Isle Royale Forums

So I’ve read plenty about how many don’t use any kind of soap when cleaning up. Makes plenty of sense. I am curious, though, if there’s any agreed upon conventions for “bathing” in regards to covering up. Is it just accepted that you’re not losing all clothing at any point, or do some strip down and “we’re just all adults”? I’ve been places where both have sort of been the norm. As this will be my first time to IR, I’d like to work within the accepted parameters. Thanks.

I pack a lightweight swim suit for bathing/swimming. It doubles as a pair of shorts on unseasonably warm days, or when dry and worn under rain pants, as a second pair of pants if my primary pair are wet.

IR is remote, but still a public place.

I think covering up is the norm. Odds are pretty low that you'll be alone, and it's not necessarily "all adults"--there are scout troops, camp groups, and families.

Covering up is the norm on Isle Royale. I wash up wearing shorts and a tank top, then take a wet rag into my tent or shelter to wash more privately. There will be many other people around at campsites.

On the other hand, in the Boundary Waters wilderness in Minnesota, it’s more a “we’re all adults” mentality. Campsites are separate.

Something I didn't realize before going to Isle Royale for the first time is that everyone ends up at a limited number of campgrounds. These aren't small, individual backcountry sites -- they are big areas with a bunch of mildly separated sites, and there are almost always other people around. It's quite easy to see from one site to the other in most campgrounds.

I smell like a moose until the last day of my trip, save the occasional swim.

Base654 wrote: ↑Thu Jun 10, 2021 6:29 pm I smell like a moose until the last day of my trip, save the occasional swim.

Even on the first day?

Most of the campgrounds that don’t have shelters have enough space for “we are all adults”.