Discrete Shaving While Camping

August 5, 2024 11:40 AM

I am going camping for a week and will need to shave my face and neck daily, discretely. Any advice?

I am a woman with severe PCOS. For appearances and comfort, I need to shave my face daily because I grow nearly 1/8" of stubble in 24 hours. I have very sensitive skin that is prone to acne and that is easily irritated.

At home, my method is hot water on a cloth, pressed to my skin to soften the hair. I then apply my facial cleanser (in place of shaving cream) and then I shave with a reusable razor. If you asked people, they would have no idea that I need to shave my face. I shave in the morning and it stays clear until I go to sleep at night. When I wake up, it is covered in stubble.

I do not want my family to know about this because it will turn into A Thing, so I need to be as discrete as possible while doing this, which means boiling water over the campfire won't work. I have my own tent, so there is some privacy.

Without the hot compress, the shaving process is very, very rough on my skin. I end up missing parts of my face/jaw, get massive pimples and irritated skin. This gets worse when I then spend the day sweating and getting muddy during long hikes. By the end of the week my face and neck are fully breaking out in pimples.

I am getting ready to go camping later this month and I'm hoping for some ideas that I could try at home ahead of time. Any advice would be welcome. Aside: I have been getting laser treatments for over a year and it has helped significantly.

posted by glorybe to Health & Fitness (34 answers total)

battery-powered induction cooktop?
posted by HearHere at 11:47 AM on August 5

If you want to boil water somewhere other than the campfire, consider a JetBoil. There are cheaper brands, but JetBoil is what I'm familiar with. They are FAST.

Also great for coffee, bone broth, hot chocolate, etc.
posted by sacrifix at 11:47 AM on August 5 [4 favorites]

Best answer: Could you heat up the compress with a chemical hand warmer or one of the disposable heating packs available in the pain relief aisle? Those get pretty warm and you could just have a stash of your own.
posted by corey flood at 11:52 AM on August 5 [8 favorites]

Best answer: How warm does the cloth need to be in order to be effective? As a discreet substitute for boiling water, maybe you could use some of those single-use hand warmers wrapped in a damp cloth.

On preview: jinx!
posted by mekily at 11:53 AM on August 5 [2 favorites]

Best answer: If you were able to boil water discretely in the evening and put it in a very good thermos, it would still be plenty hot in the morning.
posted by advicepig at 11:55 AM on August 5 [32 favorites]

Best answer: What if you made yourself a cup of "tea" (just hot water, or something that would be gentle on your skin, maybe chamomile?) and put it in an insulated travel mug before resting in your tent or going for a walk to a more secluded area? Then you could dip a washcloth in the warm liquid for the compress.
posted by abeja bicicleta at 11:58 AM on August 5 [17 favorites]

Shave Secret Deluxe shaving oil.
posted by indexy at 12:00 PM on August 5

Love the overnight thermos idea.

Single-use hand warmers or the bigger kind for your back/joints might work, but I find that the magnesium sulfate kind where you pop a little bag inside the other bag warms up faster (but does not last nearly as long - a handwarmer can last for hours, these last like 20 minutes tops). You can buy individual ones at the drugstore to check it out.
posted by mskyle at 12:06 PM on August 5

I, a guy, am a wet-shaver. For me, really high water temperature is less important than letting it soak in for a while. So a good thermos should keep your water warm enough, long enough, to give you time to do the job each morning.

Not sure how to handle the rinse water -- maybe into a towel, that you hang out later?

