Another cheap field shower I've heard about, but haven't done yet, is to use a 2 liter Platypus bladder with a spare cap you've drilled a few small holes in. You can carry water in the bladder away from the source, replace the cap with the holy one, and spray yourself down with it.

I agree with the futility of solar showers on a bike tour. I would not like a day where I have that much time sitting around in the sun waiting for water to warm up. And I'm sure as heck not going to carry two extra kilos on my bike, either.

I wash the sitzplatz on me, to keep the saddle sores from happening.

the morning cafe sponge wash and shave, Brekkies & coffee
are a good way to start the next day.

That's why I used a silk bag liner. It's primary function is to keep the sleeping bag cleaner, and the added benefit is that I can use it separately as a cover if the temps rise, plus it adds another few degrees to the rating of the bag in colder weather.

Just to add a bit more discussion to the thread, what do people use for towels? I am finding myself increasingly disappointed with all the "technical" towels, such as the microfibre and such, because I am a wiper rather than a dabber. The towels virtually stick to my skin when I try to wipe them across it.

Plus the towels like this that I have used over the past 15 years or so take sooooo long to dry after use, smell really quickly because of the dampness, and entwine themselves with anything that's got polypro in it in the drier.

I am at the point of seriously considering a cotton tea towel as a lightweight, easier-to-dry and "wipeable" alternative.

Liquid soaps like Bronner's are mostly water. Chandrika Ayurvedic Soap is similar but without the water. I like it. Fresh batches are best -- the jasmine scent is fresher.

Some microfiber towels are a lot more effective and satisfying to use then the others.

It's similar to nylon fabrics. Some are very soft, with a brushed finish. Some are like windbreakers or tents. Some are like cordura or ballistic nylon. Some are like scouring pads.

The softest, most comfortable microfiber towels include those found in some of the large auto supply stores -- the ones that are specifically made for drying. Some of these are very soft, much more so than cotton terrycloth.

The ones found in kitchen and bath sections of many department stores are often similar to terrycloth. Some have different textures or weaves front and back.

The ones usually sold in backpacking stores are not so great.

There are also some that are made for tougher cleaning jobs, and those are too abrasive for frequent use on skin.

Most of them dry much more quickly than cotton.

They are more immediately absorbent when at least a bit damp.

If they are moderately damp rather than soaking wet, they clean hands and face (and other skin also) very well without soap. It's kind of counter-intuitive or counter-habitual thinking -- but it's true.

Niles, I have been through just about every combination of towel, including the ones from automotive stores and kitchen sections in the supermarket, as well as the ones from camping and outdoor shops.

Maybe I just like the rub factor of a nice cotton towel. And I suppose that's what the question is: How many others opt for a simple linen kitchen towel instead of a terry towelling one, or a microfibre-type towel?

Just wanted to add that the ones mentioned that are made for drying are very absorbent, and that lighter and brighter colors show the dirt very rapidly (in part because the material picks it up so effectively).

If you are open to the possibility that there might be varieties you are not yet familiar with, you might find something new. It sounds like you haven't done them all. You can't have. Some are quite high in the rub factor.

As to why others opt: most simply haven't experimented with the full range. Also, European and Australian shops, among others, usually don't have as wide a selection of a variety of items. USA consumerist extravaganza is legend. (Not saying it's all good necessarily, or not for that matter; but it has its perks.) I've had to do some real and persistent scouring, even here, to find the really good stuff.

The best microfiber towels I have tried blow cotton and linen out of the water.

There is also this factor that affects the opting: Some people, including me, prefer natural fabrics. But when I came across the exceptionally nice microfiber towels, their far superior functionality overrode the natural fiber aspect. It's not like I'm wearing them full time.

I know people who have such a strong dislike for anything manmade/synthetic that they are not open. Others just aren't aware of the more unusual or hard to find microfiber types and their advantages. Or they have tried a limited number and assume that's it.

Low on time here. Please excuse any typos. Later.

Peace to all. Have a great journey.

I do about the same.

A PackTowl is all you need for the getting dry part. My wife and I can both dry off with one that's about 1' X 2' or maybe smaller.

For towels I have found that a great alternative is to buy microfiber car towels from somewhere like Pep Boys. I think there were about four 12"x16" ones in a package for about $6. I think the brand was Peak. I find them just as good as the ones at REI for much cheaper.

Do you guys fight about who goes first?

I used something like a sham-wow on my last trip that a neighbor gave me--worked great.

No. The woman should always go first. You know that.

Yeah, those microfiber towels are not great, but good enough. Another reason to shower as soon as you arrive at the campsite, gives towels time to dry out.

