Where/how often do you shower?
- Thread starter mires
- Start date
Mamontof
Explorer
Some of us take preparations for evacuation a little more seriously than others...
Okay Hi lift i can understand , shovel too but AX ......You confuse me :Wow1:
I wish i have that Idea :wings:
Corey
OverCamping Specialist
Someone needs more fiber.
When one has to chop, dig, or use the trail version of the jaws of life to excavate, more fiber and water need to be added to the diet.
SWbySWesty
Fauxverland Extraodinaire
This thread was about showering...not going to the bathroom. FYI........
jeepdreamer
Expedition Leader
Where/how do you shower...
Where= under the shower head
How= well...nakid' of course!:wings:
sorry...coudn't resist!
Where= under the shower head
How= well...nakid' of course!:wings:
sorry...coudn't resist!
I see you're a Texan so I'll let it slide :sombrero:
********. Just how many kinds of wipes do you keep on hand?
Ruined Adventures
Brenton Cooper
Take another look at Aires35's comment. It's easy to forget while we're "roughing it" with warm Zodi showers, enjoying beautifully exotic locations while our troops are overseas in less than desirable conditions. I understand feeling it's gross to go more than a day or two without showers, so I just wanted to point that out. We appreciate your service Aires35 and the other vets here on the portal :victory:
PERSONALLY, the more I rough it the more I enjoy my trips. The longer I have to wait between showers, the more thankful I am for a quick shower. I guess you can say I'm forcing myself to appreciate the simple things that we take for granted...like hot water from a tap. I'm lucky enough to have a girlfriend who can stand the smell and even push her limits too. We can easily go a few days to a week before a wet-wipe scrubbing is needed in the backcountry.
We carry a $10 solar shower on our rig, a cheap shower curtain, and a $5 piece of Dri-Dek to stand on, for those times that we're just to smelly to handle. We carry a sponge and use the water as sparingly as possible. Like others mention here, it's refreshing just to get the face and hair wet occasionally.
We carry a Sea to Summit Kitchen sink which folds up small, weighs 6.4oz, but carries 20 liters of water. We use this to carry water from water sources and keep the runoff far enough away so we can do our part to "Tread Lightly".
When I keep the gearlust under control, pack less crap, and save the money for go-go juice I get more adventure per dollar and I can go farther and farther from home. I find it inspiring to read comments like the one from Aires35. While daydreaming of fancy showers, this keeps me grounded and serves as a reminder to strive for the minimalist route. :sombrero:
There's some pretty impressive setups available out there, but if your fairly new to camping, I challenge you to take the simplest approach when you can stomach it...Once you get over the "icky-ness" it's very rewarding. I'm aware many of you are like Corey and have done the minimalist thing for years so comfort is prepared. In my opinion you've earned it! I'm sure one day I'll be in that same boat.
Look at me, I'm on a rant...Okay, I'll get off of my soap box now. By the way, I'm not knocking you guys with all the bells & whistles, or expensive toys. I'm just saying that doesn't work for me if I want to get to the places I want to go. :smiley_drive:
Corey
OverCamping Specialist
Thanks aires35 for your service!
Red, great read.
As stated I use to enjoy taking a week or longer and backpacking around the perimeter of Mt. Rainier known as the Wonderland Trail.
That was years ago though, and since then a few health issues have popped up.
One being (which I do not like to discuss on a public forum) requires me to shower daily or be very uncomfortable, and using baby wipes, a sponge, or a washcloth would not solve the problem.
As long as I can have a few things such as a way to shower (or a creek to bathe in) and something other than a log to straddle over to do the poo (been there/done that) I am pretty content and happy when in the outdoors, and will camp pretty much anywhere.
I am also finding out the older I get my nose seems to be more sensitive, and I get nauseated and sick being around certain smells including B.O and tobacco smoke, or the smell of tobacco on peoples clothing.
Thanks for not knocking some of us either that bring more than others do to the outdoors.
The ones who do cut down others for the gear they have/bring along on trips sound like whiny little (fill in the blank)
Last edited:
Ruined Adventures
Brenton Cooper
Thanks for not knocking some of us either that bring more than others do to the outdoors.
The ones who do cut down others for the gear they have/bring along on trips sound like whiny little (fill in the blank)
I completely agree. I was trying not to sound like "one of them" and I hope it didn't seem like I was calling you out. I was just saying you had good reasons for having such a nice setup that you stated before. :drool: I just hope after a few years I will have a rig that everyone will drool over too! I did want to emphasize to the folks shopping for new showers that they could save some coin, and use it on their next flight or tank of gas. I'm sure one day I'll have a nice shower, but I'm resisting right now since we're pinching pennies to save for an overland Pan America adventure. The more we save, the farther we'll get.
