How to Stay Clean When Camping
Camping is a really popular pastime where I live, and I suspect it's got something to do with it having been free during communism, a time when going on holiday to a neighboring country wasn't always an easy thing to do. Personally, I'm not a big fan of camping and when I've gone camping in the past (in Texas) I did it the glamor girl way -- I stayed in a cottage with proper bathrooms and showers. This is because I'm not keen on the idea of stinking badly after a few days trekking round the outdoors in the hot sun. Nor am I keen on getting romantic with someone else who stinks for the same reasons. Thankfully, there are other ways to keep feeling fresh and clean -- even the girlie bits -- when you're out camping under the stars without the luxury of a hotel bathroom to pop into for a quick freshening up.
1. Take a shower
There are special camping showers available these days. Have a look at the items on the right hand side and you'll see some nifty portable showers.
2. Brush your teeth
No one is going to want to kiss you or sit close to you if you skip on the oral hygiene. Brushing your teeth is easy enough to do, you just need a little bit of water to pull it off. And if need be you can always dry brush. Yeah, it will taste nasty but just think of how much longer your breath will be fresh for.
3. Bring mouthwash
You can pack one of those little travel mouthwash bottles and make it last for a week or so. Or you can bring a proper bottle and share it with whomever you'll be kissing!
4. Baby wipes
These are probably the most important part of keeping clean when you're on a camping trip. In my humble opinion, all women should have a steady supply of baby wipes at the ready, being that you never know when you'll need them. Notice that I say baby wipes and not 'toilet wipes' or 'feminine wipes' -- this is cos those types tend to be crap. Only baby wipes are sure to be safe on sensitive skin (some of the femme wipes have crazy perfumes in them) and they are light and fresh enough that you actually feel CLEAN after using them, as opposed to feeling perfumed-over.
Baby wipes should be used to clean up your girlie (or boy) bits a few times a day, and can be used as T.P. when nature calls. Baby wipes can also be used to clean armpits and other sweaty areas to make sure bacteria don't start accumulating, which is the main culprit behind body odor. Heck, you could bathe your entire body in them if you really wanted to.
5. Deodorant
For Pete's sake, please don't forget the deodorant when you're on a camping trip. If you've brought stick deodorant, it will tend to last longer than sprays, so if you bring spray or roll-on you may need to apply it more than once a day if you're sweating it off. Don't substitute body mists, ladies -- you'll just smell like perfumed sweat.