I was wondering if anyone knows of any products that can be placed inside a backpack to keep clothes and whatever else smelling nice, fresh, or pleasant. As the dirty laundry outnumber the clean, especially with sweatfilled, smoke absorbent shirts, socks, and pants, I will like the clean clothes and the inside of my backpack to smell rather pleasant. I may not have every opportunity to do laundry regularly to reduce this dilemma.

Try carring baking soda with you. With your dirty clothes, put a cloth pouch (prefibly made of cotton) and put the baking soda in there. Some of it may get out but it will only leave a white powder on your clothes that will come off when you clean them anyway!

For smokey clothes, hang them up by an open window or in the middle of the room or bathroom (even better if it has a window) to air them out as much as possible BEFORE PACKING them! It will help them not be as smokey smelling!

Except for blue jeans, carry some detergent in a small bottle around with you (like the travel size versions for shampoo and stuff they give you in hotels, use an old bottle and fill it up- but don't forget to label it so you remember what's inside!) and you can wash shirts and undergarments in a sink if you have to, if you are in a place with your own bathroom, string them up! Its not a perfect job, but you won't have to walk around smelling funky until you find a place to do wash!

Most places in spain has really dry air, that mixed with the heat your clothes won't take very long to dry! (just be glad you're not going in the winter, it would take lots longer! :o )

Happy travels!

You can also find envelopes full of various scents at places like Yankee Candle--pick up one in vanilla or something mild like that and pack it among your clean clothes...or among your dirty clothes...

You might end up smelling like a big sugar cookie, but maybe that's better than smoke/sweat!

Seriously, don't make the mistake of packing dirty clothes in plastic or something like that...just air them as best you can, fold them with any obviously dirty/stained parts inside (so that they won't soil other clothes), and separate them from your other clothes with something (a small pack towel works well for this).

And definitely take advantage of Spain's dry air to do a bit of laundry. Even when I had access to a washer and dryer (when living in a residencia or visiting a youth hostel), I would only use the washer, and just let my clothes air dry on hangers or towel racks.

Thanks everyone for those helpful tips.

taravb - I'll check those envelopes out. They sound like a good idea.

Certainly Zip-Loc or some other company makes "industrial size" zip-loc-type bags into which one could put and seal dirty clothes, thereby not "spoiling" the clean clothes. TA-DAHHHH! hehehe..

You could also bring along one of those small bottles of Febreze ( the fabric spray that "safely cleans odors on fabrics"). They sell little 100ml bottles next to the big ones in the supermarket. I took one on a trip to Africa last year, and, although I think the smell of Febreze is a little stronger than I like, it was good at getting rid of the more unpleasant odors!

I usually try to let my smokey-smelling clothes air out at least over night, then pack them all in plastic bags, everything's going to need washing when you get home anyway from the infamous 'Spain' smell that we've discussed before, but airing out and Fabreze usually help. To keep your bag smelling fresh you can also pack a dryer sheet, like Bounce, which always gives a summer-fresh scent!

-GG