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Body Wipes for Camping: Ew or Awesome?

Body Wipes for Camping: Ew or Awesome?

Body wipes for camping are the perfect tool when you’re reveling in nature. After a few days outdoors, you might feel like you’re layered in sweat, sunscreen, and dirt. Especially when you’re not camping near water or feeling a little questionable about the water’s cleanliness. Whatever the case may be, body wipes can be helpful in any situation sans shower–but would you use them?

Do Body Wipes for Camping Really Work? 

As long as you’re patient and thorough, body wipes can offer a complete cleaning. While a shower is faster and probably more satisfying, wipes will do the trick when you have minimal access to clean water. These wipes are generally larger than traditional baby wipes in order to last longer and clean much of your body in one sheet.

The key is to look for nonalcoholic, all-natural wipes so you can use them on every part of your body, no matter how sensitive.  

Camping Gear You Never Knew You Needed: Combat Wipes - The Most Tactical Wipe On The Entire Planet

Best Body Wipes for Camping

Whether you’re looking for something biodegradable, naturally scented, or extra durable, there’s no shortage of options for keeping clean while camping. 

8. Venture Wipes

These all-natural wipes are so durable that you can rinse and reuse them! Infused with aloe, they help moisturize your skin while cleaning off grit and grime. They’re also large enough to clean your whole body.

These wipes come in a 10-pack or a 20-pack and measure 12 in x 12 in.

Little boy with chocolate on face using body wipe.
Little campers will inevitably get dirty, but body wipes can help them keep clean while in the wild.

7. Sea to Summit Wilderness Wipes

These extra thick aloe body wipes for camping are made with 100% viscose fiber, making their disposal easier on the environment. They’re alcohol-free and gentle on sensitive skin. When you’re done cleaning, just toss the used wipe in a compost pile so it can decompose.

Each pack consists of eight wipes that measure 8 in x 12 in. 

6. Biodegradable Large Wet Wipes

A little pampering is hard to accomplish without a shower, but these extra soft, hypoallergenic, unscented wipes are a good start!

These biodegradable wipes just need to be buried, and they’ll decompose naturally. This pack has 32 wipes that measure 8 inches x 12 inches. 

Surviveware Biodegradable Wet Wipes, Face and Body...
  • UNSCENTED WET WIPES: Clean yourself with our unscented...
  • IDEAL CLEANING WIPES FOR POSTERIOR PAMPERING: At some point, a...
  • DEGRADES NATURALLY: After that number two in the woods, simply...
Woman using a disposable wipe to wash her hands.
Biodegradable, naturally scented, or extra durable are some of the many options of body wipes.

5. Coleman Biowipes

Go extra gentle on sensitive skin with these compostable wipes. It comes in a resealable bag to keep each wipe just as fresh as the first, and it can easily fit in most backpack pockets. If you’re not a fan of scented products, this is a perfect fit!  

Coleman Biowipes, 30 Count
  • Made of the highest quality materials
  • Camp hygiene
  • Another quality Coleman product

Pro Tip: Disposable wipes can get campfire dirt off of your hands, but they won’t get the smell out of your clothes. Say goodbye to that campfire smell with these 5 Simple Ways for How to Get Campfire Smell Out of Clothes.

Little boy with dirt all over his face.
Extra strength and extra gentle wipes can clean even the messiest of campers.

4. Combat Wipes

Elite military soldiers designed these biodegradable Combat Wipes for extra durability and cleanliness. The aloe-infused viscose material makes these wipes both moisturizing and safe for the environment–just burying after each use.

There’s no alcohol in these body wipes for camping, which makes them extra gentle on your skin. Each pack has 25 wipes measuring 7.1 inches x 8.3 inches. 

Sale
Combat Wipes ACTIVE Outdoor Wet Wipes - Extra...
  • DESIGNED WITH BATTLE-FIELD EXPERIENCE: Stay fresh & clean while...
  • 100% BIODEGRADABLE WIPES, GREAT CAMPING GEAR AND BACKPACKING GEAR...
  • PACKED FOR CONVENIENCE: Every one of the sanitary wipes is...

3. Allez Outdoor Cleansing Cloths

Rock climbers for other outdoor lovers created these aloe-infused wipes that are free of alcohol and synthetic material.

Any proceeds from their purchases go towards preserving nature so we can all continue to enjoy camping. Each pack comes with 20 large wipes. 

allez outdoor | Biodegradable Cleansing Cloths |...
  • EXTRA LARGE WIPES – Able to cleanse and refresh your entire...
  • FOR ALL SKIN TYPES - PH balanced and infused with Vitamins C & E,...
  • MADE IN THE USA - Globally sourced components, vegan,...
Woman washing hands with a body wipe.
A bathing sponge is also a great alternative for a wipe to keep clean and conserve water while camping.

