[pct-l] Lotions and potions

[Diane Soini]

I carry a small trial size toothpaste and refill it occasionally. I have a tiny little bottle I saved from when my bird got some medicine at the vet. I would put shampoo in there. I later found out that the pink gas station hand soap makes great shampoo so I would refill it after washing my hair in the gas station sink. I put my DEET in a tiny trial size visine bottle. Turned out I needed the extra large economy size for DEET so that didn’t work. Sanitizer goes in a trial size, too. I saved one from pre-911 so that it’s extra small, not one of the big ones they have now. I carried a hotel soap in a little patch kit box I got at the bike shop. Poison oak cream is not needed. Anti-chafe powder I put in a small ziploc and put that in a larger ziploc. My hairbrush is just the rubber pin-cushion part of a brush without the rest of the brush. It always comes off the rest of the brush anyway. I carried a small foil single-serving of neosporin I got out of a first aid kit and I would refill it with a toothpick now and then. I kept it in a tiny ziploc I got with extra shirt buttons. Just keep thinking like that. How can I make this thing smaller, lighter or what can I put it in and also can I just do without it. I’m going to stink in about 10 minutes on the trail anyway, so why bother with all this washing and perfuming. Nothing smells worse than an oncoming day hiker anyway.

On Feb 22, 2014, at 10:00 AM, pct-l-request at backcountry.net wrote:

> From: Jake Handy <jakers329 at yahoo.com>
> Subject: [pct-l] Lotions and potions
> 
> Does anyone have a barebones system for carrying such hygiene/personal items like soap, sanitizer, deet, PO cream, anti-chafe, etc...?
> I was considering small amounts in little plastic containers and bouncing the rest but that could take up precious space/weight in my pack .  Any ideas?
> Thanks all!
> Jake