The most uncomfortable part about spending multiple days outdoors is staying clean while backpacking. We're talking about having to poop in the woods after digging up a cat hole and not showering for days on end. Although it's intimidating, campers are able to find out what works for them one way or the other. Here are some tips on camping hygiene to stay clean and fresh even when you've submerged deep into the woods:

1. Wash Your Hands With Soap

We've learned an awful lot about the importance of washing your hands this past year. So when packing, grab a handful of slivers of soap or a liquid hand cleanser. While camping, make sure to wash your hands with the soap and water from a wash bucket before eating any food or after taking a dump.

2. Wipe Yourself Clean

If your mama hasn't taught you that already: polish your butt crack clean! A dirty butt crack can lead to a monkey butt and chafing, both excruciating conditions to undergo on a hiking trip. Although it's possible to counter the inflammation using a zinc oxide cream, it's best to prevent the occurrence in the first place.

3. Rinse Your Hiking Clothes

It's no surprise that hiking clothes tend to get smelly as a result of all the days sweat accumulating in its fibers. Clothes soaking with perspiration often irritate and chafe the skin. Therefore, it's best to rinse out the hiking clothes in a bucket and hang them up to dry as you sleep in your separate set of sleeping clothes. It tends to get colder at night when camping, so you should aim for clothes that can be used as a warm base layer. We recommend wool baselayers on longer trips since they're better at masking smells.

4. Sponge Off Before Sleeping

Using a buff or a piece of cloth soaked in water, rinse off your head, face, feet, and as much of the body as you can before going to sleep. Since sweat is mainly salt and dissolves readily with water, you can skip soap on most of your days in the wilderness.

5. Don't Share Food

Although it sounds awfully rude, it's best to politely decline when others offer you an eat-out of the snack bag goodie as germs tend to spread quickly when in contact with contaminated surfaces. As for the meals you cook, ensure that you washed away any lingering food particles on the cooking pot.

6. Brush Your Teeth

Bad breath and tooth decay won't stop because you're out in the woods backpacking, so continue brushing your teeth twice a day!

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