Doing Laundry in the Backcountry

[ryan850]

I recently posted an article on my blog about this, http://ryangrayson.blogspot.com/2013...ckcountry.html, but I want to know if anyone has any other comments or suggestions. What are your environmentally-friendly methods? Or do you even do it at all?

Thanks for your input,

Ryan Grayson
ryangrayson.com

[Lone Wolf]

i've never done it all all. no need to

[max patch]

Thats what towns are for.

[leaftye]

The baggie method got a lot of dirt out, but not much funk. Letting my clothes lay out in the sun does a lot more to help.

I'll typically only do laundry on the day I'm getting a ride out, along with a dundo bath just out of sight from the road.

[ryan850]

I like to clean my socks after a week or two in the woods. Just wondered if anyone else had any tips.

[ryan850]

I hope this doesn't sound dumb, but what's a dundo bath?

I've been using the baggie method too, and soaking in a baking soda solution to help with the funk.

[Lone Wolf]

most go into a town or hostel every 3-7 days

[leaftye]

I hope this doesn't sound dumb, but what's a dundo bath?

Sponge bath, or the backpacker variation of a sponge bath.

[Camel2012]

Where i live, people call it a whore bath. It's just washing up with a wet rag or baby wipes.

[CarlZ993]

Normally, I do very little backcountry clothes washing. Occasionally, I'll wash my pants, shorts, & shirt if I catch a mid-day stop w/ ample water and sunshine. I'll wear the shorts (running shorts w/ a liner) dry. I always make sure that my spare socks are dry. I'll occasionally wash my socks on long stretches (I normally hike out west with fewer town opportunities). If the socks aren't dry the next morning (I sleep with them underneath my long underwear top on my belly; usually dries overnight), I put them on damp and hike on.

I hike w/ a buddy of mine washes his clothes almost everyday. He'll take his cookpot and find him an isolated spot on a creek (or outlet to a lake) and wash himself and his clothes: sock liners, hiking shorts (Patagonia baggies w/ liner), and Railrunner hiking shirt. He'll wear the shorts dry and drape the other clothing over bushes or grass to dry in the sun. He wears his long underwear top & wind pants until his clothes are dry. Because of this, he hates to hike past 4pm (to allow for adequate time for his clothes to dry in the sun).

[RedBeerd]

I'll get naked and jump in a stream (no soap obvi) and besides that wear crusty socks and wear smartwool cause it doesn't hold the funk really. Scentless baby wipes at the end of a day

[Blue Mountain Edward]

Dont wash clothes in a spring where people are depending on a good water source. I done laundry in a creek a few times and without laundry soap the clothes will still smell. Dr Bronners soap is not strong enough to remove body odor. This year I am gonna carry a food storage cannister to keep my food dry during rainstorms. Will use it to wash stinky clothes should work good soaking and shaking clothes in soapy water. Clean underwear keeps the monkey butt away.

[OzJacko]

Laundry???
What on earth for?

[colorado_rob]

I do the baggie-wash thing every 4 days or so, works like a charm. I generally just do socks, underwear and my base layer shirt. Makes for a nice break. I'm used to more remote long-hiking though, and given the town factor on the AT, this M.O. might change up a bit for me, we'll see.

[FarmerChef]

Typically, we stop at about the 5 or 6 day mark on a 9 or 10 day section to do laundry while we nero at a hostel or town. If we hit a hostel before then, we'll do it there as well. So, I guess, mathematically, that's about once every 5 days (figuring laundry on day zero [home], day 5 and again on day 10 [home]).

That said, there have been times when the funk was just too bad in between stops. If there's a good size river or lake, I'll just wear my clothes in with me and swim around in them (technical shorts and tee), but not if that's also someone else's main water source. For socks, I generally use the baggy method or a sink at a bathroom if we're passing through a park or something. Then dry on the back of my pack as I hike. Oh, last method is to be at a shelter when it's raining. I'll grab some DBs and stand under the runoff from the roof (in my clothes) and get a 2 for 1 deal on laundry and a bath.

[JAK]

You don't really need soap. Just hot water.
Drying is the problem. Sun helps.
One item a day, every day, is the way to go.

[treesloth]

A neat concept, but an extra 1/3 of a pound that most won't be willing to carry. http://www.thescrubba.com/

[tds1195]

I like to clean my socks after a week or two in the woods. Just wondered if anyone else had any tips.

Sometimes I'll use campsoap for my socks in my cooking pot. I just make sure to clean the pot very well afterwards. That's the extent of my laundry, though. I have a buddy who does his socks and brings a ziplock, puts water/soap in it, and shakes. Then he'll hang the socks overnight. Seems legit.

[gizzy bear]

so packing the stackable whirlpool washer/dryer(with 470,000,00 ft ext cord) isn't necessary?? even on the HMW?? actually, i have learned a few things here, because we will be doing the HMW in a 9-10 day clip... we are not rushing... so i will want to wash myself AND some of my things along the way... what size baggie are you all talking about when you say you use those??? and most every thing i pack will be wicking material and should dry quickly, so that shouldn't be a problem, no?

[colorado_rob]

... what size baggie are you all talking about when you say you use those???

I use a 2-gallon ziplock. 1 gallon seems to be too small. I can fit a pair of socks, a pair of underwear (actually, that's one item.. why do we call this a "pair"?) and one top in a 2-gallon bag, a little tad of bio-soap (maybe 1/10th of an ounce), fill with reasonably clean water, shake hard, mash/shake/mash/shake, repeat. Rinse 3-4 times doing the mash/shake thing. Voila. "Clean clothes". Well, cleaner, at least. wring them out to start the drying, then put them on to finish. I'll undoubtedly do this simple, quick laundry technique even when I'm planning on a town visit soon.