Aussies divided over campsite shower habit: 'Absolutely filthy'

If you think about the things you do every single day, there is a good chance that "having a shower" is up there with other daily habits like eating and checking your phone. But what about when you are not in the comfort of your own home, but on holiday? And, what if said holiday is taking place at a campsite instead of a hotel or Airbnb with all the mod cons?

Sand, sea, and sunshine all make for a beautiful Instagram photo, but let's be real - camping out in nature isn’t all roses, especially when it comes to basic hygiene. Often, the camp showers are pretty unappealing, full of spider webs and unidentifiable bugs. Or, there might not even be any if you’re off-grid.

The topic of how often to shower - which can be divisive at the best of times, has been raised amongst campers and although several members of the community say that every few days suits them just fine, a dermatologist tells Yahoo Lifestyle that more frequent bathing is ideal.

How often should you shower when camping?

As expected there’s quite a range of opinions on the topic - from the squeaky-clean campers to the more 'wiffy' ones.

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“[I] try and get to a campsite every few days to wash my stuff and shower,” said one person in a popular Facebook group.

“I would often jump into a lake/river/ocean if possible. My body odour rarely goes too far, and would put on more deodorant when entering congested circumstances (restaurant/enclosed eatery/etc),” said another.

And then there are the ones you might need to avoid in these “congested circumstances”.

“Mind over matter. If you don’t mind it doesn’t matter,” wrote one.

“I just don't wash,” said another.

For those camping with kids, the answers also varied from the person who said, "I’m in between every night and whenever they need. Some nights it’s just impossible to get them into bed at a reasonable time if they have a shower/bath - in an ideal world I would say every night but I would be lying."

And those who were more on the side of the person who said, "Every night, my kids get absolutely filthy when camping."

Hidden dangers of not showering

However, not washing isn’t really something dermatologists promote, even for a short spell camping. Dr Shammi Theesan, a dermatologist at ODE Dermatology Clinic in Melbourne advises jumping in the shower every other day and washing your hair three times a week.

“Always use shampoo rather than just rinsing with water, as this helps prevent yeast or Malassezia furfur overgrowth,” she told Yahoo Lifestyle. “Washing [hair] daily isn’t necessary and can dry out both the hair and scalp.”

She goes on to explain that if you keep skipping the shower, you’ll quickly notice some body odour due to the build-up of sweat, dirt, and dead skin cells. This can go on to create potential skin irritation, clogged pores, acne, and an increased risk of skin infections.

In extreme cases, neglecting showers can result in a condition called dermatitis neglecta, where thick, scaly patches of skin develop due to excessive buildup of dirt and dead skin cells and nobody wants that!

Dr Theesan does recognise the problem when you’re away from home but she still advises washing when you can.

“Shower as needed to remove dirt and grime. Short, tepid showers are recommended to avoid drying out the skin,” she said, adding: “A manual wipedown of key areas such as underarms is also a possibility.”

Do you need to shower after swimming?

Particularly when you’re camping there are bodies of water everywhere, from the swimming pool to the ocean to an inlet or river, with many people saying that the frequency with which they showered could be reduced if they had been swimming.

But Dr Theesan said you can’t rely on getting clean simply by swimming and, in some cases, showering afterwards is a must.

“After swimming in chlorinated water, shower with a soap-free wash to remove residual chlorine, which can irritate and sensitise the skin,” she said.

Saltwater can also be a problem and salt can be drying and irritating if left on, and there’s the potential of bacteria or microorganisms present in the ocean water that need removing too.

“A quick rinse after saltwater swimming is usually enough,” Dr Theesan said.

What to do if there’s no running water to shower with

Ok, so you’re in the bush with no shower block in sight. Or, more likely, there’s a perfectly good shower block in sight, but a giant huntsman has decided to set up shop there. What do you do?

It’s something many a camper before has faced and there’s a gold mine of ideas beyond the simple wet wipes and flannel tricks.

“I carry caps with 3 holes to makeshift a shower,” suggested one camper.

“Skin cleansing foam is fantastic. Just spray it on cloth or body parts. Use a cloth to wipe yourself down with it and you’re done. For all your extra dirty parts (ie muddy hands feet etc) spray it on, leaving a min or so then wipe off. It's fantastic,” advised another.

“I saw a camp video where a guy swore by an exfoliating glove and a bit of water,” wrote someone else.

Or, you can take advice from camper Sienna Mallon who suggests using a billy can to have what's known as a "bird bath."

Bunnings item to make showering easier

There’s one Bunnings gadget that many campers swear by and for $9.99 it seems worth trying.

The Bunnings solar shower holds 20 litres of water and, harnessing the power of the sun to warm up the water, you might even have a comfortable showering experience!

“Perfect. For the price, I couldn’t have asked for anything better,” said one happy customer.

“Lovely shower. My wife loved how warm the water was it was just right for her she wants to keep on using it,” said another.

For the even more budget-conscious, one camper recommended making your own shower with a two-litre drinks bottle.

Drilling small holes in the lid and attaching some string to it means it can hang on a branch ready for filling and some (admittedly low pressure) showering action.

And then, for kids there's a $6 Bunnings hack that works every time.

"These plastic tubs from Bunnings or cheapie shop are the best when camping!" posted one mum showing her bub sitting in one full of water on a camping Facebook group.

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"This is bub's bath for night time, outdoor pool during the day and my washing basket!" she wrote.

"Best tub! I have like 10 of them!" agreed another mum.

"Bunnings had longer oval shaped ones that might work for older kids," said a third.

Whatever option you take your skin and your neighbours will definitely thank you for it.

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