Soap?

Back in my Boy Scout days, we used biodegradable soap when bathing outdoors. I'd love to be able to bathe in a mountain river here in Colorado.
I have a feeling there may be two schools of thought: Yay and Nay.
If Yay, what soap would you use?
If Nay, how do you bathe on backpacking trips?

Most people I know use Dr. Bonner's Peppermint

Don't use any soap in any stream, please. That shit makes foamy bubbles down stream. I don't care if its allegedly biodegradable or not, keep your soap out of the streams. 

Biodegradable or not, it is wrong (and illegal) to use any kind of soap in mountain creeks or lakes.

Just jump in the lake or splash some water on you to get clean. Some people use body wipes.

You don't need soap on a backpacking trip.

Agreed with the others, I think its best not to use any soap in natural bodies of water, especially in the backcountry or alpine.  Ive always felt pretty refreshed after just jumping in and scrubbing with water.  

Also note that soap is generally harmful to freshwater ecosystems due to its nutrients causing excessive algae growth.

No. The fact that it is biodegradeable doesn't mean it won't do damage before it degrades. And, even if a product is biodegradeable in the lab, that doesn't mean that it will actually biodegrade in the wild in any reasonable amount of time.

Keep soap away from any water.  Use it over dirt which locks it up pretty well.  Use minimal amounts.

As per Not Hobo Greg-  biodegradable soap can only break down once it is dried out. 150’-200’ from water for use to make sure the soap doesn’t contaminated the water source.

you don't need soap, why you wanna kill fish?

Bathing is for at home in a shower or bath. The wilderness setting is for conservation, preservation and carrying out your wipes. 

I appreciate the mostly agreeing opinions! As a question like this could be interpreted as a lack of experience, I wanted to assure everyone that I've racked up hundreds of miles of backpacking over the years and the only "showering" I've ever done is jumping into a lake or bathing sans soap in a river. I disagree in staying dirty the entire time if you've got a water source, as hygiene is important for health. Not to mention the terrible acne and other skin issues that can result from overly sweaty pack straps over many days.

I was curious if anyone else did bathe with soap, and if there was any sort of new "technology"/chemical composition that was being used. Let's face it, soap works. As per the consensus, no place near a water source, but does get more dirt off ;)

Again I thank you all for your responses!

The 150' rule of thumb is probably reasonable in 90% of scenarios out West, but it's based on at least two major assumptions:

• The wetland/riparian zone is narrow. So if you're 150' away from surface water, the water table is deep enough that soap won't get into it before it's digested. This assumption is invalid in a broad mountain meadow or fen, or in lots of places east of the Rockies. Note that, in the mountains, water tables are rarely horizontal.
• There's enough effective surface area in the soil to adsorb the soap and enough active biota in the soil to degrade it. This assumption is invalid in a number of desert soils and, arguably, in tundra.

Given that the vast majority of Americans aren't qualified to assess either of these, I'd argue that no soap in the backcountry is the best practice. Any of us can submit hundreds of examples of stupid/unethical behavior that is not illegal.

If a medical condition (including neuroses) requires that one use soap, then I'm all for using something without scents or phosphates...ideally in your house where you're safe and comfortable.

EDIT: Backpacker's tip: Your skin secretes oil at a slower rate if you shower/shampoo less often. I didn't believe this at first, but experience has confirmed it. I stay cleaner in the backcountry if I stay dirtier for a couple of weeks prior. 

Buy a pack towel, hop in, and wash away. No soap needed. if you want to really use soap get a sun shower. Then you can have a hot shower away from the water source.

Note: some years ago I hung my sun shower up while at a NPS campground and was told that it was not permitted because the water once it touched my body was considered waste water and had to go down the sewer drain. That was even though I was not using any soap.

Enjoy a wilderness "mud bath" no soap needed.   i.e. enjoy being dirty! Some of my girlfriends wipe their faces with cucumber flavored make up wipes. Leave no trace. 

Allen Sanderson wrote:

Buy a pack towel, hop in, and wash away. No soap needed. if you want to really use soap get a sun shower. Then you can have a hot shower away from the water source.

Note: some years ago I hung my sun shower up while at a NPS campground and was told that it was not permitted because the water once it touched my body was considered waste water and had to go down the sewer drain. That was even though I was not using any soap.

The amount of sunblock I sometimes use might be slightly toxic, not that I think this is a significant issue.  Also many campgrounds have no sewer for dishwashing, and some only have outhouses, and no sinks or drains.   So all dishwashing soap ends up on the ground.  Over decades of washing in the same spots, likely there is some buildup in the ground.  Another situation where it's best to use the lowest impact soap.  Sometimes for weekend trips I only wipe out any dishes or bowls with paper towels and use no soap at all.

I am a boy scout and we always use camp suds as it is bio degradable and if need be, can be used for not only washing dishes but showering, washing clothes, etc. It is also incredibly high concentration so for most things a single drop or two is enough to get the job done for pretty much everything. Just as a disclaimer it is never good to add artificial substances to the environment but in this situation, I think if you are going to use something camps suds is the way to go and if possible always dispose of your grey water as environmentally friendly as possible. If possible always practice LNT. (Leave no trace)

Use a washcloth to wipe your face, arms, shins, and pits.  Any washing beyond that which uses Camp Suds and the like should be done well away from streams and such using water from a bladder.

Tim Wheatley wrote:

I am a boy scout and we always use camp suds as it is bio degradable and if need be, can be used for not only washing dishes but showering, washing clothes, etc. It is also incredibly high concentration so for most things a single drop or two is enough to get the job done for pretty much everything. Just as a disclaimer it is never good to add artificial substances to the environment but in this situation, I think if you are going to use something camps suds is the way to go and if possible always dispose of your grey water as environmentally friendly as possible. If possible always practice LNT. (Leave no trace)

No soap in the water. Doesn't matter if it's called "biodegradable."  The Forest Service does not allow it. Because it is wrong and fouls the water.

No soap in the water. Boy Scouts should follow the rules, as should all of us.

As long as you're using it away from the lake or creek, that's fine.

No soap in the water.

FrankPS wrote:

No soap in the water. Doesn't matter if it's called "biodegradable."  The Forest Service does not allow it. Because it is wrong and fouls the water.

No soap in the water. Boy Scouts should follow the rules, as should all of us.

As long as you're using it away from the lake or creek, that's fine.

No soap in the water.

Hence why I said to leave no trace and to dispose of your grey water properly. I should've said not to use it in the river but I thought that would be implied by saying to dispose of your grey water properly. Boy scouts do follow the rules and are significantly more environmentally conscious than the general public with their many extensive rules on disposing of waste properly and keeping the environment healthy for others to share the same experience you did by finding it as clean as possible. I recommended camp suds because it is way better for the environment than most other soaps and is generally just a good backpacking soap.

As for showering in nature. Unless you are at a designated shower location with proper facilities you can either only use water or just don't shower. Embrace the dirt...

Thanks, Timmy. Keep up the good work! Scouts are a great organization,