Trekker's Hygene - Some Thoughts

After 3 weeks of our trek, it's time for this topic.

First, I can observe that I have seen hot water from a tap only once, and that was at the high-end Yak & Yeti Hotel the day before the trek started.  This hardly counts because at their prices, few trekkers would stay there.  We wouldn't have either but it was part of the trekking package.

In Dharapani, on the Annapurna circuit, we found a barely warm trickle at our tea hut for the night.  This was in a dank, slimy concrete room where that warm trickle was just enough to wet the body, lather up and wash off that soap.

Other than getting nearly hypothermic, the "shower" was nice, the first time soap touched my body in over 10 days.

I will have soap left over at this rate.

To counter the consequences of not washing, we make liberal use of hand sanitizer.  My facecloth has remained dry for days.  It's cold, so there is even less incentive to wash.  I guess it's like an extended camping trip.  It's what you do when you don't trust the water and it's too cold to wash outside anyway.

Many tea houses and guest lodges advertise 24-hour hot showers.  I believe such statements constitute false and misleading advertising.

Actually, most advertise 24-hour hot and cold showers.  I'm not clear why they would advertise cold showers.  Why wouldn't you advertise if you had something "different".  I can just imagine the trekkers flocking to the Hotel Yak because they have cold showers.

We try to "wash" out some clothing occasionally, but it takes forever to dry, sometimes 2 days.  In the meantime, what do you do with soggy wet undies as you hike each day..

Hiking in the same smelly shirt each day becomes less and less objectionable as time goes on.

Today we stopped early enough there was sunshine and we were able to hang out the clothes to complete their drying.  I'm good for another few days.

Life on the trail continues.