Well, honestly, the whole idea of being an active traveler sounds really fun, and yeah, the whole concept alone is really fun. Who wouldn’t want adventure? Who wouldn’t want to experience what a small percentage in this world would have the chance experience, right? Well, it’s a privilege, and long-term travel is especially a privilege. But there’s something else to keep in mind when it comes to long-term travel.
Basically, there’s a very specific moment that hits somewhere around day five of long-term travel. The excitement is still there, the photos are still cute, the itinerary is still ambitious, but the shirt situation is starting to look questionable. Well, not just a shirt, it’s everything, it’s just cleanliness and hygiene as a whole. Be it staying in hostels (and not all have showers), campsites, just camping out in the open, sleeping in trains, buses, flight after flight, well, when is there the time to clean up?
No one likes that gross grimey feeling, and once it happens, well, it only gets worse the longer you don’t go without cleaning up yourself. But when it comes to long-term travel (that’s not cruise ships or anything luxurious), how are you even able to keep yourself clean?
Accept the “Clean Enough” Rule Early
And what exactly does this even mean, though? Well, first things first, the mental shift matters. Clean enough isn’t sloppy or anything like that, and instead, you can see it as something realistic. Basically, it just means prioritizing what actually affects comfort and health, and not spiraling because hair doesn’t look flawless. Well, that, but it also means that it’s clean enough, which means underwear is clean, socks are handled, sweat is managed, and skin isn’t constantly irritated.
But of course, clean enough means clothes get aired out instead of being marinated in a bag for three days. Clean enough means there’s a rhythm. And so once there’s a rhythm, the whole thing feels less like survival and more like, yeah, this is just how long trips work. But you get the point here, so yes, it does mean that your standards need to change on what clean enough even is.
You Need to Pack for Rotation
A lot of people pack like every day needs a different outfit, then they get on the trip and realize two things. One, no one cares. Two, laundry happens, because it has to. Sure, in some areas you can get a same day laundry service done, that’s totally possible depending on where you are. If you’re at a resort, luxury hotel, or even on a cruise ship, it’s all very possible too. But outside of that, you have to wash laundry yourself in a sink or go to a laundromat.
Now, that’s fine, but the smarter move here is packing for rotation. Like it helps to have a couple of tops that dry fast, a couple bottoms that don’t show dirt easily, and a simple layering setup so things can be reworn without feeling nasty, and maybe it’s obvious, but fabrics matter here. Like it’s a good idea to look into quick-dry shirts, breathable layers, and stuff that doesn’t hold onto smells.
The Wear, Air, Rotate Routine
Alright, so this is basically the best habit for staying clean without doing extra work. Now, clothes shouldn’t go straight from the body into a bag, because then the bag becomes a humidity chamber. Actually, airing clothes out is the easiest hygiene hack that doesn’t require soap (and a lot of travelers do this too). It’s best to just hang stuff up as soon as possible.
Even if it’s just over a chair, a railing, a hook, whatever. If there’s sun, even better. If there’s airflow, even better. If the fabric is quick-dry, it’ll feel fresher the next day even without washing. Some people buy those little travel dryers, so you could look into that as well.
It’s Not too Common to Use Body Wipes
While no, wipes aren’t a replacement for showers, they at least help with feeling cleaner. Well, you can see them as a temporary “filler” until a shower can happen. Actually, for centuries, before plumbing, this is how people kept themselves clean: they would use a rag and wipe themselves down daily.
It helps to get more than that, though, like a small pack of body wipes, a travel deodorant, a small face cleanser, and a basic moisturizer, which can keep skin from getting irritated and uncomfortable. Sunscreen is part of this, too, because sunburn doesn’t just hurt, it makes everything feel sticky and miserable. Sure, sunscreen is sticky, so you could look into the spraying type.
Oh, and hand sanitizer is another one, because long travel means touching a lot of questionable surfaces, and it’s better not get sick because a bathroom ran out of soap. While no, it’s not like you’re expected to carry a whole bathroom of toiletries, if you want to make sure you feel nice and clean, these are things you pretty much have to bring.
Yes, Sink Washing isn’t Glamorous
Alright, so sink laundry is one of those travel things that sounds silly until it saves the trip. Usually, underwear and socks are usually the priority because those are the items that start feeling gross fastest, and they’re also small enough to wash without turning it into a whole production. Sure, it’d be great to wash everything else, but it’s understandable if you can’t.
But underwear and socks are at leasy fastest to wash and to dry. Sometimes, depending on your accommodation, this might be the only way to wash yourself, too. Again, some hostels don’t have showers. If you’re going from buses, trains, airplanes, ferries, you name it, yeah, sometimes, this is the only option to clean yourself.
Shoes and Bags Need Attention Too
Well, that’s obvious enough here. Sure, like what was already mentioned here, clothing gets all the attention, but shoes and bags are often the source of the worst smells, and that smell transfers to everything. Plus, shoes that get wet and stay wet are especially problematic because they start smelling fast, and then socks never feel clean, even if they are.
But you need to dry shoes whenever possible, and try to pack an extra pair as well to switch to while the other is being dried. It’s no different for bags, too, and a lot of hiking bags will at least come with rain covers to help keep them clean.
