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I went to the dentist today and as I left was given a goody bag with a new toothbrush and toothpaste. The toothpaste was in 0.25 oz foil packets. I remarked that the toothpaste packets would be perfect for backpacking, and the hygenist gave me 12 more. I came home happy. Just a serendipitous backpacker moment. :banana
saimyoji
11-21-2005, 22:23
Wouldn't this generate extra weight/trash in the long run? I don't mean trash that you'd have to carry to the next garbage can, but trash generated on the earth as a whole. Isn't it more ecofriendly to carry a travel tube of toothpaste? I'm not a thru (yet) nor am I a gram-weenie.
Kerosene
11-21-2005, 22:36
saimyoji, talk to the big Pharma companies about it...they literally dump truckloads of this type of stuff on practitioners, hoping that a few of them will find it useful (which is why they're so willing to hand it away for free).
I was at the dermatologist and asked him about the poison ivy treatments on the market. He seemed to be supremely unaware of any of them and simply recommended hydrocortisone. As I left he handed me a bag with 20 0.5 oz packets that will take me about a century to use.
saimyoji
11-21-2005, 22:55
Yeah, I know. I've benefitted from the 'samples' that docs dish out many times. My only point is that to start a trend in purchasing individually wrapped brushings will only add to the amount of trash, even encourage it if it becomes popular.
Case in point is most Japanese candies. A bag of candies contains individually wrapped candies, generating 20-30 times the amount of trash necessary. Imagine buying a box of Ritz crackers and finding that EACH CRACKER was individually wrapped. Way too much trash.
Admittedly, I'm in an anti-trash mood as its my turn to take it out tonite. In the freezing rain. With pail of diapers....:eek:
I agree that it seems like a waste... I had one of them given to me and I did not use the entire package in one brushing... Unless you have someone who can use the remainder you will have to stow it opened.
For the "gram-weenies" (lol) they have these thingies that slip over your finger and you brush away using them.. no tooth brush - not tooth paste and these things are very light. I saw them in Wal-Mart in the tooth brush area.
SKCM
saimyoji
11-21-2005, 23:23
More trash. Try a little toothpast on your finger and brush away.
smokymtnsteve
11-21-2005, 23:42
doc bronners peppermint soap.....:p
Consider a little baggie of baking soda, it's cheap, works great, no chemicals, totally biodegradable and is very lightweight for a weeks supply.
Even if you had to buy more every few times you resupply, a little box is usually less than .50, and the rest is great for soaking feet in a tub somewhere.
Yup, very wasteful packaging. But for a weekend trip it avoids carrying more toothpaste than necessary. I wouldn't spend money on these things, but don't mind trying some free samples.
RITBlake
11-22-2005, 11:43
at the jailhouse hostel in Palmerton, PA they had a hiker box that contained, hundreds, maybe thousands of tubes of travel tooth paste. Good brands too. Kind of weird.
Alligator
11-22-2005, 14:40
at the jailhouse hostel in Palmerton, PA they had a hiker box that contained, hundreds, maybe thousands of tubes of travel tooth paste. Good brands too. Kind of weird.
The local girl scouts gave out goodie bags there. The tooth paste was one of the bag items. Most folks seemed to already have tooth paste. I thought it was a good choice though. The goody bags even had a 15 minute phone card that if used in the payphone upstairs, incurred no surcharge.
Backpacker magazine sent me a toothbrush that stores the toothpase in the handle. It twists up to dispense it through the brush.....in theory. I can't get the bottom off to put the toothpaste in it!
Alligator
11-22-2005, 21:57
Backpacker magazine sent me a toothbrush that stores the toothpase in the handle. It twists up to dispense it through the brush.....in theory. I can't get the bottom off to put the toothpaste in it!
I bought one. Piece of crap, it fell apart.
vipahman
11-22-2005, 23:50
I love those toothpaste packets. Lightweight and perfect for my needs.
And for all those environmental friendly folk out there, a good start would be to stop using toilet paper and paper napkins. Replace them with water and cloth respectively just like over 3 billion people in the eastern world. Then see how many less trees are cut down. See attachments. It's from a paper mill. These photos changed the way I use paper.
