Camino de Santiago de Compostela

[DurhamParish]

What kind of laundry soap do people here use while on the Camino? I will be walking the Camino Portuguese in September. It will be my first time walking the Camino and my first time backpacking.

In March I met a young backpacker in Athens who had walked the Camino. He was giving me some tips, one of which was NOT to bring liquid laundry soap. I just wanted to see what experienced people have found most successful on the Camino.

Thanks.

[vagabondette]

What kind of laundry soap do people here use while on the Camino? I will be walking the Camino Portuguese in September. It will be my first time walking the Camino and my first time backpacking.

In March I met a young backpacker in Athens who had walked the Camino. He was giving me some tips, one of which was NOT to bring liquid laundry soap. I just wanted to see what experienced people have found most successful on the Camino.

Thanks.

Yeah, you definitely want to carry as few liquids that aren't for consumption as possible (this includes shampoo, conditioner, lotion, toothpaste, etc.). I will be bringing a bar of Ivory soap to wash myself and my laundry. I will put it into a mesh bag which will act as an exfoliater for my skin and scrubber for my laundry and will allow me to hang it to dry over night. You can also buy laundry bars but I'd rather have one item that does multiple things and I'd definitely not use a laundry bar on my skin.

[caminoist]

I just bring a bar of soap that works for my body, hair and clothes. It's off-the-shelf deodorant soap I purchase at a supermercado. Nothing special. In the past I did use liquid soap in small bottles (hotel size) and never felt a particular disadvantage with it. I acquired them at occasional hotel stays along the way. A large bottle of liquid soap could be pretty heavy, though.

[skilsaw]

Since you are in the States, check at REI.
I use a liquid called "Camp Suds" for everything. Used sparingly, an 8 oz bottle lasted me for 40 days on the VdlP. A 4 oz bottle would be enough for you.

I know the security at airports has cracked down on taking liquids onto planes, so maybe Ivory Soap, as recommended by Vagabondette is a good bet. I have used it camping and an advantage is that it floats so when you are washing in a lake, it doesn't get lost. That isn't an issue on the camino.

Another neutral soap that would be good for everything is Pears Bars of Pears are harder than Ivory, and disolve slower so it lasts longer.

On my first camino, I ran out of Camp Suds and purchased a bar of soap for my body, and another one that was specifically for laundry. You are traveling in a developed country and everything is available to purchase in the towns and cities.

No worries,
David, Victoria, Canada

[Anniesantiago]

I wait until I arrive in Spain or Portugal.
I then go to the tienda and purchase a bar of Fels Naptha or other cold water wash bar.
I cut it in halves or thirds and share it.
It is made for cold water hand washing, it does not leak, and it is cheap and light to carry.
You can see my blog for advice on hand washing.

[k-fun]

I walked the Camino last Sept and October. I used body wash for my hair, body, and laundry. The road dirt did not completely leave my socks until I used a sliver of bar soap left behind at a wash tub. I recently read that if you let the bar soap dry out by exposing it to air, it will weigh less and last longer.

Spaniards use the bar soap Legarto for hair, skin, and laundry. It is available in most supermercados; the one sold in a brown wrapper is for personal use, while the one in the green wrapper is used for washing floors.

[DurhamParish]

Thanks everyone. I appreciate the advise.

[CatherineAnn]

I bought a 2 oz bottle at REI and filled it with a mild liquid dish soap to wash my clothes. What was I thinking?!

Just got back from the Camino Frances so it was too hot and sweaty for mild soap. I would get a soap that is made for cold water unless you are going to stay in hotels that have warm water. My clothes were getting pretty rank with the soap I was using as the alburques usually only have cold water. A bar made for cold water or a liquid laundry soap made to use in cold water you bring from home is what I would do if I were going again.

On the top of my pack I had all the liquids in a big plastic bag to take out at the security check, no problems getting it through as all were under the 3 oz.

