How long have you gone without bathing?

[The Stig]

What's the longest you've gone without taking a shower?

I've gone two days on a number of occasions and that's about when things begin to get uncomfortable. Smell, itch, you get the idea.

Sorry to be nasty but I can envision all sorts of SHTF events where personal hygiene will go out the window. Even quick wash-downs might become impossible.

How long have you ever gone? Any issues you ran into? What sort of contingencies have you planned for these situations (wipes, anti-itch creams, etc?)

[RedJohn]

My personal record, if you can call this a record, was a tad over 2 weeks. When we were doing certain ops in Africa, a week prior to the mission and of course while performing the duties, all kind of soap or perfumes were totally forbidden and we had to keep the same clothes. We were allowed to wash only in the river using only the water.

Although a white man smell is different than a black man smell, any type of soap odors would have given our position away too easily.

You get used to it in a few days and it is not too bothersome. My troubles where on the hair side, so during these missions I shaved as much has possible. A shower at the end was very welcome.

More recently, while doing short tours in combat zones, I could do 2 or 3 days when needed but the wipes were welcomed.

[bacpacker]

My record is 12 days. Doing winter hikes a couple of times. Thankfully layering clothes help hold the odor in. I tried to wash up a little, but that was water only and as cold as it was I wasn't that thrilled about it. This was before I knew about wipes. That would have made things somewhat better. Actually a lot better.
Like RJ mentioned my hair bugged me as well. At the time I had pretty long hair and wearing a tobaggen most of the time for nearly 2 weeks was awful. I alwasy said the tobaggen made my hair hurt, must have been the scalp, but you get the gist.
The wife was at work when I got home and said she could smell me before she got it the house.

Another short story. the wife had a bad car wreck several years ago. She was left with a broken neck and after surgery she was placed in a neck brace that had to stay on for 30 days. Due to the brace and the incisions she couldn't take a shower the whole time. She was really over not being able to clean up. It was 3 months before the Dr released her to take a shower on her own. She was very happy that day.
I guess my bottom line to the thread. Other than the obvious health and sanitaion issues, It is rough and can be a PITA, but nothing that can't be dealt with. I'm sure many years ago it wasn't anything for folks to go for long periods without taking a true bath.

[izzyscout21]

8 weeks, 3 days. I was rank.

[Fatty]

32 days.

[bacpacker]

This is a REALLY STINKY thread. :)

[cwconnertx]

I have gone about a week,3 days between dips in the river.

I carry a sea to summit compact shower. Its just a few ounces. I wil try to post a link later.

[TEOTWAWKI13]

after a week I smell like the ass end of a petrified skunk.

[LUNCHBOX]

I have went a couple weeks plus in my military days.....I wonder how long I could go now before work would send me home???HUMMMMMM

[chicom]

A little over four months, from January to early May 2005 in the Cascade Mountains. I was winter camping in the Snoqualmie National Forest northwest of Mt Rainier.

The 2004-2005 winter was a dry one for the first part of the season. I could drive my pickup to about the 7500 ft level. It was great camping, then March came around. On March 17th, it snowed heavily until mid April. But by May it began to melt, and I could get out.

Fun times.

[bacpacker]

A little over four months, from January to early May 2005 in the Cascade Mountains. I was winter camping in the Snoqualmie National Forest northwest of Mt Rainier.

The 2004-2005 winter was a dry one for the first part of the season. I could drive my pickup to about the 7500 ft level. It was great camping, then March came around. On March 17th, it snowed heavily until mid April. But by May it began to melt, and I could get out.

Fun times.

Sounds like a great trip Chicom.

[Kodiak]

I went 7 days while in college. It was summer break and i was slumming it, and during that time i didnt brush my teeth. Now that was nasty.

[Stormfeather]

8 weeks, 3 days. I was rank.

Mines about the same thing, I think it was 73 days or some stinky crap like that. Didnt matter as far as smell went, all of us smelled the same.

[GunnerMax]

4 days.

But I am Navy. We get the good side of hot showers and hot meals. :)

[Evolver]

5 days for me. It was on a 9 day backpacking trip and on the 6th day it was past time to break out the solar shower. We used our tent rain fly and ground tarp rigged around three trees for a shower curtain so we didn't offend any squirrels.

[Echo2]

6 full days....hunting trip in to cranberry glades WV.....

[msomnipotent]

Almost a month. I was extremely sick in my early 20's and was too weak to take care of myself. I was surprised to still have a job after missing two months of work!

[eagle326]

My longest was about 6 or 8 weeks while doing dozer work in Vietnam. Everybody was rank by the time we got back to Camp Eagle.
You would be amazed how many guys let us go to the head of the chow line just so they didn't have to be near us. Then we would go shower. The looks on their faces were priceless. :p

[realist]

Why can you smell me????????? Okay I'll take a shower....

Several times from a week to ten days depending upon were I was working at the time. Now it is just when I am hunting.

[izzyscout21]

Mines about the same thing, I think it was 73 days or some stinky crap like that. Didnt matter as far as smell went, all of us smelled the same.


It does go a long way when everyone reeks. No one seems to notice......until you go to the Green Zone.......



4 days.

But I am Navy. We get the good side of hot showers and hot meals. :)

You suck.

[Doc Torr]

Ooh, five months! Do I win a prize?

Bare minimum, some way to lightly abrade the skin (like a washcloth or scrub brush) and clean-ish water is clutch for keeping clean when soap and water aren't readily available. Short term, there are nursing care wipes (Medline ReadyBath, Total Body Cleansing System Wipes, MSC095100, MSC095101, MSC095102 (http://nwmedicalsolutions.com/pd_readybath.cfm)) are a solution. Long term, learn to render your own soap from fats.

[izzyscout21]

There are some nasty smellin folks up in this thread

[bacpacker]

That's just me Izzy. I just got in out of the garden. I can't hardly stand myself.

[Kodiak]

I have went a couple weeks plus in my military days.....I wonder how long I could go now before work would send me home???HUMMMMMM

I'm on to your trickery ...

[greg48]

many days in the desert without a shower. a small container of wet wipes are a must...

[Stormfeather]

It does go a long way when everyone reeks. No one seems to notice......until you go to the Green Zone.......

Its funny how easily those gentlemanly officers can get offended so easily just by walking by them!

[Gunfixr]

Looks like I'm about to go a week, starting after a shower tomorrow morning.
However, it will be cold out, and I'm taking wipes, to try to keep it down some.
We will all be in the same condition, so it won't matter much.
'Till I walk in the door at home ............................

[TEOTWAWKI13]

Until I can smell myself. On a camping or hiking trip, maybe a day past that??

[RedJohn]

Until I can smell myself. On a camping or hiking trip, maybe a day past that??

I know the feeling ... or should I say the "smelling".

[Swatttc]

A little over a month. you get used to the B.O but the thing that bothered me was the breath of the other guys on my team. now we werent face to face but moving thru the jungle with no breeze and it seems to hang around a little bit!

[spirit]

20 days..but I had butt wipes