Skip to Content

How To Wash Hair While Camping – Great Tips

How To Wash Hair While Camping – Great Tips

Got a big camping trip coming up and you’re wondering how to wash hair while camping? Don’t worry, I get this question all the time. Consider this part of Camping 101!

How to Wash Hair While Camping

Washing your hair while camping comes down to your personal needs. You should try to wash your hair less often while camping. Using dry shampoos is a great alternative for managing greasy hair and adding freshness while outdoors. You can even buy a camping shower if you really can’t leave this creature comfort behind.

Wash Less Often

I bet you’ve heard all kinds of advice on how often you should be washing your hair. There are people out there that say that washing every day is a must while other people argue that there is evidence suggesting that we’re washing our hair far too often. Here’s what the research actually has to say about washing her hair.

This might come as a surprise, but it really all depends on your personal needs.

If you have particularly greasy hair, use a lot of hair styling products, or have a condition such as dandruff, you might need to wash your hair more often than most. The average person can safely, and comfortably, get away with only washing their hair every two to three days.

That’s perfect for a weekend camping trip! If you’re only out for the weekend, try just going the whole time without worrying about washing your hair. You can even test this out for a day or two at home to get comfortable with your hair’s natural oil production.

There’s also dry shampoo.

Use Dry Shampoo

Dry shampoo helps to manage greasy hair and freshens hair without needing water. That makes it an ideal choice for camping!

Dry shampoo will change how you look at your hair care routine. I’ve known plenty of people that tried out dry shampoo while they were camping and now it’s a part of their regular day to day hair care.

Dry shampoo is fast, effective, and doesn’t need water. These three things combine to make it an ideal choice for campers. You can even make a DIY dry shampoo rather than spending all that money on a store-bought brand.

Dry shampoos are typically made up of a substance that can manage grease such as bentonite clay and a few other ingredients for freshness such as essential oils. All you need to do is sprinkle a little dry shampoo into your hair and then massage it in and you’re good to go.

This should definitely carry you through an extended camping trip.

Discover The Hat That Matches Your Style

Still looking for an answer to how to wash hair while camping that works with your style? Maybe a hat is all you need.

It might not seem like it, but camping is a great place to experiment with new style choices. No one’s going to be judging you out on the hiking trails or at your local campsite. If you’ve always wondered if you’d look good in a wide-brimmed hat, now’s your time to try it out.

Baseball caps, bandanas, and even that old Indiana Jones hat are all great ways to deal with the lack of showers at your campsite. Hats will give you an alternative to washing your hair that will still leave you looking great.

You’ll probably be wearing a hat most of the time while camping anyway. Hats help you reduce sunburn and keep this glaring light out of your eyes. The fact they can help you manage unruly hair is only an added bonus.

You can even pick up a hat from a gift shop near your campsite and have it as a souvenir.

If you really have your heart set on showering while you’re camping, there are some tips for you.

Shower Using a Basin

Did you know that homes used to have bathtubs, but no showers? So, how did people used to wash their hair without having to draw a full bath?

The answer lies in filling up a basin of water. No, you don’t have to bring the whole kitchen sink with you when you’re camping, but you do need to bring two small buckets or plastic tubs.

All you need to do is fill both tubs up with water. You’ll use one to wash your hair and the other to rinse it out. Now you’ve got an old-school way of washing your hair while you’re camping.

Shower Using a Camp Shower

All right, you win. If you really want to shower while you’re camping you can purchase a camp shower. There are electric models that heat the water, more rustic choices that are really just modified buckets, and even other options that use solar energy to keep the water warm.

These showers use gravity rather than a pump to give the water some pressure. This is about as close as you can get to bringing your entire bathroom with you while you’re camping.

Staying Fresh and Clean While Camping Frequently Asked Questions

I go camping pretty regularly so I’ve heard all of the questions out there when it comes to hair care and camping. Here are the answers to a few of the questions I get the most.

How Do You Hide Greasy Hair While Camping?

Dry shampoo is the best way to manage greasy hair while you’re camping. You can also try wearing a hat or a bandana. Keep in mind that you’re camping and people in this setting are going to be more comfortable with slightly greasy hair than they would be if you were back at the office.

Is It Okay to Wash Your Hair in a Lake?

You should never try to wash your hair, shower, or bathe in a natural body of water. Soaps and other cleaning agents can be very harmful to our natural environment and should never be used in bodies of water. Lake water is often not sanitary which makes it a poor choice for showering in the first place.

Should You Use Hair Care Products While Camping?

You can use hair products while camping if you want to. However, I recommend keeping it to a minimum and only using what’s necessary. It’s a lot harder to manage his huge globs of hair gel or clouds of hair spray while you’re out in the woods.


Wrapping Up Washing Your Hair While Camping

Now you know how to wash hair while camping. Don’t forget that you’re out in the wilderness to rough it a little. Don’t be afraid to let your hair down and see how you do with a less well regimented hair care routine!

About Me

Hi, this is Kent Walker. I am an outdoor enthusiast. I love fishing, hiking as well as kayaking. I write about my adventures in the wide open and what I learned about it.