just a clean face and neck can be really refreshing and help with trail fatigue. I use a dedicated bandana for this. Also, when it's really hot I soak the bandana in a stream and place that on my neck or wrist. The cool evaporating water over key circulatory veins/arteries can really help with heat stress. Nice content! Thanks for posting your videos.
5 Stars!!! Fabulous!!! Informative!!! I love you Dixie. Seriously, I've watched all your videos, you're certainly inspirational, and I'm excited for you that you've been able to turn your passion into a livelihood. How on earth were you able to maintain a straight face while discussing all of this? I'm 62 and have backpacked all my life but have never enjoyed, so much, your most recent instruction. Keep up the good work.
All this new content has been great. I'm learning for an AT thru-hike in 2020 and it's much appreciated.
Did you get to go?
Are you out on the AT now?
@@schamber1000 I didn't, and I'm now hoping for '22.
Dixie, thank you so much for doing these daily uploads for two weeks. I'm not a newbie hiker, but I love these just like I love all your videos. Busting my ass off right now trying to finish my PhD and your videos give me something fun to look forward to every day.
Idk if anyone else tried this before but I after having my son the hospital gave me a postpartom peri bottle. It helped out a lot postpartum and after I didn't need it anymore I continue to use it because it made me feel so clean afterwards, especially when it was that time of the month. When I started going hiking again after having my son I loved it, helped me feel nice and clean throughout my trip, I even sometimes put a few drops of Feminine cleaning wash in it every once in awhile. I recommend it, you can buy them online and at some stores.
PStyle all the way!!! No more mosquito bites on the butt. No more deep snow squats!
It’s made of hydrophobic material and with just one quick shake, all moisture is gone, back in the pack it goes.
For those who also like sea adventures, really good for going over the side of the boat like the guys do. No more messing with a wide mouth water bottle in waves, or even worse, not going at all.
Changed my hiking/camping/boating/van camping experience! Essential item and so underrated.
When I was in the Navy I used to hang my tush over the transom of the patrol boat and do my business (#1). I just made sure my gunner kept the boat pointed in a direction that would keep my ass off of camera views. Lol.
Thank you for being so open about this topic! It's useful knowledge that everyone should know
Delicate topics covered with poise. Thanks for covering this as there are some ideas I hadn't heard before. Cheers!
This cleaning secret, backpackers never openly says, but you are the only one who done it, clearly & openly, everything, i appreciate that.
About doing with no.2 , I use tissue first, then water and then I rub my fingers on the ground, sand or mud, finally use water to clean it. I again do it with water and soap when ever I get near the stream.
I am so thankful you are doing these videos!!! It’s like going to hiking school, and I have a really amazing teacher! 😃. Thank you Dixie, I appreciate your very informative and candid discussion on all of your topics. You are the BEST❗️👏🏻. Kind of funny....I can’t really remember having that “one” teacher in school that left an impression on me.....but you have 🤣
Elisa James you are right, Dixie is the best teacher ever...I never had such a great teacher at school!
Great vid Dixie. I'm an older hiker and in ....the olden days.....we sometimes carried baking soda. It can neutralize the funk most times,helps heal chafing, is great for stings and bites, good foot soak, and can be used for upset stomach relief. Vaseline was our skin lube and burn treatment. Keep up the good work. I'm 62 and still love the trail.
@Dallas Bryan I have a question for you. I have had two total knee replacements and although I can walk just fine, squatting is impossible. What idea would you have for an older person to go #2 in this case? I'm sure there is a solution or others may have a clever invention of their own for this issue. TIA
Andi ,
Years ago I heard about an older outdoorsman ,or woman, using the tree hugger pose. Gripping a tree in front of you for assuming the position, haha. Though I have never done it myself, I think that as always where there is a will, there is a way. I would practice this maneuver before taking it on the road, so to speak. After the deed is done you could pull your self upright using upper body instead of leg strength.
Hey what about bringing a rope, like a jump rope to throw around a tree to hold onto while you squat and wipe?!
Karen,
That is something that I had not considered, but should not be ruled out. As always, make sure to practice the placement and knot tying at home where the learning curve is not as steep. Hahahaha
Excellent tips! I feel like I'm pretty good in the hygiene area after 26 years in the military. Feet are super important!
Thanks for being so candid and not afraid to talk about the more taboo topics. All your tips are great! I particularly love the baby powder idea for hair. I use baby powder for keeping my shoes dry and smelling good, and have used it after baby wipes in the nether regions, but I hadn't thought of it for my long curly hair that I have to brush daily. Happy trails!
