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Post by flyinion on Jun 6, 2016 22:11:26 GMT -8
I've been working up to my first backpacking trip later this year by getting in shape via walking and dayhikes since last year. As part of that I picked up a "proper" daypack/backpack vs. the camera gear backpack I had. An REI Traverse 28L that has the hipbelt etc. I've noticed a problem the couple times I've used it this year vs. last October when it was cooler. Right where the lower section in the back at the hipbelt level sits at the top of the hips in the lumbar area I get an itchy contact dermatitis type reaction after hiking a few miles and being sweaty under it. Wondering if there are any suggestions for preventing this? I'm not sure if I have the hip belt snugged down too tight (doesn't feel like it to me but it can't really move) or if there's something else I can do.
The only other difference between now and when I used it in the fall was the weather was cooler, and I was wearing a cotton T-shirt then. The times I've used it this year I was using some new synthetic shirts I bought for their moisture wicking ability. One is mostly polyester with a bit of spandex, the other mostly something called Modal with about 30% polyester. I've never had problems with synthetic garments before though so I'm not sure they're the problem. I suspect it's the backpack resting there. Anyway, any suggestions would be helpful. Maybe I just need to go in cooler weather and skip out on the warm summer months? Definitely not optimal but better than getting an itchy skin irritation every time.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 7, 2016 4:02:53 GMT -8
An interesting issue.
For a day pack, I do not rely on the hip belt to carry the load, I rely on my shoulders to be the load carriers. My hip belt is snug, to prevent pack bounce and to give me hip belt pockets. I'd look carefully at the spot on the backpack where the issue is happening for some kind of irritant; like a small seed or stick. I'd also try a hike with the hip belt unsnapped to see if the issue arises. Interesting problem, indeed.
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daveb
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Post by daveb on Jun 7, 2016 7:25:50 GMT -8
They sell a product called Body Glide that might help you. www.bodyglide.comYou might also want to switch to one of the clear and free laundry detergents. I have sensitive skin and if I don't use the "clear and free" soaps I break out on my shoulders. |
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Post by flyinion on Jun 7, 2016 10:08:36 GMT -8
Thanks guys. I ended up making a Dr. appt to get it looked at because it also appeared elsewhere on my torso where the backpack was not at. Interestingly I've never had a problem with other spots where contact is made like the shoulders and where the shoulder straps come down over the chest. I'm starting to wonder if I have a polyester sensitivity since both times the shirt has had a lot of polyester. Still, that would be strange since the other contact points aren't having issues. I'll check out that body glide stuff more. At a quick look it looks interesting and might help. Not going to be happy if I end up having to give up on hiking/backpacking just because I can't carry a backpack without irritation.
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zeke
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Post by zeke on Jun 7, 2016 10:39:42 GMT -8
Summer may be the only time I wear cotton on the trail. Any time it can turn cool, I avoid the stuff. Have you tried wearing a cotton T again, to see if that helps?
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Post by flyinion on Jun 7, 2016 12:14:55 GMT -8
Summer may be the only time I wear cotton on the trail. Any time it can turn cool, I avoid the stuff. Have you tried wearing a cotton T again, to see if that helps? That will be the next test. |
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Post by flyinion on Jun 7, 2016 18:02:10 GMT -8
Doc says it looks like an allergic reaction of some kind. So now I'm suspecting soap/etc. but not really sure. The shirts have been in my drawers waiting for hiking use since earlier in the year before we switched soaps, but that's the same soap as when I didn't have the issue with a cotton shirt. My only other thought is maybe we didn't actually wash them after getting them and they still had manufacturing residue on them. Anyway, cotton shirt in similar conditions is definitely next on the list to hopefully narrow this down.
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Post by stevet on Jun 7, 2016 20:10:13 GMT -8
I get a horrible rash where my pack rests against my lower back...especially if I wear a synthetic fabric shirt. What controls it for me:
1-ditch the polypro or capilene shirt and wear one of the superlight wool t-shirts. They are spendy but better than a painful rash
2-Canestan HC cream. This is a blend of cortisone cream and clotrimazole (or athletes foot) cream. I used to mail order it from the UK but they no longer ship this to the US. So this summer I will carry tubes of both creams. I apply in the morning, and then again after any swim pr "spit" bath.
Either alone was not enough. Not sure what triggered the reaction in the first place (old age?) as I've been backpacking since age 11, and had been wearing a polypro top for maybe 20 years before the rash problem occurred. In any event the wool shirt and the 2x daily application of cream fixes it for me.
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Post by flyinion on Jun 7, 2016 21:57:34 GMT -8
Awesome, thanks for the info. I was eyeing those wool T's just last night wondering if that would do the trick to give me moisture wicking without the rash. Still want to do a test with the cotton just to see if I'm now having the problem with that as well. Of course that's going to be a ways off while I get rid of whatever is currently going on. Doc wasn't totally sure. He said it looked allergic but could have just been chaffing as well.
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Post by whiskeyjack on Jun 8, 2016 8:44:26 GMT -8
The worst part of chafing is you don't notice until it too late.
Certain styles of pants cause chafing under my hip belt. Thick waist area and belt loops are no good for me.
I also have a camelback daypack that wore some nasty holes in the back of my hip bones. I was naked except for the pack though, so unique circumstances. I still have the scars.
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whistlepunk
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Post by whistlepunk on Jun 8, 2016 11:10:14 GMT -8
in addition to the above try cleanliness and hygiene. Sweat encrusted straps irritate me and sweat encrusted skin is more susceptible to rash. Of course, good personal cleanliness is not always easy or convenient on the trail, but is something I try to maintain.
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Post by flyinion on Jun 8, 2016 13:16:01 GMT -8
in addition to the above try cleanliness and hygiene. Sweat encrusted straps irritate me and sweat encrusted skin is more susceptible to rash. Of course, good personal cleanliness is not always easy or convenient on the trail, but is something I try to maintain. Yeah I understand how that can help. Unfortunately not part of the equation in this case. Pack has been used 4 times just for a few hours each time for a day hike. Took a shower the morning I went out. Only other thing is maybe the shower gel left moisturizer type residue that contributed to it. I get shaving soap from an artisan place that makes actual old school soap, so I might try one of their soap bars and see if that helps if the shirt material thing doesn't pan out. None of the new chemical junk in them. |
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