Poison ivy

Posted: Sat Mar 31, 2012 7:16 am

So you got your first tick already? I can top that! I've got my first poison ivy rash now. Fabulous. Mad

I'm telling you, men have it so much easier than women when they need to relieve themselves in the woods. Rolling Eyes

Posted: Sat Mar 31, 2012 7:46 am

It's obviously too late for this advice, but maybe it will help in the future.

My doctor recommends keeping a few of those alcohol wipes with me when I'm in the woods. The theory is to use these to wipe the hands good before using the wee-wee bush. The alcohol in the wipes is supposed to remove / neutralize the poison ivy oils.

WGA Member Joined: 2007-02-03 Posts: 2182

beccaday wrote:

I can top that! Rolling Eyes

Don't you mean you can "bottom that"?

Posted: Sat Mar 31, 2012 8:01 am

Mister Greenthumb wrote:

beccaday wrote:

I can top that! Rolling Eyes

Don't you mean you can "bottom that"?

*groans*

Posted: Sat Mar 31, 2012 8:15 am

Don't think we want to know.....OK maybe we do oh i just don't know

Joined: 2009-06-05 Posts: 2123 Location: Menominee, MI

How does one identify poison ivy anyways?

Edit: Or any other poison plants for that matter.

Posted: Sat Mar 31, 2012 8:19 am

Todd300 wrote:

How does one identify poison ivy anyways?

Edit: Or any other poison plants for that matter.

leaflets three, let it be. Berries white poisonous sight.

Posted: Sat Mar 31, 2012 11:59 am

I'm sorry. Confused

(I can't believe how many ticks I've found in the past three weeks!!!)

I've gotten a little paranoid. I'm really, really sensitive to it. In 2010 I spent literally all summer covered in stuff between airsoft, camping and geocaching. I couldn't seem to stay out of it (the snuggly geopups don't help). Then I got it at the beginning of 2011 while geocaching in the rain forest in Puerto Rico (that one was worth it). The prednisone both times killed me though. I'm still working that weight off.

So now I carry alcohol and after almost every cache I dump it on my hands and wipe off the pen, gps, and camera (no outbreaks last summer, THANK GOD). When we get home I alcohol down the car and then put a large beach towel over the cloth drivers seat. I'm trying to get in the habit of not touching my face.

Almost all of our hobbies are outdoors and I spend way too much time worrying about those evil little plants and vines! Sad

Posted: Sat Mar 31, 2012 5:27 pm

Thanks for the tips everyone. Last summer I had a nasty case of poison ivy that eventually got infected and I had to go on anti-B's so I was planning on being extra careful this summer. I didn't realize it was already time to be careful!

Posted: Sat Mar 31, 2012 5:28 pm

Mister Greenthumb wrote:

beccaday wrote:

I can top that! Rolling Eyes

Don't you mean you can "bottom that"?

Well aren't you punny!

Posted: Sun Apr 01, 2012 1:51 pm

I always know it's poison ivy because the three leaves and they hang down a bit. Just google a picture of poison ivy and you will see many. I am highly allergic to it so I am always careful to watch for it and carry along the anti-poison Shocked

ivy stuff.http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=poison+ivy+pictures&id=13B65825F68F9EE3FE[url]

Posted: Sun Apr 01, 2012 2:34 pm

Don't forget to be on the lookout for other nasties if you cache around the country, like Poison Oak (West) and Poison Sumac. And then there was that other nasty that Mr. Greenthumb met last year, right here in the Dairy State - wild parsnip????

A citified 'backyard or Chuck E Cheese geocache party/delivery service' might be a good venture, or not. Smile

Posted: Sun Apr 01, 2012 2:39 pm

psssssst: Ya gotta have skills

Posted: Sun Apr 01, 2012 3:32 pm

I just count poison ivy as a fact of life if you're going to venture out into nature, especially for caching as you tend to get off established trails and could end up in the middle of a patch of it. I make sure to keep a good supply of ointments and itch-relief creams on hand.

Posted: Sun Apr 01, 2012 3:38 pm

huffinpuffin2 wrote:

psssssst: Ya gotta have skills

I learned how to handle that by going deer hunting Shocked

Lots of beer and greasy eggs for breakfast and you learn quickly to bring a roll of TP along everywhere you go.