Camping gives the most refreshing feeling ever, but to carry out the entire camping process all you need is be well equipped and aware of the hygiene during the camping and while roaming around the campsites. One of the hardest things to manage while camping in the outdoors is personal hygiene. Whether you’re at a camping facility complete with water or you’re roughing it miles away from the nearest person, keeping clean is a struggle. Without the modern conveniences, we’ve become so lazy to, keeping up with the dirt, bacteria, and grime that seems to be so fond of our skin and hair is a constant challenge. But with these simple tricks and a few items, you can keep yourself relatively clean, healthy, and odour-free in the outdoors.

While camping you have to be aware of every single thing, especially when it comes to keeping you and your children clean and hygiene. If you have enough space in your bag, take all important items that are useful. However, most campers have a very less amount of space for their camping equipment.

Here are the most camping hygiene essentials to remember:

1. Basic Hygiene Items
The most basic camp hygiene items are toothpaste, toothbrush, soap/shampoo, feminine hygiene products, and similar must-have items.

2. Daily Rinse
Instead of showering on a short camping trip, substitute a quick daily rinse with a splash of water on face and hair plus a quick rub down with camping wipes (or baby wipes).

3. Hand Sanitizer
Hand sanitizer is a must-have camping hygiene item. Not only because it is helpful to wipe away dirt, but it’s a great substitute for items like soap and hot water after you go to the bathroom in the woods.

4. Fresh Clothing
A set of fresh clothing is a must item after a long day of camping in the dust and dirt. Bring along as many fresh clothes for camping.

5. Bathroom/Shower Knowledge
Don’t wait until you are deep in the forest to learn how to shower or go to the bathroom while camping. Google everything about shower guide and bathroom guide in camping.

6. Camping Hygiene Hacks

There are some hygiene hacks that are easy to carry out if the bag is full of other items. Camping hacks are practical tips and tricks you can use to make spending time in the forest easier.

Here are a few hygiene hacks specifically towards staying clean and fresh on your next camping trip.

1. Camping Wipes
Camping wipes, old baby wipes, help you stay clean and fresh from head to toe while in the forest. They are a great way to “clean up” after defecating.

2. Synthetic Clothing
When backpacking sometimes you don’t have enough room to pack each and every item in a bag. Synthetic clothing is made of moisture wicking materials that limit bacteria, wicks away sweat, and keep you feeling fresh.

3. Dots and Slivers
When you’re camping, there’s no reason to pack a full tube of toothpaste or a bar of soap when backpacking. A good camping hack is to place small single-use dots of toothpaste in tin foil and small slivers of bar soap in a plastic bag while planning a backpacking trip.

4. No Deodorant
Leave the deodorant at home while camping. Not only can scented deodorant attract animals, but it also takes up unnecessary space in a bag. And you don’t really need deodorant since everyone you meet along the trail will be stinky anyways.

Feminine Hygiene While Camping

Camping on your period might be like a deal breaker. But there are a few ways to make it manageable. You might stress out for the first time, but you’ll soon realise that backpacking with your period is not that hard.

The first thing you have to do is making a choice between tampons and menstrual cups. When it comes to tampons and menstrual cups for camping, you should just go with what you normally use at home. Though a menstrual cup does save a little weight in a bag, the problem is a lack of soap and hot water for easy cleaning. Another benefit of menstrual cups for camping is the lack of waste. Unlike a tampon, there is no need to pack any used waste.

Packing hand sanitizer and pre-moistened wipes are helpful. You can also bring a few pairs of nitrile medical gloves to make things clean and simple really.

Once again, it all about what makes you most comfortable. For most women going camping, it’s great to just stick to your normal routine. Stashing your feminine hygiene supplies as part of your overall camp hygiene kit so that you’re never without the products you need on the trail. And, despite what you may have heard, a women’s menstrual blood does not attract animals.

How to Shower in the Woods –

The best way to keep you clean and hygiene is to do showering while camping. Showering is the lot easier while camping, as it seems to be not so easy at first thought. Camping showers come in all sizes and shapes. There are various types of showers in camp from simple cold showers to solar showers to portable hot water heater showers.

The best type of shower in camping is a solar camp shower. There are devices use the heat of the sun to warm up the water.

You can clean yourself off with baby wipes while in camp, bathe in a lake or stream, or even give yourself a sponge bath.

Do not bring:

1. Deodorant because it smells attracts woodland animals.
2. Shampoos are bad for the environment.
3. Mirrors are not useful as they broke easily and may be harmful.
4. Non-biodegradable products are bad for the environment like plastics.
Final Thoughts

For some people staying clean and hygiene seems to be impossible. But with just a little knowledge of how to stay clean, and some of the basic preparation, it’s actually really quite easy. So, take outdoor hygiene hacks to heart to make the most out of your next camping.