To wash or not to wash...that is the question!

[whitebuffalo]

Unless he is planning on launching his own brand of aftershave and toiletteries.

The great smell of Mears :yikes:

 

[Emma]

I hear a good way to avoid skin cracking with surgical spirit is to rub baby oil or moisturiser into the skin about an hour after applying the spirit.

 

[Gary]

mmmmmmmm baby oil ...........

Sorry!! :rolmao:

Yes I think your right Emma, the situation I imagine Leon coming across was soldiers during intensive excercise and trying to toughen feet which where likely already blistered and possibly continually damp from sweat ect ect.

All in all - dry socks, a massage to get the blood flowing and foot powder generally will be enough for most people.

 

[Emma]

I must try and remember that half of you guys are ex-forces...

 

[RobertsonPau]

I used to use vaseline on my feet at the end of the day and again in the morning before socks and boots went on. This worked well for a three or four day trips in winter to stop hotspots and blisters. Not so good in summer when feet sweat more and boots breathe better.

Paul

 

[tomtom]

dono how good vazz is long termm..

Lavander oil on the other hand is amazing stuff.. smells good too!

 

[BumblingAlong]

This thread seems random enough. After a few days in the field my rucksack stinks of old dirty clothes and rotten organic matter. You don't notice it until you re-emerge from the forest into a public space and open the bag. It certainly whiffs. Any rucksack odour reduction/elimination tips please

 

[oldtimer]

I was washed every day for the first week of my life. Every week for my first year and after that whenever I fell in a river. Now I wash every year on my birthday whether I need to or not.

 

[Mesquite]

This thread seems random enough. After a few days in the field my rucksack stinks of old dirty clothes and rotten organic matter. You don't notice it until you re-emerge from the forest into a public space and open the bag. It certainly whiffs. Any rucksack odour reduction/elimination tips please

Good stout bags that you can seal with zip ties and tumble drier fabric sheets will go a long way to help control the odour

 

[Laurentius]

"I know who you are! You're the same dumb pilgrim I've been hearing for 20 days and smelling for three.” Well you can't beat skinny dipping in an ice cold lake or river as soon as dawn breaks over your encampment, however you do not want to smell me when I have been shovelling horse manure on my allotment.

 

[Van-Wild]

This thread seems random enough. After a few days in the field my rucksack stinks of old dirty clothes and rotten organic matter. You don't notice it until you re-emerge from the forest into a public space and open the bag. It certainly whiffs. Any rucksack odour reduction/elimination tips please

Canoe bags. One huge one for the main pack, with your kit separated into smaller dry bags/heavy duty freezer bags. Your whole pack stinks most likely because every item is packed together in one bag and it all gets mixed up, and then ends up all smelling the same?

Dirty socks or underwear are the main culprits. Where do you pack these when you change out to clean? I use a separate dry bag to store dirty clothes. I never mix dry kit with wet kit.

Airing your sleeping gear for a while in the sun before you pack it all away helps a lot. Getting out of a warm cosy sleeping bag and stuffing it straight into your rucksack traps the moisture inside it that collects during the night as you sleep. This will literally create a damp bacteria micro environment that you keep feeding every time you get back into your sleeping bag...... Nice.

Before you pack anything, make sure it's dry and clean. I've spent weeks in the field and through some strict routines kept everything in a pretty good hygienic state.

I'm a huge advocate of a 'wet/dry' routine. Having spent some considerable time in the jungle over the years, this routine kept me going for weeks and weeks without any major drama.

Oh and to link back to the original OP, when in the field I don't wash with soap unless I'm absolutely minging. I'll go a few days without even a hint of soap. Daily brushing of teeth is a must, but washing daily never happens. I don't ever shave when in the field. Not worth the infection risk. I wear anti bacterial underwear and an anti bacterial base layer. This keeps the stink down. Socks are alway army surplus desert Socks whatever the season. I massage and powder my feet every night with anti microbial foot powder. I hardly ever change my underwear, base layer or Socks. But every night I will religiously change out of all my wet stuff (everything) and change into a thermal night layer for sleeping. In the morning I change back into the wet clothes, then air out my sleeping gear before repacking it carefully.

Rambled on a bit there, sorry.....

Sent from my SM-A528B using Tapatalk