Hygiene
en van life
The vanlife is a nomadic lifestyle, which offers you freedom, but also and above all a return to your roots. Hygiene remains essential, even if it is less simple than at home. The most important thing is not to pollute the environment or our health.
We have a few tips to help you keep a healthy lifestyle :
Hygiene 2.0
The van life offers total freedom and the possibility of living in harmony with nature, leaving the constraints of city life behind. On the other hand, living in a van requires a certain adaptation and an ability to live with fewer conveniences.
Hygiene in the middle of nature
Hygiene in the great outdoors is very important for protect not only your health, but also the environment. It's crucial to keep hygiene in mind when spending time outdoors, whether hiking, camping or any other outdoor activity.
It's important to wash hands regularly with soap especially after coming into contact with waste, soil, water or food, or after relieving yourself. It can help you prevent the transmission of disease and maintain good personal hygiene.
The food
As far as food is concerned, we advise you to store it properly, in airtight containers, to avoid contamination by insects or wild animals. Avoid single-use packaging or containers as much as possible, and leave no trace of your passage. Also, remember not to throw your food waste out in the open, but rather to take it with you and dispose of it in the garbage can when you return to civilization (keeping it in an airtight box). For fruit and vegetable peelings, even if they're biodegradable, you need to be careful: animals could eat them and become poisoned. As you'll understand, your goal as a nomad is to travel in zero-waste mode.
Also, in order not to disturb the local fauna and flora, it is advised not to walk on the plants, not to pick the flowers, not to feed or disturb the wild animals, and even less to taste a plant or a fruit you don't know!
Doing your business in the middle of nature
One of the biggest challenges for travelers : relieving yourself in the great outdoors! You may be embarrassed or shy about your first pee-pee, but that's normal. When there are no toilets available, you can relieve yourself in the great outdoors, but it's crucial that you dig a small trench with a shovel and cover your droppings with soil to avoid hygiene problems or groundwater contamination. It is advisable to dispose of waste within 200 meters of hiking trails, water sources and campsites. And don't put your buttocks in the nettles.
It's important to remember that human waste can contain bacteria and viruses dangerous to health and the environment. Consequently, we all need to minimize the risks of pollution and contamination.
We also recommend using biodegradable toilet paper and washing your hands afterwards!
Finally, grooming in the great outdoors can be a pleasure, but it's important to do it responsibly to preserve the health and beauty of the natural terrain.
If relieving yourself outdoors is a real problem for you, we've got the answers. applications The "Where are the toilets?" and "Toilet Finder" functions are extremely useful for finding toilets around you.
The needs physiological
For physiological needs, you need to choose good places to relieve yourself or shower, at a reasonable distance from water sources and any paths you may take.
The shower
Forget long hot showers in vanlife you need to be fast and efficient ! Showering in nature is a unique and refreshing experience. Obviously, after a physical effort, it spreads, but when it's 14°, you'll do it fast!
For comfort, there are solar showers, mobile shower heads or portable pressure showers These are equipped with a showerhead for a steady stream of water. Some showers are even equipped with filtration systems to remove impurities from the water.
For practicality, take along a basin of water and washcloths for showering. You can also simply take a large bottle of water with a hole in it to rinse off.
And for the more adventurous, you can jump straight into a lake, waterfall or river. However, swimming can disrupt aquatic ecosystems and the species that live there. That's why it's important to get the right information and choose the right places.
Alternatively, for a small fee of between €3 and €5, you can shower in the camping even if you don't use a site. There are also municipal showers, beach showers, freeway service areas...
If you decide to shower in the great outdoors, you'll want to choose a suitable spot that won't disturb water sources or wetlands. Of course, you won't use chemicals that are harmful to the environment.
Are your hygiene products eco-friendly? And yes, you should choose 100% natural solid soaps for total respect of nature, water sources and your body. Nothing beats good old Marseille or Aleppo soap.
In conclusion, taking a shower in the great outdoors can be a pleasant and invigorating experience, but it's important that you follow the rules of hygiene and respect for the environment.
The needs physiological
For physiological needs, you need to choose good places to relieve yourself or shower, at a reasonable distance from water sources and any paths you may take.
The shower
Forget long hot showers, in vanlife you have to be fast and efficient! A shower in the middle of nature is a unique and refreshing experience. Of course, after a physical effort it's relaxing, but when it's 14°, you'll be quick!
For comfort, there are solar showers, mobile showers or portable pressure showers, which are equipped with a shower head for a steady stream of water. Some showers are even equipped with filtration systems to remove impurities from the water.
For the practical side, take a basin of water and washcloths with you for the shower. You can also simply take a large bottle of water with holes in it to rinse off.
And for the more adventurous, you can jump right into a lake, waterfall or river. However, swimming can disturb aquatic ecosystems and the species that live there. It is therefore important that you get the information you need to choose the right places.
Otherwise, for a small fee between 3€ and 5€, you can shower in the campsites, even if you don't use a pitch. There are also municipal showers, beach showers, highway areas ...
If you decide to shower in the wilderness, you should choose an appropriate location that will not disturb water sources or wetlands. Of course, you will not use chemicals that are harmful to the environment.
Are your hygiene products eco-friendly? Yes, you should choose 100% natural solid soaps for a total respect of nature, water sources and your body. Nothing beats the good old Marseille soap or Aleppo soap.
In conclusion, taking a shower in the wilderness can be a pleasant and invigorating experience, but it is important that you follow the rules of hygiene and respect for the environment.
Doing your business in the middle of nature
One of the biggest challenges for travelers: relieving yourself in the wild! You may be embarrassed or shy about your first pee in the wild, but this is normal. When there are no toilets available, you can relieve yourself in the wild, but it is crucial that you dig a small trench with a shovel, and cover your waste with soil to avoid hygiene problems or groundwater contamination. It is recommended that you bury your waste about 200 meters from hiking trails, water sources and campsites. Also be careful not to put your buttocks in the nettles.
It is important to remember that human waste can contain bacteria and viruses that are dangerous to health and the environment. Therefore, we must all minimize the risks of pollution and contamination.
We also recommend that you use biodegradable toilet paper and wash your hands afterwards!
Finally, grooming in the wilderness can be fun, but it is important to do it responsibly to preserve the health and beauty of the natural terrain.
If relieving yourself outdoors is a real problem for you, we share with you these super useful apps "Where are the toilets" and "Toilet Finder", to find toilets around you.
The most important thing in life is not to pollute the environment or our health. Showering in the great outdoors can be an enjoyable experience, but these activities must be carried out responsibly to preserve the health and beauty of the environment. Eco-responsible products such as solid soaps for dishes and showers, biodegradable toilet paper, etc. have always been available.
We must always remember that we are guests of nature and must protect it for future generations.
You can travel freely, but you should be aware that you carry with you the image of the itinerant traveler Do your best to represent the whole community.