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What is the longest you have gone without a shower?

By Todd Clark - Retired

Real Estate Agent with eXp Realty LLC 200311024

January 09, 2008 10:32 AM

I know its a rather gross question, but this is the question that was asked of my wife's woman's church group and she won! She had gone two weeks without a shower, for some reason, the same amount of time I have gone without a shower.

You see, when me and my wife first got married 14 years ago, we would go camping a lot, without the joy of the RV and it's heat and warm shower. But, you see we went tent camping in Canada every anniversary for six straight years and we usually went without a shower during that time.

I know some of you out there are now closet Grateful Dead fans and have a least gone a weekend without showering, but I would love to hear what is the longest you have went without showering. I'm putting bets on my friend Linda Scanlan, who also loves to camp and get out into the outdoors, but I would love to see if we have had anyone else who loves the great outdoors enough to go two weeks without a shower?

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Teresa Cox King

RE/MAX of Orange Beach - Orange Beach, AL

Orange Beach and Gulf Shores, Alabama

Two weeks? Never! Well, maybe prior to age 9 when I caught on to my older brother's trick of going into the bathroom and turning the water on and never getting in the tub.

I'm a sissy I guess, because while taking an overnight canoe trip I at least 'splish splash here and there'. An 8 day sailing trip will find me with soap and shampoo off the back of the boat at sunset.

Jan 09, 2008 10:44 AM

Rosario Lewis

DDR Realty - Newburgh, NY

GRI, SRES - DDR Realty - Orange County, NY

A tub of warm water and a sponge in the great out of doors will get you just as clean as a modern shower in a tiled bathroom.

Jan 09, 2008 10:44 AM

Eldon Holliday

National Property Inspections - Olive Branch, MS

This post reminds me of the time my son (about 8 years old at the time) came home from summer camp. When we quizzed him about the conditions of the shower he said he never took one the week he was there. When pushed for a reason why, he said it was not a problem since he went swimming in the lake everyday.

Jan 09, 2008 10:47 AM

Renee Stengel

Houlihan Lawrence, Associate Broker - Katonah, NY

Westchester County

I can't make it out in the morning without a shower and one in the evening. Guess I am waterlogged.

Jan 09, 2008 10:54 AM

Linda Scanlan

A Fan of AR - Burleson, TX

Ha! You are close! You are too funny, Todd.. I won't say all summer, but we used to pitch a tent in the Smokies at a campground called Abrams Creek from Memorial Day to Labor Day, and the only water I touched was swimming. (I was just a kid). Before it was forbidden Mom used to give us a bar of soap and send us into the creek to bathe.

As an adult I've only gone 3 nites and 4 days. We were on a deep sea fishing expedition and they didn't have showers on board. We had to rent a room before we came home to shower. Boy, did we stink. Thank goodness all the people on board smelled the same. Those clothes did NOT come home with us.

Jan 09, 2008 10:54 AM

Marlene Bridges

Village Real Estate Services, Inc. - Laguna Hills, CA

Laguna Homes|Laguna Condos|Laguna Real Estate

Todd - For me, I think it would only be about 3 days. Even when camping, we stayed in campgrounds that had showers or had shower facilities nearby. Gosh, even when we went to Venezuela with World Missions/Habitat we got showers once a day. You guys are just hard core!

Jan 09, 2008 11:09 AM

Judy Tuscano

Prudential Verani Realty - Nottingham, NH

NH Real Estate Professional

Todd - no way two weeks unless you count that as a kid we had one bathroom and no shower just a beautiful claw foot tub that we bathed in a couple times a week. I had showers when camping but not at home!!!

Jan 09, 2008 11:17 AM

Judy Tuscano

Prudential Verani Realty - Nottingham, NH

NH Real Estate Professional

Jan 09, 2008 11:17 AM

Judy Tuscano

Prudential Verani Realty - Nottingham, NH

NH Real Estate Professional

Jan 09, 2008 11:17 AM

Fran Gaspari

Patriot Land Transfer, Inc. - Limerick, PA

"The Title Man" - Title Insurance - PA & NJ

Todd,

Out of curiosity, when you go that long without showering, do birds come to land on you??? LOL Thanks, Fran

Jan 09, 2008 11:50 AM

Jason Crouch

Austin Texas Homes, LLC - Austin, TX

Broker - Austin Texas Real Estate (512-796-7653)

Todd - I think the longest I have gone as an adult would be about 3-4 days, probably when I was sick. I am not a camper.

