Adventure
Medical Kits
Fresh Bath Travel Wipes
Initial Report 20th May 2008
* Reviewer Information
Name: Mark McLauchlin
Age: 30
Gender: Male
Height: 1.76 m (5’ 9”)
Weight: 80 kg (176 lb)
Email: mark at swanvalleyit.com.au
City: Perth, Western Australia
* Backpacking Background
I have been hiking since 2006 with most of my hiking consisting
of day walks averaging 16 - 22 km (10 - 14 mi) and short overnight trips where
possible.
I consider myself to be a light hiker with an average pack weight of
13 kg (29 lb).
My preference is for hot dinners, breakfasts of cereals with fresh fruit,
and lunches usually of bars and sandwiches.
* Product Information
Manufacturer: Adventure Medical Kits
Year of Manufacture: 2008
Manufacturer's Website:
www.adventuremedicalkits.com
Listed Weight: Not Listed
Measured Weight: 148 g (5.2 oz)
MSRP: US$4.50
* Initial Impressions
The Fresh Bath Travel Wipes arrived (two packets) in a plastic re-sealable bag
approximately 19x12x1.3 cm (7.48x4.72x0.5 in). Each bag contains 8 pre-moistened
Wipes that measure 20.3x12.7 cm (8x5 in).
According to the packaging, as can be seen from the image above, the Travel
Wipes are:
Antibacterial
PH balanced
Alcohol free
Contain micellized Vitamins A and E for quicker and better absorption
Soothing aloe vera
Odor-neutralizing
Gentle and non-irritating
Biodegradable
Extra thick with a proprietary formula for better absorption
Active ingredients: Benzalkonium Chloride (0.1%)
Other ingredients: Water, PEG 80, Sorbitan Laurate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine,
Sodium Trideceth Sulfate, Sodium Lauroamphoacetate, PEG 150 Distearate, Sodium
Laureth-13 carboxylate, Phenoxyethanol, fragrance, Glycerol-polyethyleneglycol
ricinoleate, d-alpha Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Aloe Vera Gel,
Methchloroisothiazolone, Glycerine, Disodium EDTA, Vitamin A Palmitate,
Quaternium-15, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid and Potassium Benzoate.
From what I can feel through the plastic bag the Wipes feel quite thick, more so than baby
Wipes. I will report on this on my next submission.
By reading the information on the manufacturer's website the product that has arrived is what I was expecting, there are no misconceptions and I am very pleased.
I will also be interested to see if the re-sealable bag performs well and also
if a zip-top bag can be used as an alternative so that I can split the pack up
and take only what will be needed for each trip.
* Reading the Instructions
With
regard to the bathing instructions there is a small diagram, as shown, which
provides some cautionary advice as to how the Wipes should be used to avoid
cross contamination.
No rinsing is needed and the skin is simply allowed to dry which should be very
advantageous whilst out on the trail where water can sometimes be scarce.
A three-step instructional lesson is also provided on the packaging on how to
remove the Wipes. Firstly the label on the front is gently pulled until the
opening is exposed, the wipe is removed as needed and the label pressed firmly
back into place to reseal the packaging.
* Testing Strategy
The emphasis of my test plan will be on day trips and overnight hikes, which I actively
combine into geocaching. These products will form part of my hygiene kit for the
duration of the testing.
I have several day and overnight trips planned for the duration of this
test series.
I am looking forward to being able to take these out with me on my hiking trips, and will be very
interested to see the advantages these provide.
This concludes my initial report.
Long-Term Report
The Fresh Bath Travel Wipes formed part of my medical
and toilet kit for the duration of the test and accompanied me on all of
my hiking.
In the three month test period I have hiked approximately 200 km (124
miles) on bush trails and sandy flats. I spent over 6 days, several
overnight hikes and 5 short day walks with this item.
Temperatures have ranged from a low of 5 C (41 F) at night to a high of
33 C (91 F) during the day. There have been days with heavy
precipitation and others with nil.
The majority of the time the Wipes have been in the original packaging.
However on occasion where I wanted to pack a little lighter I removed
one or two Wipes from their manufacture packaging and placed them in a
small resealable plastic bag. This worked well as the Wipes still
retained moisture.
I managed to get through both packets of Wipes, 16 Wipes in all, all of
which except for one were used on myself. Having kids I though that I
would try one on my son, if these can't clean him up after a day out
nothing can. They performed well and it was a good test to be able to
use it on someone else to get a real close up look at how well they were
able to remove dirt from the more concentrated areas (feet, hands and
knees). Some hard rubbing was needed and the wipe stayed in one piece.
Durability is great and a factor that I was impressed with time and time
again.
I had noted in my trail journal recently that I felt the Wipes contained
a little too much moisture and prior to using I generally squeezed some
out. I have found this to be effective as I can regulate how moist I
want the Wipes to be based on how dirty I was or what the outside
temperatures are. For example on a warmer day it might be refreshing to
have then moist, on a colder day a little less might be a better idea.
On my most recent day hike in the John Forrest National Park, which
consisted of a 22 km (14 miles) round trip, I was forced to use the Wipes as
toilet paper as I forgot to pack my normal supply. I did squeeze out
most of the moisture before using it this time. This was a bit of an
experience but a good test nonetheless.
I found that the most beneficial time for me to use the Wipes was in the
evening when I was getting out of my day time hiking clothes and rugging
up a little more for the evening time when sitting around the camp fire
talking, drinking wine and making my dinner. I used the Wipes as per the
directions and started with cleaning my face, then working my way down
the neck, chest, arms legs then back and buttocks. I was able to use a
single wipe each day. I really did find these to be refreshing and
helped keep my evening wear a little more odour free.
Once I had finished using the wipe on my body I often wiped over my
hiking shoes to clean some of the excess dirt off, I figured why not as
the wipe can't be used again. I also practiced "leave no trace" and
packed the used wipe into my rubbish bag or threw it on the evening
fire.
* Summary
I enjoyed testing this item as I have often looked at alternatives
to using water as a personal cleaning option whilst out hiking
especially as Australia is one of the driest continents. This is a
product I will continue to use for my outdoor activities.
Things I liked
Cleaned well.
Felt nice and soft.
Durable.
Able to repackage to suit hiking requirements and moisture retained.
Biodegradable (except the packaging).
Things I disliked
Rather heavy.
Contained a little too much liquid.
This concludes my Long-Term Report and the test series for the Fresh
Bath Travel Wipes.
I would like to thank Adventure Medical Kits and BackpackGearTest.org
for the opportunity to test this product.
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