Hygiene while camping: staying clean and calm while bikepacking

When you set off on a bike trip or hike lasting several months (or even years), hygiene becomes a real issue. It may not be glamorous, but it's essential for comfort and health... Here are our tips and no-holds-barred routines, after a year of camping across the Americas.

Hygiene when camping: a daily challenge for bicycle travelers

Cleanliness is one of the big issues when traveling by bike. It's a very personal matter, as everyone has their own way of dealing with it! And you'd be surprised how much of a real concern it can be for some people... and a total non-issue for others. Far from being bikepacking dolls, we felt it was important to share our reality with you, without any filters!

When camping, it's easy to let yourself go and forget about hygiene and cleanliness. However, taking care of your body is important, and I would even say essential! Because a clean body is a body that functions well and will be ready to defend you from external invasions and dangers.

A lack of infrastructure should not be an obstacle to your cleanliness. On the contrary! Even in the middle of a desert or on top of a mountain, there are ways to take care of yourself. And believe me, going to bed in a duvet that smells good can become a major issue after a difficult day.

Please note, we don't claim to be models of environmentalism, nor examples to be followed to the letter! What we're sharing here are simply our tips and feedback after a year on the road.
We try to improve every day, so if you have any advice or ideas on how to make our routine even more environmentally friendly, please don't hesitate to write to us!

Minimalist camp hygiene: essentials to bring and tips for the field

Most of our toiletries are stored in a strategic location: Marie-Liesse's food pouch. Easy to access, even when everything is already packed! Handy for keeping essentials close at hand without having to empty all the bags.

Here are our essentials for maintaining good hygiene when camping and bike packing.

The art of "less but better": a minimalist and effective toiletries bag.

The Bright Smile

A classic, but an essential: toothbrush and toothpaste. We always try to choose compact sizes that are easy to slip into our food pouch. Simple, basic, but essential—especially when you're spending several days away from civilization!

Luxury item

We don't have many "luxury" items with us, but we have to admit that certain little details help us feel a bit more at home—even in the middle of the Mexican desert! For us, that little extra is an Aesop perfume, a gift from Marie-Liesse's parents. They must have sensed, from France, that we really needed it! It's a simple gesture, but after a good shower in town, a few drops are enough to make us feel human again.

Cut everything!

With us, of course, are the essential basics in the toiletries bag—with the star of the show being the nail clippers and tweezers duo. No need to spell it out, you can guess in which situations they become our best allies!

The icing on the cake !

We're also packing a few creams—we have to stay looking our best and stay hydrated in the desert! So yes, you might be thinking that's quite a lot of products for people who are supposed to be traveling light... And you're not entirely wrong.

But hey, we accept it! One cream for the face, one for the body. There, I said it.

A guy, a girl

There are also items that each of us carries separately. What Julien uses, I don't use... And vice versa! For example, Ju always brings his beard trimmer—a beard needs maintenance, even in the middle of nowhere.

As for Marie-Liesse, she always carries sanitary protection (preferring tampons to pads) and a hairbrush with her. These personal essentials make all the difference in her daily life.

Smelling good is great!

Out of respect for our partner (and to preserve the atmosphere in the tent), we both use deodorant—so that midday cuddles don't turn into torture!

An important point to note: avoid antiperspirants that chemically block perspiration. Instead, opt for simple deodorants designed to limit odors associated with physical activity... not to prevent the body from doing its job.

Obviously, no aerosol deodorants! We don't recommend rubbing alum stone under your armpits... But hey, there's a happy medium!

Little extras to help us stay clean while camping

These last items may seem incidental, but in reality, they are used very often!

Biodegradable soap sheets: extremely practicalfor washing our clothes in the great outdoors. (We'll talk more about this later in this article.)

The indispensable wet wipes: they save the day when we don't have access to water.

A small bottle of tea tree essential oil: a powerful ally against unpleasant odors, especially in Gore-Tex shoes after a long day of sweating.

Practical solutions: how to wash yourself when bikepacking

For us, hygiene in camp means above all a quick daily wash, especially when we don't have access to a proper shower or water source. Depending on the situation, our nighttime routine changes... But the goal remains the same: don't go to sleep covered in sweat!

