Waterless Ltd have now taken their three individual products and merged them under the banner of 'FOB Wash Kit', working out as a cheaper purchase all-round.
The original reviews were two separate reviews, which are now available here to read, and the FOB Wash Kit can be purchased direct from ThisTribe.com


Shampoo & Body Wash

Waterless Ltd are a company that specialise in hygiene products that are ideally suited to hot climates where water is at a premium and can’t really be wasted on such frivolous tasks as washing yourself.

One of their products has been targeted squarely at the military market and is called; ‘Pits & Bits’. The range has both a body wash and a shampoo and are designed to allow the frontline soldier in the field to have a ‘proper’ wash without having to worry about using his precious drinking water to clean off the residue afterwards.

With a faint hint of apples, the body wash and shampoo are pleasantly fragrant but still acceptable to a manly man, and whilst the sensation of putting a liquid onto your body and in your hair and not having water to wash it off afterwards is initially quite odd, it does achieve the ‘refreshing’ feeling that you’d hope for. The shampoo is especially effective and certainly lifted out bits of grit and dirt that had been liberally sprinkled in beforehand. It appears to act almost as a glue, catching the dirt and bringing it to the surface as you massage the hair.

The simple fact of the matter is that it’s a damn good solution to the problem of how to wash yourself in the field. Do you bring a bottle of normal shower liquid with you, wrapped in sandwich bags and hoping to god it doesn’t burst everywhere? Do you fill an old camera film tub with some and stick it in your wash kit?

Be it in Afghanistan or Salisbury, it’s an effective way of looking after yourself. The bottles are small, holding 65ml of the fluid, and fairly robust so they’re unlikely to split or burst. You can give yourself a quick wash in the crotch and under your arms at reveille by pouring some of the body wash onto the Waterless Expandable Wipes and cut down your admin time massively.

It’s a cracking solution and a great combination of products, because whilst you can just apply the liquid as it is, if you pour some of it onto the expandable wipes, then once you’ve unravelled the wipe, you can crack straight on with scrubbing whatever part of your body you deem fit.

No more mucking around with packing and unpacking cleaning kit, using a dirty, filthy towel that tries to crawl away from you, and more importantly, with the speed at which it can be done, more time in your dos bag!

Expandable Wipes

Sometimes we get bits of kit through to review that merit pages upon pages of explanations, descriptions and feedback. Sometimes we get packs of tissue paper.

That’s exactly what we’ve been sent by Waterless Ltd to have a look at – their range of expandable wipes designed to work alongside their Pits n Bits range of waterless hygiene products.

So what’s so special about the tissues? For a start, they’re the same diameter as a one pence piece and secondly, they’re dehydrated so they’re about the thickness of two extra strong mints stacked one on top of the other.

They come in a pack of four or nine and the idea is simple enough – if you want to use one, simply add a tiny amount of the Pits N Bits waterless shampoo or body wash, we’re talking drops here, and it’ll expand allowing you to unravel a decent sized cloth wipe ready to go. They’re fairly strong and the advantage over carrying normal tissues is that if they get wet, it’s a bonus, instead of turning to mush like the ones you get in the 24hr ration packs. As mentioned though, you can use normal water to expand it instead of the wash.

Really, the purpose of these though is to give you a source of clean and hygienic wipes to use on daily personal admin in the field without having to carry about a scaggy, horrible hand towel that after a few days use is harbouring more diseases and viral agents than Porton Down.

The wipes are surprisingly strong too, meaning once you’re finished using it, you don’t have to necessarily dispose of it – it makes a fairly good cleaning rag for weapons or other kit.

It costs £1.50 for a pack of four, so in the general scheme of things, it’s pricey to buy a decent amount for an exercise or outdoor jaunt, but if you’re at all concerned about your hygiene then it’s a good move.