Top 6 Tips for How to Stay Clean While Camping and Hiking

There's an endless list of perks that go along with getting to go on a camping trip. However, one of them is not the way you smell during that trip. It's hard to stay clean on a multi-day camping and hiking trip. However, it's not impossible! Read on to learn about how to stay clean while camping. We have some tips and tricks that'll ensure anyone sharing a tent with you will still be able to fall asleep near you at the end of a long day.

1. Bring Extra Clothes and Gear

If you're going on a multi-day hiking trip, make sure you bring extra clothing and gear. Make sure you bring the things that get sweaty and smelly, like a bottom layer of shirt, underwear, and waterproof socks. Some of your gear should also come in multiples, too. Your sleeping bag liner is like a sheet you'll sweat in. Try to bring at least one extra while you're hiking so that you're not sleeping in filth at the end of a long, arduous day.

Wear more protective gear like gaiters, as well. Protective outer layers ensure that inner layers and your skin stay dirt and mud-free.

2. Wash Things (and Yourself)

Want to know how to keep and stay clean while camping? Wash. This means that you should wash the things you don't have multiple versions of but that you need while hiking, like snake gaiter leg guards that have gotten muddy or a hat to cover your face from the sun. Wash these items in an all-purpose soap and water, and let them dry overnight and in the morning sun. Also, don't just wash the items you bring.

Also, wash yourself. Dedicate some time to "bathing" each day when you're done hiking or first thing when you wake up. By taking some time to remove dirt and washing off the sweat that may start to get, well you know- stinky, you can be sure you stay clean during any camping trip. 

4. Know Where You'll Wash

If you want to make sure that you can wash during a camping trip, do some research about where you will wash. Is there a shower facility at your campsite? Will you be in solitude and able to use a camping shower you own? Will you be able to fetch water from a creek near where you're sleeping that you can use to rinse off yourself and your belongings? Plot out your camping trip ahead of time so you know how to stay clean while camping, and you don't have to figure everything out once you are already there. 

5. Do Basic Hygiene Activities Daily

Don't just wash off dirt and grime that is visible. If you are wondering how to stay clean while camping, the best answer is to maintain daily hygiene rituals, like brushing your teeth with bottled water and washing your hands after you go to the bathroom. Set some time away from the hygiene activities that remove germs from your body. Then you can ensure you stay tidy and healthy out in mother nature.

To ensure you can do your daily hygiene activities, make sure you bring basic hygiene necessities. This means you should bring an all-purpose soap, toothpaste, something you can wash dishes and blankets, and even a dry shampoo that you can use to get grease from your hair. Bringing the right materials will help you get the job done.

Stay Clean and Fresh with Extra Gear From Pike Trail

An important part of how to stay clean while camping is bringing extra pairs of clothing and gear so that you can swap them out over a multi-day trip. To buy camping gear that is affordable and won't break the bank even if you buy multiple versions of the same thing, shop at Pike Trail. Pike Trail is a leading online camping and hiking retailer that sells essential gear for outdoor trips like sleeping bag liners and hiking gaiters.

At Pike Trail, you can buy multiple versions of every item considered essential camping gear that might get sweaty, muddy, or stinky on a hiking trip. These items include waterproof camping socks, sleeping bag liners, and hiking gaiters. If you buy a couple of versions of each of these items, you can swap them out as you go. And, you can also wash them while you're hiking on a long trip, then give each item time to dry before you use it again.