There are many “things” that will make your camping experience fun and comfortable but none of that will matter if you get sick and don’t stay healthy!

I’ve directed camps for more than 35 years and have hosted thousands of participants each summer during those years. As part of our standard operating procedure, we always had a medical staff on property. During the first few days of each camp session we recorded visits to the medical professionals with common camp related issues such as cuts and bruises and an occasional broken bone. The third day generally started out with gastral intestinal issues caused by lack of hand washing, poor personal hygiene skills, or lack of knowledge about how to properly clean dishes and eating utensils.

Let’s take a minute to address the most common issue, poor dishwashing techniques while camping.

Many people simply haven’t been taught proper dishwashing techniques to use while camping. I’m not faulting them, it’s just a lack of experience. So here are some basic techniques that may be of interest and help.

There are 4 easy stages for proper dishwashing while camping. (each person should have their own plate, cup, and utensil set in a mesh bag)

Wash basin with hot soapy water.
Each person washes their own dishes plus one other item if cooking as a group.
Rinse in water containing a few drops of bleach for disinfecting.
Water does not have to be hot
Boiling water rinse
Use a set of tongs to dip items into a large pot of boiling water on the camp stove.
Place items into a mesh bag and hang them to air dry.

Washing, disinfecting, boiling, and air drying are sure ways to keep your dishes clean and your stomachs free from bugs!

Stay clean and stay healthy!
Check out our other videos on outdoor skills, and happy camping!