You don’t need to turn into a total dirtbag in the backcountry. Maintain your hygiene on the next camping trip with any of these body wipes, tested by us.
Camping is an awesome way to get outside and away from daily life. But sleeping outdoors doesn’t mean you have to forego the luxuries of indoor life — like going to bed feeling clean and fresh.
Body wipes are like disposable washcloths that bring the comfort of the frontcountry into the woods. They’re helpful for camping, hiking, and outdoor adventures where you want to freshen up.
Some wipes are great for the whole body, and others are meant for use in the bathroom (So yes, it’s important to discern that difference!) When buying body wipes, consider size, texture, ingredients, and packaging to help you pick the perfect hygiene solution for your needs.
We’ve tested eight body wipes, from small and compact to thick and towel-sized. Read on for insight on which works best for tough scrub jobs and trips where you don’t have a lot of room in your pack.
Best Body Wipes of 2024
- Best Body Wipes for Car Camping: Adventure Medical Kits Adventure Bath Wipes
- Best Body Wipes for Big Adventure Days: Outdoor Wipes XL Sport Wipes
- Best Body Wipes for Backcountry Bathrooms: Pact Outdoor Wipes
Best Overall Body Wipe for Car Camping: Adventure Medical Kits Adventure Bath Wipes
These fragrance- and alcohol-free wipes are hypoallergenic and don’t require a post-wipe rinse. Recommended for use after any outdoor activity, Adventure Medical Kits Adventure Bath Wipes are one of the thickest and most absorbent we tested.
At 8.25 by 8 inches, they’re not huge, but the wipes can withstand scrubbing (like washing off muskeg on a canoe camping trip) without any issues. It’s easy to clean your entire body with these wipes without worrying the material will disintegrate. They don’t stretch out or grow thin with use.
With eight in a pack, your entire camping crew can enjoy a post-hike wipe-down for a night or two. We like that there are enough to share but not so many you don’t want to bring the entire package.
- Size: Small – 8 inches x 5 inches & Large – 8 inches by 8 inches
- Key materials/Ingredients: Aloe, Vitamin E, Witch Hazel
- Packaging: Resealable package of 8 wipes
Best Overall Wipes for Big Adventure Days: Outdoor Wipes XL Sport Wipes
These wipes are huge. Like, bigger-than-your-average-washcloth huge. In testing, we turned to these for big messes like mud-covered calves after mountain biking sessions or super grimy skin after desert hikes. After a particularly sweaty trail run, we had zero issues wiping down our entire body — with leftovers to use on our goopy running shoes, too.
We’re big fans of the scents, too. These aren’t gross and cloying smells that linger in your nose and ruin the backcountry experience. Instead, you can choose either peppermint or eucalyptus — both feel extra cooling on hot camping trips. Our personal favorite is the eucalyptus scent since it’s so light and refreshing.
These wipes are so big you won’t have to ration them. You can go hog wild and use it all over your body without any concern for running out of “clean” wipe space. Pro tip: dog parents can use Outdoor Wipes XL Sport wipes on dirty paws to keep dust and mud outside the tent. You can thank us later.
- Size: 12 inches by 24 inches
- Key materials/Ingredients: Biodegradable bamboo and recyclable packaging
- Packaging: 12 Individually packaged wipes
Best Wipes For Backcountry Bathrooms: Pact Outdoor Wipes
Real talk: we all poop — even in the backcountry. These 9-inch wipes are for cleaning your bum in backcountry areas where cat holes are allowed. They come in bottle-cap-sized tablets and expand when you add a little water. (Make sure to use potable water to avoid possible exposure to water-related illnesses like giardia.) The wipes weigh less than a gram, so even ounce-counters won’t have much to gripe about.
Once you’ve used the wipe, toss it and three mycelium (mushroom) tabs into the cat hole. Follow local regulations on human waste, along with Leave No Trace principles.
You can also use Pact Outdoor Wipes when camping in areas with open-air pit latrine toilets. The wipes break down quickly, and adding several mushroom tablets after you go will speed up the breakdown process.
In testing, we liked that the wipes hydrated almost immediately — no need to pre-moisten before your morning thought session. They’re ready when you need to use them. Plus, the tablet//wipe combo is super small, making it easy to stash anywhere.
- Size: 8 inches by 7 inches
- Key materials: Mycelium tablets to enhance biodegradation
- Packaging: 20 Compressed wipes in a resealable package, plus 60 mycelium tablets in a separate resealable package
Best of the Rest
Sea To Summit Extra Large Wilderness Wipes
These alcohol-free wipes are made with viscose fiber that is biodegradable and compostable in commercial facilities. But don’t toss them in a cat hole or your compost at home — they require heat to break down. Instead, stash used wipes in a resealable bag to bring home and place in a municipal compost.
