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

Donn Friedman GO New Mexico

Published June 4, 2026 - 3:44 p.m. Modified June 19, 2026 - 4:40 p.m.

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

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

I wouldn鈥檛 say I fully reeked when I got back to my camper in the on-site overnight area, but I also wouldn鈥檛 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 package said the washcloths had an allergen-free formula with cloths that were enriched with aloe 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.

They only required a 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 or the multitude of happy pets nearby.

My skin did not itch. The next test will be if they are hypoallergenic enough for my wife鈥檚 sensitive skin.

I strongly recommend keeping a set or two of these in your rig when a shower, bath or dip in the river can鈥檛 be had.

Of course, in the semi-darkness of the van, I did not follow the simple peel and seal instructions of the packaging and tore into the bag. I resealed the top using duct tape, but the remaining eight cloths were usable the next day.

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

Share your New Mexico adventure channel, rigs and panorama photos with us at go@abqjournal.com. It could appear in an edition of the Sunday Journal in the GO! New Mexico weekly outdoors section.