Hygiene on a bicycle tour. Things I carry in my toiletry bag

Many beginners are concerned about hygiene on a bicycle tour. How can you stay fresh and clean with a light and small toiletry bag that doesn’t add too much weight to your luggage?

The good thing is that it all seems more complicated from your home’s comfort than it is when you are already on a tour. Before my first bicycle tour, I worried quite a lot about how often I would be able to shower, how I would deal with my period, and other stuff like this.

Hygiene on a bicycle tour – how often do you shower?

For many people, the fact that they wouldn’t be able to shower daily stops them from going bike touring. If you travel to places with good infrastructure, you don’t need to worry about hygiene during your bicycle tour. In most Western countries, you’ll find plenty of official campsites with all the amenities or other kinds of accommodation. But on a more adventurous trip with wild camping, having a shower is a luxury.

You don’t need to shower daily to be “hygienic” and “clean”. When I wild camp, I wash myself up in a stream on a lake (if available). I don’t use any soap for that, but if you need one, make sure to use biodegradable soap so as not to pollute the water (for example, Sea To Summit Wilderness Wash, which you can use both as a body wash and to clean your dishes).

If no water source is available, I use wet wipes. This is not the most eco-friendly solution, as you produce extra waste, but it’s a good way to feel somewhat refreshed before going to bed.

I usually wash my hair less frequently when I am touring. I postpone it until I stay in a place with a shower. When my hair gets a bit greasy, I braid it.

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What do I have in my bicycle touring toiletry bag?

For me, it is crucial that my toiletries are light and, as much as possible, good for the environment. To save weight, I try to find products I can use for more than one purpose.

Here is the list of toiletries on a bike tour:

Soap

I never carry shower gel on a bike, as it’s too heavy. A soap bar in a light soap case is a much better option—it is not only lighter but also cheaper, and you can buy it everywhere.

Shampoo

A traditional shampoo consists of about 80 % of water. That’s why I often use shampoo bars or powder shampoo when I travel by bike.

Pros of shampoo bars: light and widely available (in most European countries, you can find them in most beauty stores or big supermarkets). Cons? It’s not that easy to find a good one. Many of them make my hair look greasy, don’t foam well, and I simply don’t feel like they do the job. Here are a few that I liked:

• Nature Box Avocado Shampoo Bar – I think I bought it in Carrefour, and I saw it in many shops in different European countries
• 4 szpaki delicate shampoo bar – my hair and scalp really liked this one. It doesn’t leave a greasy film and is made of organic ingredients. Recently 4 szpaki added a new product: a universal soap bar for hair and body. I haven’t tested it yet, so I don’t know how well it actually works for the hair, but if you want to save some weight, this might be a good idea.

On shorter trips, I use my regular shampoo, poured into a small bottle.

A tiny bottle of argan oil

I don’t take hair conditioner on longer bike tours, but after a few weeks of exposure to the sun and being squeezed under the helmet, my hair gets tangled, dry, and damaged. Regularly applied argan oil prevents the damage, and I only need a small bottle, even for a longer trip.

Hairbrush and hairbands

Toothpaste (or toothpaste tablets)

I usually carry a normal toothpaste (or a travel-size tube if I go on a short tour). You can even get refillable travel-size toothpaste tubes.

Toothbrush

I carry a simple bamboo toothbrush – small and more eco-friendly than a plastic toothbrush,

Dental floss

Deodorant

I use a deodorant in paper packaging that’s lighter and more eco-friendly than a regular deodorant.

Check out also this travel-size deodorant from Humble Brands.

SOS cream

The SOS cream is great for when my skin gets super dry or if I have any skin problems. It is also pretty good as hand creme. I put a small amount of it in a tiny box from the lip balm so that I don’t carry too much.

Cotton ear buds

I pack the amount needed for the length of my trip in a zip-lock bag.

Nail clipper

Tweezers

Both for plucking my eyebrows and in case I need to pluck a tick or a splinter.

Razor

Wet wipes

Menstrual cup

Discovering the menstrual cup was a game-changer for me and made touring during my period much less problematic. You don’t need to change it as often as pads or tampons, and you don’t produce any waste. Usually, I only empty it every 12 hours (except for the 1st day of my period, when the bleeding is a bit heavier). The tricky part is that you must wash it before every change and boil it before every period to sterilise it. So, if you are touring in areas where access to water is a problem, things might get tricky. Anyway, your period without access to clean water will be a hassle, no matter what sanitary product you use. When emptying the cup in the wild, it’s best to dig a small hole and then cover the blood with soil.
If you are unconvinced about the menstrual cup and prefer to stick to tampons or pads, have a plastic bag where you will put used pads or tampons and dispose of them in the nearest trash bin. I think tampons or caps are a better option for a bicycle tour as the sanitary pad, when spending the whole day in the saddle, might give you a chafe.

Other items I carry (not in my toiletry bag)

Toilet paper

Antibac spray

I always have a small bottle of anti-bac spray handy—it is great for disinfecting my hands and cleaning my glasses.

Lightweight microfibre towel

Takes much less space, weighs much less than a traditional towel, and dries ultra-fast.

Lip balm

Sunscreen

I use sunscreen with SPF50, and it is usually in my snack bag, so I don’t forget to apply it every two hours.

Best toiletry bag for travel and bicycle touring

For me, it’s important that my toiletry bag is light, not too bulky, and has a hook so you can hang it in a shower. Here are some models I can recommend:

• Deuter Wash Center Lite II is super light and compact, very durable, and has plenty of smart pockets and compartments. I was extremely surprised at how much fits in this tiny bag.
• Sea to Summit Hanging Toiletry Bag is a great choice if you need extra space for your toiletries and a mirror without adding too much extra weight to your luggage.