BackpackGearTest
  Guest - Not logged in 

Reviews > Personal Hygiene > Toiletries > All Terrain Wonder Wash 2009 > Test Report by Andrew Buskov


Wonder WashAll Terrain
Wonder Wash
Wash up quickly and easily in the backcountry with All Terrain .
Andrew Buskov
Initial Report: October 7, 2009
Long Term Report: January 18, 2010

Tester Biographical Information

Name: Andrew Buskov
Age: 34
Gender: Male
Height: 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Weight: 223 lbs (101 kg)
Email: Rescue(at)Corridor9(dot)net
City, State Zip Madisonville, Kentucky  USA

Backpacking Background:

I’ve been backpacking for years now, and have slowly started developing my ideal style. I’ve gotten my pack weight down to roughly 25 – 30 lbs before water, and am whittling it down every hike. Day hiking is nice, but getting out over multiple nights is really what I enjoy. I like to take my time and enjoy the scenery as opposed to hiking hard. I also like being comfortable and insist on an air mattress. I usually tent or hammock, but stay in shelters when needed.

Product Information:

Item: Wonder Wash
Manufacturer: All Terrain
Website http://www.allterrainco.com
Year of Manufacture: 2009
MSRP: $6.99
Listed Weight: 12 fl oz (354 ml)

Product Overview:

(From Website & Product)
Biodegradable and concentrated, All Terrain's Wonder Was is specially formulated to thoroughly clean hands, face, and body, yet be gentle on the skin. pH neutral, it is mild enough to be used as a shampoo. Preservative free, Wonder Wash uses Sea Salt to protect its cleansing power.

Ingredients: Purified water, sodium coco sulphate, coco betaine, coco amide, vegetable glycerine, sodium chloride (sea salt), olive oil and citric acid.

Made in USA!

Initial Impression:

I received the All Terrain Recovery Rub, in complete condition, and as advertised. After opening the package and getting a few pictures, I simply had to try this out at home. I wanted to make sure first that I wasn't going to have problems with a rash or itching at home rather than taking it out in to the field and figuring out those aspects there.

I removed the bottle top, peeled off the plastic safety cover, replaced the top and squeezed a small amount into my palm. I found almost immediately that while the Wonder Wash is considered fragrance free, it had an awful smell to it. I couldn't tell if it was a chemical smell or the smell of the plastic bottle, but it was nasty. After rubbing the soap around and sudsing up with water the smell seemed dissipate.

The soap was easy to lather, seemed to have cleaned the hands well, and was also easy to rinse off. The first few times I tried it out I was using a sink so water supply was not a problem. I washed my hands just like any other time I would. However, in the field I was limited to a bit of ice melt from inside a cooler. I put a small dab of the Wonder Wash on my hands and lathered vigorously. When I was ready to rinse I had a slow stream of water dripping from the cooler drain plug. I rinsed my hands completely, which took a bit longer than I expected due to the abundance of wash I used accidentally.

After completely rinsing my hands, there was no soap residue on my hands. My hands also felt soft and smooth which was unexpected as the soap doesn't mention anything about moisturizing properties. In all, my experiences with All Terrain's Wonder Was have been positive so far. I am concerned about the weight to use ratio though as this is a dense heavy liquid. I may try putting a bit in a smaller container and taking that with me on my treks as opposed to the whole 12 fl oz (354 ml) bottle.

So far I am pleased with the Wonder Wash. It has definitely lived up to my expectations. The only thing that concerns me so far is the smell.

I'd like to thank BackpackGearTest.org and All Terrain for allowing me to participate in this test.

Long Term Report: January 18, 2010

Field Information:

I have used the All Terrain Wonder Wash numerous times over the life of the testing period. It was mainly used around the house, though there were about 8 times I took it with me on day hikes and picnic trips. I was able to use this in the rain and snow, as well as sunny conditions. In total, I figure I've used this wash roughly 25-30 times over the testing period.

Final Impressions:

The front label of the All Terrain Wonder Wash  says that it's good to wash "anything, anywhere, anytime", which is exactly what it does. I have found that this is great for taking the grit and grime off my hands and feet after a long hike. It is smooth, not greasy in any way, and cuts through grease and grit with ease. I've used roughly 3/4 of the bottle and have been pleased with its cleaning power.

As previously mentioned before, it continues to go on without a lot of suds and comes off with minimal amounts of water.  Even after vigorous amounts of friction, the sudsing isn't so much that it gets unmanageable as with other hand and dish cleaners. The suds do tend to stick around longer than larger bubbled suds, but I imagine that has to do with the surface tension of a smaller bubble over that of a larger one. I have also found that the suds, or soap in general, has a conditioning effect on the cuticle area of my fingernail bed.

As for carrying this on the trail with me, I have found that sticking it in a smaller bottle works well as it is pointless to carry the entire contents of the original bottle for even a multi day trip. With the small amount of soap needed per day, I was able to get away with having half of a 35 mm film canisters worth. This saved weight while allowing me to freshen up prior to lunch or after a long dusty hike.

One of the things that I continue to be bothered with is the smell of the soap itself. While the bottle label does state that the Wonder Wash is fragrance free, this is definitely not what I experienced during my tests. There was a definite chemical smell each time I used the soap. At times it was quite nauseating. This was even the case when I was using this soap from a film canister. Because of this, I had determined that the smell was coming from the soap itself and not just the plastic bottle that the soap was in. It is not a smell that I want on my hands anytime soon, and I have to question whether this smell will attract animals or not. While not being a sweet smell, it definitely lets animals know that there is something else in the woods.

In summary, while the soap functions as expected with good results, the smell is it's negative drawback. I do plan on using this soap till the bottle is empty, but will likely not be purchasing another bottle for use down the road.

I'd like to thank BackpackGearTest.org and All Terrain for allowing me to participate in testing the Wonder Wash.

Read more reviews of All Terrain gear
Read more gear reviews by Andrew Buskov

Reviews > Personal Hygiene > Toiletries > All Terrain Wonder Wash 2009 > Test Report by Andrew Buskov



Product tested and reviewed in each Formal Test Report has been provided free of charge by the manufacturer to BackpackGearTest.org. Upon completion of the Test Series the writer is permitted to keep the product. Owner Reviews are based on product owned by the reviewer personally unless otherwise noted.



All material on this site is the exclusive property of BackpackGearTest.org.
BackpackGearTest software copyright David Anderson