Trail Notes · Field-Tested
“Your body is the most important piece of outdoor gear you own — take care of it.”
I'm a former park ranger, backpacking instructor, and founder of Kula Cloth — an antimicrobial pee cloth for anybody who squats when they pee. And today, I'm sharing exactly what's in my backpacking hygiene kit and how I personally handle hygiene in the backcountry. If you'd rather grab it all in one go, I've bundled the essentials into the Kula Hygiene Kit.
Before we start, though, I want to make one thing very clear: these are simply the systems that work best for me.
Feel free to use these tips, ignore these tips, remix these tips, or completely abandon these tips depending on what works best for your body and your comfort level. Some people sweat more. Some people have sensitive skin. Some people need more backup clothing. Some people don't.
There is no Backpacking Hygiene Olympics.
The goal is simply to stay clean, comfortable, healthy, and follow Leave No Trace principles while you're outside.
Clothing & Underwear Systems
If I'm only going on an overnight backpacking trip, I typically bring just one pair of underwear: the pair I'm wearing. Since I use a pee cloth, I don't have to worry about my underwear turning into a complete swamp by the end of the day, which honestly makes a huge difference in overall comfort. I'll usually leave a clean pair waiting for me in the car for the drive home.
If I'm on a multi-day trip, I'll bring the pair I'm wearing plus one additional pair. After the second day, I swap. And if I'm out for longer than four days, I start alternating washing pairs with my tiny dropper bottle of Dr. Bronner's soap.
When I wash underwear in the backcountry, I focus mostly on the crotch area and clean them away from natural water sources using water from my bottle. I'm not wringing underwear out into alpine lakes or mountain streams and then pretending that counts as Leave No Trace. After washing, I hang them to dry.
And honestly? If I don't have much time at camp, the thing that works best for me on sunny days is simply tying them to the back of my backpack while I hike.
Does it look ridiculous? Yes.
Do I also have dry underwear? Also yes.
Personally, I use my Pyka Pants underwear, a pair I designed. We're sold out of a lot of them right now, though a few pairs are still floating around at a pretty steep discount.
Other backpacking underwear I really like are the Alpine Fit hipster and the Tera Kaia brief.
And for me personally, I tend not to be a thong person while hiking — I feel like thongs are a little more prone to spreading bacteria around into places where bacteria really does not need to be spreading around.
How I Handle Peeing
Honestly, my pee system is incredibly simple. I bring my Kula Cloth and that's basically it.
If I know I'm going to be somewhere more public where finding privacy might be difficult, I'll also bring a pee funnel like the Freshette or the PStyle. Otherwise? Pretty low maintenance.
I walk at least 200 feet away from natural water sources, trails, and camp. Drop my drawers. Pop a squat. Pat dry with my Kula. Keep hiking.
Here's some good news: using a Kula Cloth should actually help your hygiene, because it pulls moisture and bacteria away from your body rather than leaving it to sit. (It's the same reason it's so important to use a wet wipe or bidet after pooping.)
A few more things I'd recommend if you get UTIs often:
- Talk to your doctor about a preemptive prescription you can carry on backpacking trips, just in case a surprise UTI strikes far from a pharmacy.
- I personally take D-Mannose (a sugar capsule) before bed. The research on it is genuinely mixed — some studies suggest it may help, while a large recent trial found no clear benefit — so I treat it as “might help, unlikely to hurt” rather than a guarantee. Check with your doctor.
My Backpacking Poop Kit
For pooping, I carry a freezer-style Ziploc bag because they're more durable than regular plastic bags. Inside that bag, I keep:
- Toilet paper that I've already pre-calculated into usable sections
- A second empty bag that becomes my trash bag for packing out used toilet paper
- Wet wipes or compressed wipe tablets
- My trowel
- Sometimes a backcountry bidet
I usually pull toilet paper off the roll ahead of time and fold it into smaller usable chunks so I'm not dragging an entire roll into the woods (plus, no need to carry the actual cardboard roll).
Wet Wipes vs. Backcountry Bidets
If I'm only on an overnight or two-night trip, I usually use wet wipes for cleanup. I'm not overly concerned about the tiny amount of extra weight from four wet wipes on a short trip, so I'll toss a few into a small bag and call it good.
On a longer trip, though, I absolutely prefer bringing a backcountry bidet. I personally use the Holey Hiker bidet, made by a small solo-owned company in Connecticut. You simply attach it to the top of a water bottle to spray off.
You will need a small cloth to pat dry afterward. I usually use an extra Kula Cloth for this — one that is not designated for pee.