An older video on trail hygiene was the first video of yours I ever saw. 😊 I was intrigued because I had never thought of many of those issues before. So that was it-I got hooked on your very informative videos on so many hiking topics! For now, I’m a woods walker but one day maybe I’ll be able to hike.
I'm planning a 336 km hike along the East Coast Trail in my home Province of Newfoundland, Canada, and I can't tell you how helpful your videos have been. They're the most encompassing and thorough videos on RUclips on the subject.
As someone who has had both really long and really short hair, I think long hair is easier to work with. Long hair you can braid, bun, put in a ponytail, whatever. Short hair may not be long enough to braid or put in a pony tail, and even if you do, you have to deal with a lot of fly away baby hairs.
I get terrible thigh chafing, creams and powders and stuff just make it worse, never found one that helped make it better, every single one I tried only ever made it *worse* because they get absorbed into the skin via rubbing, or just rubbed off onto clothes, within 5min.
I reccomend biking shorts as underwear to help with that.
Get synthetic biking shorts, they dry quicker than cotton, as long as they reach down to a couple inches above the knee, then they provide the glide without rolling/riding up, and obviously fabric doesn't get absorbed by the skin.
Everyone says "no synthetic undies!!" But cotton absorbs water, sure it's more breatheable but the "breatheable" only comes into play if you're getting a breeze down there to remove that soaked up water anyways, ie wearing a skirt or dress, and ontop of that requiring a thigh gap... so the cotton breathability is useless for thick thighed people who get chafing on trail, where you're prob also wearing pants or shorts.
Where synthetic is like a plastic mesh, cotton is like a organic sponge, at the end of the day in my experience synthetic is better for UTIs, smell, and dryness, than wearing what's essentially a sopping wet *hot* sponge on your cooch.
You can have 2 pairs of synthetic, wash them, and switch them out as often as you need on the trail, even twice a day, because they dry so quickly.
Where cotton needs almost that full day to dry, will stay wet the entire time you wear it with no hope of drying because of lack of airflow, and once it's wet it becomes a chafing irritant, because of how it sticks to your skin, instead of gliding. Ever tried to put on wet cotton? Yeah it's like trying to put on wet cling film. Whereas putting on wet synthetic is like putting on wet togs, slightly easier, and dries out quickly after you've put it on.
Seriously cotton is way overrated for women's issues. Maybe in the old days where every woman was stick thin. But not now where majority of women either have thick muscular thighs or thick chubby thighs, very few people have that willowy figure anymore which is needed for cotton to work the way its claimed to work.
And besides all that... "cotton kills" is one of those top rule for hikers anyways isn't it?
I came to watch one video; I’ve watched your entire catalog and became a subscriber. You’ve been detailed and the time stamps are great although I’ve been watching these videos straight thru
Wonderful videos. A handful of snow cleans like a wonder and hits like a shot of coffee. Verrrrrry refreshing.
Well done. Along the line of not knowing where other peoples hands have been, trail registers and pens are a common way to spread contamination. My 2016 thru hike was cut short just prior to Harpers ferry because of e.coli poisioning.
I watch quite a few of your videos, you are my go to hiker for information. What I am always amazed with is your ability to talk about anything without stalling, forgetting, running out of energy, saying "uuuuh". Its truly perfect. Have you ever thought about a career in broadcasting.
Also important to note is to use eco friendly soap when your washing/bathing whatever ❤️🌈🐝
Not saying that you don't, but for those who don't know, remember to always use biodegradable soap 200 feet away from any water source. It may seem counter-intuitive, but contrary to their names, they are not that eco-friendly. They are chemicals that need 'biomass' (dirt) in order to degrade. They will not degrade when used in water, like a river or a lake, and can cause harm to local aquatic species.
Also, since they don't degrade in water, those who choose to use their soap too close to a water source are subjecting those who may need to drink from said source to used bathing water.
Just my personal opinion from here on, so please feel free to ignore this:
If you're going on a backpacking trip, of any length, then don't bother bringing soap. You're going to be outside. You're going to get sweaty. You're going to get dirty. You're going to smell bad - even if you use soap. Just accept it and wipe down with plain water and a washcloth. The soap can wait for when you get to an actual shower in town or whatever, where the local water utility can treat and recycle the water, making it safe for everyone.
I do bath in a water source but don't use soap just a bandana to scrub with. I have not researched biodegradable soaps so at this point i'm doing the same thing I've done for the last 50yrs.