Kerosene
11-23-2005, 10:45
IReplace them with water and cloth respectively just like over 3 billion people in the eastern world. Then see how many less trees are cut down.Are these the same 3 billion people who have cut down their forests for firewood and denuded their mountains???
vipahman
11-23-2005, 12:23
Are these the same 3 billion people who have cut down their forests for firewood and denuded their mountains???
Yes but they don't get piped gas or electricity. So their choice is to go primal or die. You win some, you lose some. My point was simple. Before saving on toothpaste packets, try saving on toilet paper and paper napkins. It will be much more effective.
tlbj6142
11-23-2005, 13:07
These photos changed the way I use paper.The logs don't appear to be under any sort of distress, like veal?
OhCanada
12-25-2005, 19:44
For using baking soda to brush teeth, do you dip your brush in it dry or wet?
just the middle finger OhCanada...that crap tastes like well uh, crap, but serves double duty for antacid.
kerosene is funny, and correct. makes me wonder why the fertile cressant is no longer forrested as well as places like Pakastan has no trees where the earthquake hit...they cook with wood stoves and build mud huts.
trees are a renewable, biodegradable resource. I would more likely be won over by the AnWar oil thingy, but trees can, if replanted go on forever.
saw somewhere that if farmers don't clean out some trees that the forrest gets over taken by lesser specimin....old growth takes more forsite, many human lifetimes to be produced.
while i believe every thing carries some form of life in it, i'd still build a pakastanie a house of wood and put a fireplace in it to keep him warm, cause he's a people PEOPLE.
i did the dentist thingy too in 04. was nice to have different flavor toothpast from time to time.. in 05 i dropped off the extras at neels gap as TM
hikelite55
12-26-2005, 12:42
Sounds like everyone has a different way of doing the ole rabbies foaming mouth tooth thing first thing in the morning or evening. I`ve found that the THRU-HIKER.COM has a great tooth brush that slips onto your fore finger (no handle),it cost very little, weighs nothing and works great. As for tooth paste, well I just don`t find it a necessity.
Backpacker magazine sent me a toothbrush that stores the toothpase in the handle. It twists up to dispense it through the brush.....in theory. I can't get the bottom off to put the toothpaste in it!
I have one of these. It holds enough toothpaste for 10 brushings. Brushing 2 times a day will last 5 days. Good for weekend and short section trips. Note: you can stretch this further if you buy into the theory that you don't really need toothpaste everytime you brush, just brushing alone is enough to remove plack.
To get toothpaste in, hold tube of toothpaste against opening and squeeze it in. To clean, let set in water for a day and then flush out. Note: filling up and cleaning out will have to be done at home.
Panzer
I went to the dentist today and as I left was given a goody bag with a new toothbrush and toothpaste. The toothpaste was in 0.25 oz foil packets. I remarked that the toothpaste packets would be perfect for backpacking, and the hygenist gave me 12 more. I came home happy. Just a serendipitous backpacker moment. :banana
I got one of these from my dentist too. I keep it in my desk at work incase I have to go the dentist after work and do not have time to stop at home to brush.
I have never seen them in the store and I agree that long term use on the trail is not as practical as a using small tube of toothpaste. Still they are kind of neat.
Panzer
I've got a travel sized Colgate tube that I have refilled several times from a larger tube of Tom's toothpaste. I just put them mouth to mouth, squeeze the large tube, and it fills up the little tube.
It's true that we generate a lot of unneccesary garbage. Any way to cut down is positive.
Consider a little baggie of baking soda, it's cheap, works great, no chemicals, totally biodegradable .....
Technically, pure chemical, sodium bicarbonate, but pretty harmless unless you are on a low sodium diet. The lack of biodegradeableness would probably be a good thing in this case. Baking soda and acid rain produces CO2. the primary green house gas culprit.
LostInSpace
12-27-2005, 16:27
Technically, pure chemical, sodium bicarbonate, but pretty harmless unless you are on a low sodium diet. The lack of biodegradeableness would probably be a good thing in this case. Baking soda and acid rain produces CO2. the primary green house gas culprit.
Hmmmmmm. When the NPS and Forest Service neutralize the streams to counter the acid rain so the trout can survive, then they are likely generating CO2. I know they do this in Shenandoah NP and George Washington National Forest, but I think they use calcium carbonate.