Personal hygiene kits - what do you use?

[Martyn]

An often overlooked thing. I'm looking to trim my current 'caravan' level man-kit down to something a bit more packable and I need some ideas.

What do you use for soap? What about oral hygeine? Do you use a towel? If so how do you keep it clean and how do you dry it? Do you use wet wipes? Do you take a full roll of tp? Do you use deodorant? What about toothpaste? Do you wash your skidders, socks & tee? If so, how and what with? Without going into gross detail, what about sack & crack hygiene? If you use regular household stuff it adds up to a metric ton, so what do you use and how do you save bulk & weight?

[Dr Gonzo]

This site might help with soap/shampoo etc...or you could get those mini Nalgene bottles and decant household stuff into them, liquid clothes soap, shampoo etc etc
Also wet wipes have a duel use...you can get a whores wash with them and use them a TP

[filleep]

towel:
http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=msr...ed=0CGoQzAMwAA
works well, dries quick
for a flannel, I use a square cut off one of the thick, coarse early versions of synthetic towels.

couple of pairs merino undies and socks, can be washed in bowl and dry overnight

I use a roll on as sprays are bulky and I don't want to carry propellant.


for a bowl, I find one of these lasts better than the flimsy nylon sold as wash bowls
http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=sea...ed=0CHAQzAMwAQ

superdrug mini toothbrush in holder, with a miniature toothpaste/breath freshner

If expecting to pass facilities, I used to take one of these, but left it in Spain last year:
http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=lif...ed=0CHUQzAMwAg can wash self and skids better with a plug.

for clothes, a chunk of laundry soap

I do carry a lump of soap rather than gel, but put a bit of baby shampoo in a small bottle (can be used for skids if desperate)

and a placcy bag to stop mucky clothes stinking out other stuff.

[JungleBert]

You can solve the skids problem by wiping the offending area properly in the first place!

[Martyn]

Thanks, that's exactly what I'm looking for. I was thinking of using a small cotton towelling flannel because it can be boil-sterilised. Part of the problem I've encountered before is that synthetic stuff gets minging really quickly, so you then have to deal with cleaning your cleaning kit. I did see a good idea the other day, this fellas was using a small drybag as a washing machine. He put his skidders, socks, dirty towel and wotnot in the dry bag, a couple of litres of cold river water, half a litre of boiling water from a jetboil, some liquid soap, rolled the top to seal it and then just rubbed it and shook it about for 5 minutes. Then empty and rinse in the river. I though that was a really good idea.

[Martyn]

You can solve the skids problem by wiping the offending area properly in the first place!

I guess you never need to change your pants then?

[Lathe dog]

These are quite good if water is a bit scarce, same as wet wipes but heavier duty.

http://www.rvops.co.uk/sage-rinse-fr...ipes-1927.html

http://www.rvops.co.uk/sage-rinse-fr...ipes-1928.html

Most supermarkets have a travel section for toiletries, toothpaste, deodorants, etc so I just take what I normally buy but in smaller travel sized containers.

Also an alcohol based hand sanitizer is a must.


http://www.thebushcraftstore.co.uk/c...gel-3685-p.asp

[JungleBert]

I guess you never need to change your pants then?

I think I may have been confusing different meanings of various words containing the word skid

[zorro]

You can get at least four days wear out of an underpant.

Day 1, wear as normal

Day 2, turn back to front

Day 3, turn inside out

Day 4, turn back to front again.

[filleep]

I wrap the damp soap in the synth flannel: soap doesn't slime everything, and flannel smells OK

old style fibre flannel square can be boiled

I also carry a couple of milton tablets for giving stuff a bleachy smell after a few days.

[ANDYLASER]

I use a pertex towel. Very light and dry quickly. You need to dab yourself dry, rather than rubbing with a conventional towel. Half roll of TP suitable flattened and kept in a ziplok bag. All purpose liquid soap, alcohol based sanitizer and a folding toothbrush and mini tube of paste. Thats the basic go light kit and I add to it as required.

Tempted by these "dry" toiletries for carry on bag when flying.

[Nice65]

An often overlooked thing. I'm looking to trim my current 'caravan' level man-kit down to something a bit more packable and I need some ideas.

What do you use for soap? What about oral hygeine? Do you use a towel? If so how do you keep it clean and how do you dry it? Do you use wet wipes? Do you take a full roll of tp? Do you use deodorant? What about toothpaste? Do you wash your skidders, socks & tee? If so, how and what with? Without going into gross detail, what about sack & crack hygiene? If you use regular household stuff it adds up to a metric ton, so what do you use and how do you save bulk & weight?

How long are you planning to be out?

For a 3 dayer I take industrial "bloo roll". About 20 sheets of it pack down to nothing and can be used to fill gaps in your bag. It's strong, and as suggested above, can be recycled. It also cleans oily pans and becomes firelighting material.

It'll do teeth too, but a packaway brush and small tube of paste is worth taking IMO.

A small bottle of the cheap French Cologne like Mont St Michel is handy if you feel you need to smell a bit fresher around, certain areas. Don't apply direct, splash onto wetted bloo roll. Towel would be my used tee-shirt, spare in pack.

Take wet wipes and a small bottle of non fragranced sanitising gel for those moments when you don't want to touch food for fear of poisoning it .

[Martyn]

I think I may have been confusing different meanings of various words containing the word skid

Ahhh - skidders = colloquial for underpants - and nobody has a sterile crotch mate. At some point, your skidders will become foul and need dealing with, no matter how well you wipe.

[Martyn]

How long are you planning to be out?

.

I'm thinking a week. Or however long it takes you to get past the point where you can just deal with it.

[Martyn]

I wrap the damp soap in the synth flannel: soap doesn't slime everything, and flannel smells OK

old style fibre flannel square can be boiled

I also carry a couple of milton tablets for giving stuff a bleachy smell after a few days.

Now the milton thing is a good idea, I like that. As I mentioned, I use a small, old style flannel because it can be boiled. I was in order, face, hands, pits, feet, sack & crack. Rinsing between and then a good wash through & boil to sterilise for next time. You do need access to plenty of water and a way to boil it though. I was considering a microfibre towel, but was wondering how you clean them. I had one some time back and it got disgusting in no time and took loads of soap to clean it satisfactorily.