Don’t use soap at all in rivers or lakes.
sameh ali except most “eco friendly” soap is just marketing. For the most part, the eco-damaging part of soap is that it is soap. Folks that slap eco friendly, biodegradable, or green labels on their products are beholden to no standards. Use them if you want, but keep them away from water supplies, and you aren’t a better person for the product choice. A simple bar soap with few extra ingredients works great.
I'm a soapmaker. A simple castile soap is perfectly safe, just don't use it IN the water source.
Awesome breakdown. Something else I'll add to older women who think they're periods have left forever, I had a troop mom have her first period in two years in the middle of a backpacking trip when I was in the scouts. Just something physical exercise can do. So carry some supplies just in case.
And fellas, tampons are great for nose bleeds too. So having one on you can be useful to you and can really help a lady friend out.
And fluffed up, they make great tinder !
I absolutely love the P-style, mostly because when you are done, you can lift it against yourself a little bit and slide it forward so that it wipes you clean. Really pretty amazing.
Way to tactfully cover a difficult subject that most RUclips backpackers shy away from. Very well done, very useful and much appreciated!!
Well done Jessica. Tough subject gracefully and thoroughly covered with dignity and class.
Love the video, thank you for the info. I have personally used the female urinal that you spoke of and didn't not care for it. It was really flimsy and made a mess. I went to Walmart to the automotive section and bought a beveled oil funnel (yes for draining the oil from your car :) and it worked like a charm!! It was .98 cents and easy to clean. It snug up against the female anatomy to create a good seal and it held up to the pressure that some of us may have when we wait to long to pee. I didn't have to expose myself that much . It worked great for me !!
If you carry lotion for dry skin, you can also use a dab on a finger and apply to the nether region as you assume the fecal position. This makes the paper work more efficient and you are less likely to have "cling ons" AND you may not be 'Churning Butter" as much. A little dab will do ya.
Bill M Ahhhhh nice!
I was going to mention the lotion method. It really works.
interesting!
I would add my tips:
1. To avoid getting lost while going for biological needs my app “All trails” helped me several times signalling me I’m out of trail. Make sure you downloaded all your necessary maps before hiking so it’s not dependent on gps coverage. I think the app is calculating position an fit you into the map.
2. For ladies: since I’ve got my IUD, I have a happy free life for all sports. No menstruations at all, no missed pills
Very thoughtful and generous of you to share all of this. Thank you !
I’ve had long and short hair camping (and not) and absolutely prefer short. It takes less soap to clean when/if you shower. A buff helps no matter the length in keeping it clean during the day and night. Always wipe yourself down every day somehow. For feminine hygiene, I like using silver infused reusable pads. You can wash them out and re-use them. Granted, I’m at the end of my cycle, so my cycles are quite light. I use a female urinary device and a silver infused rad to wipe with for #1. Game changer for keeping my pant legs and shoes clean. A portable bidet is a good idea if you are menustrating.
Finally a video on the subject I have been curious about. Am new to backpacking and this was very helpful! Seems all the info is about gear and very little on hygiene. So glad I found your channel! You are awesome!
Great video as always!
When I was in India and Africa, I got very good at squatting over their ground level toilets, so on the trail is easy. 😁
Plus plenty of practice as a kid out camping in New Zealand.
We can do lots of squats prior to hiking, in preparation for the trail - it makes a big difference.
Also in India, and parts of Africa, we always use the left hand for the bathroom washing, and the right hand for eating.
In Kenya and Uganda handwashing before eating is a solid ritual. 👍🏿
Hmmm my longest time without a shower (when I was on a Hotshot Crew) fighting wild fire in the mountains was 10 days, working 16-20 hour shifts of soot , sweat and grim. My FF equipment could stand up on its own, like they were heavily starch. Lol 😝 . Great Intel 👍👍👍
Dish soap bottles rinsed & filled with water & peppermint Dr Bonners a must! Squirt bottles help to ration & control water.. reaches behind well :) Also, reusable cloths for face & arm pits! (Separate colors) Butt wipes are adult size wet wipes.. I noticed that adult size wipes are more expensive, but more thorough! Wet wipes are trucked out in a ziplock wrapped in a black plastic bag.
Oh, man, I grew up in Georgia, though moved out of state nearly 13 years ago. I haven’t heard a southern accent like yours with any consistency in over a decade!
Great info in sanitation and hygiene!
