Avoiding Poison Ivy

[gargoyle]

fin, thanks for the jewelweed tip. My kids have had it bad a few 100 times. We throw them in the tub, shower or lake as soon as we know or think they have been exposed. Soap and water have been working good.

Leaves of three
leave it be
Leaves of five
Let it thrive
A little poem we heard awhile back, it helped the kids remember.

[Ramblinrev]

"Leaves of three let it be
Leaves of four eat some more"

Homer Simpson

[SuperTramp]

I carry extra hand sanitizer and put it over any part of me that itches. Works wonders. Something similar might work for gear. I would test it out first to make sure it wouldn't damage anything.[/QUOTE]


hand sanitizer works great even for drying up the rash-i don't use the stuff everyday like some germ freak but i have learned the hard way after cutting wood in the bush to sanitize my hands before going pee! ya know what i'm sayin?

[SmokeHouse]

My wife has got it bad right now,,, After petting the dogs she got it...

[fin]

Poison Sumac has between 5 and 13 leaves, so the "leaves of 3" rule doesn't always apply.

[Bunn]

I am one of those who is very sensitive to poison ivy/oak and after several years of suffering I discovered a product called TecNu. This stuff really does work, they have several versions and I swear by them all. There is a pre-treatment you can apply prior to contact with the leaves, but if you are sweating a lot you will need to reapply fairly regularly, but it really does help in prevention. There is also one you use after exposure, basically after you get back, take a good shower and use this as directed and you will see a dramatic reduction in the amount of rash that shows up. They also make a solution to wash your clothes and gear with, the oils will stay in the fabrics of just about anything so if it is something that goes next to the skin it is a good idea to make sure it gets a good washing before the next use.

It is not a miracle product and you can still get the rash, but if used as directed it will truly help prevent and reduce the amount of rash you actually get.

Here is a link with some info on the product.

http://www.poisonoakandivy.com/tecnu.html

[G...Hawk]

Fin, Thanks for the links to images of the many looks of poison ivy and jewel weed.

Jewelweed is my preferred :Take a handful of stalks, fold into a 10" bunch and twist with both hands; rub on area. Do the same and put in ziplock bag and let it stew; ready when the next little red bump appears. Jewelweed often grows where poison ivy is nearby, here in the east. Sometimes near water runoff spots.

I would remove poison ivy when a camp counselor as a teenager. Never got it.
Then in my mid-forties the Oil entered a deep scratch, now I will get it occasionally.
The dog sometimes brings it back on his coat.

Currently experimenting with using Clorox wipes. It has worked for us.
They take the oil out of your hands when cleaning the house with them.
It occurred to me that was what the old fashion method of washing with
very harsh brown laundry soap did. ( Fels-Naptha ).

The wipes are cheap and easy to carry into the woods in a ziplock.
Wipe your legs or arms if you think you have brushed the leaves; before you feel the itch. Even when you first feel the itch if the skin is not broken.

[lori]

Tecnu is like magic. Also handles sap on gear.

There's also IvyBlock in wipes and lotion - pre-apply to block the oil from causing rashes.

I use long pants, gaiters, Tecnu and avoidance to good effect. I didn't get a rash until recently after years of romping about in areas where poison oak grows.

[Beast 71]

I am one of those who is very sensitive to poison ivy/oak and after several years of suffering I discovered a product called TecNu. This stuff really does work, ...

Here is a link with some info on the product.

http://www.poisonoakandivy.com/tecnu.html

I second that it great stuff I wash,myself, my boots, all my camping and hunting clothes in it. It really works! Anything that cuts the oil from the poison ivy plant will work. In a pinch you can even use WD-40. I also make up a 50%/50% solution of dawn dish soap and mineral spirts. It works very well but I don't use it in the washing machine for fear of explosions.

[BillyBob58]

I had a sleeping bag that I took with me on a canoe trip to the Wisconsin River one year. Every time I used that bag again, I broke out with the PI rash, even after washing it multiple times. I finally ditched the bag, and bought a new one.

I avoid anything that has 3 leaves if it even looks suspiciously like PI. I'm not taking chances, PI looks different in different locations. PICS OF POISON IVY, Great Site. Shawnee was loaded with PI. We waded through it in a couple of spots on the trail. Jewel Weed is a great natural antidote, and there was plenty of that at Shawnee as well.

And don't forget about poison oak - just as nasty, and some people may think they are baby oak trees.

Poison Sumac pics.

Thanks for the Sumac links. This is much tougher to identify for me, but these links help.