How Long Have You Gone Without a Shower/Bath?

[Trailace]

How Long Have You Gone Without a Shower/Bath?

[Doobage]

It wasn't my fault....I went backpacking in the back range of Yellowstone park (Lake Shoshone) and the first day was a "long" hike (22+ miles). We setup camp down by the lake and then woke up and found we were swarmed by mosquitos. However a 40 foot bluff to our right provided a strong breeze and appeared to be mosquito free. Since we had walked so far the first day, we decided to camp on the bluff that night, which allowed us to explore a geyser basin in that area. 3 mile "run" and my brothers and I explored the area, which was very unsual since it was a backwoods geyser basin, there were no signs, walkways or anything to prevent you from being stupid. Fortunately my brothers and I have some shred of intelligence (not that it takes a lot to stay away from boiling pools of water with thin calcium crusts).

Next to the basin is a river that is fed by the mountain snow. We climbed down the steep banks of the river and saw that some geysers were actually shooting water into the river. Thinking that the mix of extremely hot water and extremely cold water might provide some form of temperate water, we walked into the 2 foot deep rocky bottom river. Seeing that the volume of hot water was drastically less than cold water, we quickly deduced that we'd need to try and capture the hot water in a swirling pool. So we built a small rock dam along the edge to allow for the hot water being sprayed out to swirl around. When walking on the river bottom to collect rocks, we noticed that the bottom had air bubbles coming up...at the same rate you might find in a soda can...small streams of bubbles. Unfortunately those bubble plooms were exceedingly hot. After stepping on one, each one of us shot up into the air and stumbled and fell into the water. Since it was freezing, we jumped up immediately, but it got some of the grime off of us. Our little pool began working, but not in the way we antcipated. The hot water would enter, but must have contained different minerals because it did NOT mix at all. You would step in one section and it would be freezing (40) and the next section would be VERY hot (130).

We ran back to the camp site and got what would be our last meal for a very long time. That evening it began to rain. It rained hard. Even up on the bluff water ran beneath our tent. We stayed because we figured it would finish. We couldn't start a fire and needed to save our propane for boiling water. It rained for two more days....hard rain. By the fifth day we had not eaten for a day, and our rations for the 22+ mile hike back was a granola bar. For whatever reason the water we boiled that morning on a wood fire seemed to get ash in it some how (even though it was covered)....and it tasted like BBQ water. It was aweful tasting. Taking a high risk at about 15 miles I threw out my BBQ water and opted for a clear running stream, which fortunately was "clean" of parasites.

That evening we drove over to the Yellowstone Hotel so we could rent a room, get cleaned up and eat a good meal. Walking into that "fancy" hotel was priceless since we were smelling horribly, had charcoal smudges on our face from trying to light the morning fire, mud all over everything from walking the muddy trails. The guy that gave us the key actually pinched it as if giving a tissue to a diseased patient. Later that evening I had Swordfish and it was one of the best meals I can ever remember eating. Either that or I just nawed on my arm and thought it was swordfish.

[Mellow]

Great Story... !

[PhoenixRising01]

!968, S.E. Asia Survival College. On a small wodden Philipene tug boat (don't ask) waaaaaaaay south in the Mekong Delta country. There was absolutely no way I was going to get in the water, what with all the different things we saw floating. I was out for three weeks that time, and had one very quick "shower" at a S. Vietnamese camp.

[Trailace]

!968, S.E. Asia Survival College. On a small wodden Philipene tug boat (don't ask) waaaaaaaay south in the Mekong Delta country. There was absolutely no way I was going to get in the water, what with all the different things we saw floating. I was out for three weeks that time, and had one very quick "shower" at a S. Vietnamese camp.
Maybe you need a new tag name. Can you say stinky? LOL

[Mellow]

Maybe you need a new tag name. Can you say stinky? LOL

Or Krusty?:D

[FrioPoint]

How Long Have You Gone Without a Shower/Bath?

Back in 1981 I went on a month-long backpacking trip with the National Outdoor Leadership School. We left Lander, WY one day, and stayed in the Wind River Mountains for one month. Nope, I didn't bathe once the entire month. Most of the people in my group didn't either. When we got back to the NOLS headquarters in Lander they made us take a shower in the stalls before we were allowed inside the building. We probably smelled bad enough to attract coyotes.

[Trailace]

I bet you had a great time, sure miss backpacking.

