Is it okay to bathe in a stream as long as you don't use soap etc. ?
What about rinsing clothes ?
Is it okay to bathe in a stream as long as you don't use soap etc. ?
What about rinsing clothes ?
Oh boy, where's the popcorn!
Just do it far downstream from where others get water and use a biodegradable soap
Bumblebee Tuna
Let me go
No problem.
Just don't do it in or directly above or in an obvious source of drinking water at an established campsite, or right next to the Trail.
if you want to use soap, fill up your water bladder and bottles and move away from the stream to soap up and rinse off. You don't to use "special" biodegradable soap either -- just common sense and consideration.
Best to be modesty regardless of age and gender.
Ok. I'll bite...
If I'm up high and there's a spring or small spring fed stream I will take water from the stream and wash elsewhere (well away from the stream where my skank and, um, bad bacteria won't go in the water). The guiding principle here is that it's possible the stream crosses a trail further downstream where I or another hiker might be getting water again. I wouldn't want to drink my skank, would you?
If I'm down low and the volume of water is much higher I just jump right in and enjoy a good swim, clothes on, sans soap. Most of the time, I wouldn't take water from a low stream if I could avoid it. By that point, there's all kinds of funk in there from farm animals, sewers, drainfields, road runoff, etc., etc., etc.
With regard to the soap I loosely follow this: http://www.backcountryattitude.com/b...able_soap.html
2,000 miler. Still keepin' on keepin' on.
oh yeah man, i can't wait to fill my water bottle downstream from your nasty filth, and for extra measure i'll throw in some dancing bananas, free of charge since you don't like them
Bathing in a stream and not using soap is called "swimming." When there's enough water that you won't noticeably foul it by your very presence, swimming is usually considered acceptable behaviour.
On trips longer than an overnighter, I ordinarily bring a collapsible bucket. One of its purposes is holding washwater. Which gets disposed of well away from a trail or water source, either in a cathole or widely dispersed depending on the terrain and the preference of the land manager.
I always know where I am. I'm right here.
It' just not that hard to bathe without doing it near/in a creek. Take your bath away from a clean water source - with or without soap. . . Unless the creek (or pond) is really large enough for swimming. Please. Thank you.
You can not be serious with the question. Got to be trying to light a fire here for some reason. But i will give it a go. you dont know others bathing habits or health status. lets say a hiker upstream from you has a bleeding hemorrhoid, hepatitis, herpes, and a sever case of leaking bowels from the medication his doctor gave to treat the triple threat he has to deal with. would you seriously want to drink the water that just rinsed his nethers? if you see no issue in that you must love bear grylls and his snake skin urine holder that doubles as reusable condom for the film crew. it is filthy, disgusting, rude, and a blatant disregard for the well being of others. so i ask you kindly, please do not do it.
There aren't many streams on the AT big enough or deep enough to bathe in. Those which are are generally near a town or along a road. And without soap, about all you can do is rinse some dirt off your legs. Anyway, the water is usually friggen cold.
I'll dip a bandana or t-shirt in a stream to rinse the salt/sweat out of it, but wring it out over the shore. For a more serious wash with soap, that is done in a plastic bag a reasonable distance away from the stream. There is *always* someone down stream. If you carry your water in a water bladder, you can make an impervised shower out of it easy enough, which would be better then trying to wash in the stream. If you have some time to kill, you can put the bladder in the sun for a while to warm it up too.
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im resigned to waiting for town for my showers, just focus on keeping my feet clean. like slogoen says, its usually too friggin cold to bathe in anyway.
How does everyone feel about showers in the waterfalls instead!?
If the water's fit for swimming, I will be swimming. If the water's fit for drinking, I will be drinking. I'll use either for bathing, away from the source, with my bucket, bandana, bladder, and barsoap. Cold swims and baths are the highlights of my days. If dangerously cold I'll heat 2 quarts of water in my handy dandy SnowPeak cooknsave 2 quart titanium pot and dump it in my bladder with cold water to fill. Nice, quick, warm showers are great when it is cold out there. Just dry off and get dressed fast. Just don't get no stanky skanky parts in peeps drinking water please.
somewhere, there is a very good article/post/response from sgt rock, as to how to keep clean on the trail. unfortunately i can't find it.
perhaps someone can remember how to dig it up, so to speak
On a side note, there is a lot more water out there than sources noted in the data/guide books. If you are willing to drop down off most any saddle you will eventually find some. Don't tell any body, but these can make great camping spots when you want the whole place to yourself, and no one will see your winky dink when you bathe. Course, if you are heading to town to spend your money every 2/3 days why bother?
Last edited by aficion; 10-22-2013 at 11:45.
I know it is a controversial topic (what isn't?) but I love my Sea to Sunmmit folding bucket.
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It makes a quick bath easy, and I can fill it up at the spring and filter at will back at the shelter....