Where/how often do you shower?

[Fireman78]

I guess people have no imagination anymore.
Lets say you are out driving somewhere in the woods and you gotta take a crap.
Most people like to wash their hands off after crapping.

Or lets says you are doing a roadside repair, or better yet, picking up trash from the side of the road when out 4wheeling with your buddies, and you get something filthy on them and you want to clean your hands off or your friends want to clean up.

Soap comes in very handy in these type of situations.

Explain what you mean by wound or crime scene, I am very interested, and I am sure others here are too.

I agree... several years back I was rafting the Dolores river in CO and a lady in our group almost lost her hand in some sort of oar/oar holder mishap. I was the only medic there, I used my handy campsuds to wash her up and then suture a nasty wound. The hard part was getting her to a hospital. I keep a 2 ounce bottle in my truck too... don't feel bad..

 

[robert]

I keep a small bottle of Camp Suds in each vehicle too (obviously in the camper). It's great for cleaning up after walking through that patch of poison ivy or really any task where you want to get cleaned up better than just a handiwipe (which I also keep). Personally I try to keep my truck and equipment clean as it last longer that way. Having stained seats on your daily driver isn't exactly appealing.

Honestly, my $5 (on sale) plastic Home Depot pump sprayer works great as I said before. Plenty of pressure to wash hair, not that I have much, and easily does one person with less than a gallon. No problem spraying hot water either. If you're really lazy just get the metal version and you can do like my brother who sets his right on top of his Coleman stove to warm the water. Watch the end of season sales at the box stores and you can get them cheap. Most of the wands you can just screw the tip directly onto the handle or it's pretty easy to shorten them yourself.

 

[R_Lefebvre]

Soap comes in very handy in these type of situations.

Oh, it's not that it's not handy. It's just, the in thing to do is buy it in little 1/4 ounce packets from a fancy brand name at an expedition boutique shop. Camp Suds is SOO gauche. Don't forget to pack your little packets in a nice Pelican 1020.

Personally, I carry a more serious hand cleaner for cleaning up after trail repairs. Camp Suds ain't gonna do it. There are waterless ones available. Wipe the bulk of it off on a paper towel, but it would be nice to rinse the residue off somewhere. I forget the brand. It's like green slime. Works great. Not labelled as biodegrable, but that's a somewhat overused term anyway. Crude oil is biodegrable.

 

[Richie]

It's hard for me to fully wake up without a shower. It's kind of like my morning coffee. Also before bed. If I go to bed sticky from sweat, I'm uncomfortable.

So twice a day. :sombrero::sombrero:

 

[1leglance]

I totally agree on the Dr Bronners...both the quality of the product and the fun of reading the bottle.
I am all about things that serve mulitple uses...and Dr Bronners can be used as body wash, shampoo, dish soap and even toothpaste.

Oh and as to emerg uses how about as a lube with reseating beads, and other times you need a little slippery stuff.
I have also used it to coat a pan/pot before placing on a fire to lessen the soot buildup.

 

[AxeAngel]

Oh, it's not that it's not handy. It's just, the in thing to do is buy it in little 1/4 ounce packets from a fancy brand name at an expedition boutique shop. Camp Suds is SOO gauche. Don't forget to pack your little packets in a nice Pelican 1020.

Personally, I carry a more serious hand cleaner for cleaning up after trail repairs. Camp Suds ain't gonna do it. There are waterless ones available. Wipe the bulk of it off on a paper towel, but it would be nice to rinse the residue off somewhere. I forget the brand. It's like green slime. Works great. Not labelled as biodegrable, but that's a somewhat overused term anyway. Crude oil is biodegrable.

The amount of money spent on "in" things on this forum baffles me. Spending good money on camping utensils as opposedto just using some old metal utensils or ikea brand or liquidation sales. Some people spend more on custom built storage bins or pelican cases than I have invested in all my equipment.

-Sam

 

[Corey]

The amount of money spent on "in" things on this forum baffles me. Spending good money on camping utensils as opposedto just using some old metal utensils or ikea brand or liquidation sales. Some people spend more on custom built storage bins or pelican cases than I have invested in all my equipment.

