No Rinse Body Wash and Shampoo

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No Rinse Shampoo and Body Bath
Reviewed by: Bill Ames
Where to buy: No Rinse, Drug Stores
Cost: about $1.00

Ever been miles from a shower and just wanted to wash your hair, but there was no water and no soap? Ever want to be able to take a bath without water?

One of the things I miss the most when I'm hiking or camping is a decent shower, more because of the (pardon the expression) greasy film that covers everything--it feels like I can't breathe, and hot days seem much hotter!

No Rinse body bath and shampoo let you clean up, wash off and shampoo without water.

I've tried several retail products in an attempt to keep 'fresh' in the woods, but none of them really satisfied. I've tried different body wipes and even rubbing alcohol. Alcohol showed the best promise, but it just isn't a good-enough grease cutter to effectively wash your hair, and you can't really carry enough with you, anyway. Also, it's so harsh that it doesn't work as a long-term solution.

The literature that came with the No Rinse products says that NASA uses this stuff on space shuttle flights . . . I think I can see why--it works.

I especially like the No Rinse shampoo. I tried it out at home, and then took it on a sweaty 4 day trip---several members of the party liked the No Rinse stuff as well---and I've been using it ever since.

While you may not want to throw out your Pert Plus, this stuff really does a great job at making your head feel 'right'. You don't need any water, it's environmentally friendly, it gets the gunk off (even smoky campfire soot), and you can be the best smelling member of your party.

The No Rinse Body Bath is similar to some of the commercial products available, like the Lever 2000 body wipes, but it's more compact in its 2 oz bottle than a heavy set of oversized wet-naps. You can use your existing bandana, or use it without a cloth of any kind. The scent is mild, but effective, and it didn't seem to attract any uninvited bruins during my last trip to the Delaware Water Gap--known for its bears. I can't speak to its effectiveness with the ladies, but it certainly couldn't hurt . . . perhaps another review can tackle that issue!

The No Rinse folks do sell other stuff, and I tried out their wet-nap type product. It was much heavier and sturdier than the stuff you'll find in stores, and they did not disintegrate even with heavy use. I just think the 2 oz bottle is a better way to go--those napkins would get heavy, and they need to be sealed up to retain their moisture.

My recommendation? Buy a bunch of the 2 oz bottles of No Rinse . . . it's the right size, it's cheap, and it works. Probably make a good gift for the hiker who has everything, too :-)

If you need more information, check out http://www.norinse.com

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