6 easy hygiene hacks for staying fresh & clean in the backcountry

One of the appeals of spending time in the backcountry is being a little more relaxed about your grooming. You still need to maintain some basic hygiene, however—especially if you’re around other humans. Here are a few products and hacks for staying clean when you don’t have access to indoor plumbing.

#1  HAND SANITIZER

Thanks to the pandemic, we’re all now intimately familiar with the benefits of hand sanitizer. When soap and water aren’t readily available out in the bush, a shot of sanitizer works just as well, especially after bathroom breaks and before eating.

#2  WIPES

Whether you use unscented baby wipes, exfoliating wipes from the beauty department or specialty wilderness wipes, these can provide a quick and refreshing clean-up. Just remember to pack out or burn any used wipes.

#3  MICROFIBRE TOWEL/WASHCLOTH

Ditch those bulky, slow-drying cotton towels and washcloths and opt for light, compact microfibre ones instead. Microfibre’s grabby texture makes it absorbent, yet it dries in a jiffy so you don’t have to stuff it wet into your pack.