I camp a week at a time from canoe or motorcycle. I take along 2 or 3 pocket-containers of waterless hand cleaners. Also, two sandwich sized Ziplocks of some modified baby wipes. Modified as follows:
Torn in half because standard size is too large. Added white vinegar because 1. Otherwise they dry out, even sealed inside a Ziplock. And 2. white vinegar is antibiotic. They serve for a spit bath, and TP.
Courtesy of Half Vast Flying
I put a teaspoon or so of baking soda in my used TP bag. Helps cut down on the odor. :)
For black hair. Protective styles are great. Dreadlocks and protective styles are my preference. I've backpacked with relaxed hair, loose natural, and dreadlocks. Living in Wyoming, dreadlocks won by far!! But any protective styles with a bandanna works well
Also baking soda is great for hair, body and teeth. But I don't usually wash my hair while backpacking. Living in Wyoming where it was COLD, my scalp has adjusted to less washing. In heat i do more...but not while camping.
I hear everyone say to use cornstarch powder instead of talc (not just backpacking, everyday mom life too)
But i remember learning when we struggled with diaper rash that the yeast causing the irritation actually eats cornstarch, so we were essentially feeding the yeast.
I'm not exactly sure what the best method is, We choose to use talc and it cleared up better. Just throwing that out there!
No talc on the nether regions for women as it has been linked to ovarian cancer
The talc issue remains unsettled. The original cancer link is because raw talc has asbestos in in and is known to cause cancer in talc miners. However, manufacturers have eliminated asbestos from talc consumer products for decades. There are mixed results with consumer talc in high exposure animal testing, but very little evidence of any human cancer link. On the other hand, cornstarch does work well, even when treating yeast infections. Apparently the desiccating properties, when used correctly, are enough to inhibit yeast growth. It is similar to how granulated sugar keeps well in a sugar bowl, despite yeasts present in the air. Doesn’t matter as long as it is dry.
@@thomasr.jackson2940 It won’t be dry for long...
Tim In general, the biggest factor in dermal yeast is dryness. Neither talc or cornstarch will keep you dry indefinitely. I question the effectiveness of either for preventing yeast infections during an endurance activity, such as hiking, but am not aware of direct studies in that context. They are mostly used for comfort, so in that sense, users choice.
Thanks for the tips! I have OCD and I am preparing for a pack trip in 2024. I am really freaked out about going to the bathroom outside. I think you gave some really great tips and tricks!
Dixie,
Thanks for posting this - I don’t think I’ll EVER go through hiking again!
Good on you for addressing potentially embarrassing issues on multiple videos re: backpacking. Your friendly, direct language is educational and appreciated. Nice Work !
Yodora cream deodorant lasts me two weeks an application and is aluminum free. Worth the ounce or two of weight. I prefer not to "Embrace the Stink!"
I appreciate the attention to detail and talking about subjects that others don't want to. When base camping on trail - we set up a small sanitation station with a water source and soap - so anyone who uses the cat hole can wash their hands right away after.
Great video Dixie! I appreciate that you've tackled some pretty important but delicate topics, you did a fantastic job!
A handful of dirt. A handful is thick enough of a barrier between hand & feces. A light wipe with the first handful, then with the next handful wipe a little harder/better.
By the 3rd/4th handful, you're pretty much safe. Before i do the first handful i usually wipe with a stick or rock, then start the handfuls of dirt. Moist soil works best for the first wipe, dry dirt/sand works best for the last wipes.
Dirt also cleans the hands. Moist soil cleans better. But both work if done thoroughly. It works so much better than leaves & grass.
Dirt is also a great deodorant & armpit dryer. I learned this trick from my cat who rolls in the dirt before going out to hunt. Sometimes I mix a little bit of bush or flower in with the dirt to add a natural scent.
Baking soda is a great all purpose thing. From tooth paste, deodorant, drying agent, foot powder, splinter remover, infection etc plus its not harmful to soil. Just don't rub it on too hard because it is a bit abrasive.
Oh & i even put a dust layer of dirt on my bandana to help keep it dryer longer while wearing it. And I never wear a hat without a bandana on. Its like underwear for your head. Although I only wear underwear when its cold or My skin is raw, or on those hot days when I just want to hike in a nice pair of soft cotton boxer briefs & no pants. Other than that, underwear is pretty much redundantly useless.
Oh and black socks & bandanas seem dry faster in the sun.
..but that's just me. 🤷🏼♂️
Doggy bags inside a ziplock for human waste items, hides the gross and adds a double layer.
Use a baby wipe for feet/pits, save that one for #2.
