One of the big things that a lot of people (particularly females) have told me that puts them off camping is the whole hygiene thing - much of this is based from attending music festivals where the concept of using urine for neutralising jelly fish stings has somehow transgressed into a belief that it can also neutralise what is commonly known as "Hippy Aroma" - the smell that is associate with people who think that for a weekend at a festival they can transcend into complete hippy-ness and then back to normal again by Monday for their desk job. Real hippies secrete a special enzyme that whilst creates a smell, is not unpleasant unlike that of the pseudo-hippy.
Anyway, I am transgressing. Camping need not mean smelling bad. Here are five ways to maintain a more comfortable situation for you and your companions.
Shower when you can - depending on where you are camping there may not always be showers available. Sometimes you will not want to use the showers given the state of them. But when you find one, use it. Then there is the camp showerl. Fill some container (such as a saucepan) with water (if you are a bit soft heat some up on the stove.) wet yourself (with water), lather, pour water over head.
Carry Wipes - baby wipes, facial wipes etc… these can be useful. Guys, I know that the idea of this is a bit "girly", but you do not need to use them everyday, but trust me, if you do not clean your "best friend", it could turn a colour that is not in the rainbow. There are plenty of unscented wipes out there and to be honest, they are preferable. Just make sure that you pick up the right ones - I discovered what makes old ladies smell a certain way when I borrowed what I refer to as a " 'gina wipe" aka feminine hygiene wipe, that a friend had bought without reading the pack.
Go Swim - camping by a lake? Go swim in it. That will get the grime off. Just don't use soap - it ruins the eco-system. You can also do this in the sea as well, but I would reserve this for really desperate times as you will be left with dry salt residue on you that can make you sweat more than a… better stop here before I offend someone.
Wear Merino - anyone who has proper merino (type of wool, generally from New Zealand or Australia) will know how amazing this stuff is. I am obsessed with it. Merino produces a natural enyme that helps prevent odours from occurring. Apparently the record is one guy who wore a pair for 183 days straight. I would not recommend this, but you can go 3-4 days in a pair of these before you need to wash them. I quite happily travels for months with 3 pairs of their pants, socks and t-shirts. They are light, dry fast, stay warm when when, fire proof and completely sustainable (unless you eat the sheep as well). There are a few brands out there, but for quality, style and damn good customer service, stick to Icebreaker. And if you are a sucker for cool marketing, they tick that box too.
But of course if you are Bear Ghrylls you would not dream of doing any of these - how else would you get that dry rub seasoning for the ribs you just ripped out of a passing aardvark?
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