How Do You Stay Clean When Overlanding?

No matter if you’re overlanding on a long-distance trail or camping in the backcountry, hygiene is an integral part of your journey. While getting clean may not always be easy, these tips will make it much simpler!

Maintaining personal hygiene during overlanding or camping trips is essential for your overall well-being and comfort. While access to conventional amenities may be limited, there are several methods to stay clean and maintain good hygiene practices. In this guide, we will explore various approaches to personal cleanliness and hygiene during outdoor adventures.

Methods of Maintaining Personal Hygiene:

1. Bathing and washing:

• Sponge bath: Use a damp cloth or sponge with mild soap to clean your body.
• Rinse-off bath: Pour water over your body using a portable shower, collapsible bucket, or even a water bottle with holes in the cap.
• Natural water sources: Bathe in rivers, lakes, or streams, but avoid using soap or other pollutants. Always follow Leave No Trace principles.

2. Hand hygiene:

• Hand sanitizer: Carry alcohol-based hand sanitizer for quick and convenient hand cleaning.
• Hand washing: Use biodegradable soap and water to wash your hands, especially before eating or handling food.

3. Dental hygiene:

• Toothbrush and toothpaste: Pack travel-sized toothbrush and toothpaste, or consider using a tooth powder or chewable toothpaste tablets.
• Mouthwash: Use an alcohol-free mouthwash to freshen your breath and maintain oral hygiene.

4. Hair care:

• Dry shampoo: Apply dry shampoo to absorb excess oils and keep hair feeling fresh.
• Hairbrush or comb: Regularly brush or comb your hair to prevent tangles and promote scalp health.
• Bandanas or hats: Use these to cover your hair and protect it from dirt and dust.

5. Clothing and laundry:

• Quick-drying clothes: Pack moisture-wicking and quick-drying clothing to reduce the need for frequent laundering.
• Laundry: Hand wash clothes with biodegradable soap and water, or use a portable washing bag like the Scrubba Wash Bag.
• Air-drying: Hang clothes to dry using a portable clothesline or simply drape them over tree branches or rocks.

6. Toilet etiquette:

• Portable toilet: Bring a portable toilet for use during your trip, or dig a cathole at least 200 feet away from water sources, trails, and campsites.
• Toilet paper alternatives: Consider using a reusable cloth, natural materials like smooth stones or leaves, or a portable bidet.
• Sanitary waste disposal: Pack out used toilet paper, sanitary products, and other waste in a sealed bag.

7. Personal grooming:

• Nail care: Bring a nail clipper or file to maintain clean and trimmed nails.
• Tweezers: Useful for removing splinters, ticks, and other foreign objects.
• Wet wipes: Use biodegradable wet wipes for quick clean-ups and refreshing.

8. Foot care:

• Clean socks: Change into clean socks daily to prevent foot odor and promote foot health.
• Air out footwear: Remove shoes and air them out whenever possible to reduce moisture and odor.
• Foot powder: Apply foot powder to keep feet dry and prevent fungal infections.

Maintaining personal hygiene during overlanding or camping trips is crucial for your comfort and well-being. By employing the various methods discussed in this guide, you can stay clean and feel refreshed throughout your outdoor adventures, ensuring a more enjoyable experience overall.

Laundry can be a real hassle for overlanders, particularly when it’s not easily accessible or convenient. Not only that, but it’s time-consuming and costly as well.

To minimize laundry chores, overlanders should plan their clothing choices and packing strategies ahead of time. Furthermore, it’s wise to avoid wearing the same outfit more than a few times; this will save time and money in the long run while guaranteeing you always have clean clothes for your next trip!

In certain countries, local dry cleaners or tailors may offer to wash your dirty clothes for you. These services can be beneficial for overlanders who don’t want to pay hotel rates or live in an area without laundromats.

Overlanders who find themselves without access to laundry facilities can turn to portable washing machines as an alternative solution. These devices usually consume minimal water and are compact and lightweight for portability.

If you plan on doing a lot of laundry while overlanding, carrying two clotheslines is the ideal solution. A reliable multifilament polypropylene (nylon) line is ideal as it’s waterproof and mildew-resistant.

Overlanders can also hang their wet clothes on rooftop tent ladders, awnings or nearby tree branches for drying. This strategy works especially well when it comes to towels as they absorb moisture and help dry clothes quickly.

The greatest advantage of this method is that it saves both time and money by not having to transport wet clothes from the laundry room to your truck or van. Furthermore, it helps reduce environmental impacts associated with laundry by using less water, eliminating runoff from washing dirty clothes in a sink or bathtub.

