Toiletries & Camping

I've been thinking of ways to reduce my camping toiletry bag. Well #1 is obvious... stop packing for the group and pack for myself. But this year I think will be different. Here's why:

• Diva Cup - The Diva Cup is easily the easiest way I'm reducing my toiletry bag.
  
  I always seem to be smack in the middle of my cycle during our camping trips. I need to bring a large zip lock of tampons, liners & pads. I now have my Diva Cup and won't need to bring any of these items (well maybe some liners for oops leaks).
• No-Poo - Now that I'm going no-poo... I don't need to bring any shampoo and conditioner. I think that if I wash my hair the day before or the morning we hit the road, I likely won't have to wash my hair the entire trip.
  
  
  I do plan on combing daily... even if only to discover ticks (eww).
• 1 Soap Wonders - I use Dr Bronners Soaps at home. The soap really is Magic like it claims. You can use it for almost anything. Some even use it as a toothpaste (I'll pass on that though). It works extreemly well diluted since it's concentrated. Basically buy bringing 3 oz of even diluted Dr Bronner's Castle Soap, I'm able to wash dishes, rinse fruit and veggies, wash my hair & body in the shower, and wash my hands at camp. And the best part, it's 100% biodegradable & vegetable based... so it's not harmful to the planet when we dump it into the soil.
  
  
  
  

Then there are other things that I want to try at home that I'd never try on a camping trip. For example, we are hoping to go no-TP or at least reduce our TP usage. But the thought of using washable family cloth on a camping trip does not appeal to me. Paper TP only please! And with no running water, we will be using burnable paper plates. Sorry folks... that just is how it is this time around.

By making these adjustments in my life, I've been able to eliminate the following items from my toiletry bag:

• Shampoo & conditioner bottles
• Soap Box
  
• Tampons
• Pads
• Dish soap (not that that would be in a toiletry bag)
  

That may not seem like much... but when you are camping... every little bit counts