Hygiene is one those things you don’t think about too much when you live in a house, but it becomes something very specific and thought out once you live on the road full time. This blog shares our top 10 tips for conserving water to stay clean on the road.
Our most conservative boondocking trip was when we made 8 gallons of water last 6 days for both of us and the dogs. We’ve improved our systems since then, and here are our top 10 tips for conserving water to last longer when boondocking:
1. Fill up everything
We fill up our water tanks, water bottles, CamelBaks, solar shower, and Pur water filter every time that we top off our fresh water. This helps our water last even longer and adds a couple gallons on top of what we could fit in our fresh water tanks.
2. Shower creatively
Everyone has a different tolerance for how long they can go without showers. For me, I think I’ve gone 2 weeks without a full head-to-toe hot shower when boondocking. Just because you shower less frequently, doesn’t mean you are dirty. We use a combination of our Simple Shower, solar shower, and Dude wipes to keep us feeling fresh in between showers.
One thing I never skip is washing my face and brushing my teeth. These two things make me feel immediately clean at the end of the day. Both of these require very little water as long as you turn the faucet off while you’re lathering or brushing.
3. Boondock near water
The closer we are to fresh water, the longer we make our fresh water last. That’s because we can use the fresh water as a source for cleaning ourselves and our pups! We use fresh water to fill our solar shower, giving us an unlimited source of water to clean. Just make sure to follow Leave No Trace principles when cleaning yourself in an outdoor shower.
Most of the water we’ve boondocked near has been crystal clear and cool, so our daily swims leave us feeling refreshed and super clean.
You can take a natural water source a step further by using tools like a LifeStaw or boiling water to make it safe to drink.
4. Lume deodorant sticks and wipes for camping
I switched to natural deodorant long before life on the road and haven’t looked back. I’ve tried other brands besides Lume, and they simply don’t work as well. We have the cream sticks, wipes, and tubes that we use in different situations. It lasts longer and prevents our clothes from absorbing our stink – a huge win to staying clean and needing fewer showers.
5. Unbound Merino anti-microbial, odor-resistant clothing
If you follow us on socials, you know we absolutely love our Unbound Merino wool clothing. We put this brand to the test with a 90-day no wash sniff test and it really works! These clothes help us save on water because they’re sweat-wicking, so we feel clean even after a hike or lots of activity.
You can get 10% off Unbound Merino with this link.
6. Get collapsible water tanks
I can’t believe how long we waited to do this… these collapsible water cubes doubled our water storage capability. They also double as weights for shade structures, so you can’t go wrong! When you’re ready to move onto the next spot, they collapse to take up barely any storage space.
These are the exact ones we have:
7. Invest in easy-to-clean products
Silverware, plates, and that are easy to clean help water go a long way. If you have dishes with hard-to-clean grooves or surfaces, you’ll be using more water to make sure everything stays nice and clean.
We personally only have one pot and one pan, which reduces how many dishes we use while cleaning and saves a lot of space.
Some of our favorite products in the kitchen are:
- Zip Top containers – they’re easy to clean and save on plastic use
- Flexible cutting boards – these are easy to wipe down and take up very little space
- Scrub Daddy sponges – I don’t think I can ever go back after cleaning with these
8. Cook outside & make things that use less water
We grill almost every single day while boondocking. This tip for conserving water requires the least amount of cleanup for the most tasty food and saves a ton of water in the food prep side of things too. We grill everything from hot dogs in a parking lot to stuffed poblano peppers on the beach in Mexico.
We absolutely love our outdoor grill and can’t imagine camping without it. Here’s the one we have:
If you don’t have the option to cook outside, try cooking food that takes less water during prep. For example, pasta and rice use a lot more water than eggs and stir fry. You can find a lot of great recipes to choose from in RV Cooking Made Easy by Heather Schlueter from The Spicy Apron!
9. Don’t waste a single drop
If we’re really low on water, we will filter water from the melted ice in our cooler to reuse. If you have a LifeStraw or filter system, this will make the water safe to drink.
We also don’t let any of our other beverages in our cooler go to waste. We collect any leftover soda in our Sodaology to re-carbonate and drink later. I hate to admit it, but this actually made our boondocking trips last a lot longer!
Here’s how we use it to make cocktails too:
10. Use the great outdoors for bathroom breaks
We’ve found the biggest difference between RV lifers and van lifers is how they poop. And I like to think we’re experts on the topic since we already have a blog all about #2.
Most RVers use their toilet for all bathroom needs. The truth is if you use enough water to properly prevent the dreaded poop pyramid, it will drastically decrease your available fresh water. Most van lifers use either a composting toilet (water free) or go outdoors.
Here are 3 popular ways to go poop outside to help conserve water tanks and prolong black tank capacity:
- 6” cathole & pack out the TP (more on this method here)
- 5-gallon trash-bag-lined bucket with camping toilet seat – pack it out when you leave (this is what we actually use for #2!
- Pack it out with a dog poop bag – easy, simple, but a little smelly
Each person has a different tolerance for hygiene and conserving water, so you don’t have to use every single one of these tips. However, each one of these tips for conserving water truly work and make a difference in your boondocking experience. Get your hands on our 5 must-know boondocking tips to prepare for your next adventure!
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