Back Pack Hygiene

[NYSHUNTER]

Had a conversation with an old timer who's stories cultivated my hunting spirits at a young age and recently we where discussing Hygiene and putting it in his words " who needs a bath you have a rifle some coffee pork and beans and go find an animal to shoot. I been on a mountain for a week , 10 days with no bathing. A lot of you the new breed of hunters need a stand up shower , hot water and the sprinkler toilet that washes your back side after you do number 2" I laughed and said I cant go 10 days with out washing up ever heard of scent control . He replied " Humans been roaming the woods since they wore buckskins for under wear."


So I'm wondering how many out there feel the same way as old Paul does .. Is Hygiene on the mountain something done often or done when you can or not even done at all ?

 

[lazylabs]

Baby wipe bath everyday before bed! I guess some may like stinking, chaffing and nasty feet... No thanks.

 

[NYSHUNTER]

That's what i say baby wipes work wonders. This 80 yr old is 40 cards short of deck but his hunting stories are classic

 

[Timber338]

Wash up in a creek whenever I get a chance. Cold water gets your attention when you dunk your head but it's worth it. Wipes are good too especially when it's too cold for a creek shower.

 

[Barrelnut]

There are antibacterial dry bath wipes too. They work great, unlike baby wipes, they kill the bactieral that is causing the oder. Cost a bit more, but are with it.

 

[dmj]

One way or the other I'm going to clean up before going to bed. Baby wipes, creek, solar shower, heat water and take a spit bath. Just depends on where I'm at and what's available. And when I get back to base camp, take a nice hot shower. I find that I rest better don't get blisters on my feet and just plain have a better attitude if I clean up. And 80 isn't that far away anymore.

 

[NYSHUNTER]

I actually use scent away wipes and a sea to summit pocket shower .. Works wonders .. I know he was bsing me but I had to ask the question cause some guys take the phrase roughing it to an extreme ...

 

[Bravo 4]

I sweat no matter how cold it is, so I clean often with whatever I can. I always have wipes of some sort on me, learned that a long time ago. Something else I do (espesially in hot temps) is pre-soak my underwear, t-shirts, and socks with scent killer spray and add body powder. Then put them in a vaccum seal bag to keep them fresh. In a multitude of the areas on the planet I've visited this also keeps the sand, water and critters out.

 

[Engineering101]

I started hunting in the 1950's. All this stuff you guys are talking about didn't exist. I supposed that makes me an "old timer" and yes there was no thought to cleaning up. Plenty of time to do that when you got home. I would wipe the blood off my forearms/hands as best I could with wet grass or whatever was around but that was about the extent of it. My equipment load out consisted of rifle (open sights), ammo, knife, matches, tp, and clothes. When you ran out of tp there was always leaves and what not. I'd go back to it in a minute assuming I got to be young again.

 

[Timber338]

I guess it's worth mentioning that I do go to quite a bit of trouble to keep my feet clean and dry. I pack in 2 extra pairs of socks, and switch them out every morning, washing the dirty pair in the creek near my camp before I go to sleep.

On top of that, I give my boots a complete scrub down the week before I head out on a backpacking hunt... outside on the driveway with a hose and a scent-free laundry detergent scrubbing the inside of the boots as thoroughly as I can. Also scrub off any dirt on the outside and then apply leather conditioner after they've dried. If you don't clean them out, bacteria from previous hunts is still in there and will make your feet stink.

 

[Wyodog]

+1 on carrying some sort of wipe. not only does it keep me cleaner it helps with chafing as well. When I'm putting on miles and sweating, keeping clean keeps me hunting harder longer. I don't really worry about scent control on backpack hunts because that's not feasible but I feel better being somewhat clean and that helps me be a better hunter.

 

[Timnterra]

I feel much more comfortable and can last longer, with good morale, if I can stay clean. I use the scent away wipes, they make two different kinds a regular wipe and a larger moist towel, I take a package of each and will wash up before getting dressed each morning.

 

[NYSHUNTER]

What do you guys use for chaffing ?

 

[Barrelnut]

What do you guys use for chaffing ?

Corn starch.