Drying Off After a Lake Swim: Hair, Towels, Boots and Gear

A late-afternoon swim is one of the small joys of lake camping. The hard part comes after: no dryer, cooling evening air, and a damp swimsuit and soggy towel that can stay that way until morning. Damp has a way of spreading to everything else in the tent, too. A little planning keeps wet things wet only as long as they have to be.

Set up before you swim

• String a clothesline between two trees in a spot with sun and a breeze. Use wide straps or padded rope so the bark isn’t damaged, and bring clothespins so nothing blows into the dirt.
• Pack two towels per person: one for the swim and one that stays dry for the evening. Microfiber dries far faster than cotton.
• Leave a dry set of clothes and a warm layer in a bag at the shore, so you aren’t walking back cold and dripping.
• Bring a mesh bag for wet things so they don’t go straight into a pack or duffel.

Hair

If you have fresh water to spare, rinse lake water out first. Then squeeze rather than rub: wrap your hair in a microfiber towel and press the water out. Rubbing roughs up the hair and knots long hair.

Moving air does the rest. Work in sections, combing with your fingers as you go, and keep the air stream a comfortable distance from your head. Never point it into ears, eyes or face. Sun and a steady breeze help a lot. When the evening turns cool, a hat over damp hair keeps you comfortable while it finishes drying.

Swimsuits and towels

• Rinse suits in fresh water to wash out lake water and sunscreen. If you use soap, pick a biodegradable one and wash at least 200 feet from the lake.
• Roll the suit in a towel and press to squeeze out water. Don’t wring stretchy fabric hard.
• Hang suits in the shade if you can. Strong sun fades color and wears out stretch fabric over time.
• Spread towels open on the line instead of folding them over it, and flip them partway through so both sides get air.
• Bring everything in before sunset. Dew can soak a line-dried towel overnight.

Boots and water shoes

Wet boots dry slower than anything else at camp, and putting them back on is miserable.

• Pull out the insoles and dry them separately.
• Loosen the laces all the way and open the tongue wide.
• Stuff the boots with crumpled newspaper, and swap in dry paper once it’s soaked.
• Aim a stream of air into the opening to move moisture out of the toe box.
• Keep them away from the campfire. Direct heat can crack leather, warp synthetics and loosen the glue that holds soles on.
• Rinse water shoes and sandals, shake them out and hang them upside down.

Keep the damp out of the tent

Wet gear inside a tent adds moisture to the air, and it shows up as condensation on the walls by morning. Leave wet clothing in the vestibule or a mesh bag outside. Dry off fully, feet included, before you get into a sleeping bag, and air the bag out on a dry morning; down in particular loses its loft when it gets damp. If you have to pack up a wet tent, set it up or hang it to dry within a day or two of getting home, before mildew sets in.

If your dog swims too, see camping with dogs and drying a wet dog.

Where GENX fits after the swim

The GENX All-in-1 CampCare Tool includes an air blower (40 CFM, 110,000 RPM brushless motor) that gives you a strong stream of air you can aim. Towel off first, then let the air finish the job: on hair, in the toes of wet boots, inside a dry bag or a cooler that needs airing out. Keep the nozzle a comfortable distance from your head and never point it into ears, eyes or face. The four nozzles and the hard case keep the kit together in the car between swims.