DIY Backpacker Spa

By special request, here is blog devoted exclusively to a DIY Backpacker Spa.

Trekking the world in flip-flops with a unwieldy backpack that seems perpetually affixed to your body, a backpacking gal deserves a spa night as often as she can get one. Even though some international destinations have beauty treats for the budget-minded girls, these 'fine establishments' don't always give you that pleasant, anticipatory feeling....more like a sensation that makes you duck your head and rush by with great haste, ignoring the sing-song voices trying to lure you into certain discomfort and unease.

So, when you need a break from the dusty trail, try some of these easy, inexpensive, and easy-to-find spa ideas!

SUGAR SCRUB: take a tablespoon of sugar (unrefined works best) and place it in a dampened palm. Mix one drop of shampoo or liquid soap and a few drops of water and apply in circular motions to rough skin. Good for hands, feet, elbows, etc. Wonderful solution for peeling beach skin, overgrown cuticles, itchy feet, and general exfoliation purposes. Make sure you rinse well to avoid sticky skin. Licking off the sugar is a possibility but not recommended (remember the soap....).

JOJOBA OIL: A little bit of jojoba goes a looooong way. Add a few drops to the palm of your hand, rub hands together to warm, then apply to face, hands, legs, arms, anywhere! Jojoba is the closest thing to the composition of natural skin oil, so it's great for every part of your body. Also great for dry scalps and chapped lips. Great option for a hot oil treatment for hair: microwave a small amount and then apply to hair (especially to the ends). Let sit for 30 minutes, shampoo/condition as usual.

UMBRELLA SPA: Yearning for a sauna? You need look no further than the bathtub in your (hopefully more quaint than questionable) hostel room. Run the bath hot, hot, hot, then climb in. Open an umbrella above your head (the possibility of bad luck is SO worth the risk) and let the steam collect under it, enveloping your mind and head in soft, thick warmth. Settle back, smile, and ignore the other backpackers banging on the door.

TEA TREE OIL: A natural antiseptic, tea tree oil is a potent oil from Australia. A drop mixed with water makes a great face toner, killing bacteria and germs and backpacking grime build-up. Add a few drops to a small tub for soaking tired feet. In a hot bath, tea tree oil will help congestion and cough, invigorating your senses!

TEA BATH: No matter where you are, herbs and spices are sure to be found. Shop around for some local treats to add to bathtime! Favorites of mine were Jasmine Tea Bath in China, Dried Rose Bud Bath in Morocco, Mint Tea Bath in Egypt, Rosemary Bath in Italy, and Lavender Bath in France. Be a tea bag and soak for a while!

AVOCADO: Not just for guacamole anymore! As a certain friend might vividly remember, avocado is filled with nourishing oils and is just the ticket to soothing dry, parched skin (especially sunburns). Slather it on, let it sit, rinse. Try not to use soap, as it will strip away the lovely oils that have soaked into your skin. Serve nachos or burritos for dinner in a dimly-lit room and hope that your friends don't notice your funny smell or greenish tinge.

On the road or nestled at home, have a backpacker spa night!

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Travel Gear and Material Possessions

Out in the world with material possessions carried on my back, I quickly established my favorites. This blog serves as a guide to those packing for a grand adventure, and as a shout-out to those who helped to prepare us!

Twisty, Elastic Clothesline: a last-minute gift from Piper, I fall more in love with this clothesline every day. It has suction cups on either end (or you can choose to use the hooks instead) and can stretch across a wide range of distances. Lightweight, compact, and infinitely better than using a piece of rope, especially in windy places where your clothes will dry in a snap, if they don’t blow away.

Tea Tree Oil: I’m so grateful that I had the foresight to bring this along, since I haven’t seen it anywhere along our travels. Tea Tree Oil is a natural antiseptic…great for small cuts, scrapes, wounds, and even to disinfect hands in a pinch. It’s also great for easing the swelling and itching of insect bites. The pungent smell was also a lifesaver in the horrifically-stenchy shared bathrooms of Ethiopia, and daubed on a handkerchief to hold against the mouth and nose in some parts of India.

Sleeping Bag: Perhaps I have already expounded enough on the joys of my sleeping bag enough, but here’s one last bit…I love my sleeping bag!! It has been fantastic in lieu of questionable hotel sheets, as padding on hard sleeping surfaces, as a throw on cold trains, and as a generally cozy comfort item. Thanks Mom!

Point-It Book: If you haven’t already read the blog posting on this book, read it. Certainly get one if you plan to travel in lands where you don’t speak the language so well. It also works well as a distraction for finicky and noisy children and can be a splendid conversation piece. It’s like our version of a party-trick.

Business Cards: We love passing out our Hotel business cards. Our contact information is readily available on them, it advertises the hotel, and people are less inclined to lose or throw away a business card as they are a small scrap of paper. People all around the world really respect business card culture, and it ensures that we get contact information in return. One even scored us a free hotel room at a hostel in China once!

Drain Plug: Perhaps N would argue that this isn’t a favorite (of his)….but really, he’s just holding out. He knows that it’s awesome. I bought a universal drain plug from Home Depot before we left, probably $1. It’s invaluable for plugging up the sink to do laundry, stopping up the tub/shower depression to soak dirty and aching feet, and even once to close a creepy hole in the wall of our bathroom. 

LUSH Solid Shampoo: Thanks to a gift certificate from Lisa, we are still enjoying our LUSH shampoo. No worries about TSA restrictions, and it weighs much less than a comparable liquid amount. Doesn’t melt in the heat, is natural, and you can use only as much as you need to. One bar has lasted us five months…and counting. A backpacking girl doesn't get too many luxuries, but this fits the scene.

Microfiber Towel: Although I usually poo-poo techie or expensive travel gadgets, this one is well worth it. Incredibly absorbent, rolls up pretty tightly, and dries so quickly. We usually wrap our computer in it (nice padding) and have used it as a blanket many times.

Headlamp: From spelunking through the rock-hewn churchs of Lalibela, Ethiopia, to daily power outages in India, our headlamp has been a lifesaver. It's a considerate option when I want to stay up late reading and N wants to sleep. Great for sleeper trains and camping and even the night that we slept in a truck on a lonely road, waiting for a surging river to subside far enough to make a crossing (story here).

Nalgene Bottle: Great for tea in China, making hot soup in a pinch, and (now that we are back in the land of purified tap water) reducing our plastic waste by drinking the local tap water.We've used the bottle as a food storage container and as a tiny washing machine too. 

The only thing that I didn’t bring on this trip, that I wish I had, is a pedometer. I would love to know exactly how many thousands of kilometers we will have walked by the end of this journey. I bet it’s a lot.

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