I'm an opportunist when it comes to bathing on the trail, but I DO go out of my way to watch for opportunities, and I rarely go a day without a full bath of some kind. Rather than having just one bathing routine, I draw on a collection of different methods. Here are a few:

The "Canned Sunshine" Bath - If I find myself in a back country designated site with a fire ring and plentiful wood, I almost always celebrate with this late night solitary luxury.
When to use: campfire, water close by, solitude
What you need: a 3' square piece of plastic or silnylon, a pair of camp thongs (or a clean, wettable surface to stand barefoot on), a sit pad, 2 unscented dry facial cloths, pot for heating water
Method: Just before bed, when the fire is radiating heat instead of smoke, and companions have turned into the tent for the night, is the time to enjoy this solitary delight.

• lay out sleepwear where it will get warm by the fire
• make a ring out of stones or sticks of wood or simply dig a shallow hole; you want to create a basin about 6 inches deep and 16 inches across
• place something clean to stand/sit on next to the basin
• line the basin with a garbage bag or other bit of waterproof material. (check to make sure there aren't any sharp objects that will poke holes in your basin material.) fill with a calibrated mix of cold and boiling water. refill pot and return to fire to heat additional water for the last part of the bath
• use an unscented, dry facial cloth to wash face. rinse.
• strip clothing down to zip, and use a second facial cloth to suds the rest of your body. rinse (you could dip and pour from the basin, but I usually use my facial cloth to dip and sponge down as it conserves the warm water better).
• "sun" yourself against the fire, turning frequently until well done (this is the blissful part)
• put on warm top and bottoms, leaving socks off
• last, but not least, add a bit more hot water to the basin. sit on your pad and soak your feet. nothing compares to a hot foot bath at the end of a long day's hike!

The "Three Uses" Bath - This one accomplishes three things: 1) purifies drinking water, 2) makes a hot water bottle, and 3) provides a warm(ish) spit bath first thing in the morning. Maybe the real reason I like this method is because it helps to justify my serious hot water bottle dependency!
When to use: cold weather, limited water supply, no fuel shortage
What you need: 1 Nalgene bottle, 1 unscented, dry facial cloth, stove and fuel
Method:

• heat 1 quart of water to boiling, fill Nalgene bottle, close tightly
• slip hot bottle into a sock, or wrap in a piece of clothing you want to dry out, and shove it all the way to the foot of your sleeping bag
• after dinner, crawl into a cozy bed and sleep warmly all night long
• first thing in the morning, drink half the bottle of water. (This is a good way to start your day well hydrated.)
• Use the remaining tepid water to brush teeth, and wash face and other crucial areas. (An unscented, dry facial cloth works well.)

The "Solar Wash Day" Bath - O.k., I've never actually done this one as I've never had enough time on the trail. But I always wanted to try it. I read about it years ago on the website of a guide in the San Francisco Bay Area who led backpacking trips for women.
When to use: Hiking in warm weather? Need clean clothes? No "town day" coming up? Have a beautiful stream with a meadow at hand? Ah, this is the bath for you!
What you need: 2 large, heavy duty yard bags with draw strings, suds, sunshine, plenty of water, solitude, a half day to spare
Method:

• before lunch: fill each trash bag 1/3 full of water from the creek. tie the bags closed and lay them in the sun to heat
• after lunch: gather dirty clothes and add to the first bag. jump into the bag with the clothes. pull the drawstring to snug the bag over your shoulders.
• suds up. slosh. have fun.
• move yourself to the second bag to rinse off. wring clothes and rinse in second bag.
• lay clothes in sun to dry while dancing among the wildflowers.... I'm sure you get the picture! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />

Cheers,

Kek