[Ed. This deals with cleanliness and sanitation so you might want to skip it if stuff like that offends or upsets you.]

It’s hard to keep clean on the trail.

My hands and feet are always dirty. I think sometimes that I’ll never get them clean even after the trail. That is, the dirt is baked in. I’m a bit remiss on washing my hands and need to do it more often. I have probably washed my face and hair about once a month. I’ve gotten used to being dirty, and smelly. At times I’ve bought a shower at a resupply town. Other times I’ve washed in a lake, or stream. I’ve even walked through a dew laden forest and gotten so soaked it almost amounted to a shower.

There are a few things that I do each day faithfully. I take my medicine each night. I floss and brush my teeth each night too. Somehow having a clean mouth makes me feel good especially after all the food I’ve consumed throughout the day. However I only floss and brush once a day at night time.

I’m a regular guy and poop at least once a day in the morning. I’ve not found it hard to poop in the forest. This surprised me. I typically dig my cat hole the night before. I also set out my trowel, toilet paper and wet ones by my head. Then in the morning I can barely get out of my sleeping bag and get my shoes on before I have to go. I use a log or stump for back/butt support. I sparingly use toilet paper. When done I cover everything up with soil I had dug up. It seems to work for me.

After being on trail these past months I’ve become accustom to doing these things.