[pct-l] poison oak - technu

[bholt at ix.netcom.com (Bill Holt)]

Eric,

Technu is my friend.

It is not a lotion per se but a rather mixture of the equivalent of mineral spirits and lanolin. It should be used to clean potentially exposed areas. The mineral spirits act as a solvent for the oil from the poison oak and allows it to be removed from the skin. You can get the same result by using straight mineral spirits but its not as convenient.

I've recently had a graphic demonstration of its effectiveness. I partially cleaned my hands and forearms after exposure. I didn't get it all. There was a clear line of demarcation above the cleansing area. It was similar to what you see if you don't full coverage when applying sun screen.

When I'm going into infested areas I carry a small bottle in my pack and I have a larger one in my car.

My worst exposures occur in winter when the leaves are gone and its not readily visible. If I'm off trail not realizing its poison oak I'll grab a bunch of bare branches to clear the way or for support. I end up with it on my hands and spread it all around, including some very sensitive areas. I don't have as much problem in the summer because it readily visible. 

In the summer I also tend to avoid the lower elevation areas where poison oak occurs because they're also tick infested. I hate ticks even more than poison oak.

Bill in Sacramento



-----Original Message-----
From: Eric Yakel <eyakel@earthlink.net>
Sent: Mar 3, 2005 7:07 AM
To: pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net, Brick Robbins <brick@fastpack.com>
Subject: Re: [pct-l] poison oak

It is most definitely around here (Warner Springs), I've seen it several
times
along agua caliente creek just north of Warner Springs.  There is an
ointment
that worked wonders for me.  I believe it is called Tecnu for the people
that
are worried about the rashes.  E.Y.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Brick Robbins" <brick@fastpack.com>
To: <pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net>
Sent: Wednesday, March 02, 2005 6:38 PM
Subject: RE: [pct-l] poison oak


> At 05:42 PM 3/2/05, Mike Saenz wrote:
> >Yogi- I'm betting that you caught poison oak north of Sierras. To
> >accidentally brush up against it in Southern California, you have to be
> >crawling through a lot of green brush rather blindly...
>
> Not true. There is lots of Poison Oak south of Lake Morena, even on the
> trail descending into Houser Canyon. When you traverse into the gullies on
> the descent, you will notice moss on the granite: that is plenty of water
> for P.O. You will also find lots of it anywhere you may stop to get water,
> and not just on the bank of the creek.
>
> The one saving grace is that you don't see much of it above 4000-5000ft
>
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