Scrubba washing bags are a popular option for overlanders who don’t have access to a washing machine. This compact bag features an internal washboard-like surface that helps scrub clothes clean. This method works best when filled with clean water and minimal soap.

Overlanding adventurers know the frustration of needing to go potty but being unable to locate a toilet. This is especially true if you’re traveling in countries without many restrooms along the trail, like Australia and New Zealand.

One way to prevent this problem is to incorporate a bathroom into your RV, whether it’s either a composting toilet or cassette toilet (a toilet with an attached holding tank). Doing so will make accessing the bathroom much simpler when you need it most.

However, this method can be costly and require careful planning. If you’re on a tight budget or simply don’t want to invest too much time and energy into installing a bathroom into your RV, portable toilets are another viable option.

These portable toilets are compact and lightweight, folding up into a flat box to save space in your vehicle or camper without taking up too much room.

Some models also come with a waste bag, which you can use to collect any waste that spills into the bowl after use. Doing this helps keep the area clean and free of odors after each use.

You can also bring a portable shower with you when the need arises, enabling you to take quick showers when required. However, be mindful that it uses up water quickly so be mindful not to overuse it.

Alternatively, you could take a sponge bath. This is much cheaper and more convenient than taking a shower, though it won’t be as comfortable. Nonetheless, you’ll still get clean and have the luxury of enjoying an indulgent warm shower when needed.

Finally, you can use a vinegar and water solution to eliminate mildew and mold from your toilet bowl. This will make it cleaner and prevent fungus from growing.

On an overlanding trip, the last thing you want is a smelly, dirty bathroom! That’s why being prepared is so important; pack vinegar and water solutions as well as anti-mold products to ensure your experience is as hygienic and secure as possible.

While some of these best practices might seem fairly obvious, hopefully you won’t feel patronized or offended – we just want to cover all bases and help you figure out some of the nitty-gritties behind overlanding. Who know, one of these basic best practices might just remind you to bring a nail clippers along.

1. Handwashing: Wash your hands frequently with soap and water, especially before handling food, after using the restroom, and after touching potentially contaminated surfaces. If water is limited, use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol content.
2. Personal grooming: Keep your hair, nails, and body clean by bathing regularly, using biodegradable soap, and water. Wet wipes can be a useful alternative for quick clean-ups when water is scarce.
3. Oral hygiene: Brush your teeth at least twice a day and use dental floss or interdental brushes to maintain good oral health.
4. Food safety: Store perishable food items in a cooler or refrigerator, cook food thoroughly, and wash your hands before and after handling food. Dispose of food waste properly to avoid attracting wildlife and pests.
5. Dishwashing: Clean cooking utensils, dishes, and cutlery with biodegradable soap and water, ensuring they are thoroughly rinsed and dried before storage. Avoid washing dishes directly in natural water sources.
6. Restroom hygiene: Use designated restroom facilities whenever possible. If not available, dig a “cathole” at least 6-8 inches deep and 200 feet away from water sources, trails, and campsites for solid human waste. Pack out used toilet paper in a sealed bag.
7. Menstrual hygiene: Pack appropriate menstrual hygiene products, such as tampons, pads, or menstrual cups, and dispose of them responsibly. Carry sealable bags to pack out used items.
8. Clothing care: Wear moisture-wicking and quick-drying clothing, and change clothes regularly to prevent odor and bacteria buildup. Wash clothes with biodegradable soap and water when necessary, and dry them in the sun.
9. Foot care: Keep your feet clean and dry by regularly washing them, wearing moisture-wicking socks, and allowing your shoes to air out. This can help prevent blisters, fungal infections, and foot odor.
10. Insect protection: Use insect repellent, wear protective clothing, and use bug nets or screens to prevent insect bites and related illnesses.
11. Campsite cleanliness: Keep your campsite clean and organized, disposing of trash in designated receptacles or packing it out. Follow Leave No Trace principles to minimize your environmental impact.
12. First aid: Carry a well-stocked first aid kit and be prepared to treat minor injuries, such as cuts, scrapes, and insect bites, to prevent infection.
13. Water purification: Treat water from natural sources by filtering, boiling, or using purification tablets or UV sterilizers to remove pathogens and contaminants.
14. Avoid sharing personal items: To prevent the spread of germs, avoid sharing personal items like towels, toothbrushes, and eating utensils with others.
15. Handkerchief or tissue usage: Always use a handkerchief or tissue when sneezing or coughing, and dispose of used tissues properly.
16. Pet hygiene: If traveling with pets, clean up after them by disposing of their waste responsibly and maintaining their overall cleanliness.

Around the world, people engage with animals in many ways – as companions, pets, livestock or wildlife. These relationships offer many benefits such as food, fiber, entertainment, sports and education.

