KEEP CLEAN WITHOUT RUNNING WATER
Alaskan wilderness pioneer shares his dehydrated hygiene method, including clean with seven cups, soapless shampoo.
March/April 1981
By Ole Wik
A pioneer in the Alaskan wilderness tells us how to . . .
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Some 10 years back, I left the city and set out to build a cabin in the Alaskan wilderness. It was late September before I could actually begin construction of the dwelling, and the rivers were already freezing . . . so I had to work hard and quick!
Yet — despite the rigorous physical labor — I'd go for days without a bath. At the time I told myself I couldn't wash because of the cold weather and primitive camp conditions . . . but now I know that I simply hadn't yet adjusted to "new" means of keeping clean.
Since then, I've spent as much as 26 months at a stretch without even seeing running water, and I've very rarely missed my daily bath. I'd like to pass on what I've learned to any of you who may be about to quit the city and its conveniences . . . whether on a permanent or a temporary basis.
CLEAN WITH SEVEN CUPS
I once doubted the word of a friend who told me that he'd been taught to take a complete bath with an army helmet full of water. Now I know he was telling the truth, because I've done it myself . . . using a hard hat while fighting forest fires. The fact is, it's possible to clean every part of your body but your hair — using an ordinary metal wash basin — with only seven cups of water . . . which is just under half a gallon!
A complete bush-country bathing outfit should include a 15-inch metal basin, washcloth, towel, soap, baking soda, and fingernail brush. It's best to stay away from enamel basins (they'll eventually crack, and you'll ram an enamel chip under your fingernail sooner or later), and steel tubs will rust . . . in spite of their shiny appearance when new. Aluminum, on the other hand, has never failed me. Whatever type of basin you use, however, keep a fingernail brush handy for scrubbing out the dirt film after you bathe.
The real secret of this water-conserving wash method is the elimination of soap from most of the bath. If you really lather up, you face the problem of getting rid of the suds, and — when you're washing from a small tub — this can be such a chore that you may start to skip baths altogether.
You'll be better off if you take a bath — without soap — every single day. Simply rub down well with a hot, wet washrag, rinsing the cloth frequently. (You may want to use soap on the hairy parts of the body, but this small amount of suds can usually be rinsed off with a damp rag.)
A SOAPLESS SHAMPOO
Hair washing presents a special problem . . . again, because it's very difficult to rinse off the suds. Leftover soap or shampoo is bound to make your scalp itch, but you can get your "crowning glory" clean — and avoid the "itches" — by using baking soda!
