>>48480If you've never been more than a day or two away from society, it's probably too early to start worrying about being away for weeks. The basic idea is that personal hygiene in the outdoors is dictated, not by odors, but by safety.
-If you hike in wet boots and wet socks for a long time, your feet will start to "rot," well, not exactly rot, but the skin will get damaged, and your feet will become susceptible to nasty fungi, like athlete's foot.
-Likewise, you should brush your teeth twice as good in the backcountry because you don't want to get a cavity and not be able to eat. Your saliva supposedly becomes more acidic at high altitudes.
-Wash and wipe your hands thoroughly after taking a shit or handling toilet paper.
-If you're out for more than a week, you may need to trim your toenails, but bring a clipper anyway because it's useful in a first aid kit for cutting skin (hangnails and such).
-Sun protection is definitely worth mentioning in a discussion about taking care of yourself. Wear longsleeves, a hat and sunglasses if hiking above treeline. Getting sunburned takes a lot out of you, and sunscreen won't last forever.
Things you shouldn't have to worry about:
>washing>changing clothes (you shouldn't be going backpacking under the assumption that some of your clothes will become "dirty" and you can't wear them anymore from halfway through the trip)>shaving>any other feminine/gay shit, like painting your nails or tweezing your butthole hairsThey make biodegradable shampoos, but while the soap is organic and will *eventually* break down, that doesn't mean you should go sudsing up every alpine lake you camp beside. In fact, you definitely should not do this, as it is not good for the water.
