Backpacking soap

[shortridge]

What kinds of soap/cleaning products do y'all find work better/best for camping and backpacking? Campsuds? Dr. Bronner's? Another brand? Or do you just use water and a washcloth, and lick your plates clean?

[Beavah]

No need for soap. Better to be a good example of LNT and leave it at home, eh? Some areas in da backcountry where traffic is moderate will see a lot of damage from soaps, and sometimes hikers get sick from da soap itself because it can't be easily rinsed off (yeh would never dunk your pots in a water source, would yeh?).

 

Good hot water and good cookin' technique will keep everything safe and clean. Watch out for "washcloths" which may accumulate food bits and bacteria.

 

I usually only carry a bit of soap in my first aid kit for washin' my hands before and after I treat an open wound, eh?

 

Beavah

 

[SR540Beaver]

Two drops of Camp Suds will do the trick while backpacking.

[packsaddle]

I agree with Beavah regarding cooking gear. With careful planning, hot water can take care of most needs. With regard to personal cleanliness, plain water is also a pretty good way to go. But I understand the occasional need for something stronger, as Beavah notes, for example, cleaning wounds. A wound can just as effectively be cleaned using one of those prepackaged first aid pads. But for larger jobs, where soap is really needed, I try to use the plainest soap available, made from natural fatty acids and not including detergents, fragrances, or antibiotic chemicals. This usually translates into something made from palm oil or some other natural substance, so that microbial decomposition can proceed as quickly as possible and there will be few or no residues remaining after decomposition. I think Ivory soap qualifies for this although it may have fragrance added. It is fairly caustic (high pH) so a little goes a long way. The caustic nature actually reacts with our skin's oils to saponify them and increase the 'soapy' effect. You might have noticed this effect if you've ever accidentally gotten some NaOH or other base on your hands. Washing them off..they feel really soapy. Great way to degrease your skin though...NOT RECOMMENDED!