If you use moss/tundra for a wipe, cut a chunk, dig the hole, use it and return it UPSIDE DOWN (a sign for others it was recently dug).
Baking soda makes a good tooth paste, brush/rinse first water only, sprinkle some soda on the brush/rinse again.
Good tip on the baking soda, which can also double for foot powder and arm pits since it kills smells!
Definitely give menstrual cups another shot! Master using one while at home (there are TONS of videos for troubleshooting) and once you get over the learning curve it's a breeze. In addition to my regular Lunette cup, I have a Lily Cup compact what collapses down to a disk about the size of an Oreo (at least the case is that size. You could ditch the case and go even smaller).
End of day routine for me is to boil a little water and bathe using a 5L Sea to Summit kitchen sink then apply army foot powder to my feet. Sleep so well not feeling grimy.
I use the Lena cup for my period and absolutely love it. Would definitely recommend it. You do have to stickers up and in, so you'll want to be mindful of how clean your hands are when putting it in and taking it out. There are a lot of different brands and sizes, so I recommend ladies do a little research to find the right one for them. Also, patience is required. It's something totally new from pads and tampons, so it might take 2-3 cycles to get used to.
Great topic homemade wonderlust, another option for toilet paper is "Puff's plus aloe" this keeps chaffing down and it fits great in zip loc bags.
Your last comment was spot-on. I do not let anyone put their hands in my bag of trail mix. Everyone on the trail has a runny nose for the first hour at least. I gladly share, but pour my M&Ms out into their hand. No hands in my bag of snacks. I'm not usually afraid of germs, but the hand to nose to eyes path is well known by now.
I see way too many toilet paper poppies on the trail. There is absolutely no excuse not to have a 2nd zip-lock plastic bag to pack out used toilet paper. The bag weighs almost nothing and you already packed in the TP. For more ease and comfort, I make a set of "poop kits" each consisting of a zip-lock bag inside which I put a blue nitrile glove, an opaque plastic dog poop bag, a baby wipe cut in two, and a few sheets of TP. I dig the hole, put on the glove, do my business, wipe any which way with baby wipe and TP held in gloved hand including last with added hand sanitizer, pick up the paper, pull glove off inside-out enclosing the used paper, place in opaque dog poop bag which goes back in the original zip-lock bag (triple-bagged!). Weight of kit is about half an ounce and could be less if one puts several in single zip-lock bag. Also I split toilet paper into 2 zip-lock bags, so that only one is out at a time keeping the other dry. I suppose a thru-hiker won't carry the extra weight or find nitrile gloves in resupply places, but they could be included in a resupply box mailed to yourself. And not everyone is thru-hiking nor out for more than week anyways. BTW, the blue nitrile gloves could be useful when dealing with menstrual products, too, as they will enclose a dirty hand.
I do the nitrile glove trick too. Works great.
wont the buried paper just compost down with the poop? there must be a lot of earthworm colonies parallel to these trails by now. Good for the planet.
@@julianne2saw It turns out that lots of people do not bury their toilet paper (nor feces) at all or only partially bury it. Winds blow it around just like all the plastic bags you see caught in fences along roads and in your neighborhood. And baby wipes do not decompose easily in any case. So I think I am in the middle of nowhere and there it is. Yuck!
Wow. That is such a good idea about the gloves! 😯 Thanks!
Good for the immediate environment, but terrible overuse of plastic longterm.... Seems overkill to me. Forget the gloves, just sanitise your hands.
Thanks for some great tips. When doing a #2 when backpacking: Bring some disposable gloves and pack any used ones out in a sealed plastic bag. Put on the disposable glove before you do a #2. Take off a used disposable glove by using the other hand and sliding your fingers into the inside portion of the cuff of the glove so as not to touch any contaminated areas and turn it inside out and place it in a plastic bag. I suggest using some hand sanitizer on the hand used for cleaning after taking the disposable glove off. I have been at parks that have portable toilets, and they usually do not have hand wash stations. I suggest carrying some disposable gloves when ever you go somewhere. At home, using a clean hand, I put some hand sanitizer on some folded up toilet paper as the final clean up. I then use some more to dry the area. The toilet paper with the hand sanitizer can be flushed in the toilet or buried where permissible when out on the trail.
You are so hilarious “stinky foot sock water” 🤣 and I just love the way you present these delicate issues. These are very real considerations when out in the wilderness. Thank you for the tips!
Excellent informative video. My daughters choose reusable pads for because they can wash and dry them, keeping down the bulk and waste, and never have to worry about running out. Plus, they say they’re super absorbent and comfy.
