The Descriptive Process

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I'm fortunate to be almost immune to PO but my wife isn't as lucky. She swears by this: slather on Tecnu, then wrap the affected extremity (this method would be sketchy if the PO is on your head) with Saran wrap to keep the Tecnu on your skin instead of on the sheets. I'd say it's worth a shot.
If we all did that at the next GTG and then went to town for supper looking like that it might make the front page of the Napa newspaper.
 
Oh, I have had pretty good luck treating it, when I realize I have been exposed. Any of the quality waterless hand cleaners slathered on and worked in will really reduce the effects. I think the citrus based may work better, and the granulated is good, too. I have a tube in my hunting pack, and if I'm in a bad area, will slather things after I pee in the woods, just in case.

I have read that Mean Green brand works especially well, but I've never tried it myself. It's simply an irritant oil, (an especially powerful one) so it goes to reason that an effective degreaser is the best way to rid yourself of it. I've even had luck in minimizing the negative outcome after I have realized I'm getting it, but it really works out to remove the oil as soon as possible after exposure.

My grandparents in South Western Oregon is badly infested, I've been getting it on a regular basis since I was a little kid, with the failure to listen to good advice that is common in kids. I think Poison Oak is one of the reasons I have learned to listen relatively well.
 
I was working near Anatone, WA, on the banks of the Snake. We were digging up rotted cottonwood hot spots, so after the first day I swapped to a "clean" shirt. I now have two armfuls of poison oak blisters. I'm pretty sure I didn't see any there, and it's all in spots that should have been covered by my sleeves. I washed all my nomex in degreaser, three trips through the washer each.
I hate Poison Oak. Stuck to the sheets last night.

I've seen poison-ivy aplenty near there. It could be that you were on the lookout for the wrong plant. Much sympathy, though. I am a urushiol magnet.
 
I've seen poison-ivy aplenty near there. It could be that you were on the lookout for the wrong plant. Much sympathy, though. I am a urushiol magnet.

That would make sense. Down in the bottom of the draw, around a flowing creek. Thick with cottonwood and other brush, grape vines even.
 
That would make sense. Down in the bottom of the draw, around a flowing creek. Thick with cottonwood and other brush, grape vines even.

That's exactly the kind of place where I've seen it in eastern WA, specifically along the Snake and the Palouse.

Did you get PO from the Napa GTG last year?

Of course I did. Price of doin' business. I've gotten it twice here so far this year and haven't even seen it in any of the places where I've been working. That stuff loves me.
 
That stuff loves me.

Me too. I'm frequently the only person around that gets it. I have a long history of cross contamination, getting it from my pack, from shirts that I haven't worn for a year. I think I have also gotten it from my dogs, and bootlaces. A few years ago, I had it on my face so bad I couldn't put contact lenses in for two weeks because my eyelids were so puffy.
 
BOOT LACES. I am pretty sure that's where I got it from this January. I wore a pair of boots I last wore in NorCal in Nov and got the poison oaks then, and got two stripes across my forearms in Jan. Couldn't for the life of me figure another way or time I could have come in contact with that plant at the time.
 
A few years ago I was at the Broughton Mills Fire, and the IC made everyone change out their laces as part of the demobe process. If you didn't take yours out and drop them into their trash can, you didn't get a signature from Supply.
That's super weird!! But understandable if PO was around.
 
just about ate it today,

We was pulling a big cotton wood over, had it rigged to swing more than pull

well she sat back... hard...

So I motion for the skidder to drive forward just a bit

He thought just a bit meant get on it and over she'll go... pulled the ****ing thing over sideways over me, and then she continued to back sit gets hung up in the very last tree before a main road and power lines... The one I'm trying to hide under...

But it don't stop there the son of ***** keeps pulling

I got **** raining down all around me screaming for the dumb ass to stop... finally the wifey ran out in front of him to stop him...

So here we are, about 30' from a major road, not a highway but close, this **** is tipped into this other back leaning sob... its aimed straight at the land owners power lines... My saw is firmly stuck in place, ***** falling all the time...

But we have a skidder... and she's already rigged just not in the correct direction...

Flash forward about 13 hours of 128 deg weather and a pissed off gyppo...

Run the swing line through a block up the hill, and through my 200' hunk of cable, back to the skidder, that has just enough line on to park me right under the power lines....

Block the road off as best we can and pull like an angry mule. Wide open that ole Deere is scary...

Unbelievably it comes over, pivots on whats left of the stump, nothing falls into the road, and she tips off into a couple of apple trees, but no major damage.
this is of course where I start to panic... hands start shakin... sweat is pouring (its a family trait panic when every thing is ok), buts she's down, and no one hurt or killed. (maybe my luck ain't so bad after all...)
 
just about ate it today,

We was pulling a big cotton wood over, had it rigged to swing more than pull

well she sat back... hard...

