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Post by catonsvillebill on Feb 5, 2023 15:45:18 GMT -8
Like many of you I use had wipes on the trail after I go to the bathroom. I used to use Upper Canada Soap brand because they had a lot of moisture 9 You could squeeze them out and have a handful of solution). They aren't available anymore so I have gone to Bio Pure brand. I'd like to put some kind of solution in the container to make them more moist such that when I wring them out I have the same solution in my hands.(They aren't as moist as Upper Canada Soap). What can I add to the container? Alcohol? soapy water? The active ingredient is Benzalkonium Chloride. I can't find that in any store I go into though.
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Post by High Sierra Fan on Feb 5, 2023 19:47:11 GMT -8
One of a number of hand sanitizers? I’d avoid messing with that chemical individually. “Benzalkonium chloride is a human skin and severe eye irritant.[37] It is a respiratory toxicant, immunotoxicant, gastrointestinal toxicant, and neurotoxicant.[38][39][40]” en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benzalkonium_chloride
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Post by absarokanaut on Feb 5, 2023 20:32:17 GMT -8
Pam is bettah than buttah!
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rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on Feb 6, 2023 8:19:20 GMT -8
Water. Add it as needed when you use the wipes. That will keep the weight down. Sanitize your hands as needed with hand sanitizer.
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ErnieW
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Post by ErnieW on Feb 7, 2023 19:31:31 GMT -8
I carry dry paper towels. Lighter than wipes and can be useful in their dry state or moistened with a little water for clean up.
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RumiDude
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Post by RumiDude on Feb 11, 2023 11:19:23 GMT -8
I often carry disposable nitrite or vinyl gloves for toilet use. I only use one per session and they are relatively light and not too bulky. To be clear I only use this for a dump, not peeing. I carry out my tp so carrying this also is not too much of an issue.
Rumi <~~~~~certified germaphobe
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Hand Wipes
Feb 11, 2023 14:06:07 GMT -8
via mobile
Post by High Sierra Fan on Feb 11, 2023 14:06:07 GMT -8
Other than gloves; unless there’s anti bacterial ingredients the OPs concern doesn’t get met that I can see. Now that can be simply soap, but otherwise no.
Less critical for solo but as I’ve seen numbers pushing 90% of backcountry derived Giardia being from companions for preparation without adequate cleanliness….
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ErnieW
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Post by ErnieW on Feb 11, 2023 14:24:18 GMT -8
For me there are two phases. Sometimes everything goes well and when I am done I just use hand sanitizer. The other phase is when it doesn't go well and I get poop on my hand(s). Then I use the moistened paper towels followed by generous hand sanitizer. Before I go I tend to spike up my hand sanitizer with a little more isopropyl alcohol. I figure it tends to evaporate some even in a closed container while I have it stored and I can tolerate the higher concentration. Definitely want to know it is killing the germs on my hands when I need to use it.
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Post by tallgrass on Feb 12, 2023 10:38:48 GMT -8
For me there are two phases. Sometimes everything goes well and when I am done I just use hand sanitizer. The other phase is when it doesn't go well and I get poop on my hand(s). Then I use the moistened paper towels followed by generous hand sanitizer. Before I go I tend to spike up my hand sanitizer with a little more isopropyl alcohol. I figure it tends to evaporate some even in a closed container while I have it stored and I can tolerate the higher concentration. Definitely want to know it is killing the germs on my hands when I need to use it. Be mindful about the concentrations of what alcohol you're using. A 60-70% alcohol content is actually the best at killing germs. If you're adding a 90% solution...you could actually be making it a little less effective. Contact time is also a HUGE factor in effectiveness. Err on the side of longer.
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Post by High Sierra Fan on Feb 12, 2023 13:11:29 GMT -8
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RumiDude
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Post by RumiDude on Feb 12, 2023 17:57:59 GMT -8
On top of that, if you are to contact bits of fecal mater, it is often in a soupy mix of greasy goop that is not easily wiped off. Which is one reason I carry vinyl or nitrile gloves to mitigate that worry. I realize I am contributing one more thing to the landfill but ... choices. i grab my used tp in my gloved had then peel the glove off turning it inside out around the tp, then pop it in my toilet ziplock and zzziiiipppp! Then I use a few drops of sanitizer on the hands to finish the process. If things are working properly I will repeat again the next morning. Yea, I'm a morning person, but usually try to wait till I am a few hundred yards down the trail to minimize impact around the campsite. Rumi ~the doo~Dude
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ErnieW
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Post by ErnieW on Feb 13, 2023 5:21:12 GMT -8
9 things alcohol-based hand sanitizers don’t kill As I read that I was asking myself what DOES it kill? This whole thing may need some more research. The glove thing sounded like too much but now I'm not so sure.
EDIT: Of course there is this approach:
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Post by cweston on Feb 13, 2023 9:26:14 GMT -8
Yea, I'm a morning person, but usually try to wait till I am a few hundred yards down the trail to minimize impact around the campsite. OK, that's admirable, but there's no way I could adopt that practice. I'm so ridiculously goal-oriented. If I had to drop my pack and go through the whole cat-hole routine only a few hundred yards into the day, my head would probably explode.
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tigger
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Post by tigger on Feb 13, 2023 17:36:57 GMT -8
I will sometimes carry dried out baby wipes. I just add a little water before use. Most often though, moss with the sticks taken out are all I use or a bit of snow in winter. Been doing that for many years.
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Post by cweston on Feb 14, 2023 8:23:52 GMT -8
I may actually try the nitrile glove thing--thanks for the tip, RumiDude . The problem is that, in my experience, the glove is overkill maybe 80% (or more) of the time. But the other 20% of the time, when things don't go as planned, can be pretty awful. It might be worth the effort to avoid that scenario. About the landfill issue: I always remind myself that the overwhelming percentage of my life takes place at home or otherwise in the front-country. My habits in that setting have far, far more impact on the environment, etc., than what I do the relatively few days a year I'm pooping, cooking, etc in the backcountry. So I wouldn't fret too much about a few extra nitrile gloves or ziplock bags in the landfill. (This is also my position on nutrition in the backcountry. If I were a through-hiker, or spent 100 bag nights a year, that would be different.)
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