Toss this 8-wipe package in your duffel or the car for a frontcountry camping trip. The container has thin packaging to reduce weight, and the lid reseals well to keep moisture in. The long, wide wipes are thin but have a lot of surface area and hold up well to vigorous scrubbing. We dig that they leave minimal scent behind — always a concern in bear country.
Tradeoff: Do NOT use these wipes on sensitive areas like your nether regions — trust us on this…They can cause intense burning and itching.
- Size: 8 inches by 12 inches
- Key materials/Ingredients: 100% Biodegradable Viscose Fiber, Aloe, Vitamin E
- Packaging: Resealable package of 8 wipes
Burts Bees Baby Wipes
Burt’s Bees Baby Wipes are made for sensitive skin. The aloe and vitamin E are gentle ingredients, moisturizing, and smell great. There are 72 wipes in the container and rather hefty, so this is probably not a package you’d bring when you’re shouldering your gear for miles at a time (unless you want to stash a few in a sealed baggie).
We like that the package opening is reinforced with plastic, improving durability and making it more likely to remain intact during all 72 times you need to open it to grab a wipe.
These wipes are not the thickest but hold up to heavy use. At 9.5 by 6 inches, they’re a bit on the small side and not ready to handle large, dirty areas like our muddy legs after a rowdy mountain biking session. Instead, use these wipes on sensitive places to freshen up.
If you want to clean your entire body, you’ll need more than one wipe, so plan ahead. We used these for small areas like armpits or face. They’re perfect for tender bits (like places where you use a razor) and can be helpful for kids and pups too, thanks to the gentle ingredients.
- Size: 6.25 inches by 9 inches
- Key materials/Ingredients: Aloe, Vitamin E
- Packaging: Resealable package of 72 wipes
Hustle Clean Body Wipes
Hustle Clean Body Wipes are super thick. They don’t bunch up when making contact with skin, so it’s easier to control where you’re cleaning— extra helpful for areas that need more hefty scrubbing.
The witch hazel creates a cooling sensation, and the wipes have a light and pleasant scent. We used the Hustle Clean Body Wipes on our upper body, and even the sensitive skin of our armpits was unbothered by these refreshing wipes.
- Size: 9 inches by 8 inches
- Key materials/Ingredients: Aloe Vera, Witch Hazel, Vitamin E
- Packaging: 10 individually packaged wipes
Venture Wipes
These unique wipes feature smooth and textured sides, which are great for big messes and sensitive spots (like your armpits). At 12 by 12 inches, they’re one of the largest wipes we tested but come in small, individual packages.
Venture wipes are super packable and perfect for multi-night backcountry camping trips. They’re also great for international travel when you’re stuck in airports without shower access. We certainly won’t judge if you duck into a bathroom stall to wipe the airport grime off your body.
The wipes are fragrance-, alcohol-, parraben-, and sulfate-free, and have one of the lowest ingredient counts of the wipes we tested — big win. The waffle-knit-like texture makes Venture Wipes feel the closest to an at-home washcloth, if that’s the vibe you’re after.
- Size: 12 inches by 12 inches
- Key materials/Ingredients: 100% Biodegradable, Aloe, Vitamin E, Tree Oil
- Packaging: 25 individually packaged wipes
Clean Life No Rinse Bathing Wipes
Clean Life No Rinse Bathing Wipes have a slight fragrance and are paraben-free. They’re super thick and moist but not enough to drip. The wipes are excellent for tough jobs like sloppy hands after nomming on a saucy burrito.
The resealable package lid has a strong adhesive, preventing the contents from drying out and stranding you without access to a wipe refresh. We dig the amount of moisture in each wipe. They really leave you feeling clean without the need for soap and water.
If someone in your camping group has an RV, pop the wipe package in their microwave for 15 seconds to warm them up before use. This small luxury is perfect for after-activity wipedowns to prevent getting the chills from staying sweaty after a high-intensity activity.
- Size: 8 inches by 8 inches
- Key materials/Ingredients: Aloe,
- Packaging: Resealable package of 8 wipes
Get epic travel ideas delivered to your inbox with Weekend Wanderer, our newsletter inspiring more than 10,000 readers every week.
Seen in: Backpacking Gear, Everyday Carry, Gear, Lifestyle
