Dear Jaclyn and Heidi,
We’ve been on the road for a couple of years now and our travel habits have evolved over that time. Whereas once we were consistent caravan park stayers, our financial position now dictates that we virtually always free camp. Both my husband Tom and I absolutely love it but I’m worried our hygiene standards are slipping. We don’t have a fancy rig with an ensuite and we have limited capacity for carrying water. I always make an effort to wash – even with a tiny amount of water – and always swim when I can. Tom has become a lot more ‘lax’ though, and he often smells of BO and will wear the same T-shirt for days on end. No one we have met has said anything but they must notice, too. Is this par for the course, or are we particularly feral?
Libby
You are camping, Libby. You are living on the road. Of course, your standards are going to slip when compared to when you lived in suburbia with two bathrooms, a swimming pool, and a spa! Nonetheless, it is important that you – and Tom – continue to take pride in your appearance and in the way you present yourselves. For most grey nomads, a large part of the joy of the adventure is in meeting other travellers and it is very offputting to meet someone with BO or with stale toothpaste caked on their shirts! It might be worth looking again at your budget and trying to find a way to stop at a few more caravan parks, or perhaps just stay a little less time at those very basic camping areas where there is no access to water.
Jaclyn
Crikey, Libby. You do realise that you are on an extended holiday, not a torturous endurance test! If you have to ask how far you are allowed to let your standards slip, it means they have already sunk too low. However polite the smiles and however friendly the initial conversation, you can bet your bottom dollar that your fellow travellers will have taken a whiff of ‘Eau de Tom’, and will be extremely keen to stay upwind of your rig. It’s time you and hubby had a very serious chat about your lifestyle, Libby. If you decide you want to go all ‘Robinson Crusoe’, then that’s fine … but if you want to stay part of mainstream grey nomad society, you’re going to have to clean up your acts. Surely you can find space in your rig for a few more of Tom’s T-shirts and a few cans of deodorant.
Heidi
