4 Tips for Staying Clean During an Overlanding Trip
Having fun is important when overlanding, but so is staying clean. Embracing the great outdoors doesn’t mean you have to leave your personal hygiene needs back at home. Keep your hygiene in mind when planning an outdoor getaway. Try out these effective tips for staying clean during an overlanding trip.
Pack a Shower for the Trip
If you’re heading on an overlanding trip with the worry that you must bathe in the nearest river, we have good news for you. Portable showers can make camping for extended periods easier and provide a convenient way to stay clean. At Ironman 4x4, we offer camping showers and Instant Ensuite Shower Tents so you can have privacy and cleanliness in one complete package! A fun day of mudding and more off-road adventures while overlanding is much more rewarding when you can get clean and comfortable afterward.
Create a Personal Hygiene Checklist
Sometimes, it’s easy to overlook packing the things we use the most, such as personal hygiene products. Create a separate checklist to determine what you need to stay clean on your trip, and pack accordingly.
This checklist can include body wash, shampoo, conditioner, toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, wet wipes, and hand sanitizer. Feel free to add to that list to accommodate your needs. You can make storage for toiletries with a portable storage system in your vehicle. At Ironman 4x4, we carry off-road storage drawers you can use to organize bathroom essentials on the go.
Plan Your Bathroom Setup
A critical tip for staying clean during an overlanding trip is to avoid using the outdoors as your bathroom. Ironman 4x4 has flushable portable toilets so you can have a more home-like bathroom setup without all the complications. This doesn’t mean you can’t bury human waste out in the wild, if that’s what you prefer.
Make sure you adhere to the proper Leave No Trace guidelines for human waste disposal, such as burying the waste at least 200 feet from campsites, trails, and water sources. Bringing the right hardware and knowledge with you while overlanding means you can relieve yourself without polluting campsites in the process.
Know What’s Nearby
Here is one more key tip to remember when planning your overlanding route: jot down nearby store locations. How close is your campsite to the nearest convenience store or grocery store? This is important for overlanding cleanliness because it enables you to restock your supplies when necessary. For example, losing your body wash on the first night of the trip can be frustrating. Luckily, you can stop by the nearest store to pick up some new soap! We’re not suggesting you go camping behind a grocery store, but consider camping close to these shops just in case.