A sharper (new?) razor blade can compensate for not getting the hair soaked enough. I use really sharp blades from a company called Feather, in a double-edge safety razor. With hand soap, I can get my face ridiculously smooth...but it also cuts easily if I am careless.
posted by wenestvedt at 12:13 PM on August 5

If you go with the Jetboil option, I personally would be very comfortable boiling water under the rainfly/entryway of the tent. (Assuming that's how your tent is designed.) Maybe even in the tent itself. There's a flame but it's well contained to the little heat-intensifying coil thing that the Jetboil has. You could boil a couple bowls of water in just a few minutes, very discreetly.
posted by kensington314 at 12:34 PM on August 5

Depending on what the bathroom setup is, I'd go with getting some HOT water into a thermos when you're cooking the night before, and then 'get up early' for a shower (if you have shower facilities available at the campsite). This will give you access to water thats probably hotter than tap warm, and privacy in the shower stall/room to do this. If anyone asks its because your new skin routine really works better with warm, boiled water. If you lack access to a shower room, I'd still get up early and head over to the bathrooms for maximum privacy. The trick with the thermos is to rinse it once with hot water, to preheat it, and then fill it with HOT (like nearly boiling) water. An old school vacumn cannister 'Thermos Brand' or something like a Microlite bottle will work best, rather than a more common now 'keep my coffee warm' cup/container.

Trying to do this in your tent will probably get messy quite quickly. If it's absolutely necessary, I'd buy a cheap 'dish basin' from the local dollar store, and use the thermos trick the night before. Trying to heat water in your tent over a stove is a generally bad idea! But if you have electricity at the site, and then a cheap electric kettle is reasonable to use to carefully heat up some water in your tent (just be careful because you don't want to get burned if it's a small tent and you knock it over!), then you could do that. Just remember to bring a power bar and an extension cord. If anyone asks, you need to ummmm...charge your camera and stuff in your tent.

If you won't have power, how hot does your water need to be? Could a battery powered baby bottle warmer allow you to warm up water discretely, and then you're just 'doing your morning stuff' in the tent? Amazon seems to have quite a few choices that are charge/use, rather than needing to be plugged in.

Extra towels and a place to do this (maybe on top of some milk crates you packed your stuff in?) will make it an easier process if your tent is big enough.

I hope you have a great time!
posted by Northbysomewhatcrazy at 12:35 PM on August 5 [2 favorites]

Also to note, I am sorry for this need for subterfuge. It sucks that you have to do this. Going camping should be relaxing, not some madcap Marx Brothers routine every morning.

(Which reminds me: can you "go for an early morning walk" each day to do this someplace with better hot water & privacy? Or maybe "pick up coffee/donuts for everyone"?)
posted by wenestvedt at 12:46 PM on August 5 [2 favorites]

> If you go with the Jetboil option, I personally would be very comfortable boiling water under the rainfly/entryway of the tent. [...] Maybe even in the tent itself.

Regardless of perceived fire hazard, don't run a stove in your tent, unless your tent is specifically designed to provide adequate ventilation; otherwise, that's a fast way to carbon monoxide poisoning.
posted by Metasyntactic at 12:49 PM on August 5 [10 favorites]

You may have already tried this but good electric shavers can be REALLY good. I got a Braun a number of years ago and keep being blown away at how close of a shave it gives.
posted by wemayfreeze at 12:59 PM on August 5 [4 favorites]

I sometimes have to do this too, and I can cover it by pretending to have an especially precious skincare routine and that's why I need to make my thermos of hot water while cooking dinner. If you want my semi-excuse, I have rosacea and I legitimately DO need to wash the sweat, dirt, bug spray, and sunscreen off my face before I go to bed and then gently clean again in the morning before re-sunscreening or I'll flare up.

But if that makes you too nervous, become an absolute monster for your very special bedtime tea. Simply CANNOT sleep without it! (Probably bring some Sleepytime with you, in case someone wants some.) And the only really good time to get your hot water is while dinner's being made - which is totally true, as a frequent camper.

The thermos works great, in fact be careful because modern thermoses are very good so don't assume that water that went in there before bedtime is only tepid in the morning. I just do warm washcloth, a little smear of hair conditioner on my beard, I can shave without a mirror but a travel vanity mirror will work. Use a little bowl or the lid of the thermos to rinse your razor.

Now, if you're at a fairly decent US government campground with toilet blocks and showers, you can usually find out from the amenity listing for the campground OR from the reviews if they have hot water, and you can go do your thing there. Stuff can break so you should have a plan B and I'd still bring a thermos so I could casually get hot water during a bathroom visit to use later.

