How to wash your hands on a backpacker (hand disinfectant is not the answer)

BACK When I was preparing for my first walk (the trail of the Apalaches), I was awake late at night investigating the details of the smallest teams, as if wearing Campsuds or Dr. Bronners as my soap of choice.

It turns out that both Bronners and Campsuds are perfectly legitimate options. But the proper hand washing technique, while through the intervals it is an issue that is worth investigating, since logistics on the road is more complicated than one would expect.

Hundreds of hikers meet Norovirus every year on paths full of people like the AT, largely due to inappropriate handwashing. Using the correct type of soap and good technique can help you protect it (and all those around it) from stomach insects, but you should also make sure you are observing not leave principles trace and use soap products in a way that does not attract wildlife to your camp at night.

PSA: The disinfectant for alcohol -based hands is not enough

The disinfectant for hands is very convenient because it does not require rinse. You do not need to worry that soap residues get into water sources and do not have to worry about the struggle to rinse soapy hands when you are alone (it is a great fight).

Unfortunately, while disinfectants for alcohol -based hands can kill many germs and even some viruses are not effective against Norovirus (among other pathogens). That means that you can analyze everything you want, but it will not protect you from your fellow hikers with your hands in your hand (or protect your fellow hikers from your hands from Poopy).

Wash with real soap and soap is one of the most effective ways to eliminate Norovirus from your hands. That means that you must pack real soap to do the job correctly.

What soaps are the best for the backpacker?

Many hikers opt for biodegradable soaps such as the aforementioned Dr. Bronners or Campsuds to reduce their impact on the natural environment. However, even if you are using something biodegradable, remember that you still need to do all your hand washing at least 200 feet of any water source. Biodegradable or not, soap residue is still harmful to aquatic life.

Bronners is popular because it is a highly concentrated castle soap. A few drops are all you need to wash your hands, so you can wear a very small bottle and still will be very useful. Its multifunctionality also attracts: in addition to handwashing, castle soap works well to wash the dishes, hair, laundry and more.

The bar soap is another alternative. Liquids like bronners weigh more than the bar soap and it is more likely to seep and cause a disaster in their package. Many hikers swore through soap leaves, which are essentially slices of bar soap that provide sufficient foam for individual hand washing when mixing with the water field. You can buy soap leaves prior to the picture or do your own shaving a bar of soap at home.

Regardless of the soap you choose, try to find a soft or perfume version if possible, but keep in mind that even the soaps «without perfume» still count as items to the wildlife, so it must still store them in their bear bag during the night.

Another viable alternative: hypochloro acid

Hippocloro acid aerosol (Hocl) is an viable alternative to alcohol -based disinfectant. While the alcohol version does not kill Norovirus or other harmful microbes such as CLOSTRIDIUM DIFFICHIL (C. diff), hocl spray yes, and is safe and not irritating to your skin. Like the regular hand disinfectant, it does not require rinse, which can save a lot of uproar in the field.

For mysterious reasons, many of us have never heard of hypochloro acid spray (or at least we had not done it before pandemic), but I think that more backpackers should consider using it along the way. It is not yet the same as real hand washing with soap and water, which actually eliminates skin dirt instead of simply disinfecting dirt, but it is much better than alcohol -based disinfectant.

This is what I will carry on my next walk. And yes, I will still store it in my bear boat during the night with the rest of my smells.

How do you wash your hands during the night?

Let’s say you need to use private overnight. How do you wash your hands later, considering that your items with smells (including soap) should hang from a tree in your bear bag? I probably don’t want the discomfort of putting it in the dark just to wash your hands.

If only Orinas in the forest (that is, you did not enter a private), the hand washing can probably wait until morning. It is not ideal, but in a realistic way, it is what most hikers do.

If he screwed up, unfortunately there is no good solution that is not taking out his soap (ideally before peanuting, otherwise he will handle his food bag with dirty hands). A journey bidet can go a long way to keep your hands clean during the poop process, but you probably still need to clean and, therefore, you will still need to wash your hands.

Handwashing techniques

Keep 200 feet away from any water source while washing, for not leaving a trace. If you are using a concentrated soap like Campsuds or bronners, you will only need some drops to create a good foam in your hands. Be sure to wash for at least 30 seconds before rinsing the soap.

The rinse is a great pain in the back if you are alone, but a crossing bidet accessory for your water bottle can help a lot because it produces a more powerful and concentrated water jet.

Once again, if all this sounds like a great discomfort for you, consider carrying a hypocloric acid spray disinfectant in your place. It is not the same as washing with real soap and soap (which could also be used to wash other things, such as their pot), but if your hands are more likely to disinfect while you are out there, then it could be a better option for you.

Who knew that hand washing could be so complicated? (I did it, thanks to my strange depth depth research trends). But it is worth taking a little more about his hygiene to avoid Norovirus and help minimize his spread among other hikers.

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