High Sierra Topix

oldranger wrote:But I absolutely cannot climb into my sleeping bag without first a complete washdown

Bingo! I guess I'm not the only one. I prefer to jump in a lake if possible, swim a bit and just give myself a good "wiping" with my hands. I need to get the bug spray, dirt and sun block off if at all possible. If I get in my bag dirty I can feel it, especially my legs sticking together and it drives me crazy.

I usually take a sponge bath (jumping in cold water is too much for me). I, too, wear sleep clothes only after washing up. I also wash or wipe down that days pants/shirt/socks so they are reasonably clean for the next day.

I'm pretty close to the no.1 category. For an overnighter about all I do is wash my hands. On extended trips my socks and boot aroma will make me pass out after about 3 days, so I will try to rinse (no soap) my socks and wash my feet in a lake--although weather conditions and mosquitoes may discourage this. I will rotate through two pairs of socks every other day if possible. When I wade in, I do a little dance in the sand to abrade the toe jam out. In case you were wondering, this is not an exotic method of stunning the lunkers and capturing the fish as they float belly up.

Put me in there with Oldranger at about 1.5. And add that I generally jump in in my shorts and hiking shirt, so they get a rinse as well - or if I don't jump in due to temps or a too-small water source, I rinse out the shirt at least.
And I always rinse out a pair of socks each day. No soap - I don't carry soap - I use a plastic bag or stuffsack as a portable washing machine. I carry 2 pair of socks and wear one unless the trip is only 2 days. So I always have one clean(ish) dry pair in the pack, one drying on the pack as I walk, and one on my feet.
For snowcamping, all this goes by the board. On nice sunny days, I wash my face and hands with snow (feels great, actually), and will go as far as the pits as well sometimes. And air out clothing if possible. Have even stripped naked and aired out completely on a nice sun-warmed rock at times on ski trips.

I probably fall a bit below 3 - more infrequent than every other day depending upon the situation and weather. Typically rinse myself clean away from water sources, and only try to clean up when its easy to warm up (aka when its warm and sunny). No soap, just a good rinsing. For some reason, I've never been attracted to diving into an ice cold lake.

I am a 2.5 - totally in the water, no matter how cold (have even gone in lakes with ice) except if it is snowing out. Every 5 days I do the entire bath thing using my bear can and solar heating the water - and wash my hair. I am not a soap user, though. I do use a little drop of shampoo but do this FAR away from streams. The Sierra lakes are usually fine. This is a bit brisker experience in the Rocikes. I like to be clean, and really care about being clean. I even wash my shirt about every day, wash socks, and wash hiking pants at least every 5 days too. The bear can also makes a great washing machine.

1.5
Temps are always too cold above 11k to jump into a lake or stream. I like to wash off the hands, face, arms and pits and occasionally soak my feet. On layover days, I'll take a sponge bath in my collapsible bucket and wash my socks and shirt.

I sure hope you guys are going inside the creek and lakes after you rinse off the sweat, bug juice, and sun lotion. I won't let the boys go inside the water without rinsing off first. I hate to filter water from the same spot if they left all their applied juices in the water, especially if it's a lake.

And absolutely NO soap anywhere near the lakes or streams..

Sweat washed off in streams washes away quickly. I have worked in water quailty - we used to say "dilution is the solution to pollution". Aireation is a water treatment method. I seldom use insect repellant. I double rinse my clothing at home before I go out so there is no soap residue in them. As for lakes, I go away from campsites, however I jump in the lake TO wash off sweat. I do not wash off in small ponds just for that reason. A bit of my sweat in a large lake that sees little use is acceptable to me. Most of the time I am in areas where few people go. The issue here to me is that a practice that is acceptable to me in a remote lake or large lake may not be OK in a heavily used area. You have to use some judgement. I do not recall that human sweat is toxic. It was not the thought of sweat in Evolution Lake last summer that sent me up the trail to get water from a stream, it was the partly decomposed dead rodent that was floating at my feet. I am not an environmental Neanderthal, but I am not a purist either. And what is that old song - "men" sweat and women "glow".

Maybe this is a topic that should have its own thread.

I don't tend to jump in water, being a screaming coward and poor swimmer, but I've been known to take enough fuel to warm water and have a nice little soapless wipedown with my bandanna. Also a baggie of wet wipes does wonders - one per day before changing into clean base layer helps me feel less like I'm hiking in six layers of dried sweat.

My, what appealing things we bring up on backpacking forums.