Published October 19, 2000 12:00AM
I’ve never actually smelled a squirrel simmering in a vat of refried beans, but I’d hazard a guess that the aroma tickling my olfactory senses at this particular moment is pretty darned close. What I’m smelling is offensive, a real nose-wrinkler, and it’s so strong that I can’t sleep. Then the shocking reality hits me like a sack full of month-old sweaty socks. The source of the putrid aroma is inside my sleeping bag. It’s me.
And that should be no surprise. After all, I’ve spent 4 hard days hiking through the desert, and going without bathing is a backpacking fact of life. When we’re far from our plumbing-plentiful, shower-ready, work-a-day world, getting rank is a wilderness rite of passage. We yearn to get back to nature, back to the animal ways. Problem is, I think in my current state, I’d offend most nonhuman critters, too.
As I lie awake, nostrils flaring and failing to locate fresh air, I wonder why I smell so bad. Why is it that on this night, on this particular trip, I reek like never before? More to the point, is smelling like this actually bad for my health? And are there ways to stop it in the first place? I need answers just as badly as I need a bath.
The Science
What causes Heinous Hiker Syndrome?
Next time you’re sitting ’round the camp stove, impress your hiking buddies with this bit of science: Sweat doesn’t stink. The bad smell comes from harmless skin bacteria in your armpits and groin that feast on fatty goo excreted with the sweat. As these bacteria eat, multiply, and break down the goo into aliphatic acids (scientists refer to them as “goat acids”), stink results.
“The bacteria on the axilla (armpit) keep growing unless they’re washed off,” says George Preti, a body-odor specialist for the Philadelphia-based Monell Chemical Senses Center. “There are reports, from periods in history when people didn’t use soap, that the bacterial populations became so numerous they were visible (to the naked eye) as little nodules hanging from the axilla hairs,” says Preti.
Visible or not, the obvious concern is whether smelly pits and dirty skin can become unhealthy.
“It’s not a serious hygienic issue,” says veteran backpacker William Forgey, M.D., president of the Wilderness Medical Society. Diseases associated with poor hygiene, such as leprosy or lice, aren’t contracted merely by being dirty. They come from contact with infected people or animals. “It’s far more important, from a health standpoint, to wash your hands and dishes thoroughly than (to wash) your armpits,” says Dr. Forgey.
A Lofty Di-stink-tion
A survey of Backpacker staff, friends, and family revealed that former Rocky Mountain Editor Mark Jenkins (above) holds the dubious honor of going the longest without bathing-75 days.
According to Jenkins, who’s spent his longest unwashed periods in the Himalayas, “Your body reaches a state of stench equilibrium after about 3 weeks. You won’t smell any worse after 9 weeks in the wild than you do after 3.” And “as long as your comrades smell as bad as you do, no worries. It’s only when some sourpuss can’t take it anymore and decides to use a bar of soap that everything goes to hell.”
Avoid A Soiled Reputation
A wipe is all it takes.
Smelling like corpse hasn’t killed anyone-not that we know of, anyway-but there are some basic hygiene practices that Doc Forgey says health-minded hikers should follow. “Everything else,” he says, “you can pretty much let go.”
1. Clean those loins. Unscented baby wipes are the easiest way to stay clean, or designate a special bandanna to use with water.
2. Wash your feet. Actually, washing isn’t as important for avoiding stink and blisters as keeping your feet dry.
3. Brush your teeth. Your mouth is a haven for bacteria, and a few days spent without brushing leads not only to a serious case of doggie breath, but all sorts of dental problems.
4. Wash your hands. And do so religiously after every bowel movement and before food
preparation. Not only is this a smell-squelcher, it helps prevent the spread of disease.
5. Wash your wounds. Dirty skin isn’t okay when you cut yourself, because opportunistic organisms will jump into an open wound. Irrigate the wound with filtered water, clean it and the surrounding skin with antiseptic or soap, and then apply a sterile bandage.
Note: If you’re traveling abroad, especially to tropical climes, check with the World Health Organization (202-974-3000; www.who.int) for advice on hygiene practices.
Scrub-A-Dub
Simple and quick ways to take a tubless backwoods bath
Washing with good ol’ soap and water is the best way to stifle body odor, says Ward Billhimer, a senior scientist with Procter & Gamble. The more you scrub, the more bacteria you’ll eliminate, although “you’ll never wash off 100 percent of the organisms,” he says.
Antibacterial moist towelettes will give bacteria the boot in a low-impact way. Be sure to pack out the used wipes.
Or, give yourself a sponge bath with the warm water left from making dinner. If you use soap, lather up with a phosphate-free, biodegradable type well away from all water sources. Some options:
The LNT “200” Rule
Wash at least 200 yards from water sources, even if you’re using biodegradable soap. Dripping soapy water onto durable surfaces like rock or gravel is preferable. Dispose of gray (waste) water far from springs and streams.
Camp Suds is an odorless soap that’s eco-friendly, highly concentrated, and can be used to clean almost anything, including body parts.
Price: $3, 4-ounce bottle.
Contact: Sierra Dawn Products, (707) 588-0755.
No-Rinse Body Wash and Shampoo are sweet-smelling powders for use when water’s at a premium (for a review, see www.backpacker.
com/gear).
Price: $1.19, 2-ounce bottle.
Contact: N/R Laboratories, (800) 223-9348; www.norinse.com.
Camp-n-Travel Hygiene Kit: This has it all: peppermint soap, a pack towel, a dish scrubber, and a booklet, Camping Healthy, that offers advice on cleanliness in the wild. Weight: 13 ounces.
Price: $10.
Contact: Atwater Carey, (800) 359-1646; www.
destinationoutdoors.com.
Dr. Bronner’s 18-in-1 Pure-castile Soap
is one of the most effective all-natural soaps. It works well on body, hair, clothes, and dishes, and can be used as a shaving cream, massage solution, and mosquito, tick, and fly repellent. It’s scented, so use sparingly in bear country. Price: $2.25,4-ounce bottle.
Contact: Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps, (760) 743-2211; www.drbronner.com.
PackTowl: This 27-by-10-inch chamoislike synthetic cloth weighs little more than a cotton bandanna, but sops up as much water as a full-size bath towel.
Price: $5.50.
Contact: Cascade Designs, (800) 531-9351; www. cascadedesigns. com.
Sun Shower: Fill the 3-liter bag, hang it above your head, and turn the nozzle for a shower about 2 minutes long. The bag is metallic on one side, so you can have a hot shower in about 3 hours, courtesy of the sun. Note: Cannot double as a water bladder.
Weight: 3.5 ounces
Price: $8.
Contact: Basic Designs Inc., (707) 575-1220.
Getting Gear To Come Clean
How to make putrid equipment smell as fresh as a daisy
You can bathe, roll in sweet-smelling powder, even stick lilacs in your pockets, but if your gear is pungent, it’s all for naught. Here’s how to de-scent equipment:
Aromatic Gear
Some manufacturers want to clear the air around stinky backpackers with products that don’t hold nasty aromas as tightly as typical synthetics do. Here are some products we’ve tested that have proved less odiferous.
Socks
Deodorants For Trail Hounds
Who needs Right Guard when there’s ginger?
Once you’ve bathed, you can keep odor from returning (at least for a short while). Some suggestions:
A word of caution: Avoid smelly stuff in bear country. It’s far better to smell bad than to smell like dinner.
Berne Broudy contributed to this story.