The glamorous life of adventure travel about which no one talks

Adventure travel is about seeing exotic places, doing exciting things, and pushing the limits. But what about those things that no one talks about... like after a long day of adventure, having to hand wash your clothes. These are some of my tips. Or... how to wash and dry your clothes when traveling.

First, it helps to travel with quick dry clothing made of polyester or wool. In many countries small packets of soap or washing detergent can be bought. But if none is easily available I simply use shampoo or a bar of soap. I often travel with a flat round sink stopper that helps trap the water in the sink.

Here's a tip to help you dry your clothes faster. After hand washing your clothes lay one of the items on a dry towel.

Roll up the towel with the item inside. Then twist the towel with your hands. The towel will absorb much more of the water from the clothing and thus the item will dry quicker.

Don't leave your clothing hanging inside the bathroom to dry. The bathroom is probably the most humid area in your room and there's not much air circulation. Air dry your clothes outside or inside a cool dry room with air conditioning. The clothes will dry much quicker. If you're really concerned that your clothing will not dry overnight, attach a small towel or bandanna to the bottom of the clothing with a safety pin. Gravity will draw the water from your clothing into the towel or bandanna, thus allowing your clothing to dry quicker.

To dry wet shoes or boots, avoid placing them near a heat source, this will deteriorate your shoes. Instead, place old  newspaper inside your shoes and turn them upside down. The newspaper will wick the moisture from your shoes and will allow them to dry quicker.

Isn't adventure travel exciting!?!