gregw

Thanks for all the responses!

I've done both the sink and shower thing and found it very tiresome. It may in-fact be the best solution, but I'm going to give the zip-lock bag method a try and promise report back with the results.

I found the padded cycling shorts take the longest time to dry. I'm going to try using regular shorts this next tour, should dry faster.

Oh..... I'd also like to thank Machka for pointing out my spelling error and then Neilfein doubling-up and correcting again . After they kept us safe from that rogue misspelling, Condorita came along to follow-up with yet a third, triple backup to defeat the evil of gross spelling negligence.

nancy sv

I'm with everyone else - wash them out int he shower if possible. If not, the sink works. If they aren't dry in the morning, strap them on top of my sleeping bag on my rear rack. It works!!

staehpj1

On the shorts thing... I sweat enough that any shorts I wear have to be OK to wear when damp. For me damp bike shorts work better than damp regular shorts. I guess this will vary with what either type of shorts are made of though. For me Pearl Izumi Ultrasensor shorts do the trick. Putting on damp shorts is no big deal since they will be damp if not dripping wet after I ride for a while.

I hope you find what works best for you whether it is bike shorts, regular shorts, or something else.

Louis

I've used the zip-lock bag method with good results. Some generic bags are weak at the seal, popping open under the slightest pressure. A brand name bag with a strong seal is important. Don't ask how I know this.

yeamac 

I hope you either ride solo or ride at the back of the group.

staehpj1

On the TA all three of us carried the same number of changes of clothes and washed them with the same frequency. The same for washing up or showers.

You would have to really be pretty prissy to worry about someones odor when riding behind them out in the open air and rolling at a good clip. If not riding at a good clip there is no reason to draft and you can fall back a bit if your sensibilities are that delicate. That said we all slept in the same tent and it was a non issue. It might have been a different matter if one person never showered and everyone else did, but the opportunities to freshen up were the same for the whole group so it really wasn't a problem. We had long stretches of 100F heat so we were pretty much all a bit ripe some of the time.

gregw

OK Then

I've done some experimenting with hand washing in a large zip-Lock bag with concentrated washing machine detergent.

On the first try I sealed the bag top and sloshed the clothes back and forth for a few minutes. Then let it soak for a while before opening the seal and squeezing the water out. Repeated this 3 times with fresh water to rinse. This process worked, certainly better than my experience with using a sink, but the top seal will open if you get too aggressive with the sloshing part and I think the bag will not last too many loads.

Second try was similar to the first except I just used my hand as the agitator in the open topped bag. Again going through the same rinse cycle process. This seemed to work even better, I think the cleaning results was better and the overall process was shorter. Another plus would be that the bag will last much longer. OK I know what your thinking, how is this different than using a sink? First you can do it at the camp side spigot, second it's much more concentrated in the bag, third, less soapy water flying around mess. Fourth, you use the bag to help wring out the clothes by tightly rolling the bag up, from the bottom, squeezing the water out the top.

I used a concentrated scent-free detergent, but it might be a better idea to use a scented product. That way if you don't do such a stellar wash job, the scent might help mask any residual odors. BTW I probably used 6 drops of detergent, so a very small squeeze bottle in you pack would last a very long time.

Anyway that's my report and I'm standing by it.

staehpj1

Thanks for the follow up.

spinner

As far as clothes being damp in the morning, if you put them on and start riding, they dry out prettty quick. In triathlon, people usually wear their bike gear under the wetsuit, and just jump on the bike wet. Haven't had any chafing problems so far.
Cheers

rpk0925

Just wanted to write a thank you to all of you. This is great reading for people like me who are somewhat inexperienced and always looking for better ways to take care of the necessities when touring.

Bob

cyccommute 

Let me get this straight. To avoid the weight of several days worth of clothes, you are going to fill a bag with water and let it slosh around all day? Let's see, a pair of shorts and a jersey weight somewhere around half a pound (using modern lightweight materials). 3 pairs of shorts and 3 jerseys weight around 1.5 lbs or 24 oz. Let's say 32 oz. for argument sake. That just happens to be same weight as a quart of water. You'll likely need more then that for doing any good with the detergent in a ziplock, so you are saving how much weight?

And when was the last time you found a ziplock that didn't leak? Even double bagged? And who whats to shlep around a quart of water you can't drink?

Stick with the laundry.

gregw

I think you misunderstand. I'm not saying that this zip-lok bag of water is on the bike, it's strictly done at the end of the day at the campground. If you read my follow up report it might make more sense.

Actually, on my last tours, I carried 5 days worth of clothes, and just used Laundromats. But I'd like to try ultra-light or at least lighter touring using just rear panniers and a handlebar bag for a 4-5 month tour next summer. Using just rear panniers, volume becomes the limiting factor, not weight and clothes take up a lot of volume.

staehpj1

I don't think he is advocating that. He said:
No taking it on the bike mentioned unless i missed something.

