Water-activated bathing wipes reviewed at Overland Expo West in Flagstaff

GO NEW MEXICO

Essential Overland Gear: Washing up on the road

Water-activated bathing wipes put to the test at Overland Expo West in Flagstaff proved to be a practical solution for campers and overlanders without access to a shower

An orange package of bathing cloths lies amid bags and camping gear inside a dim van.

Bathing cloths await use among camping gear inside a van at an outdoor event.

Donn Friedman/GO New Mexico

Donn Friedman GO New Mexico

Published June 4, 2026 - 3:44 p.m. Modified June 8, 2026 - 9:30 a.m.

After 2 1/2 days and about eight hours of driving in temperatures ranging from 45 to 98 degress, I became to a bit odorous.

The walkabout in the hot sun going booth-to-booth at OverlandExpo West in Flagstaff left my feet stinky and my pits and unmentionables a bit sweaty.

I wouldn't say I fully reeked when I got back to my camper in the on-site overnight area near the trees, the tall pines and the festival like set up, but I also wouldn't say I smelled like a rose.

Luckily, for those around me, the had sent me a box full of water activated bathing cloths to try out before the event. The 10 washcloths said they had a allergen-free formula with cloth that were enriched with alloy and vitamin E and promised to make me feel cleansed and refreshed

I covered up the windows of my van and went to work on my filthy skin after tearing open the package that contained 10 washcloths which warned that they needed to be disposed of properly rather than being flushed.

The the cloth only required a simple splash of water to become a refreshing almost cloth like bathing tool.

After use, I no longer felt as if I was scaring away other campers people I was interacting with at the EXPO or even the multitude of happy pets nearby.

My skin did not itch. The next test will be if they are hypoallergenic enough for my wife's subtle skin and delicate nature.

I strongly recommend keeping a set of these or two in your rig for when a shower your bath or even a dip in the river can't be had.

Of course, in the semi-darkness of the van, I did not follow the simple peel and rear seal instructions and tour into the bag to peel off one of the cloths for use. I resealed the top using duct tape and the remaining eight clothes in the package of 10 stayed usable the next day.

A bottle of rinse free shampoo cleaned what hair I had left with little effort: no rinse, shampoo, rinse repeat required.

These water-activated bathing clothes are available at local stores in single packs or you can .

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