[Tia Valeria]

A 100ml bottle filled with my shampoo and a small piece of ordinary soap. That way I could wash clothes easily using the soap and occasionally in the shampoo. If using a pension the soap can often be replaced, although I didn't need to.
I used the shampoo like shower gel, but use it that way at home anyway.

[falcon269]

Camp suds work for me. Powders do not rinse well for me. A four ounce bottle of Camps lasts a month, and is good for laundry and shampoo. I take a small bar of Ivory for my body. It is inside a luffa sack inside a plastic bag in case the soap sack does not dry during the night.

[Nicodemus]

Sea to Summit has wilderness liquid soap that works for body, clothes and dishes.

[SanDiegoSunrise]

I second Skilsaw's recommendation of Pears soap. I used it on a 3-week backpacking trip thru Wyoming for laundry, bathing, shampooing, dishes, and it worked wonderfully. It didn't leave any build-up residue in my hair (which is a big issue for us ladies )and I still had 1/3 of the bar left after the end of the trip. The think the soap weighs around 115 grams and cost less than 2euros.

If you can't find Pears, another alternative which works just as well is Neutrogena transparent facial soap.

[JillHives]

I bought laundry strips at an outdoors stop, perhaps the same as 'camping buds?" It reminds me of those Listerine strips that would dissolve on your tongue. 50 washes in one little dispenser that weighs nothing but I haven't tried them yet. I should before I go. I bought the shampoo version for hair too. Gotta say I like VB's suggestion above on the mesh bag/soap for scrubbing though. Cheers for that.

[Tia Valeria]

Hola Jil,
I have some of the laundry leaves. They are OK, but you do have to be very careful not to touch them with wet fingers, or they all start to dissolve a bit and so stick together.
I found that they also need to be put into the water, not direct onto the clothes, otherwise they seem to stick in one place and are hard to rinse off.
I would still use them sometimes but took a piece of ordinary soap this time. Hope you like them, but your idea of trying them before you go is a good one.

[nismo4life]

I'm bringing this with me. I tested it out yesterday in my sink with 2 sheets. It worked out decent, not the best but on a daily basis I will only be washing 1 pair of socks and exofficio's so hopefully its enough for that.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000Y0 ... 00_s00_i00

[Kitsambler]

I'm bringing this with me. I tested it out yesterday in my sink with 2 sheets. It worked out decent, not the best but on a daily basis I will only be washing 1 pair of socks and exofficio's so hopefully its enough for that.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000Y0 ... 00_s00_i00

Careful with those soap sheets. I tried them on the 2011 walk (in France, plenty of hot water every night), and found it took 3 sheets for a complete shower, in addition to the 1-2 sheets for 1-2 sinkfuls of laundry (I wash everything every night). Poor lather, hard to manage in shower stalls with no shelves, in short a real pain. To be avoided even if received as a gift! (Obviously this is my personal experience and personal opinion. As always, your mileage may vary.)

[nismo4life]

I'm bringing this with me. I tested it out yesterday in my sink with 2 sheets. It worked out decent, not the best but on a daily basis I will only be washing 1 pair of socks and exofficio's so hopefully its enough for that.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000Y0 ... 00_s00_i00

Careful with those soap sheets. I tried them on the 2011 walk (in France, plenty of hot water every night), and found it took 3 sheets for a complete shower, in addition to the 1-2 sheets for 1-2 sinkfuls of laundry (I wash everything every night). Poor lather, hard to manage in shower stalls with no shelves, in short a real pain. To be avoided even if received as a gift! (Obviously this is my personal experience and personal opinion. As always, your mileage may vary.)

I was only planning on using them strictly for laundry. Can't imagine any other way to hand wash clothes in a compact fashion >.<

[falcon269]

Four ounces lasts me a month (with washing machine use every week or so for some real cleaning; up to about 8E for a wash and dry, by the way!):

http://www.amazon.com/Sierra-Campsuds-8 ... =camp+suds

[adventurekq]

Took anniesantiago's suggestion and have Fels Naptha bar for handwashing, and Liggets for hair/body. Her suggestions will work for us. Thanks!!

Ross & Kathleen