-Sam

That is called freedom to spend your money wherever you want, welcome to America.
I enjoy spending my hard earned money on a few nice things for camping.

If I was just starting out camping like I did many decades ago, yes, go with the cheap stuff, I did, and I still have most of it too including the silverware from the 50s or 60s I used even this year.

I am not a youngster anymore, and I like to have nice stuff to pass on down to my sons when I croak some day.

And yes, I spent a small fortune on two storage bins that will never leak or break if dropped, and the new silverware I just bought will bring a smile to my face everytime it gets used.

 

[mountainsoul]

If your best friend asks you to briefly step into the shower to soap down his back, is that technically counted as one?

 

[Wyowanderer]

It depends on what I'm doing. Last May in Four Corners, I rarely went more than a few days without one. I have a 7 gallon reliance jug filled with enough hot water from my coffee pot to make it pleasant, put it on top of the camper, screwed the cap that I've rigged with a sun shower head on, tipped it on its side, and washed down. A few minutes with a bar of Grampa's Pine Tar Soap is a delight. As for privacy, I do it in the dark.
On weekend trips or when I'm closer to fresh water I'll shower daily.
All that said, I don't see a shower as a necessity. A quick daily wash with a washcloth, a small container of water and a bar of soap will suffice for weeks. It'll keep me from smelling foul and keep the grunge off the sleeping bag. I like to be clean but I don't need to be squeaky clean. Showers are a luxury for me when I'm camping.
I'm working on installing a small water pump into the threaded bung of the reliance container so that I can avoid needing to lift it onto the roof of the camper. It'll sit on the tail gat that way and be a bit easier on the back.

 

[R_Lefebvre]

The amount of money spent on "in" things on this forum baffles me. Spending good money on camping utensils as opposedto just using some old metal utensils or ikea brand or liquidation sales. Some people spend more on custom built storage bins or pelican cases than I have invested in all my equipment.

-Sam

Just in case it was missed, that was intended to be tongue-in-cheek.

 

[007]

I guess people have no imagination anymore.
Lets say you are out driving somewhere in the woods and you gotta take a crap.
Most people like to wash their hands off after crapping.

Or lets says you are doing a roadside repair, or better yet, picking up trash from the side of the road when out 4wheeling with your buddies, and you get something filthy on them and you want to clean your hands off or your friends want to clean up.

Soap comes in very handy in these type of situations.

Explain what you mean by wound or crime scene, I am very interested, and I am sure others here are too.

My curiosity was not regarding the use of soap...I'm an avid user of it for the mundane - non emergency tasks you just described.

I was actually inquiring as to why you felt the need to carry an extra 2 oz bottle of campsuds for "emergency use".

Although lacking imagination, I do contemplate gear selection, and pack only necessary items that I can access easily when their need arises.

Did you just mistakenly use the word emergency, or is there a reason for packing an extra bottle of soap to handle a situation that posed immediate risk to someone? It just seems to me that the first bottle would suffice.

 

[R_Lefebvre]

I think you're reading WAY too much into the use of the word "emergency".

I keep a half-roll of toilet paper in a cubby box in my truck for "emergencies". I carry several full rolls in my camping trailer. Is that somehow illogical?

Sometimes (well, most of the time) I don't have my trailer with me. A flattened half roll in a ziplock bag takes up less room.

 

[AxeAngel]

Just in case it was missed, that was intended to be tongue-in-cheek.

Ditto. Didn't mean for anyone to get defensive. Spend your money where you like. I am all for increasing corporate profits.

-Sam

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

I'm not much for showers when I'm on the road. I can go weeks without one. I seem to adapt fairly well, although when I do get one, I love it. I'm an advocate of lakes and rivers, but I don't use soap. All natural.

 

[Corey]

Anyone ever had this happen before to them when without a shower or a way to bathe for a long time?

My father told me a story many years ago when he was in the Philippines during WW II.
They were unable to bathe for a long period, and worked in the heat for a long time.
After several days everyone in his unit their armpit hairs became thick like wooden matchsticks, then they all fell out.

It must have been some pretty groady conditions.
He also picked up skin cancer from over there that did not appear until around 1975.

Sam, no offense taken earlier, I enjoy jump starting the economy
The past few years have been very good here at work.