Articles on hygiene on tur
External resources on hygiene on tur — from Friute.no on cleanliness and Rolv.no on bog moss as a natural hygiene product.
Trail Hygiene
2 articles
Cleanliness matters wherever we are. Good hand hygiene prevents illness — and being clean is simply more comfortable. On tur the difference is that we often cannot turn on the tap with hot water and have to work a little harder for it. The result is the same.
In a group, hygiene becomes a shared matter: a couple of people who take it lightly can give the whole party an upset stomach by day three.
Hand-washing — in order of priority
- Running hot water and soap — best, but rarely available outdoors
- Running cold water and soap — just as effective against bacteria if you rub well and wash for at least 20 seconds. A stream works
- Outdoor wash bag (a plastic bag with a valve hung in a tree) — the best camp solution. You touch the bag itself as little as possible, and the excess water drains away instead of into a shared water bucket
- Wash basin — better than nothing, but change the water often. The common mistake is using the same basin all day
- Hand sanitiser — works when nothing else is available, but does not remove dirt. Not the only thing you use
- Wet wipes — handy to have, especially in winter. They give clean hands once or twice a day
Never: pour water from a bucket by dipping a ladle — the first round with dirty hands contaminates the ladle, the second round with clean hands splashes the bacteria onward.
Bog moss — the Norwegian fallback
Bog moss (Sphagnum) has antibacterial and moisture-absorbing properties. Traditionally used as nappies, wound dressings, insulation — and as a drying/washing agent outdoors. Pick a large clump from a bog, squeeze out the excess water, and use it as a sponge/wipe.
It works for hands, face, intimate hygiene and as first aid on small wounds. The dry version is burned after use; the wet kind is put back in the bog (it breaks down and becomes peat).
Washing the body
In a group on tur, privacy is scarce. Ask for the tent to yourself for a moment, or a bedroom in the cabin without a bathroom. On trips lasting several days, a quick wash every other day is enough — it is not about being squeaky clean, but about preventing skin problems and odour.
Practical method:
- Hot water in a wash basin
- Soap + a flannel or a wet wipe
- The order: face → hands and arms → chest and back → armpits → crotch and bottom last
On longer trips (over a week) or in cold weather, excessive washing is counterproductive. Skin oils and skin microbiota give a little extra protection against the cold, and excessive washing dries out the skin.
Clean and dirty zones in camp
When you stay overnight in a group outdoors, establish a clean zone and a dirty zone. The details are covered in routines in camp — in short: the clean zone is upstream (higher in the terrain) of the water, the dirty zone is downstream. Water runs downhill, so all washing, dishwashing and the latrine are placed there.
Toilet and latrine
Wash your hands after every toilet trip — always. Unless you are travelling completely alone, it is very easy to pass bacteria (typically gut bacteria that cause loose bowels) to others via shared water, food or equipment.
For groups on a multi-day camp: establish a shared latrine. With ten people over four days it gets ugly in the surrounding area if everyone chooses freely. Site the latrine:
- 50+ metres from camp and water sources
- Downstream (lower than the water source)
- Somewhere easy to find without shining a light on it
The details of the method itself — digging, paper handling, how far from the path — you will find in the dedicated article:
How to go to the toilet outdoors →
The toilet kit — always with you
Even on a day trip:
- Toilet paper in a waterproof bag
- Hand sanitiser (small bottle, works in cold too)
- Dog bag or similar for packing out used paper when burying it is impractical
- A small trowel for a multi-day trip (many camp trowels serve a double purpose)
The pack size is a fist or smaller. It is not something you find you have with you, it is something you find you are without.
Menstruation on tur
Practical and nothing exotic. The classic products (sanitary towels, tampons, menstrual cups) work. The menstrual cup is often the most practical on a long trip — reusable, no waste to carry, less pack volume.
For waste: all used items are taken home in a sealed, ideally opaque bag. Not buried (animals dig it up), not burned (for safety reasons and because many products contain plastic). Treat it like other human waste that cannot be composted.
Washing clothes
On trips lasting over a week, or with a lot of wet weather, you may need to wash clothes — especially socks and underwear, which lose their insulating ability when soaked through with sweat.
Low-impact laundry:
- Rinse in water without soap (works surprisingly well for sweat and odour)
- Use biodegradable soap (Camp Suds, Sea to Summit Wilderness Wash)
- Wash at least 50 metres from the water source — not directly in the stream
- Rinse thoroughly — soap’s impact in nature is stronger when it is concentrated
Preventing illness on a longer trip
For long trips or an expedition:
- Water purification when in doubt — boil for 1 minute, or use a filter/UV pen/tablets
- Food handling — heat through anything that has been cooked before, especially rice and pasta (they harbour bacteria even after cooking)
- Hand hygiene before all meals — without exception
- Changing clothes — especially socks and underwear
- Sleep with clothes inside the sleeping bag during the day to dry them (see winter overnight stays)
Learn more
Text: Ola Njå Bertelsen, Snuitide (2020), revised 2026.
Key resources: Norsk Friluftsliv — sporløs ferdsel · NDLA — hvordan gå på toalett ute · Lundhags om torvmose (video)
Sources: Pettersen, M.N. (2020). Sove ute. Gyldendal. · Granum, P.E. (2012). Så farlig er det å spise ris og pasta som er lagret feil. Forskning.no.