Backpackers sometimes do have to cook in their tents because of extreme weather, but it's really dangerous on multiple levels, so finding any other way is really a good idea.
posted by Lyn Never at 1:09 PM on August 5 [1 favorite]

Would a hot shower give you enough moist heat, shaving last thing after you are done with everything else?
posted by koahiatamadl at 1:12 PM on August 5

Do not use a stove inside or near your tent!! On top of fire and carbon monoxide, the jetboil (which is what you want if you need discrete and truly boiling) is tall, top-heavy, and feels a bit precarious even under ideal circumstances.

- If you can possibly get away with it, a thermos of "tea" saved for later is what I would go with.
- If you can't, jetboil really is fast and small enough that you could walk off to another location and boil water very rapidly.

Whatever you decide, practice the routine you'll use at home a few times to adapt to any changes you can expect like the rinsing issues mentioned above. I was going to say "practice using your jetboil", but regardless of method this will hopefully help you troubleshoot the process.

I'm sorry you have to do this.
posted by heyforfour at 1:12 PM on August 5

(Yeah I should've clarified I wouldn't use it inside a tent without ventilation. My tent is basically entirely screen with a rain fly that has two openings that I never close, so there's always cross breeze and air flow. Your tent situation may obviously vary.)
posted by kensington314 at 1:16 PM on August 5

I used to camp a lot and I would use hot water and washcloth in the evening to wipe off.

Boil hot water after dinner or going to bed. No one would question me boiling water, lots of folks make tea or hot chocolate in the evening. I put the water in a nalgene since I planned to use it immediately, but an insulated thermos would work well. The yeti/zojirushi ones could keep it hot enough by morning.

Put washcloth into plastic container / tupperware. Pour hot water over it. Have a dry towel to wipe off afterwards.
posted by just.good.enough at 1:22 PM on August 5

a discretion and travel tip: when shaving lotion isn't an option, hair conditioner does a great job of lubricating the razor with our clogging it.
posted by jander03 at 1:31 PM on August 5 [1 favorite]

If you are worried about facial hair being noticed in the morning, put on a COVID mask, possibly even one soaked in warm water, on your way to your grooming location, touting its alternate use for skin hydration.
posted by childofTethys at 2:28 PM on August 5

Have you ever tried a chemical depilator like Nair or Veet cream? It works quite well in my experience. Apply a thick layer with a Q-tip. Make sure to gently poke the cream with the Q-tip so it gets right down to the roots and skin (it can only dissolve the parts of the hair that it's physically touching so you need to, not "rub it in", but poke it enough to ensure complete contact with all parts of the hair stubble. Let it sit for a couple minutes. Wipe it off with a tissue, then rinse with room temp water (a few tissues moistened with a water bottle would work perfectly).
posted by nouvelle-personne at 4:27 PM on August 5

Definitely try a battery powered electric razor before you go. It will make this soooo much easier if it works for you. Mine is small and quiet.

If that doesn't work, consider trying waxing before you leave. It would give you a little extra time before you would need to shave daily again. See a well reviewed professional if you go this route, to minimize irritation.
posted by metasarah at 4:29 PM on August 5 [1 favorite]

Beat in mind uncomfortably hot water is probably around 130F, which is considerably closer to room temperature than to boiling point. So if you save hot or even somewhat hot water in a good flask overnight, there is every chance it'll be fine for your morning ablutions.

If you throw your washcloth in said hypothetical thermos, it will be at temperature when you open the thermos, versus needing warmed up.
posted by How much is that froggie in the window at 10:36 PM on August 5

I really like Kiss My Face; it's very gentle on my sensitive skin, and I can shave just fine with room temperature water. It doesn't take much, but it helps a lot if I take a moment to really work it into my stubble area, instead of just quickly smearing it on. When I shave with soap, I do need a hot towel to prep my beard, and very hot water to rinse my razor and wet my face. But with KMF, I need minimal prep and just room-temp water.

