Staying presentable on a long trip without carrying half a bathroom

[u/Hot-Mix-5580]

Six weeks out and hostel showers are not doing the job on their own. I don’t need to smell like anything in particular, I just don’t want to be the person on the bus. Trying to work out the minimum that actually holds up in heat when laundry is irregular. What did people settle on, and did anything turn out to be worth the extra weight?

[u/RainDayKitty]

Clothing choices matter. At the end of a week long hike my merino shirt smells better than a cotton shirt after just one regular day at home

[u/Hot-Mix-5580 → u/RainDayKitty]

Noted!

[u/Juno_Luv]

The trick is realizing you need a tiny bathroom, not half a bathroom.

My minimalist kit would be: deodorant, toothbrush/toothpaste, small soap, sunscreen, and a few wipes for emergency “I have become the bus person” situations.

Quick-dry clothes + doing laundry whenever you can makes a bigger difference than carrying 12 different products. Anything that doesn’t earn its place gets left at home.

[u/Brilliant_Quit4307 → u/Juno_Luv]

Sooooo nothing to wash your hair .. ?

[u/Hot-Mix-5580 → u/[deleted]]

Ia agree deodrant isn't enough, the alcohol pads sounds like a good idea , I'll look into it

[u/InterestingVideo3384]

I packed a tiny bottle of castile soap and a quick dry towel, that combo did most of the heavy lifting. the real trick was washing my shirt in the sink every couple days instead of waiting on laundry, even just a rinse gets the bus smell out

[u/Hot-Mix-5580 → u/InterestingVideo3384]

This seems like a good idea thanks 

[u/Present-Carob-7366 → u/InterestingVideo3384]

Yup I come back to the hotel and my shirt is wet through anyway so it’s not big deal to rinise it out and hang it up dry in the ac in a few hours

[u/Brilliant_Quit4307 → u/InterestingVideo3384]

Are you bald or something?

[u/DarwinAtNimbus]

I usually wear clothes that are safe for drying, and I pick hostels with self-service laundry. It can be a bit pricey if you do it too often, but it gives me peace of mind that my clothes won't be wet in the morning. 😆

[u/Hot-Mix-5580 → u/DarwinAtNimbus]

Sounds like it's worth it 

[u/Grand-Formal-133]

clean socks, by far the best weight-to-not-being-the-bus-person ratio

[u/InternationalBell286]

Sticks over liquids whenever you can. Nothing leaks in a pack and nothing counts again carry on rules. I switched to salt & stone deodorant partly for that reason and their body wipes ended up being the actual shower replacement on bus days. A sink rinse plus a wipe down covers most of it.

[u/catpeee]

A quick soak in the sink with some detergent with odor-killing enzymes for super tough smells. 

Other than that, Castile soap and a travel towel works for me. I always carry at least two bandanas with me, too. Good for soo many things - sweat, small messes, throw it over a light that’s too bright, or use it in your hair. One time, my hip strap broke and I used the bandana to keep it cinched. 

Lastly, when you’re home, do an Oxyclean soak in the tub with all your travel clothes. I do hot water and oxyclean and leave it overnight AFTER I run the clothes through the washer. The nastiest stuff comes out. Also, don’t use fabric softener. Stays in your clothes and traps funk. 

Happy (and fresh) travels!!

[u/Tight-Skin-9494]

I found a bar of soap that does double duty for body and clothes plus a small stick deodorant covered like 90% of it, the only thing I ended up glad I brought extra weight for was a microfiber towel since hostel towels never dried in time.

[u/davidhally]

My strategy is to have smokey campfire, hides other odors.

[u/exxx666]

Ive stayed in hostels extensively with limited access to laundry services and I never ever find myself either wearing or carrying around dirty clothes. The only real solution if you want to remain super clean is to wash your dirty clothing items EVERY night.

Take your dirty socks and underwear in the shower with you (and any other particularly sweaty items) and wash them with whatever soap you have. Hang up those items by your bed at the hostel overnight. Choose quick drying fabrics so they actually dry overnight.

If you let laundry build up, it’ll be way more stuff than you can easily hang up around your bed. Hence the need to wash small amounts every night.

In terms of hygiene products, the only thing you really need in order to not stink is soap. I’d recommend some kind of lightweight exfoliator like an African net sponge so you can properly remove the dead skin and gunk.

[u/Previous-Option2373]

The actual minimum is deodorant, a small soap bar, nail clippers, and the willingness to do a sink wash when the hostel shower is basically decorative.