I use Knix leakproof Panties. They are super thin and you feel damn near naked when wearing them.
I have a heavy flow so I use a menstrual cup with the period Panties and find it good.
At home I just hang them to dry and they are dry by morning as I wash in the evening.
I do workout in them and they do absorb sweat.
I’d take 3 pairs and rotate on trail.
I’ll test it out this summer. Snowpack needs to melt first.
Again, Knix leakproof Panties are pretty damn amazing, breatheable, and super light.
Also on the subject of toilet paper, I look to the Roman army, soldiers used a sponge tied to a stick and would wash it in the river, they kept it salted to prevent disease. Light weight, eco friendly, and leaves you squeaky clean. I’ve said it, a study of history is a big help as all major armies were hikers, especially the Romans.
Another excellent video. I had to laugh about the last tips. I thought that I was the only one who worries about other people's dirty hands. Must be an engineer thing. Good Luck, Rick(retired civl engr.)
I'm a day hiker & car camper and found this super useful. Thanks!
I always take a shower change my clothes every night and wash my clothes. I sleep better and it keeps sleeping bag of poncho liner clean.
I have never been camping and don’t think I ever will BUT this was very educational. Thank you!!
Hiking in Washington State I find the ground very hard to dig in and in some places the gopher holes are so abundant it's hard to resist just using one of those for #2 and then filling it in. I also leave a stick marker in the covered hole as a warning to others to not dig in the same place.
Take the carboard middle out of a half-roll, then use duct tape on the outside. Pull the TP from the middle. Some water and coleman's camp soap keeps my nether parts nice and squeaky clean at the end of the day. I use the 1.5 oz. gold bond friction defense to prevent chafing, but you have to carry it in a separate snack Ziploc because if it gets too hot it melts.
Another option for the ladies when it comes to what to use to wipe the pee off is a peri bottle. They are lightweight, just add filtered water and a little squirt and it rinses the pee and gives you a fresh feeling (especially during that time of the month). I actually use this method at home too (found out about peri bottles 24 years ago when I gave birth for the first time lol). Anyway, for #2 I also use baby wipes, I just feel like they clean better and I am totally fine with packing them out and I found I use less compared to TP. I will say though that I may be switching my peri bottle out to a portable Bidet as they work better when held upside down (i.e. when you are squatting). I recently discovered and have started using a FUD, what a game changer lol, after I use it I use my peri bottle to quickly rinse it. I love it....my husband thinks it's weird seeing me pee standing up but I could care less. He's just upset that I can aim better than he can LMAO!
For me, portable bidet = UTI 😟 & 10 days on antibiotics. Stuck with baby wipes after that. Anything that's used repeatedly is hard to keep germ-free while on the trail.
@@geripfromnyc27 I don't use the portable bidet for #2 that is what baby wipes are for. I have chronic UTI's (6+ a year for the last 25 years). My urologist actually prescribes me a years worth of antibiotics at a time so I don't have to go in to see her every time. Anyway peri bottles work amazingly for rinsing off the front region and keeping you clean (recommended by my urologist, better than toilet paper and less chance of getting a UTI) the only reason I mention using a portable bidet instead of peri bottle is due to the angled neck which works easier in the back country. Peri bottles are great when you have a toilet but in the back country something with an angled neck that works upside down works a lot better lol!
Sand Fox not sure what you mean or what you’re getting at?
@@NuttyHikerOfficial So sorry about the comment was meant for another post. Didn't mean any harm... peace out hit the trail
I tell ya,
When you buy from a store buy the cheap handled plastic bag. Hang it in a tree, heat some water to warm. Pour it in the bag. Strip off get everything ready then puncture the shopping bag with a single hole in the lowest hanging corner. Instant warm shower. Plus if the hole is small enough it will still make a great trash bag. Or turn it inside out let it dry and use it again.
6:20 stinky sock foot water. That's a new term that I will fit into conversation every chance I get.
Get some Birch leaves, shake them in some water and you get soapy water, which also has a pleasant smell. (You can use a lot and dry it to make your own bars of soap if you want.) The little buds on the trees in the Winter taste very soapy, so it's always available. If there are no Birch trees then many other plants also contain saponins which you can use in the same way.
From a guys point of view, shaving can be delayed. And, as far as menstruation, I have "saved" the day, on numerous occasions, by having tampons in my first aid kit.
Ha!
Cleanliness is a huge health issue on trail. This video covered the basics well. It's easier to sort these issues quickly than to become sick in trail in the middle of nowhere.