Little précis of hygiene on the PCT

It is usually pretty funny to see the disgusted face of people when I tell them that I only washed myself every five to seven days on average on the PCT. We're so conditioned to showering every day that we can't even imagine that our bodies are probably better off without excess cleaning.

I personally find that I encounter more unpleasant smells in cities, on the tube and in other confined spaces than I ever did on the PCT. Sure, you might have sweat like a pig and worn the same clothes for a week, but during daytime you're constantly outdoors and the smell of your body is blown away by the wind. At night, everything is trapped inside your sleeping bag, along with the warm air and the emanations from your body.

The only times you really become aware of the situation is when you change your clothes and get in and out of your sleeping bag (which will help you get up in the morning), and when you're crammed into a car with your mates on the way back to town.

Now, to be thorough, I have to mention the special case of socks in the Sierra. They're constantly wet, never really dry, and there's nothing you can do about it. You'll be exposed to unknown odors reminiscent for me of moldy dog food but we all had different impressions on our smelly socks, and we never dared to smell other people’s socks (though I’m betting there is a kink for that too). To cope with this, I assumed that the smell served as a bear repellent.

The rest of the time, you'll want to maintain a minimal level of personal hygiene to minimize chafing and irritation caused by salt and dirt. Bring along some wipes and/or a small microfiber towel (please don't rinse it directly in the streams) and leave your feet to their sorry fate except in case of injuries/blisters. Keeping them clean is impossible and not worth the effort. Just make sure you can change your socks every couple of days and wear lightweight, breathable shoes.

And when you get back home, it will be more bizarre to shower every day and wear deodorant than it ever was to not wash for all that time!