Festival season is almost here! Roll on cooking round the camp stove as the sun begins to set. Not long to go now until we can lay out in the sunshine with a cool drink, great friends and good music. Soon it will be time to get away from it all, stick up the tent, and then just kick back and relax. Bliss.
There are so many reasons why we love festivals and going camping. What we’re not such big fans of though is the awkward smell that we suspect might be following us around by day three… After all, after a while that lack of decent washing facilities, which is only to be expected when it comes to festivals, starts to take its toll. So, these are our top tips for keeping clean and looking good while camping!
First off – before we get onto the laundry side of things – remember to take clothes that don’t matter too much. Yes that baked bean sauce will probably come out of your top eventually, but it’s better not to take the chance. And besides, you don’t want to be worrying about getting dirty or snagging your best tights when you’re trying to dance the night away.
Another top tip is to take clothes that are dark colours. A floaty white maxi dress looks good it’s true, but not so much after you’ve sat on a muddy bit of ground… Opt for dark cut-off jeans, your best black spaghetti strap sundress or your lived in denim shorts (shorts are great too because they won’t drag on the ground and soak up any mud or moisture that may be lurking). Dark colours and boho I’m-messy-and-I-don’t-care chique are the way to go. Save the white dress for your beach holiday.
Next, if you’re going for a longer festival and don’t fancy living in the same smelly t-shirts for the entire week, you can avoid taking a massive bag full of multiple outfits by taking a Scrubba Wash Bag with you – then you can just wash the few clothes you have with you instead. The Scrubba is pocket sized, doubles as a dry bag, and is twice as effective as hand washing, plus it means you don’t have to struggle to wash your clothes in a dirty camp site sink…if there is one. Backpackers swear by it.
And finally, never forget that wet wipes are your friends. Skip the queue to get a shower that is stretching half the way around the campsite (for one thing you can pretty much guarantee that there won’t be any hot water left by the time you get to the front) and opt instead for a thorough all-over wet wipe wash in your tent. Yes, you’ll probably still be craving a long hot bubble bath by the time you get home, but a wet-wipe-wash does wonders until then.
Happy camping!
