Sea to Summit Wilderness Wipes Review

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Back in the good old days, I had a sponsorship for an expedition from Action Wipes, which were basically great-smelling, oversized baby wipes originally designed for post-love-making sessions. Since then a number of other companies have come up with something similar, including Sea to Summit Wilderness wipes. Sea to Summit designed the Wilderness Wipes were specifically for the outdoors.

The Wilderness Wipes allow you to “shower” when you’re out on a wilderness trip and don’t want to jump in a lake. They’re made from extra thick soft fabric and designed to be gentle on your rugged exterior. You can compost them when you get home. The wipes contain aloe vera and vitamin E for soft skin and that youthful glow. They come in two sizes: 8 x 6 inches and 12 x 8 inches. I tested the Extra Large 12- x 8-inch size.

Wilderness Wipes Review Thoughts

Overall, these work great. In the past, I’ve found the odor of some of the competitors a bit offensive. The Sea to Summit Wilderness Wipes smell great. I’ve found that if I do my face, underarms, groin and feet with one towel it works out, but as you’d expect two work much better. Even when paddling, I’ve found that having these along makes the trip a little easier.

If you want to wash with soap while paddling, you need to get a pot of water, walk 200 feet away from the water and then lather up. Then rinse off back in the woods before taking a swim (See: Staying Clean in the Woods). While not a huge deal if you are in a hurry or it’s cold out, it’s way easier just to pull out a Wilderness Wipe and call it good. Plus, there’s something about them that make you feel cleaner.

The wilderness wipes weigh in at 4.6 ounces for an eight-pack of the XL size. That means you’re not adding a lot of weight to your pack.

So should you get them? For $5 to $6 they add a feeling of clean to any trip. Since I discovered them at REI, I’ve taken them on every trip and have been glad to have them along.

Get the wipes: