Personal Hygiene While Camping

Ah, camping. There’s nothing quite like getting back to nature – breathing in the fresh air, cooking outdoors, roasting marshmallows around the fire, falling asleep to the sounds of crickets and waking up to the dawn chorus.

If only it were that simple. We all know that camping’s fun, but whether you’re halfway up a mountainside or at the seaside, it’s hard to prevent mess from becoming stress. Even the simplest of spillages seems to be twice as difficult to remove when you’re surrounded by mud and grass, and constantly at the mercy of the weather.

Of course, Wet Ones Hand Wipes are famously indispensable on any camping trip and, as the America’s #1 Hand Wipe Brand*, we know a thing or two about keeping clean in the great outdoors.

Rule number one, of course, is to bring plenty of Wet Ones Antibacterial Hand Wipes (in your preferred scent). You won’t believe what a difference a pack of Wet Ones can make when you’ve got no access to soap and water – especially if you’ve got little ones with you. And if you’re looking to clean your hands and your face, bring along a pack of our hypoallergenic Sensitive Skin wipes for an extra gentle clean. After all, roughing it doesn’t have to mean not feeling clean and fresh.

But beyond that, here are our favorite tips for maintaining your personal hygiene when you’re camping…

Travel size is the right size
Of course you’re gonna wanna stay clean while camping, but you certainly don’t need to bring the vanity along. Travel size tooth paste (or even dissolvable capsules), mouthwash, deodorant, bug spray and even sunscreen are the key to keeping a light, well-packed, easier to carry bag.
As far as Wet Ones go, we’ve got you covered as well. Our travel packs are the perfect size for camping, and with minimal packaging, they won’t add too much weight to your bag. Bringing along a handful of singles might also be a good idea for shorter excursions away from the campsite.

Keep ‘em separated
Everyone knows there’s nothing wrong with making clothes last for that little bit longer when you’re camping. After all, who’s really going to judge? With that in mind, if you’re camping for any length of time, make sure you’ve got two bags –one for clean, unused clothes and one for clothes you won’t be wearing a second time. Keeping things separate is a good way to keep unused clothes smelling and feeling fresher, and will help you better ration your attire throughout the trip.

You can wash clothes if you need to
If you’re camping for a couple of weeks, don’t worry about bringing enough clothes to last the whole trip. On a sunny day when drying will be easy, put some soap into a tub of warm water, and scrub what you need to by hand. You’ll struggle to get any stains out, but they’ll still be a whole lot fresher than when you started. Just make sure you don’t do all your underwear at once, so that you can have a dry set on hand when you need it!

Keep your hands clean
This is another area where Wet Ones won’t let you down. In the woods and the wild it’s easy to pick up all sorts of bacteria, but also easy to get rid of it – as our hand wipes are effective in killing 99.99% of many common and harmful bacteria**. Make sure you keep them close by and use them on your hands throughout the day, especially before cooking and after going to the bathroom. Prefer hand sanitizer? Our Wet Ones 2oz Hand Sanitizing Gel is pretty easy to carry in your pocket too!

Leave your sleeping clothes in the tent
It might be a pair of light pajamas or you might don a hoodie, woolly hat and thick warm socks for camping. Whatever your preference, keep them inside the tent throughout your camping trip. Things like pollen and even the smoke from your campfire can get into the fibers of your clothes, and you really don’t want those on your skin when you’re sleeping – so cooking in your PJs is out of the equation.

*#1 claim based on scan data for 52 weeks ending 03/27/21
**Does not include Sensitive Skin, Ocean Breeze or Spring Bliss hand wipes.