Outdoor Hints from Heloise!

“Okay, so I'm not Heloise. Have you got any favorite "outdoor" hints? Let's hear 'em.

Like this: rub sunblock deep into your skin, wait ten minutes, then apply insect repellent. The sunblock prevents your body from absorbing too much repellent.”

“Damp socks put in your sleeping bag during the night really do get dry.”

“A little bit of Baking Soda goes a looong way...it can be used as laundry detergent, toothpaste, soap, antacid, fire extinguisher, it deodorizes, and neutralizes the sting from nettle and insect bites, etc.”

“Rub insect repellant on your skin, wait ten minutes, then apply sunblock. The insect repellant prevents your body from absorbing too much sun block.”

“Preparation H for mosquito bites. Put it on as soon as you get the bite, and DON'T scratch. Stops swelling & itching. It really works!”

“Snow Nymph -

How'd you get bitten DERE???!!!”

“PS: the reverse is also true, .5% or 1% cortisone cream does a fine job on 'roids (so i've heard)”

“oops . .forgot to add . . .it is the cortisone content in Prep H and the Cortaid type products that does the trick.”

“There are too many uses for duct tape to be contained on the www.”

“Desperate for water? Animal eyes contain water which can be obtained by sucking them. (Ewww, you first!) Large fish have a reservoir of fresh water along their spine.”

“Good for cleansing.........baby wipes, for hands and face and private parts; nothing cures a erratic wipe like a baby wipe.
followed with...

A&D ointment, it works wonders for ape-ass/monkeybutt!!

Smoke bathes really do work for something.....I forget though.

For dog owners...... use p-cord to make a dog run while in camp. Run cord low to the ground and tied to base of trees some distance apart. Attach leash with carabiner.”

“Bourbon takes up less room in you pack and weighs less than beer.”

“Dry out the wet wipes to save weight, then add water when ready to use. MaryPhyl mentioned stridex pads for the face. I let those dry out too. Was nice on 30 day trip.”

“hmmm...I guess you can dehydrate just about anything.”

“Bacardi 151 takes up less room in you pack and weighs less than bourbon.”

“I bring Oil of Olay cleansing cloths cut into quarters. One quarter has enough soap for a "bath." They are dry until you wet them.”

“In case you feel the need to hose anything down, a camelbak has about a 2 foot range.”

“The soap in Oil of Olay cloths aren't biodegradable, but we use them for spit baths, and wipe the suds off with wet wipes. We cut ours in qtrs too.”

“Helicopter charter services can alleviate much of the fatigue related to those really strenuous ascents.”

“dear radagast,

Regarding the 151 vs bourbon thing......

Which one's stronger all depends on who made the bourbon!”

“Everclear takes up less room in you pack and weighs less than Bacardi 151 .”

“I think the wacky tobacky weighs less then either.;-)

Repackage everythink. Do you really need a half pound of sunblock, 1/4 lb of soap, and a 1/4 lb of bug juice for a 1 week backpack? works pretty well for food too.”

“An old trick to figure out how much time is left before sundown: hold your hands out in front of you at arm's length. Each finger that fits between the horizon and sun is worth about 5 minutes of sunlight. Or was it 15 minutes?

An analog watch can tell direction, as long as it's set to true local time (disregarding daylight saving time). Point the hour hand at the sun. A line that bisects the angle between the hour hand and the 12 mark is the north-south axis.”

“Don't pee on a nest of Ground Bees, even by accident, they won't understand.”

“RE: Tahoe's hint . . .this goes double if you are a woman.”

“RE: Tahoe's hint . . .this goes double if you are a woman.”

“Dont pee into a strong breeze,dont pee uphill barefoot,dont under any circumstances fall into your "cathole". Teasing animals can be fun but NOT a bear cub...especially if you cant see momma. DO NOT BUSHWHACK THROUGH A BIG OLE SWAMP FULL OF BRIARS WHILE TRYING TO FIND AN OLD RAILBED AS A SHORTCUT TO A TUNNEL!”

“How's your nose?”

“An umbrella is great for ducking under in light rain than having to stop an put your goretex on. A water bottle filed with boiling water and stuffed into your sleeping bag that night, warms your sleeping bag and gives you good drinking water for the next day.”

“Hey, I'm going to try that baking soda idea. I know how you use it as toothpaste and for bugbites, but antacid? A tsp in water?, or what?

Also, some people can't use A&D ointment for rash. My kids' diaper rash got worse, not better. In that case, Desitin, the white ointment, works better. Everyone's skin is different.”

“Try about four tbs. That should work. heehee...

Don't take a Sweetwater Guardian.”

“Four Tblsps? Geez, then I could do my laundry in my stomach!”

“Re: Kleetn's - it is 15 minutes.”

“I have found that makeup remover clothes clean better than baby wipes. You can use them on your face, and no rinsing needed.”

“Lots of morning dew or frost usually means the day will be fair. Little or no dew or frost means the air has been moving and wet weather is on the way.

If the wind is blowing AND either/or 1) the leaves on the trees are turned upside down, 2) cows are laying down...then rain is moving into the area.”

“Be careful with the wipes. I use them also.
I once used them on my legs - wiped up. It nicely spread the poison Ivy I didn't know I was going to get.

OOPS

BTW if you ever do get PI - wash your boots off. Doc said that the oils can stay on for quite awhile.”

“Tired of scraping the wax out of those candle lanterns? Just put the glass 'globes' upright on a paper towel and microwave on high for one minute. Let them cool before picking them up!

(and that poison oak and ivy wash works wonders)”

“Violin- as a adhesives connoisseur (I am a materials engineer) I feel obliged to tell you, duct tape is the b@stard child of the adhesives industry. Why do people keep using the stuff?”

“Goldbond! Goldbond! Goldbond!”

“Ohhhh...I can feel it tingling as I think about it!”

“For a lightweight and cheap plate cut out the bottom of a 1 gallon spring water jug.”

“Use one of the 10,000 "AOL Free Trial" CD's you get in the mail as an emergency signal mirror...or an emergency Frisbee.

A real Frisbee can double as an emergency shovel, a container for collecting huckleberries or a plate.”

“For an ultralight coffee maker place a cone shaped coffee filter around your mug and secure it with a rubber band. Place the desired amount of grounds in the filter and pour the hot water through. Used it last week and it worked great.”

“kleetn, posting on a Sat night???

Kleety, I tried that B.S. over a flight route once, mind you

Mirroring down a helicopter/plane is a BUNCH OF B.S.!!! This only happens in the movies lol! I had to hike out 20 mi. to save that b@stard!”

“No matter what yer doing...If yer feet get cold, cover yer head.

btw-I'm posting tonight, too!!!!

Big night last night...big night tommorrow night. Tonight is couch night 8).”

“Cut the bottom half off of a bleach bottle and use it as a multipurpose container. I carry my blackened pot in it and use it for lost of things. Sometimes I just use it to organize my cooking stuff so it doesn't get knocked around in the dirt.

Great for washing, carrying water, all kinds of things.”

“Wipe yer butt with the hand you usually don't pick yer nose with!”

“Thank Buddur - I always forget about that one.”

“Pack biscuits or cookies in an empty Pringles container to keep them from getting crushed.”

“I use one detergent for everything. Dishes, hands, body, hair. Sunlight works good.”