Our Teardrop Toiletries Box

Because of the lack of storage space in our teardrop trailer, we have to keep similar items together in one place or in one container. Our toiletry kit is one such container and it not only keeps our daily toiletries, but extra shampoo and personal items and our first aid kit. The container, a 6x9 inch three-tier box made by Snapware keeps all of our items contained in their own separate compartments. The container also has a handle so we can carry it to campground showers. On the handle, I've attached a loofah sponge—in bright yellow, of course.

The top compartment holds our daily toiletries: shampoos, conditioners, Dr. Bronner's Soap, deodorant, toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss, hand and face lotion. The second compartment holds extra items like additional shampoo, lotion, Q-Tips and deodorant. We keep these extra items for longer trips and just so we don't have to shop all the time for small toiletry items. It's also nice to have extra items for friends or campground guest who may have forgotten something.

The bottom compartment contains our first aid items: Aspirin, Advil, antihistamines, wound cleaning cloths, Band-Aids, wound cream, Pepto-Bismol tablets, and throat lozenges.

 

Finding this type of toiletry kit has taken some practice and experiementation. We've tried several different storage devices from baskets to Ziploc bags and this solution seems to be the easiest and most sanitary way to contain our toiletries. Plus,  it fits perfectly into the cabinets above our teardrop bed.

How do you shower?

One of the questions I get about teardrop camping is how we bathe or shower when our tiny trailer doesn't have a bathroom. Even though I love to camp and don't mind the dirt and grime that comes with it, I am extremely picky about keeping clean while camping. I have to have a nightly shower before going to bed and after a day of hiking, kayaking or exploring. My husband is totally the opposite, he thinks that you should stink while camping, so I have had to battle him when it comes to our individual camp shower needs.

Sometimes we will camp at a campground that has hot showers. These can be either free or fee showers. Campgrounds in drought prone states like California, Utah, Nevada and Arizona will charge a dollar or two for a 3-5 minute shower. States with plenty of water like Oregon and Washington usually have free hot showers.

When we are boondock camping we usually bring along a pop-up shower tent. The particular tent we have is simple and does not have a floor, so I purchased a plastic water heater tank catch pan to use as a floor. I also built a small platform out of 2x2 redwood to stand on while bathing.

Our first few attempts at using a solar camp shower failed miserably because either the water would not heat up in time to take a hot shower or it cooled off too fast at night. The typical solar showers are also really heavy when filled up and nearly impossible to lift over your head to a branch or a hook on a car roof rack so you can take a shower. However, my camping girlfriend and I have come up with our own solution. We just heat up a small pot of water on the fire or the stove, grab a cup and take it into the shower tent. We then just dip the cup into the pot and dump the warm water over our heads. It feels fantastic and we have more control over how much water gets used, which is necessary when camping in a place with limited water.

Another solution (but not available in all areas) is to utilize local hot springs. We camp quite a bit in the Eastern Sierras which has hot springs dotted all around the area. We lounge around in a hot spring for an hour or so and then wash off with some soap and a bottle of water. Also, if you don't mind a cold bath in the middle of the summer, you can always jump into a lake or river to wash off, just be sure to use biodegradable soap and shampoo.