Hopefully you can trial some of these options at home before needing them while camping!
posted by xedrik at 10:42 PM on August 5

Mod note: One comment removed. Note that the OP is aware of laser hair removal.
posted by Brandon Blatcher (staff) at 5:01 AM on August 6

Nthing not to jetboil in your tent. Apart from the various ways in which it could be hazardous (which are the most important reasons not to), that flame roars - it sounds like a jetplane taking off. It is not a discreet way to heat water without inviting questions from your fellow campers.
posted by penguin pie at 5:33 AM on August 6

I have a Yeti thermos and it'll keep drinks hot or cold for 12+ hours, so boiling water so it is hot, hot, hot at night and using it in the morning will work.
posted by Toddles at 7:42 AM on August 6

I was also going to suggest a good thermos, like a Stanley, to keep the water hot from the night before and have a second one for cool water. I have had coffee stay hot in a Stanley travel mug for 24 hours - they do a good job. You can get foldable washbasins as well, which you can use to put your rinse water in. This is how I would do it:

1. At night, warm your water, put it in your thermos. Also fill a bottle with a larger amount of cool water.
2. In the morning, wake up, open your wash basin and put in the hot water, tempering it with as much cool water as you need to make it bearable. Soak a wash cloth and do your pre-shave compress.
3. Temper the water in the washbasin more to make it comfortable to rinse with. Shave and rinse your razor as needed, but keep the water you have in the basin as limited as possible.
4. Use your compress to finish wiping your face, put it in the basin to soak up the rest of the water and then go to the bathroom or to wherever the wash up place is to finish washing your face as usual, dumping your wash basin and rinsing out your compress in the process.
posted by urbanlenny at 7:50 AM on August 6 [1 favorite]

Something I forgot to mention earlier; I (a man) am also prone to skin irritation, razor burn, and sometimes acne breakouts after shaving. All of this was reduced significantly when I switched from a cartridge/disposable razor to a safety razor. It took a little bit of adjustment, but within a few days I'd learned the feel of a new razor. My theory is that, with a cartridge razor that has two, three, or four blades, every time you take a stroke with the razor, you are taking two, three, or four strokes because of the multiple blades. With a safety razor, it's just one. But I don't feel like I'm missing out; if anything, I feel like I get a closer, more comfortable shave with a safety razor than I ever did with cartridges. Also the blades are sooooo cheap. Feather blades are spooky sharp, but recently I've been using these Derby blades that are less than half the price, but still work great on my fairly coarse stubble.
posted by xedrik at 8:43 AM on August 6

Perhaps try a pre-shave lotion like Lectric Shave in a single step, instead of pre-softening and moisturizer? I use it with a reusable razor (electric razor can't get close enough for me). You apply it to your dry face, let it sit for about fifteen seconds, then shave as normal. Rinsing afterwards doesn't require hot water either. It doesn't sting or irritate my skin at all, and I don't get the pimples and ingrown hairs that I would when I used regular shaving cream.
posted by ohcanireally at 7:38 PM on August 6 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Thank you so much everyone! I appreciate all of the suggestions. I think the best solution will be to boil water the night before and store it in a thermos. I'll definitely be drinking tea in the evening, anyways, so it won't be suspicious to anyone.
posted by glorybe at 7:04 AM on August 7

Warning: don't actually boil it, or at least don't put it in the thermos and close the lid at boiling. You risk a nasty accident. Put a glug of ripping-hot water in and let it sit open for a couple minutes to heat the inside while your pot cools a bit, then swish and dump that water and refill.
posted by Lyn Never at 7:33 AM on August 7 [1 favorite]

You probably need both hot and cold water available so you don't burn yourself. A thermos flask of boiled water is likely to be a lot warmer than water from the hot tap even after 12 hours. I imagine that cold water is likely to be easier to sort out.
posted by plonkee at 3:48 PM on August 7 [1 favorite]