My First Shower After Backpacking: The 5-Step Bathing Ritual That Fixes Trail Skin, Hair, and Feet Overnight (Almost)

The first shower after spending a few days on the trail is sacrosanct for me. While it sometimes happens in a camp shower and other times in a hotel room, the ritual of bathing helps me complete the journey. Some places will leave you coated in a red dust that you sneeze out of your sinuses for days afterwards, while others leave black dirt underneath fingernails and in crevices. No matter what color the shower water turns, this is how I reset after a backpacking trip.

To be very clear, these are the products that I use that work for me. You may find that other products work better for your skin and other conditions. 

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How I Avoid Getting My Clean Clothes Wet in a Dirty Camp Shower

Before we begin, I try to set the stage by making the place where I am bathing as convenient as possible. If I'm using a camp or otherwise public shower, I lay the clothing I will be wearing out og the shower on the hook in this order: Pants and shirt, then bra and underwear on top. This keeps the things on my body dry and reduces the chance of them falling off and getting wet. The clothes are on the hook in the order I will reach for them: underwear, bra, shirt, pants, which reduces the risk of me dropping something into a puddle on the floor. Then, I take out everything I will need for the shower and place it as close to the stall or in the stall if possible. If you're paying for a 5-minute shower, you don't want to waste hot water digging in your bag for the soap. I also place everything I will need after the shower outside of the bag, because most park showers don't have heat. Nothing, well almost nothing, is worse than shivering and trying to find your deodorant. My towel will go over the stall or on the hook closest to me without getting soaked. I find that all of this triangulation is needed in a camp shower before I put my quarters into the machine to make my life easier. Of course, a hotel room doesn't have the constraints, but we can't always get to a hotel for that first shower. 

Step 1: Washing Away the Weeks (The Hair Purge)

I have been blessed with oily skin and an oily scalp. While I try to at least wet my hair a few times on the trail, after a few days, it's greasy, stuck to my face, and gross-smelling. That's not even accounting for all the dust, grime, and lord knows what else nature has seen fit to bless my hair with. I have found that for the first hair washing, I need to use a strong clarifying shampoo to get rid of all that yuck. My go-to is the very reasonably priced Suave Rosemary and Mint Clarifying Shampoo. Not only does it smell amazing, but it gets the gunk out on the first try. It also works well to shampoo other parts of your body that have hair and will be carrying trail funk.

I'm sure that you're not like me and have never forgotten your soap. If you have, shampoo can work just fine, based on personal experience. 

Step 2: The Deep Clean (Scrubbing the Grime and Dry Skin)

Now that my hair is clean and conditioned, I can focus on the rest of me. I use a Korean washcloth every day to exfoliate without using harsh chemicals. When you've been on the trail for several days, you will have stuff in your pores in places you would never expect. The Korean washcloth is large enough to scrub more of you at once, saving time and quarters while cleansing the sin from you. In addition to oily skin, I've developed dry patches as I've aged, so I need a cleanser that removes oil without disrupting my skin barrier. I use CeraVe Gentle foaming cleanser all over. Combined with the Korean washcloth, it does an admirable job of removing crud while not drying me out.

If I am at a hotel, I will take a second step of applying a sugar scrub to my elbows, knees, feet, and hands to get rid of the crusties that form when my skin is exposed to the elements. I prefer not to use the Korean washcloth here because it's not as effective for calluses or thicker, drier skin in my experience. I'll be honest: I use whatever's been gifted to me. I do like the scent of this lemon one from Dr. Teals. I don't know if the probiotic claim means anything substantial, but it smells like lemon candy and removes dead skin. You can also make a scrub from Epsom salt in a pinch- just take a handful of salt and add a squirt of shampoo or soap to it for each area you want to smooth. 

Step 3: Post-Shower Moisture Lock (Body Restoration)

My five minutes are up in the camp shower, and now it's time to get dressed. After a hike, my skin has taken a beating from the sun, the wind, and the dust. It's a non-negotiable that some kind of moisturizer is applied all over. My go-to at home and after the trail is the CeraVe Moisturizer. It comes in a tub, but you can also get travel-sized tubes that are perfect. It's fragrance-free, which is perfect for camping,  and has never bothered my sensitive skin. No matter what cream or lotion you choose, this step is so important for healing your skin and avoiding complications that can come from dry, broken skin, especially for diabetics. 

Step 4: Intensive Foot Therapy (The 'Gravel Feet' Cure)

This step may not happen immediately after my first shower, but it does happen before I go to sleep. Your feet have worked so hard to keep you safe and active while on the trail. They deserve a special bit of pampering that will not only make them feel better but keep them healthier.  To show them my appreciation, I take pure shea butter and rub it on the bits of my toes, soles, and heels that have taken a beating. Try to avoid any open blisters, but if you have ones that have burst and dried out, and just have that gross little strip of dead skin on the sides, this will help soften them. The next essential step is to put on thick cotton socks. Otherwise, you will leave a greasy mess on your blankets and sleeping bag. The cotton will help your feet absorb the shea butter and give your feet a comfy blanket to rest in after days cooped up in your boots. If you don't have your cotton socks, I recommend skipping this step. Shea butter can ruin wool or alpaca socks and leave a residue on your gear. Of course, if you're already home or in a hotel room, it will wash out of cotton sheets with no problem. 

Step 5: The Final Seal (Time for Beauty Sleep)

No matter how much Chapstick I apply, no matter who makes the lip balm, I always return from my adventures with cracked lips. On my last trip into the Grand Canyon, it was so bad that my bottom lip was bleeding two days after I got home. I was upset, but then my eyes rested on a sample I got from Sephora. It was a Laneige lip mask, which I had dismissed as a gimmick. Figuring what the heck, I slathered it on and went to bed. When I woke up the next morning, my lips had transformed. The flaking skin was much softer, and while I still had a split, it looked so much better. I'm not sure if other brands work as well, but I ended up buying this product as Christmas gifts for my bonus kids. Now, my after-hike routine always ends with applying this lip mask before I lie down for the night. 

The most effective recovery is a simple, strategic ritual

Five steps, one happy camper! Taking care of your skin is important for everyone, especially if you have chronic health issues. A cracked heel can turn into a long-lasting infection if you have diabetes or immune system issues. Assembling your own post-hike recovery kit, tailored to your personal needs, is an easy way to feel a little pampered after pushing your body.

So, what's the first thing you do when you get back to civilization after a backpacking trip? Let me know in the comments.