Maintaining hygiene rules while camping, or how to remain a “lady” always and everywhere.

Girls, as well as those
who does not understand the statement of the cat Matroskin:
“...some even wash themselves with their tongue...”, - 
dedicated to: 

I am an average girl, who has an arsenal of jars with use at different times of the day for different parts of the body, honestly, not a small one, therefore, I really understand how difficult it is to force myself to leave even one of such irreplaceable tubes. But...after the care products are laid out on the table, it becomes clear that everything needs to be halved, or even quartered. However, believe me, there will be no irreversible changes in your appearance in a week. It is clear that basic care, nutrition and hydration of the skin is necessary, but the main thing here is without fanaticism. (If my husband had been reading, he would certainly have made a couple of jokes: the concept of “fanaticism” is different for everyone. If only you knew what tricks I have to resort to in order to “stretch” my list of “necessary things” at the family council... But that’s a different story...)

As for the procedures for swimming on a hike... It all depends on your desire; overnight parking is always provided at the spring. The water is invigorating, but believe me, after a hot day, if you really want to wash off, even the coolness of the evening will not stop you.

• Don’t put off water procedures for a long time after arriving at the parking lot, but you shouldn’t be selfish either, because... The needs of the tribe come first! Even if you are very tired after a long trek and it seems to you that upon arrival you can be shot like a driven horse, do not rush to conclusions. As practice shows, as soon as you take off your backpack, an unspent charge of energy appears, which is quite enough, depending on who you are, but for at least 40 minutes, for sure. And during this time it is quite possible to have time if you rationally divide responsibilities, light a fire, stock up on water, pitch a tent and begin water procedures, replacing each other in preparing dinner...
• If the water is cold, rejoice, and the colder it is, the more rejoice. Tested: the lower the water temperature, the warmer it becomes after a shower. And to warm up, wash yourself actively, then rub yourself with a towel. And at the same time, think positively: imagine your feelings after, over a cup of tea by the fire, yourself, fragrant with the freshness of soap; and also how beneficial dousing procedures are. You can think of yogis, monks in Tibet, or anything else that makes you feel determined.
• Choose a place away from the spring. Firstly, you should not pollute your own territory, and secondly, usually the places where springs are located are not so picturesque. Another thing is a chamomile field, or a mountainside. Romance!!! Although you should be careful here too. As practice has shown, bottles tend to slip out of soapy hands and fall down at the most inopportune moment...
• Choose the right company for yourself. On the last trip, there was one more girl from the female half besides me. It is much more fun to carry out water procedures together. In this case, the soul mate will also feel the temperature; and will cheer you up at the right moment; will scare away mosquitoes if necessary; will help you find lost soap; will stop you in time if you decide to rush down to grab a bottle that has slipped from your wet hands, and later, will protect the owner of the lost bottle from retaliation; will share the remaining water, the first “brrrrr” and “gaaahhhhh” will say with you in one voice, and much more...
• And for taking a shower, 3 liters of water is enough, provided that ordinary soap is used as a detergent. By the way, you can use any available means as a container; we already discussed this topic during the hike: a hiking hat is very suitable as a scoop; if your boots are in good condition, you can use them too. But this is only if you managed to lose all the bottles while swimming. I recommend being extremely careful and attentive, and using traditional containers.
• It’s still better to wash your hair in the morning, when the sun is higher, you understand why... At the same time, if you want warmer water, fill your bottles with it in the evening. If this doesn’t seem enough to you, you can heat the water over a fire. However, this must be done in advance so as not to delay camp preparations.
• For the same purpose, it makes sense to do morning washing and brushing your teeth not at the spring, but right in the camp, using a bottle. This will save you from unnecessary running around and queues at the watering hole.

Well, that seems to be all the comments. Add your comments and share your experience. It is very interesting to know a possible, different view of the situation.

Lena Sirenko, Kyiv 2009