Combat Wipe Review

In the backcountry, you get dirty by the end of a long day of paddling and sweating in your drysuit or under your life vest. Before clawing your way into a sleeping bag, it’s nice to feel clean. While we are around water when paddling, sometimes the water is too cold to swim in or too salty or dirty. In cases like that, I like to take a sponge bath or use a wet wipe. I recently had an opportunity to review Combat Wipes, a type of wet wipes designed for the outdoors.

Combat Wipes are a 100% bio-degradable wet wipes. They measure approximately 7 by 8 inches. The samples that I reviewed had 10 wipes in a package and each package weighed 2.2 to 2.3 ounces. The package they come in has a resealable opening so they wipes don’t dry out after you open it. They come in three scents: Active, Commando and Gaia. All three are alcohol-free. The Active and Commando contain aloe and vitamin E as well as an antibacterial formula. The Gaia is alcohol and SLS free and bio-mimetic and pH balanced to protect a woman’s intimate parts. The company claims that when buried in soil the wipe will go back to nature within three months.

Each Combat Wipe has a slightly different scent. The Active and Commando scents smells like a mix between baby powder and deodorant — they sort of smell the same and neither I or my wife could figure out if they were the same or smelled slightly different and we couldn’t put our finger on what exactly the smell was.The Gaia has a slight, sweet perfume smell. All are okay as long as you’re okay with scents. The scent doesn’t seem to stick around long after you dry. Personally, I like the Commando scent the best.

And, speaking of the Commando scent, while the fabric of the other two scents are white in color, the Commando is black. I’d assume this was for camouflage when in combat where a white wipe might be more visible. They market the Commando scent with military pictures and graphics.

Over the years, I’ve used a bunch of different makes of wet wipes, including a bunch made for babies as well as several marketed in the outdoor industry. Each leaves a slightly different feel on your skin. The Combat Wipes felt clean and refreshing. The 7- by 8-inch size of the Combat Wipes does mean that you will likely end up using two for each shower, so plan accordingly. I didn’t test the biodegradability of these wipes, because I’m a strong believer in Leave No Trace, so I always pack out wet wipes instead of burying them.

If you’re looking for something to help keep you clean on your trips (or if you want to give your paddling partner a subtle hint), you should give Combat Wipes a chance.

Combat Wipes sell their products through Amazon. You can get them here:

• Combat Wipes Active
• Combat Wipes Commando
• Combat Wipes Gaia

Disclosure: I received this product in exchange for my honest review.