And just being completely honest here: a bidet alone doesn't get me completely spotless. Part of that is because backpacking food can sometimes do an absolute number on your stomach. So I still always carry toilet paper and usually at least a couple wet wipes as backup.
If you're worried about the weight of wet wipes, try those little compressed dry wipe tablets. They look like a giant Tylenol, but once you add a few drops of water they magically poof out into a full-sized wipe — lighter on the way in, and no dead weight if you don't use them.
Catholes, Trowels & Leave No Trace
If there's a privy available, I'll obviously just use that. If there isn't, I head at least 200 feet away from natural water sources, trails, and camp before digging a cathole. Personally, I prefer the BoglerCo trowel because it has a small plastic handle that makes digging way more comfortable.
And if you've never dug a proper six-to-eight-inch cathole before, let me assure you: digging a hole in hard-packed dirt with a tiny metal shovel is not always the magical wilderness experience people imagine it to be. A properly dug cathole should generally be about six to eight inches deep.
(And no, kicking a handful of snow over your poop does not count.)
Blue Bags & Packing Out Waste
If I know ahead of time that I'm going to need to pack my poop out — either because I'm in a blue-bag area or because I'm snow camping — I'll bring doggy bags for pickup, plus an extra freezer-style Ziploc to make sure everything is sealed in securely. This is one of those situations where we are very specifically trying to avoid catastrophic explosions.
One trick that works really well is carrying a Pringles can or something similar so you can pack everything out inside a hard-sided cylinder instead of loose in your backpack. Because nobody wants their backpacking trip to become that story. I also keep a doggy bag in my first aid kit at all times, just in case.
Period Hygiene Tips
Now let's talk about periods. The number one rule of backpacking periods is this: even if you are not expecting your period… bring period supplies anyway. Nature absolutely loves surprise plot twists.
Personally, I'm a huge fan of menstrual cups for backpacking. After experimenting with a bunch of brands, the one I like best is the DivaCup. The silicone feels a little thicker and stiffer than some others, which makes it feel more secure and easier to insert — and easier to remove, which matters a lot when you're crouched behind a tree trying not to accidentally launch your menstrual cup into the forest floor.
That said, I occasionally have periods heavier than normal, and during those weeks my DivaCup can start feeling a little more like Mount Vesuvius. For those situations I keep a larger, higher-capacity cup that needs emptying less often — though when it's inserted I personally feel like it puts pressure on my ureter and makes it hard to pee. So if you experience that, you're not necessarily doing anything wrong; sometimes the cup is simply too large or positioned in a way that creates pressure. For me, it's a tradeoff.
In addition to a menstrual cup on every trip — whether I expect my period or not — I also carry my trowel, a tiny Nalgene of Dr. Bronner's, and a collapsible water bottle for cleaning. If there's a toilet or privy, menstrual blood goes there. If not, I handle it responsibly away from water sources using Leave No Trace principles (i.e. you should handle menstrual blood the same way that you handle poop -- in the privy, or dig a hole!).
Tooth Care
Tooth care is surprisingly important while backpacking. Recently I discovered toothpaste tablets called Kaylaan, and they're by far my favorite I've ever used. In the past, other tablet brands were gritty and left weird little crumbs in my teeth. The Kaylaan tablets are so good I actually started using them at home.
For trips, I bring two tablets per day so I can brush morning and evening, plus a little floss. And for toothbrushes, one weird ultralight hack: I bring just the head of my Sonicare toothbrush. It already has a tiny cover to keep it clean, and it's surprisingly easy to use even though it's hilariously small. But guess what? You don't have to go ultralight. Kaylaan actually makes a really great bamboo toothbrush that is super light. So, ya know... live a little and bring the whole toothbrush.
You're on a backpacking trip. Use a full-sized toothbrush. Go crazy.
Everything in My Kit
The full packing list — print it, screenshot it, make it yours.
Final Thoughts
Don't underestimate the role hygiene plays in your experience. You could have the best gear in the world, but if you are chafed, uncomfortable, miserable, or dealing with an infection… your $2,000 tent is not going to matter.
Take care of your body so the rest of your gear can take care of you and let you fully enjoy nature in all of its magnificence. Most importantly — get out into nature and have FUN! It's a beautiful world, and we are all so fortunate to get to live in it!
2 comments
Thank you for this very thoughtful and detailed article.
Pyka pants? Yes please! I’d live too see them restocked in my size!
Love my Pyka Pants! Will you be adding new ones? I’m obsessed with mine, esp on ventures with alpine lakes and would love a second pair!