[webistrator]

Next time, please include an "all of the above" option...

Stinky

[Tombstone]

Another former backpacker here. Amoung numerous other trips, I've taken the varsity scouts on 50 milers twice. :tent2:
The first time we were dropped off at one location and picked up at another. My wife was one of the people picking us up. During the week long hiking part of the trip, while eating de-hydrated camp food, I was savoring the thought of what she would bring for me to eat when she picked us up. I was certain she would have some sort of fat, greasy, heart-attack inducing hamburger and shake for me, or at least something similar. :burger1:
At the end of our hike, when we arrived at the meeting place, sure enough she had some food for me.....a granola bar and and apple! We still laugh about that to this day.

[Mark]

!968, S.E. Asia Survival College. On a small wodden Philipene tug boat (don't ask) waaaaaaaay south in the Mekong Delta country. There was absolutely no way I was going to get in the water, what with all the different things we saw floating. I was out for three weeks that time, and had one very quick "shower" at a S. Vietnamese camp.

If I remember correctly it was probably raining every day...
Mark

[msscull]

Daily here.

I prefer to avoid having too much "rapidly multiplying odor causing bacteria." :eek:

:tent4:

[flailer]

Daily, when possible.

But as everyone knows; after 3 days, not bathing becomes a badge of merit and one is not allowed to bath again until after sharing your manliness with family or life-time friends ~ by close (very close) contact with them.

:eek:

[motomac]

Well Tiny, you got me beat. When I was on my first submarine(it was a Diesel boat) we got to take a shower once every three weeks. 31 days is a bit longer LOL. Whenever we made fresh(distilled sea water) water, it was for the batteries that propelled the main motors, so we didn't get to take showers often.

[Alan]

If I remember correctly it was probably raining every day...
Mark

When out in the boonies in VietNam, we would shower during the incredibily heavy rainstorms and hope the rain would last long enough to rinse the soap off. Must have looked wierd, a bunch of naked soldiers dancing around in the rain covered in soap suds. The local population always looked at us as some kind of alien species and this helped confirm their ideas.

:D

[Yamifj1200]

When camping in state parks or wilderness camping a stream or lake can usually be found for a quick dip and clean up. Its amazing how fast you can wash up when the water is cold. I have also used Sun heated showers when I am staying in the same place for a few days.

I have used truck stops in the past if it got to the point where I could no longer stand myslef while on the road. Most of the bigger ones are surprisingly clean, well lit and have private showers. Its well worth the 5 bucks or so to be clean again.

Eric

[motomac]

I drove truck for a year and the truck stop showers are cleaned after each shower. Much cleaner than a camp ground or my house.

[STBNE]

I'm new here but thought I'd relate a story abt a great camping trip I took back in 1970.I lived in Springfield MO.My good buddy and I took a 2 week river expedition by canoe...in July.The river went thru the Mark Twain Wilderness in southern MO into northern Arkansas.This river...the Eleven Point R. was/is all underground spring fed...and even in the dog days of July the main current was darn near ice cold.At that time it was rated in the top 10 of the cleanest,unpolluted and unspoiled rivers in the country.You could literally stick your face in it and drink your fill with no worries.Anytime you got hot...just jump in...My buddy and I really lived off the land...mostly by fishing...Brown Trouts,Rainbow Trout,Bass,and Channel Catfish...plus many wild berries and watercress and crawdads too.We never needed to shower OFC.At one of our camping sites we set up along the riverbank where a bottomless blue spring fed into the river...the water was colder than 50*.We would jump in that every a.m. to wake up...man that was cold...my friend started to get hypothermia...in July! so I got him out right quick...we never saw another soul for two weeks and we were deep into the wilderness...miles from civilization...so it was critical that neither one of us got sick or injured.There were many caves with cold streams flowing down from the hills into the river...we tried to do some cave exploring but could never get in too far because the water was too cold to wade thru.To this day that was the most memorable camping trip I have ever taken...would love to do it again.So we didnt need to shower..but nature provided in so many ways.:cool:

[eggmandingo]

I was camping in the California desert near Barstow for 5 days. It took 2 day to get home riding my old cb750. My mom would not let me in the house when I got home, so I washed outside on the drive-way (clothes still on) with the hose, soap and a brush I used for my car tires. She still made me wait until I was completely dry before I could go inside and take a REAL shower. That was around 25 years ago...LOL I was pretty dirty!