Roughstuff

Looks like ya have the right idea. Keep in mmind of course that spandex shorts and cycling jerseys dry quick as a wink. You might consider washing them on a rotating basis, wearing them while they dry out (and keep ya cool). Pannier bags that have double zippers so that air can flow thru the (top) of them are a a good idea also.

Re laundromats: a slightly different take. Keep in mind that in soggy and rainy weather, a visit to a laundromat to use the dryers for your clothes and sleeping bag (careful with the latter) will get ya back to being dry and sassy alot more cheaply than a night in a motel will. On my last two tours I had ALOT OF RAINY and soggy days, yet I stayed at formal camping sites very rarely and indoors not at all.

roughstuff

gregw

See, I'm a much more wimpy tourist. I stay at formal camp grounds and motels 98% of the time. If your wild camping where you don't have a good source of fresh water, then your solution sounds perfect. I'm just not as Rough as your Stuff

cyccommute 

Sorry, I got you mixed up with what Booger1 suggested. However, if you are going to wash clothes by hand, why not just wash them by hand? You've said you stay in campgrounds and motels (nothing wrong with that by the way) and most of those are going to have sinks or some other facility. The ziplock seems like an unnecessary complication.

For weight savings, clothes really aren't going to do much. They are bulky but not terribly heavy. You best bet for saving weight is in cooking gear, tent , sleeping bag and sleeping pad. A Seedhouse SL 1, for example, weighs in at a feathery 2lb 6 oz. An SL2 at 2 lb 11oz (a bargain at only 6 oz heavier but much more room). They are expensive ($200+) but they are lightweight. Big Agnes has specials on preproduction and demo equipment all the time so you can get them for less than retail. There's lots of other weight saving to be had in the 'heavy' equipment without having to resort to 4 months of riding in one shirt and one set of shorts....Eww!

gregw

Man cyccommute, you need to work on you reading comprehension skills, and /or lighten-up a bit.

First red quote, I spelled out clearly why I thought this method was better than a sink.
Second, I clearly said that weight was not the main problem for using rear panniers only, it was volume.
Third, the post was about washing clothes not tents, or sleeping bags or pads, just washing methods
Fourth, I never said that I was bringing only 1 set of riding clothes.

And finally, I think I can handle the "unnecessary" complication of bring 1 zip-lock bag

OK, Ok, maybe I just need to lighten-up a bit an not reply to these posts.

Niles H.

Some materials or fabrics pick up less dirt than others, and they let go of what little they do pick up more easily. They are easier to wash and easier to keep clean. And some of them are also easier to dry -- they absorb less water and let go of it more easily.

One factor is the smoothness of the individual strands or fibers. Nylon has smoother fibers than most fabrics.

By searching the web, and finding more about the nitty gritty bits and the microscopic features of various fibers, more information on these aspects of fabrics can be found.

***
Some microfiber towels *excel* (see studies from UC Davis on this -- there is a dramatic performance difference) at removing dirt, microorganisms, oils, and dead skin cells from the surface of the body (including where it comes into contact with cloths and clothes).

Cleaner skin can help maintain cleaner clothes, and also has some other advantages.

gregw

OK this is just a tease post!

If from your research you have found some clothing that benefit from these new fabrics, give them up, what are they, are you using them?

Do tell.

cyccommute 

Trying to lighten your load is straight out of your first post and you discussed ultralight touring in the other post. One might conclude that you are concerned about weight, mighten one?

Maybe 5 sets of riding clothes is excessive (I carry 3 and wear 1) but how many do you want to use for ultralight touring? 4? 3? 2? At least you've said you don't want to carry just one (I was being a little facetious on just one)) You don't gain much in terms of volume at 4 sets or at 3 sets. Maybe at 2.

But bike clothes aren't that bulky. In my experience, the major bulk, aka volume, in my load comes from all the other stuff I, or you, need to carry. Tents. Sleeping bags. Cooking stuff. Rain stuff. Street clothes. Cold weather gear (I suspect that you'll run across a need for that in 4 to 5 months). Some of that stuff can't be made much smaller but some can. Luckily, lighter usually means smaller volume too.

Finally, you'll need more than one ziplock. I bet you'll be lucky to get 3 or 4 days out of one. They aren't that durable nor do they stay closed that well. I use them for lab work all the time. I have to put about as much water as you will in them, seal them and hope that they stay sealed as I squish the contents around. Since my reactions generate gases, I have to burp them regularly and they usually don't stay closed well after the first burping. And I can't tell you the number of times the contents have ended up on my shoes when the closure fails or when a corner leaks. And the ones I use aren't your grocery story variety, either

I've used the shower method...can't rinse them adequately. And the sink method...chamois don't dry overnight. And the hang them over a line to dry...nothing like a 3 a.m. rain storm to slow down the drying process or roll them around in the dirt And hanging them on the back of a bike to dry...nothing like a 3 p.m. rain storm to slow that process

Stick with the laundry. It's easier and your lycra will love the heat

10 Wheels

I just finished a 58 day tour doing the same thing.

gregw

This time I will lighten-up and not reply.