Backcountry Cleanliness

[AlmostThere]

I backpack from time to time with a guy who always looks like he stepped off the cover of GQ. Four days out and he's just about the cleanest person out there. Hat always tilted at a jaunty angle, and his clothes all match.

I on the other hand have wacky hat hair, smeared up pants and muddy shoes. My bargain basement clothing frequently clashes - olive drab pants, hot pink short sleeve shirt, blue socks, and brilliant neon buff.

I think he has a small force field that keeps the dirt off his clothes. I keep checking when he isn't looking but have yet to isolate the generator. Might be hidden in his camera.

[Wandering Daisy]

Here is a chilly bath location. I did a one second in-and-and out. My crazy friend actually swam with the icebergs.

[The Other Tom]

Thanks guys. Sounds like the solution is to do it fast and get it over with ! Regarding the thermometer, I used one to measure the temp in a Sierra lake once. The temp was around 60....way higher than I thought it would be, (and higher than it felt to me).

[TehipiteTom]

I have to say, this whole thread (with a few individual exceptions) is so bizarrely alien to me that it might as well have come from another planet. The notion that people as demonstrably hardy as y'all are would turn out to be such delicate flowers that you just couldn't bear the sort of conditions prevalent for 99.99999% of human history--well, in all honesty, I never would have guessed it. And the idea that a little grime would motivate anyone to do anything as demonstrably insane as jump in water below 60 degrees--well, if I invented a story that crazy, nobody would believe me.

I don't understand (most of) you. I have no idea what goes through your heads. I'm only glad I don't live there myself.

[AlmostThere]

I have to say, this whole thread (with a few individual exceptions) is so bizarrely alien to me that it might as well have come from another planet. The notion that people as demonstrably hardy as y'all are would turn out to be such delicate flowers that you just couldn't bear the sort of conditions prevalent for 99.99999% of human history--well, in all honesty, I never would have guessed it. And the idea that a little grime would motivate anyone to do anything as demonstrably insane as jump in water below 60 degrees--well, if I invented a story that crazy, nobody would believe me.

I don't understand (most of) you. I have no idea what goes through your heads. I'm only glad I don't live there myself.

About the time I can smell myself is generally when you would understand why I am such a hothouse flower that I pack a few wet wipes.

I've started leaving bug repellent at home.

[gary c.]

I bathed before I left the house, what more do you want.

[LMBSGV]

Make your priority staying clean and she may even want to get zip-together sleeping bags.

My wife and I have always had zip-together sleeping bags. These days it's getting harder to find them - LL Bean makes a great set.

I'm one of those Pigpen people who is a dust and dirt magnate. That's why I go into the creek or lake nearly every day. No soap, just getting the dirt and dust off and immersing my hair. I swear that the clean, cold water is a cure for dandruff - on long trips my chronic dandruff disappears.

[John Dittli]

My wife and I have always had zip-together sleeping bags. These days it's getting harder to find them -

Harder to find wives or sleeping bags? Guess it depends how often one jumps in that creek.

JD

[SSSdave]

I have to say, this whole thread (with a few individual exceptions) is so bizarrely alien to me that it might as well have come from another planet. The notion that people as demonstrably hardy as y'all are would turn out to be such delicate flowers that you just couldn't bear the sort of conditions prevalent for 99.99999% of human history--well, in all honesty, I never would have guessed it.

As noted, when winter snow backpacking or desert backpacking we bear being grubby Don't like be grubby, especially at night in my sleeping bag but without a choice out in the desert one deals with it. Much like the desert midday heat. Don't like it but its not going to keep me away.

And the idea that a little grime would motivate anyone to do anything as demonstrably insane as jump in water below 60 degrees--well, if I invented a story that crazy, nobody would believe me. I don't understand (most of) you. I have no idea what goes through your heads. I'm only glad I don't live there myself.

I'm like the bear that can take a few bee stings in order to enjoy that comb of honey. The discomfort of cold water is actually rather low on my list. Worse is having to monkey through a length of big talus carrying my heavy pack. Much worse is say getting out of the Subu, at the bottom of Mineral King Valley, hefting my 70 pound pack on my back and starting up the Sawtooth Pass trail. Or having to spend a night while because of limited tenting locations too close to someone that SNORZZZZZZ all night. Or having to deal with hiking several more miles after the soles of my feet are painfully sore from pounding down a trail like Sawtooth Pass.

In each case there is some honey at the end. One of my goals in the backcountry has always been figuring out how to make the experience more pleasant and fun despite having to pay some usual dues. A few seconds of cold water is small stuff. Feeling clean for hours especially in my silky clean down sleeping bag is much more the pleasure.

[tomcat_rc]

I usually start my morning with a cup of hot tea or coffee. I boil a little extra water and then mix the leftover with some cold water for a warm pot of water. This is usually enough for face, hair, and underarms. Clean and fresh way to start each morning. This method allows me to go longer without needing a full body soak in a cold lake.