2. Scrubzz Bathing Wipes

This bathing sponge is a perfect choice for anyone who wants to cut back on waste. It’s hypoallergenic to keep your skin healthy and moisturized.

This sponge doesn’t need to be rinsed out between uses, making it a great resource when conserving water. Each pack comes with 25 feather-lite sponges. 

Scrubzz Disposable Rinse Free Bathing Wipes - 25...
  • SCRUBZZ NO RINSE BATHING SPONGE is a unique bathing product...
  • Our No Rinse Shower Sponge is HYPOALLERGENIC & PH BALANCED: the...
  • Our No Rinse Shower Sponge is HYPOALLERGENIC & PH BALANCED: the...
Epic Wipes for Camping & Boondocking - a Drivin' & Vibin' Travel Vlog - Fulltime RV Life

1. Epic Wipes

These biodegradable bamboo wipes are environmentally friendly and residue-free. They’re lightly scented with eucalyptus oil to decompose naturally.

These are the largest wipes on our list (hence the name) that measure 35 cm by 60 cm (13.8 inches by 23.7 inches) to clean your entire body in one go. This product has 20 wipes in each package. 

Foot Massager1 Residue-Free Shower
  • Large, disposable no-rinse cleansing body wipes when you can’t...
  • Huge yet portable (35 x 60 cm unfolded)
  • Cleans sweat while reducing odor easily and effectively

Tips for Using Body Wipes While Camping

If you want to minimize the amount of trash you’re carrying around while camping, go for biodegradable wipes. However, if you have a favorite brand that isn’t 100% natural materials, store your used wipes until you dispose of them safely. 

Other than that, it’s just a matter of how many wipes you need and whether you want them scented. Unscented wipes help keep away any bugs attracted to sweet smells, but having a slight scent can help you feel a little less grungy. 

Disposable wipe buried in dirt.
Remember to only bury your wipes if they are biodegradable.

Properly Dispose of Waste

If the wipes you’re using are biodegradable, you can bury them in the dirt, and they’ll naturally decompose. You can also throw away compostable wipes in compost bins anywhere on the campsite. 

If your wipes have any synthetic material, you’ll need to store the used ones in your own trash until you can dispose of them safely. Any trash that’s not disposed of safely can harm the wildlife. 

Pro Tip: Disposable wipes will keep you feeling fresh and clean while camping, but what about the mop on the top of your head? We discovered: What to Do With Your Hair While Camping.

Choose Natural Ingredients

Natural ingredients make body wipes softer and easier on your skin, especially after enduring long days of sunscreen, sunburn, bug spray, and harsh elements. When wipes are infused with aloe and vitamin E, they keep your skin healthy and prevent breakouts.

Natural scents are also helpful when warding off bugs and keeping foreign fragrances out of nature. 

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Are Body Wipes for Camping Gross or Great? 

When you’re stewing in several layers of sweat and dirt, anything is better than nothing. And while trading a shower for a body wipe might seem like you’re just rubbing the dirt around instead of actually cleaning it off, having that tingly fresh feeling after scrubbing your skin will hopefully leave you satisfied… at least for a few days. 

When days of grime leave you questioning your love for the outdoors, just use a wipe. Body wipes can prevent you from having to cut your camping time short to find a real shower. And sure, eventually, you’ll want a nice hot shower… but until then, wipe yourself down and go enjoy another sunrise hike. 

Have you used body wipes when camping before? Drop a comment below.

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Tom & Caitlin Morton of Mortons on the Move gave up the stationary life for one where they are constantly on the move. They are full-time travelers, television hosts, and digital media producers.
They left their jobs, sold their house and possessions, and hit the road in September 2015 in their full-time “home on wheels”. Since then they have traveled the US, Canada, and even internationally by RV.
Now, they are Discovery Channel & PBS TV Co-stars of The RVers, producers of “Go North” on Amazon Prime, co-founders and instructors of RV Masterclass, and contributing authors for Hwy.co and an Arizona travel guide.

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Linda

Sunday 17th of April 2022

I always bring at least one full package of wipes and use them at least once daily, unless we are heading to a shower. The wipes make it tolerable to be out and about while feeling fresh even when there are no shower facilities. I also bring baking soda to use for dry shampoo. When showering, the baking soda rinses out nicely and my hair and scalp feel extra clean.

Patty

Sunday 5th of September 2021

Before we got into RVing we took a 10 day trip on a catamaran around Grenada and the grenadines. Water was a commodity on the boat. We learned that wipes were essential. So we transferred that knowledge to our RV experiences. Allows us to clean up and feel less funky when we are boondocking and conserving. So yes for body wipes.