Staying clean on a multi-day trail race or ultra comes down to four things: clean hands before you eat, dry feet at camp, a dry set of kit for the night, and a proper wash only where there's a shower with a drain. You won't feel fresh, and that's fine. The rest depends on the race, so we've read the organisers' own pages, plus public health advice, to help you pack for the one you've entered. This is part of our runner's hair and body care guide.
What washing facilities can you expect at a multi-day race?
Anything from a hotel bathroom to nothing at all, so read your own race's pages before you pack.
| Race | What the organisers say | What it means for washing |
|---|---|---|
| Transalpine Run (seven stages) | Hotels, group accommodation or campgrounds in the stage towns; an event bag of about 100 litres (23 kg maximum) moved daily | A normal wash kit, and a bathroom most evenings |
| Cape Wrath Ultra (eight days, Scotland) | Eight-person tents, portable toilets, basic dishwashing facilities | Hands, feet and dry kit at camp; the real wash waits |
| Marathon des Sables (about 250 km, food self-sufficiency) | A pack of 6.5 to 15 kg; 5 litres of water at the end of each stage | Sanitiser and foot care; soap waits for the hotel |
The Cape Wrath Ultra is the plainest case: runners are told not to expect showers. And in the desert, the Marathon des Sables regulations for 2025 say the next water after those 5 litres comes at the first checkpoint of the following day. So the first question isn't what to wash with. It's where the water goes.
Where can you use soap on a multi-day trail race?
Only where the water runs into a drain. That's our house rule, and it doesn't bend for races: lather only where the water goes into a drain; never in rivers, lakes or on open ground. Hotel bathroom or campsite wash block: yes. The stream behind the tents: no.
We spell it out because rivers do come up. At the Cape Wrath Ultra, some camps allow runners to use the nearest river for washing in. Treat that as a plain-water dip: no bar, no shampoo, nothing that foams. As the founder of a brand that sells bars, I'll be honest: I'd much prefer our bar stayed dry in your bag until the finish than got used somewhere it shouldn't.
On a hotel-to-hotel race the worry is different. At the Transalpine Run you hand your bag in at the start and collect it at the finish every day, so whatever is inside travels with tomorrow's dry socks. A solid bar has nothing to leak, and one bar covers hair, body and face.
Shampoo, body and face wash, all in one bar. Keep your hair and skin healthy on the go. Monoï-infused scent with a touch of vanilla. Designed for those always on the go.
Whatever is in your wash bag, the days without a shower need a plan. It starts with your hands.
Is hand sanitiser enough when there's no shower?
It's the right backup, with limits. If soap and water aren't available, public health guidance is to use a hand sanitiser with at least 60% alcohol and rub it in until your hands are dry, around 20 seconds. Make it a habit before every checkpoint snack.
Here's the catch. Sanitisers may not be as effective when hands are visibly dirty or greasy, and soap and water work better against some germs, norovirus among them. So wipe the mud off first, and when a camp has a tap, soap and a drain, use those instead. Used wipes go back in your pack in a zip bag.
How do you look after your feet between stages?
Get them dry as soon as you finish, and keep them clean and dry at camp. That's the advice given to runners at the Cape Wrath Ultra, whose feet are usually wet within minutes of the start. Standard foot care advice adds the detail: dry your feet particularly between the toes, dabbing instead of rubbing, wear clean socks every day, wear flip-flops in changing rooms and showers, and don't share towels. So even at the camp where everyone is suddenly your best friend, your towel stays yours.
For blisters, the standard advice is to keep the skin clean, cover the blister with a soft plaster or padded dressing, and not burst it yourself. If one worries you mid-race, show the medical team. For rubbing elsewhere, see chafing after a long run.
What do you do with sweaty kit overnight?
Get out of it, and get it into the air. A dry camp set earns its place in your bag. The wet set goes on a tent line, cap and headband included.
And on evenings with a wash block? You know the scene: a queue of tired runners, one hook, a wet floor. One bar is easier to manage there than three bottles.
Shampoo, body and face wash, all in one bar. Cooling, refreshing and designed for those always on the go.
Whatever you wash with, don't skip the last job of the day once you're clean.
Should you check for ticks after a day on the trails?
