You are one with the outdoors: you wake to the sun rising and fall asleep to the sound of crickets in the pale moonlight. But, long days of hiking in the hot sunshine and evenings spent around a crackling campfire may leave you smelling less than rosy. Instead of stinking out your fellow campers or crawling into your sleeping bag with dirty feet, prepare for good personal hygiene by packing the right items.
Dry Shampoo
Instead of lugging around heavy bottles of shampoo and conditioner, bring dry shampoo. Requiring no water, simply brush out your hair, apply the shampoo and allow it to dry the natural oils. Consider running a brush through your hair with the dry shampoo in to ensure it cleans from roots to tips. Depending on your packing room, you can buy the product in powder form (box) or spray-on (canister).
Baby Wipes
Easy to pack and great smelling—if nothing else, these are a simple personal hygiene go-to. You can buy baby wipes in a variety of scents, or choose odorless. Many brands now sell them in a plastic bag, making it easy to squeeze in with all your other gear.
Dr. Bronners
This is your catchall personal hygiene item for camping. As gentle and pure as the environment, one bottle of Dr. Bronner's can be used as face wash, shampoo, mouthwash, shaving cr?me, body wash and laundry detergent; and the peppermint oil leaves you feeling fresh afterwards. Buy a large bottle and share between yourself and the other campers.
Hand Sanitizer
After climbing rocks and exploring all day, you want to have clean hands before cooking dinner. While hand soap and water are important, a small bottle of hand sanitizer may be better for your hike; it takes up minimal room and doesn't require water. Look for this in a portable spray bottle, which is even more backpacking friendly.
Clothing Line
Though this is not a cleaning product, it's critical to your personal hygiene during a camping trip. When the opportunity presents itself, you can dunk your dirty clothes into a stream, lake or other body of water and let them dry on the clothing line.
Paper Soap
This product is perfect for campers and backpackers who need a quick and easy cleanup. Take one of the papers with dry fingers, place it on the body part you want to wash, add water and lather until the paper dissolves. No mess, no fuss, just a quick clean. You should have a wet paper or bath towel close by to wash the soap off, too.
Travel Size Mouthwash
If you aren't bringing a full tube of toothpaste and regular toothbrush, mouthwash is the next best thing. Forgo the family-sized bottle, and bring a travel size, which will be easier to pack; you can take this on backpacking trips or leave it at the campsite. A quick swish is all you need to feel freshened up.
Clean Towels
Small hand towels will be easiest to pack, but you can bring washcloths, which are even smaller. Whether you use water, soap or baby wipes, you'll need to wash off the excess soap and water before putting fresh clothing on.
While every camper has his or her favorite personal hygiene products, these are easy to pack and, in many cases, can be used by multiple people. Pack these items to make sure your next camping trip is as clean as it is adventurous.
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