Washing without water

We often go several days without seeing a single tap or stream. At times like these, we have to be a little inventive... And above all, we mustn't compromise on basic hygiene. There's no question of slipping into bed without freshening up first!

Without mentioning inflexibility, it is primarily a matter of respecting others in the tent. Because, let's be honest, on rainy evenings, stuck together under the canvas when the day's damp clothes start to macerate... The atmosphere can quickly change. We'll leave you to imagine.

So, we get out the wet wipes and treat ourselves to a makeshift mini spa. It can sometimes be a long and frankly difficult process when it's cold, but putting on clean clothes with a fresh scent... What a joy!

Wash near a water source

The holy grail of bikepacking! Finding a water source at the end of the day is like stumbling upon an oasis. If you're lucky enough to find one, don't hesitate: jump in, get wet, and enjoy.

A quick dip in the river, even without soap, is enough to wash away sweat and leave you feeling incredibly refreshed. It's simple, but it makes all the difference.

If you use biodegradable soap, you can even wash directly in the water. But if this isn't the case, remember to fill your pot and move away from the waterway to wash. This prevents you from turning a beautiful lake into a cocktail of apple shampoo and, at the same time, from getting the fish used to your bath water (yuck).

Every little gesture counts when it comes to respecting the places we visit—and leaving behind rivers as clean as we found them.

Reinventing your routine: flexible and creative hygiene practices when camping

After a year of cycling between Canada and Argentina, we learned one thing: staying clean is an art form when traveling! Here are our best tips for staying fresh every day—even in the middle of the desert or at the top of a mountain pass.

Our 5 must-do hygiene tips after spending a year between Canada and Argentina

1. Always keep your hands clean.

This is THE advice we give to everyone. We spend our time touching our faces (thanks to sweat), and our hands are constantly glued to the handlebars, a real breeding ground for bacteria. To avoid getting sick, we remember to wash our hands before eating or cooking.

Special mention for girls on bikes: if you're on your period, remember to disinfect your hands before changing a tampon. We always keep a small bottle of hand sanitizer handy—it's discreet, practical, and frankly indispensable.

2. Dry your belongings as soon as you arrive

We are all familiar with the smell of sweat. And it becomes frankly unbearable when clothes remain damp for too long. As soon as we arrive at camp, we start by washing ourselves and then hang our clothes out to dry as much as possible before nightfall.

Tip: always travel with a pair of flip-flops. They're ideal for letting your shoes dry out and giving your feet a chance to breathe. Your feet will thank you for it.

3. Wash your belongings between two real loads of laundry.

Laundromats are not common on the trails. So, we adapt! We use a Scrubba bag combined with our famous biodegradable soap sheets. It's not as effective as a washing machine, but it keeps clothes relatively clean... and bearable for both yourself and others.

4. Focus on technical clothing

We can't say it enough: technical fabrics are your best friends. We're thinking in particular of merino wool T-shirts (special mention to those from Café du Cycliste). They're perfect for both daytime and nights in a bivouac. Odor-resistant, comfortable, and thermoregulating—what more could you ask for?

5. Always brush your teeth.

When bikepacking, the days can be long... and encounters unexpected. To avoid giving your conversation partners bad breath at the end of the day, remember to brush your teeth between meals. It's a small, simple gesture, but it makes a real difference. Not to mention the small, invisible injuries to the gums that can quickly turn sour without good oral hygiene.

6. Bonus

Last but not least, choose an insurer who can truly support you on your adventure.

For our part, GoByAva has been looking after us for almost two years! We chose them for two key reasons: their responsiveness and their personal support, combined with exclusive solutions such as AvaTech+, which covers mobile equipment, and AvaSport+, dedicated to sports activities—even the most extreme ones!

Ultimately, hygiene in a bivouac is not a question of perfection, but of balance. You learn to make do with what you have at hand, to be inventive, to cope with the elements, and above all to respect each other when you have been sharing a 2m² tent for months. Washing with wipes, improvising laundry in a waterproof bag, drying clothes hung on panniers... All this is part of everyday life. These simple actions become real rituals. They anchor us in a reassuring routine, help us keep our spirits up on rainy days, and feel good about ourselves despite the dust, heat, or cold.