Yes, and a shower is a good moment for it. Ticks live in woods and areas with long grass, which sounds a lot like a trail race. Public health advice is to check yourself as soon as possible after time in green areas, and showering within two hours of coming indoors has been shown to reduce your risk of getting Lyme disease. The standard tick checklist includes the hair, under the arms and the back of the knees. Flu-like symptoms or a round or oval rash after a bite? Get medical advice.
What goes in a wash kit for a multi-day race?
Less than you'd think:
- Hand sanitiser with at least 60% alcohol.
- A small towel that only you use, and flip-flops for shared showers.
- Clean socks for every day, plus soft plasters or padded dressings.
- Sunscreen; see running in rain, heat and cold.
- A zip bag for used wipes, and one solid bar in a ventilated tin or mesh pouch for the nights with a drain.
Counting grams? Most people get somewhere between 30 and 60 washes from a bar, depending on use and storage, so for a week-long race you can cut a new one in half. It's also not a liquid at airport security, handy if you fly in with hand luggage only (see can you take soap on a plane and our marathon travel packing list).
Shampoo, body and face wash, all in one bar. Keep your hair and skin healthy on the go. Monoï-infused scent with a touch of vanilla. Designed for those always on the go.
Let the bar dry between stages (see how to store a soap bar). For the nights with no shower at all, how to wash your hair without a shower picks up where this article stops.
Summary
Multi-day races range from hotel bathrooms to a field with portable toilets, so start with your organiser's own pages. Where there's no shower, look after hands, feet and kit: sanitiser, dry feet, clean socks and a dry set for the evening.
Lather only where the water goes into a drain; never in rivers, lakes or on open ground. For the finish-line shower, see race day toiletries.
Frequently asked questions
Are there showers at multi-day ultra races?
It depends. The Transalpine Run points runners to hotels and campgrounds in its stage towns, while runners at the Cape Wrath Ultra are told not to expect showers. Check your own race's pages.
Can you wash with soap in a river or lake during a race?
No. Lather only where the water goes into a drain; never in rivers, lakes or on open ground. If a race allows a river dip, keep it to plain water.
How do you stay clean at the Marathon des Sables?
With sanitiser and foot care; soap waits for the hotel. Runners get 5 litres of water at the end of each stage, and under the 2025 regulations the next water comes at the first checkpoint of the following day.
Is hand sanitiser as good as washing your hands?
Not quite. Public health guidance recommends one with at least 60% alcohol when soap and water aren't available, but it may not be as effective on visibly dirty or greasy hands.
Should you pop a blister between stages?
The standard advice is not to burst a blister yourself, and to cover it with a soft plaster or padded dressing.
Is it OK to share a towel at a race camp?
No. Bring a small towel that only you use, and wear flip-flops in changing rooms and shared showers.
Where on your body should you check for ticks after a trail run?
The standard tick checklist includes the hair, under the arms and the back of the knees. Check as soon as possible after time in green areas; a shower is a good moment for it.
How much soap do you need for a week-long stage race?
Most people get somewhere between 30 and 60 washes from a Rinsed bar, depending on use and storage, so half a bar covers a week. More in how long does a shampoo bar last.
Can you take a soap bar in hand luggage when you fly to a race?
Yes. A solid bar is not a liquid at airport security, which is handy if you fly in with hand luggage only.
How do you dry wet running kit at a race camp?
Get out of it and hang it on a tent line, cap and headband included. A dry camp set for the evening earns its place in your bag.
Sources
The facts in this article are based on the sources below, checked in October 2026.
- Luggage Transportation. Transalpine Run, 2026.
- Accommodation. Transalpine Run, 2026.
- Overnight Camps. Cape Wrath Ultra, accessed 2026.
- Top 5 tips for the Cape Wrath Ultra (aka surviving ultra-running in Scotland). Cape Wrath Ultra, 2023.
- Regulations 2025 edition. Marathon des Sables, 2025.
- Hand Sanitizer Guidelines and Recommendations. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), accessed 2026.
- Athlete's foot. NHS, accessed 2026.
- Blisters. NHS, accessed 2026.
- Lyme disease. NHS, accessed 2026.
- Wat te doen bij een tekenbeet?. Rijksinstituut voor Volksgezondheid en Milieu (RIVM), 2026.
- Preventing Tick Bites. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), accessed 2026.