So I motion for the skidder to drive forward just a bit

He thought just a bit meant get on it and over she'll go... pulled the ****ing thing over sideways over me, and then she continued to back sit gets hung up in the very last tree before a main road and power lines... The one I'm trying to hide under...

But it don't stop there the son of ***** keeps pulling

I got **** raining down all around me screaming for the dumb ass to stop... finally the wifey ran out in front of him to stop him...

So here we are, about 30' from a major road, not a highway but close, this **** is tipped into this other back leaning sob... its aimed straight at the land owners power lines... My saw is firmly stuck in place, ***** falling all the time...

But we have a skidder... and she's already rigged just not in the correct direction...

Flash forward about 13 hours of 128 deg weather and a pissed off gyppo...

Run the swing line through a block up the hill, and through my 200' hunk of cable, back to the skidder, that has just enough line on to park me right under the power lines....

Block the road off as best we can and pull like an angry mule. Wide open that ole Deere is scary...

Unbelievably it comes over, pivots on whats left of the stump, nothing falls into the road, and she tips off into a couple of apple trees, but no major damage.
this is of course where I start to panic... hands start shakin... sweat is pouring (its a family trait panic when every thing is ok), buts she's down, and no one hurt or killed. (maybe my luck ain't so bad after all...)
That is the opposite of what is good.

Glad you're okay brother!!!
 
Santa Cruz county is poison oak central. I think God invented it right here to punish future hippies for moving here.

Urushiol is an old Indian word for 'itches like hell". Any soap and water will help but one of the many PO soaps work best IF you follow the directions. Tecnu, Maria's, Zanfel all work well if you scrub twice. The first time try to use minimal water and the second time scrub for 2 minutes or more, then rinse. I would not bandage any soap to my body since blisters may be the result. Like you all said it is all the various other things that are contaminated that cause the problems. Clothes, dogs, and tool handles seem to be the worst. I won't even go into how dangerous burning PO is. The worst case I ever had was from a small wildland fire a few days before the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake.

The help deal with the rash and the itching I recommend Benadryl and Ibuprofen taken together. Of course Predizone really helps but I HATE that stuff. I can't sleep at night and during the day I turn into the Incredible Hulk.

Pre-exposure lotions work well too. Even regular girly lotion applied to arms, neck, and face will help seal your skin and reduce the amount of oil that soaks into your skin. I carry pre-exposure towelettes in the door pocket of my truck. Heck, even sunscreen helps.

Don't hesitate going to the doc (HS do you make house calls to Warshington) if PO gets into your lungs or eyes or groin.

Then you could take the Northman route and grow 2 inches of hair everywhere. No poison oak can get through to his skin that way. Just be careful during hunting season.

Oops forgot to add... use a calamine product if a rash starts but again read the instructions. Don't over do the calamine or it will add to your misery. Same goes for hot water, you can cook yourself. Then use lotion to help rehydrate your skin.
 
So what yer say'n is that if I happen to be in the Sierra's in the next couple of days and smell BACON! that I should just keep walk'n?
Whoa! If you ever travel to the Sierras let me know first so I can create a temporary no shoot zone. I let the local university know not to try to take any tissue samples for DNA testing either. Maybe you could just leave a couple pounds of hair on the barb wire fence.
 
just about ate it today,

We was pulling a big cotton wood over, had it rigged to swing more than pull

well she sat back... hard...

So I motion for the skidder to drive forward just a bit

He thought just a bit meant get on it and over she'll go... pulled the ****ing thing over sideways over me, and then she continued to back sit gets hung up in the very last tree before a main road and power lines... The one I'm trying to hide under...

But it don't stop there the son of ***** keeps pulling

I got **** raining down all around me screaming for the dumb ass to stop... finally the wifey ran out in front of him to stop him...

So here we are, about 30' from a major road, not a highway but close, this **** is tipped into this other back leaning sob... its aimed straight at the land owners power lines... My saw is firmly stuck in place, ***** falling all the time...

But we have a skidder... and she's already rigged just not in the correct direction...

Flash forward about 13 hours of 128 deg weather and a pissed off gyppo...

Run the swing line through a block up the hill, and through my 200' hunk of cable, back to the skidder, that has just enough line on to park me right under the power lines....

Block the road off as best we can and pull like an angry mule. Wide open that ole Deere is scary...

Unbelievably it comes over, pivots on whats left of the stump, nothing falls into the road, and she tips off into a couple of apple trees, but no major damage.
this is of course where I start to panic... hands start shakin... sweat is pouring (its a family trait panic when every thing is ok), buts she's down, and no one hurt or killed. (maybe my luck ain't so bad after all...)

The vid that goes with this...



Good luck 2dogs...
 

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