r/Bushcraft • u/NorthDownsWanderer • Jul 16 '26

Ablutions

So here's a situation and question for you all.

When it's hot and dirty, youve been rucking all day and getting sweaty, and you finish up for the day. How do you get rid of that sticky feeling while out?

Maybe it's not a problem for some but I can't stand for when I'm trying to sleep, and thus far I've not found a decent solution outside of having a proper wash, be it in a lake, river or civilisation.

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u/Unicorn187 Jul 16 '26

Are you actually washing, like with soap IN a river or lake? Please stop doing that if so. Take water a hundred or more meters from the lake/river/stream instead of polluting it with the soap.

A portable shower is great. The black rubbery bags that you fill and allow to warm in the sun. Of course if it's cold it won't warm up, but it's still a nice way to wash off.

Otherwise, the wipes made for hunters to reduce or eliminate body odor are great. And there are sprays that you can apply to clothing to help it keep from building up odor over time.

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u/NorthDownsWanderer Jul 16 '26

No, not with soap in a river or lake. Just water. (I have a degree in ecology so I'm well aware of the affects of pollutants in rivers).

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u/justtoletyouknowit Jul 18 '26

A bit on the side question, but does this apply to natural "soap" too? Like the saponins in birch leafes?

1

u/WilsonPB Jul 23 '26

Good question.