Jan 09, 2008 05:06 PM

Kay Perry

Kay Perry, Broker - College Station, TX

Funny.....I loved the comments. A few days for me when I was in the hospital. Oh, by the way, do baths count??? ha.

Jan 10, 2008 03:52 AM

Rick Grand

nowhere - Eugene, OR

I used to fight wild land fires for thee Forest Service during the summers while attending college. I've gone 7 days without a shower but that is the longest I can recall off hand. But those 7 days I was covered in dirt, ash, smoke....all sorts of stuff so I'd say that COULD be considered the equivalent to much longer...haha

Jan 10, 2008 09:46 AM

Kim Wood

The Tech Byte - West Chester, PA

Kim Wood ~ The Tech Byte

I do hope you found water and soap somehow! Love tent camping - but I'll take a shower after 2 days - just can't stand it anymore.

Jan 10, 2008 11:26 PM

Candy Henthorne

Results Realty - Spring, TX

Spring Texas Real Estate

Todd - I used to camp in a tent when I was younger, but after a couple of days, I had to get to a shower.

Jan 11, 2008 01:10 AM

Todd Clark - Retired

eXp Realty LLC - Tigard, OR

Principle Broker Oregon

Sorry it took so long to get back, been trying to recover some crash and burn transactions.

Lenn - We were deep wooding it and we did visit a lot of hot springs, but then you smelt like sulfur. I think my wife tried the pan thing and I know I fell in to a stream or two - lol

Michael - 3 times a day? Just time wise, I wish I could do that!

Teresa - How come I didn't think of that when I was a kid and hated to shower? Your brother was a genius! Sorry you are a sissy, but the world needs you too - lol

Rosario - That is what I was doing, but in Canada we were told if we dump our used water out we could be fined so we were trying to conserve.

Eldon - As a boy scout myself, I have a question "They have showers at camp?" - ROFL

Renee - It sounds like you would fit in perfect in Thailand.

Linda - That was a sad day for camping when they outlawed using soap in the river. I used to do the same thing as a kid. With the natural soaps out there that are safe for the environment, I'm surprised they haven't changed that law.

Marlene - We do know that we have kids, but then we were young, tough and stupid. And obviously in love, two weeks on a honeymoon without a shower, talk about testing the limits of our love.

Judy - OH, I love claw foot tubs! That doesn't count if you had a bath! That is all I did as a kid also.

Fran - Yes, yes they do!

Jason - Finally something you and me don't have in common, me and my family love to camp.

Kay - I've been loving the comments also! Baths count and so do sponge baths from hot nurses in the hospital. (I know, I know that is only in the movies, but come on us guys have to have our fantasies)

Rick - OK, you just want up in my book as a tough SOB! A fire fighter in those situations you get all my respect, I don't know how you did it!

Kim - We did sit in sulfur water hot springs, but then we smelled like something like sulfur. We were a nice shade of dirt by the time we got back from our honeymoon.

Candy - I won't hold it against you, but I just had to find out if anyone was as foolish as us when we were younger.

Jan 11, 2008 03:42 AM

www.SeeAllListings. com

SeeAllListings.com - Camarillo, CA

I just couldnt resist reading this. haha. The longest i think i have ever gone is three days when camping. It gets really bad after that

Jan 11, 2008 04:18 AM

Lenn Harley

Lenn Harley, Homefinders.com, MD & VA Homes and Real Estate - Leesburg, VA

Real Estate Broker - Virginia & Maryland

Ah ha!! The hot springs. I "took the cure" in Thermopolis, WY. Hot, steamy, stinking, but loosened my bones up beautifully.

Jan 12, 2008 08:55 AM

James Simmons

RE/MAX Greater Princeton - West Windsor, NJ

I'm not going to answer that one publicly, but it is good to find fellow Realtor-Campers! I can tell you that when camping, I've gone way longer showering than I have not logging in to my email account!

Jul 02, 2008 08:29 AM

Todd Clark - Retired

eXp Realty LLC - Tigard, OR

Principle Broker Oregon

To my SeeAllListings Friends - 3 days, that isn't camping...LOL

Lenn - The hot springs are the best....Something about that sulfer smell.

James - Afraid to answer? Come on.

Mar 31, 2009 09:56 PM