[pct-l] Poison Oak Scoop

[George Wysup]

> Poison oak isn't something to be too terribly concerned with. Learn what it looks like and watch where you are going. If you're unsure, just don't rub up against it. If you get it, it's just a rash, not a death sentence. Don't scratch! If you scratch the first time, you'll know it's poison oak because it will feel orgasmic and painful at the same time. This is a signal to stop scratching. No matter what, do not scratch. It WILL subside and go away. HOT HOT water applied to the skin will bring you relief enough to fall asleep. Benadryl can help, too, if you don't mind side- effects. But the best thing is to not scratch. The itchiness WILL subside. <

This from a frequent sufferer from poison oak (me):
1. Use your Purell or rubbing alcohol to clean any areas exposed to PO. Works maybe as well as Tech-Nu. The alcohol reacts with the urushiol. Clean clothing and equipment exposed to PO a.s.a.p. using soap; this is to avoid secondary exposure. Plain water won't help much.
2. For anyone who gets side effects from benadryl, megadoses ( 1000 mg every couple of hours) of vitamin C help to speed recovery and mitigate the allergy effects.
3. The best treatment for the itching (can be really intense) is hydrocortisone cream. Carry a 1/2 oz. tube. It's also great for jock itch. Replenish it with a 1 oz tube if you actually catch PO. Tape some plastic wrap over the cream to increase the action of the cream (a dermatologist once told me); also this might help with the scratching problem.
4. Same dermatologist once told me- don't use hot water. Cold is better. A dip in a lake seems in order. 
5. It does little harm to break the blisters. The ooze is not an allergen.
6. You will develop an itchy rash within 24 hours after heavy exposure to PO. Lighter exposure might take 3 days. Anything after that is because you are gatting it from your clothing or llama or whatever.
7. Poison oak is rare above about 5300' elevation in So Cal (I've seen it as high as 5700'), likely not nearly as high up in the northern reaches of the PCT.
8. Squaw Bush is supposedly not a politically correct term, and it's now more commonly referred to as Skunk Brush (Rhus trilobata). It is in the same family (Sumac) as poison oak. Here is some good info & photos:
http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?stat=BROWSE&query_src=photos_flora_sci&where-genre=Plant&where-taxon=Rhus+trilobata&title_tag=Rhus+trilobata 
9 Info & photos on Poison Oak (Toxicodendron diversilobum):
http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?stat=BROWSE&query_src=photos_flora_sci&where-genre=Plant&where-taxon=Toxicodendron+diversilobum&title_tag=Toxicodendron+diversilobum 
                                Good luck,
George/ Oldfahrt