Camp Hygiene

When to use this

Every meal. Hygiene at camp is the biggest predictor of whether someone gets sick.

• Any trip longer than one night
• Trips with kids who touch everything then eat with their hands
• Car camping where you have space for a real wash setup

What you need

• Two collapsible wash basins (wash and rinse)
• Biodegradable camp soap (Dr. Bronner's or Campsuds)
• A pot for heating dishwater on the stove
• A small mesh stuff sack for a scrubber and sponge
• Hand sanitizer for between meals

Step by step

1. 1.Handwashing: before every meal, after handling raw meat, after the bathroom. Camp soap and water, 20 seconds — not a quick rinse.
2. 2.Dishwashing three-basin method: a basin of hot soapy water for washing, a basin of clean water for rinsing, scatter gray water 200 feet from any water source.
3. 3.Strain food particles from dishwater with a mesh strainer before scattering. The strainer catches everything visible; pack the captured bits out.
4. 4.Personal hygiene: a small hand towel and baby wipes handle most needs. For bathing near a lake or stream, use biodegradable soap only, and apply it on shore — never in the water.
5. 5.Human waste: if there's no toilet, dig a cat hole 6–8 inches deep, 200 feet from water, trail, and camp. Pack out toilet paper in a zip-lock bag — it does not biodegrade as quickly as people assume.
6. 6.Keep the kitchen area and the bathroom area on opposite ends of camp.

Pro tips

• A collapsible silicone basin fits in a plate-sized space and eliminates the improvised-pot-for-washing-dishes approach.
• Heat dishwater on the stove while eating — by the time dinner is done, the water is ready.

Common mistakes

• Dumping gray water in one spot near camp. Gray water attracts animals and creates a smell over multiple nights. Scatter it widely.
• Washing dishes in a stream or lake. Even biodegradable soap harms aquatic ecosystems. Always wash on land.

Analog companion

Prefer the full landing page first? See the leave no trace quick reference.

Continue learning

• Camp Setup

  Campsite Layout

  Three zones, in this order: sleep, kitchen, fire.

• Camp Setup

  Breaking Camp

  The order and checklist that leaves the site better than you found it.

• Safety & First Aid

  Food Storage and Bear Bags

  The rule is simple: zero food in the tent, ever.