Quality advice, Dr. Phil.

Kind of funny, but most countries the people only take showers once every 4 to 6 days because water is precious and expensive. You go to places like Iraq and all around that area those people stink, but they don't think they do, it's just the westerners that think that way. Having said that, since we are westerners living in a western society you don't want to offend people either, if you know your going to a public area like a store to buy supplies, or eat out, it's probably best to shower after riding all day if possible.

I will add that people in the more rural US seem more tolerant about such things than those from more urban areas. It seemed to me that in fly-over land it is just not so much of an issue.

My approach is to shower daily when it is convenient and to not obsess over it if it isn't for a few days here and there.

Exactly, though the only people that I've run into here in America that have body odor most of the time are Amish, and country hill type of people - if you get my drift, no pun intended. The vast majority of people in America take daily showers, and the Japanese are more so then we are!

+1. I crossed the country with 12 people. Not one of them ever considered a shower in the morning. I actually find the idea of a shower before the ride odd since you often get sweaty early on. And if you tour in colder places, it's funny how the morning air will make the thought of stepping out of a campground shower stall in an unheated bathroom seem no so appealing. If you really feel unclean, heat some water and wash up with something like a pak towel.

+1
I shower at the campsites or lodging where it is convenient, but it wouldn't even occur to me to do so in the morning when on tour. Getting rid of sunscreen and road grit in the afternoon/evening before turning in is a really nice luxury, but is just that a luxury. Showering in the morning on tour seems pointless to me. Different strokes though.

Plus 2 or 3. Why would you shower in the morning when you know you're going to be stinking by days end of cycling? If I'm at home I will shower in the morning if I'm not going to be riding till later in the day, then shower again afterwards, or ride in the morning without showering first then shower when I get home; but while touring it's just in the evening so I don't stink up my bag, or if I go out on the town and will be around the public. By shower I mean either shower or handy wipe or some such cleaning process. But most of the time I have to do some sort of cleaning or I start to itch from the salt on my body. More info then you wanted to know ehh? Really it's not all that hard to find a shower, or a road side rest stop with a sink works fine with a cloth and soap; wipes work in a pinch if no water is around; just have to be creative.

Even in Australia, when the country was in drought, people were being advised to cut back on the showers. Several people I know would shower every other day. Not long after I got there, the drought ended, but even so, I figured showering about 5 days a week (when we moved to a place that actually had a shower) was good enough.

Most countries?
I grew up in India and I observed that people bathed according to water availability and economic condition. E.g., It was taught in secondary school ('60s) geography that Rajasthan is a desert state and people don't bathe daily, some even use sand to run their body with and cleanse. However, that is applicable when you are a member of a nomadic tribe tending to sheep and camels in the desert an living a lifetime in tents or you live in present day Mumbai in a slum sharing a room with a dozen other folks and have no access to or the leisure time to use a faucet (let alone a bathroom) every day. Normal city living folks do not abide by those norms. I have also read that some W. Europeans also do not bathe daily and have strong BO. Occasionally, I have come close to (in public places, not emotionally ;-)) some folks in the US, too who wear winter jackets that have never seen a laundry machine in its lifetime and are surrounded by a cloud of strong vinegar/sweat/piss like smell. They must be thinking that it is perfectly normal. Also, I hosted relatives from foreign countries and had to hand them a deodorant the day they arrive as the ride from the airport to home was suffocating with armpit BO in each case. The same BO was normal and acceptable in those countries. However, this is not the first quarter of the 20th century and most of us (those reading this) are perhaps not tilling a farm with a horse and with no one around for miles, so I think that some form of daily cleansing is required when cycling. The sponge bath at a sink or 2 liter water bottle cleansing seem to be practical alternates to a shower.

OP: Out of curiosity, if you are uncomfortable with starting the day without a shower, how do you feel when you, say, walk into a cafe for lunch or a store to grab some groceries after 40 miles in the saddle on a hot, humid day?

Maybe wandering off of the original topic a bit, but...

I am pretty tuned in to how people react to me when on tour and I have found that how you smell is way less of a big deal than other factors, like:

• Do you have a warm and genuine for smile them. I find that if you do they return the same attitude. A cheesy fake smile does not suffice and may be worse than nothing.
• Do you have respect them or have a condescending, disapproving, or otherwise bad attitude toward them. People can sense this and will react to you accordingly. You can disagree with their politics or religion or whatever and it is OK, but if you think of them as dumb hicks they will know and will treat you accordingly.
• Do you take off your sunglasses and make eye contact when speaking to people. This makes a huge difference. I was amazed at the difference I observed on this one and it is a simple thing to do.