Getting back to nature by heading out into the wilderness can be relaxing and peaceful. However, being far from civilization has its own troubles. Personal hygiene often goes out the window on extended trips, and staying clean is a challenge. Keeping healthy and clean is especially important in a survival situation if you are injured.
Of course, there are many hygiene products you can bring along with you to keep yourself clean and smelling good. Cleaning wipes help you freshen up at the end of a long day. Portable showers keep the dirt under control, and waste kits can help with sanitary disposal and odors.
But what if you are out in the wilderness and need to make your own hygiene items? If caught in a pinch, the following ideas could come in handy:
Toilet Paper – Leaves are one of the best toilet paper substitutes but make sure you are careful to choose leaves from non-poisonous plants. Therefore, be sure you know how to identify the poisonous ones. Smooth stones or rounded sticks could do the trick. A handful of grass or even snow might work as well.
Toothbrush and Toothpaste – Juniper and birch twigs as well as dogwood stems are great substitutes for toothbrushes. You could make a paste from wood ashes but try to avoid swallowing and rinse thoroughly. If nothing is available, you could simply take a clean finger and rub your teeth. To get the food out between your teeth, consider carving a toothpick or using a small stick or thorn from a non-toxic plant.
Comb or Brush – In order to fashion a makeshift comb or brush, you could make notches in a flat-edged piece of wood. There is also the option of taking the seed head of a teasel plant and using it for a brush but make sure all of the seeds are gone.
Nails – Keeping your fingers clean and short is a challenge while outdoors. However, you can keep your nails clean by using a small stick to get under them. A rough cut rock might be enough to help sand them down. Unless they become problematic, long nails are not usually a problem and might even be useful while in the wilderness.
Diapers and Menstrual Hygiene – Women have their own unique hygiene issues when it comes to outdoor living. Tampons, not pads, are ideal for camping and backpacking. However, when needed in an emergency, both pads and diapers could be fashioned from what is available. The fluff from milkweed and sphagnum moss can be used. There is also the option of using the soft hides from animals, especially rabbit, for these purposes.
Sterilizing – Boiling water to sterilize it on an object or a wound works well. The extract from soaked pine needles has some antiseptic qualities.