High Sierra Topix

hmmm...I thought the stink was transferring from my day pack.

I have to stay covered up as I have spent too many summers in altitude and it is starting to show on my skin. I wear the long sleeved lightwear hiking shirts...Ex Officio, Campmor, Sportif, Columbia...nylon, polyester or blends...with a super lightweight wicking tank underneath.

I try to rinse my shirt every afternoon. And after a long backpacking trip...wow, were our clothes grungy after 28 days...I soak/wash hiking clothes at home with Oxy Clean and detergent. Usually will soak/wash clothes along the trail with bio soap in a collapsable bucket.

I rinse my hiking shirt every day when I have time for it to dry. It only takes about an hour in sunlight. As for washing with soap, even what is thought of as a biodegradable soap, as far as I am concerned, this is a big "no-no" since it degrades water quailty of your drinking water. If you have to use soap, here is the proceedure:

Find a place at least 200 feet from water, having internal drainage so that lingring soap suds cannot get into any water source, then wash in your bear can or cook pot. Dump the water from the bear can, and fill with new water obtained from your platypus. Rinse. Repeat at least 2-3 times. ONLY when you see no sign of soap can you then rinse the shirt in the water source. If your shirt is treated with insecticide, NEVER put it directly into a stream or lake.

In fact, tripple rinse your backpack clothing at home before taking them out. Most single cycle washings in machines will leave soap in the clothing and that soap will be released into the lakes or streams when you wash it in the field.

With a cotton shirt and a large cook pot, you can actually get the smells out without soap if you boil the clothing. Some smells actually come out if you simply hang the shirt in the sunshine a few hours.

Washing clothing in soap should only be done on long trips and then only a few times. I would rather put up with the smell than pollute my water sources. Too many Sierra lakes near trails are already horribly polluted with soap, from well-meaning people who think their biodegradable soaps are OK.

Wandering Daisy...hopefully you've informed some folks here...

(This year, it has been obvious, while I'm out and about, that more backpackers don't know or care about wilderness cleaning or bathroon etiquette...Or fires, campsite placement, etc., etc...rant!)

Of course, I should've been more specific that I don't rinse my "bio" washed clothes in the creeks or lakes and I dig a hole to dump water. And I only will carry the collapsable bucket (and the Reliance water carrier...and the solar shower ) on "longer" trips.

Also, besides the extra rinsing at home...I don't put my hiking clothes in the dryer, air drying most. This has nothing to do with pollution, except if you were to use dryer sheets. I believe the dryer heat, even on low, will set in any leftover odor, especially in synthetic fabrics.

I use my small Seattle Sports crushable bucket. Dip it in the water, carry it away from the water source. Hang it on a branch, and squirt some Dr's in it and wash. toss the water away from vegetation. Wipe. Dip in the water and rinse. I use two rinses. Its very lightweight and can hold almost a gallon of water.

I wash out my hiking clothes each afternoon, I am a heavy sweater. Roll the clothes in the
towel I carry, then line dry. Keeps me fresher and I like putting on clean cloths in the morning.

A while back when I was at our local running store looking at some special sports clothes detergent that is supposed to remove the smell from active-wear, the owner told me to just use vinegar. I took his advice and found out it works pretty good.