However, animal-human contact also poses health risks. Animals can transmit diseases from humans that could be life-threatening or cause permanent disability in some cases; these illnesses are known as zoonoses.

Zoonoses can cause serious illness to a range of groups, but young children and the elderly are especially at risk. These illnesses may include bacterial infections such as E. coli O157 or Cryptosporidium parvum, which in humans may result in diarrhea or kidney failure.

To reduce health risks, animal-contact areas should be thoroughly cleaned after each visit. People should refrain from eating or drinking in these areas, smoking or using items that encourage hand-to-mouth contact (e.g., pacifiers, bottles, sippy cups), and they must be supervised by a responsible adult.

Overlanding and camping are both great experiences, but they differ in how people get around and what they pack for their trip. Whether you choose to backpack out of a vehicle or bring along all your own gear and camping equipment, the main objective is still the same – to get outside and experience America’s vast landscape.

Overlanding and camping offer great chances to learn new skills, connect with people with similar interests, and form new habits. But before you embark on your trip, there are a few important things to consider: know your vehicle’s specifications; map out an itinerary; research weather conditions, road conditions, meals options, as well as local wildlife sightings. With these in mind, you can safely enjoy every minute of the journey! Overlanding is an amazing way to explore the world while connecting with nature. No matter which route you take, overlanding offers wonderful opportunities to discover the world through exploration – however you choose!

Mosquitoes can pose a health risk to humans as they carry pathogens that spread diseases such as yellow fever, dengue, malaria, encephalitis and West Nile virus. These illnesses are serious – in some cases even lethal – for humans.

The Aedes mosquitoes (family Culicidae) are one of the most hazardous groups of mosquitoes to humans. These species have been known to transmit various diseases such as malaria, dengue and Zika virus.

Aedes vexans, commonly known as the inland floodwater mosquito, breeds in flood-saturated soil and often lays eggs on top or within water-filled pits. Once matured, these larvae float to the surface and develop into adult mosquitoes.

Asian tiger mosquitoes and tree hole mosquitoes are container-bred mosquitoes that lay their eggs in water-filled holes in trees and shrubs, which can be found throughout the United States.

To reduce the population of these pests, EPA suggests people remove unwanted containers that may hold water such as old tires, empty flower pots and broken toys. Furthermore, check septic tanks and rain barrels to make sure they are covered with a tight mesh.

Insecticide spraying is a method used to kill adult mosquitoes and prevent their reproduction. While these treatments are usually successful, there can be side effects.

Malaria is caused by protozoan parasites that infect a female Anopheles mosquito, who feeds on blood. Once infected, these parasites can spread to the host’s liver and lead to life-threatening illness if left unchecked.

Mosquito-borne infections that can be transmitted to humans include Japanese encephalitis, St. Louis encephalitis, tularemia and filariasis; they may even cause heartworm disease in dogs and cats. Unfortunately, these illnesses tend to be extremely severe with an increasing number of deaths annually from these illnesses.

The first thing to consider is the environment. It’s important to be aware of the risks associated with camping and hiking in an unfamiliar area, especially if you’re going solo.

• Lightning strikes are one of the most common hazards encountered during overlanding trips, especially those that take place in areas with a high risk of thunderstorms or lightning storms. If you find yourself caught out in a storm, seek shelter immediately! Do not stand under trees or tall objects–they provide excellent conductors for electricity and can lead directly into your body if struck by lightning. If there is no place nearby where you can get out of harm’s way (such as inside a vehicle), crouch down on hands and knees as low as possible until the storm passes by–this will help reduce your chance of being struck by lightning but does not guarantee protection against all strikes.*
• Flash floods are another concern when camping outdoors during rainy seasons; they can happen quickly without warning due to heavy rainfall over short periods of time.* Wildfires are also common during summer months when wildfires often break out due to dry conditions caused by heat waves.* Hypothermia occurs when body temperature drops below 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 Celsius), which could happen if someone gets lost overnight while camping without proper clothing or shelter.
• Wildfires: Dry conditions, high winds, and human negligence can lead to wildfires. Follow local fire regulations, use designated fire rings or portable stoves, and make sure your fire is fully extinguished before leaving.
• Falling trees or branches: Camping under dead or unstable trees can be dangerous, as they may fall during high winds or storms. Inspect the area for potential
• Unstable ground: Avoid camping on loose or unstable ground, such as cliffs, steep slopes, or areas prone to landslides. Choose a flat, stable area for your campsite.
• Avalanches: When camping in snowy or mountainous areas, be aware of the risk of avalanches. Research the area, avoid camping in avalanche-prone zones, and learn avalanche safety practices.