I'm familiar with the Wonderland Trail, being from the NW I go to Washington several times a year to visit family. I usually fly into Seattle then end up driving to the TriCities and back. If I can't squeeze in time to camp near "the big mountain" then I at least try to take Chinook Pass as I'm passing thru. It's one of my favorite drives on the planet. Last year we backpacked thru the Carbon Glacier area and it was amazing! The rest of the Wonderland trail is on my life list, but I have to settle for little chunks here and there. I always feel funny flying with my backpacking tent and sleeping bag, but it's so worth the stares I get at the airport. Comes in handy when you miss a flight too :coffeedrink: I'm all about squeezing in a trip where & when I can.
Corey
OverCamping Specialist
No, it did not sound that way at all to me coming from you.
Chinook Pass is a great drive, and that is not to far from me, basically off the same street I live on, just head East from my place and you run into it.
If you came down 410 heading West too then you were in the Greenwater area.
That is where I have camped, explored, and have gone 4hweeling for the past few decades.
So much beautiful places to camp there and get views of Mt. Rainier too.
The Carbon Glacier area is beautiful.
I took my oldest son when he was around 5 and we backpacked in from the Ipsut Creek campground up to the Glacier and camped in the backpack camp for a few nights.
Have gone there backpacking too many times before I took him there.
We use to car camp too with the tent trailer in the campground there and use that as basecamp, then head out for the day to hike up around the glacier.
Look forward to your Pan America trip report here in the future.
Chinook Pass is a great drive, and that is not to far from me, basically off the same street I live on, just head East from my place and you run into it.
If you came down 410 heading West too then you were in the Greenwater area.
That is where I have camped, explored, and have gone 4hweeling for the past few decades.
So much beautiful places to camp there and get views of Mt. Rainier too.
The Carbon Glacier area is beautiful.
I took my oldest son when he was around 5 and we backpacked in from the Ipsut Creek campground up to the Glacier and camped in the backpack camp for a few nights.
Have gone there backpacking too many times before I took him there.
We use to car camp too with the tent trailer in the campground there and use that as basecamp, then head out for the day to hike up around the glacier.
Look forward to your Pan America trip report here in the future.
Ruined Adventures
Brenton Cooper
Didn't realize you were in Auburn. Small world, my uncle lives about 30 minutes west of you, down 410 overlooking Commencement Bay (lucky guy). I guess you could say that's my base camp on the west side of the mountains.
Unfortunately, now vehicles cannot make it past the ranger station at the Carbon River access. They blocked it off due to the road being severely washed out at several points. The only way in is on foot, bike, or horse. On a positive note, because of this we saw very few people on the entire trip. When we were at Ipsut Creek Campground the only other group camping there was the forestry workers who were working on the trail ahead.
I hate to say it, but it'll be a long wait on our PanAm trip report. The earliest we are departing is January 2012. I've got a lot of possessions to liquidate and a ton of work to do on the truck until then.:victory:
Corey
OverCamping Specialist
Yes, that was a sad day when that access road to the campground at the NW entrance to Mt. Rainier park got washed out.
I really enjoyed car camping too in those sites.
We always had deer walking right through our campsites.
Going over the high one lane bridge going into there and to reach Mowich Lake and the Evans Creek ORV area is a trip, you are up so high over the river below, it is spooky looking down below over the bridge.
If you are out this way next summer, shoot me a PM, as I am always up to taking a trip up to FS roads 70 or 73 there at Greenwater to camp.
I should be getting out next weekend or not to long from now to scout out a place around ten miles up FS road 70 where I camped around 2000 or so.
Looking to see if it is still there, and if so, I cam going to arrange a camping trip for some from my forum to go up and hang out for a long weekend next summer.
I really enjoyed car camping too in those sites.
We always had deer walking right through our campsites.
Going over the high one lane bridge going into there and to reach Mowich Lake and the Evans Creek ORV area is a trip, you are up so high over the river below, it is spooky looking down below over the bridge.
If you are out this way next summer, shoot me a PM, as I am always up to taking a trip up to FS roads 70 or 73 there at Greenwater to camp.
I should be getting out next weekend or not to long from now to scout out a place around ten miles up FS road 70 where I camped around 2000 or so.
Looking to see if it is still there, and if so, I cam going to arrange a camping trip for some from my forum to go up and hang out for a long weekend next summer.
Last edited: