Feeling Grimy? Grab Dr. Bronners Soap

Grubby fingers? Foul breath? Food bits stuck in your teeth? Soiled Dishes? Backpacking without soap can leave you feeling uncomfortable and grimy.  Dr. Bronner’s 18-in-1 organic hemp castile soap solves all these problems.  We love this stuff – it is naturally scented, completely organic, biodegradable, highly concentrated, and serves a multitude of uses.

Use Sparingly

You only need a small amount of this soap since it is a highly concentrated oil.

Cleaning Camp Dishes

You may not even need it at all if you are consuming dried foods (dehydrated/freeze-dried).  These meals are already pre-cooked and dried, so you are not actually cooking the food in your pot – just warming and rehydrating.  Therefore, you shouldn’t get food particles caked onto your dishes.  A little drop of soap on your sponge is all you need to sanitize your eating utensils.  Then add a splash of water and air dry.

Cleaning the Body

Works great as a facial wash, but you could also wash your entire body with it.  Again, just a drop is all you need.  Put the drop directly onto your microfiber towel/bandanna, add a splash of water, then clean. Rinse off with another splash of water.

Cleaning Teeth

Use it as toothpaste. Just one drop is it. It will not lather since it is oily, but it is just as effective. The taste is not bad either.

Shaving

Place a drop of soap on your hands and add a tiny amount of water to create a lather. Apply to face as an aftershave and shave. Rinse face and add another drop in hand and rub over the face directly for an After Shave.

Laundry

If you are in town and doing a full load of laundry in a washing machine, you can add 1/4 cup of soap to a full load. Wash as normal.  If you are washing dishes at your campsite or in a hotel sink, add 1-2 drops of soap per item of clothing to the wash water.

Suggestions

• Repackage the Soap. Purchase the larger 16 or 32 oz size bottle and repackage the contents into a Nalgene squeeze type bottle with a screw top lid to prevent leaking. You can also purchase the  2 or 4 oz travel size bottles of bronners, although they are more expensive per ounce and have a flip top, which can come open and leak if not secured down with a rubber band.
• Scents. There are many different scents.  We favor the peppermint scent because it has a fresh, soothing aroma, and feels cool and tingly on the skin.
• Leave No Trace. Don’t forget camp ethics.  Do not use any soap (even though it is non-sudsing & biodegradable) directly in a water source or within 200’ of a water source.

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• Brushing Teeth Outdoors
• Why Do My Hands Swell While Hiking?
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