Toothpaste

[turtlesteps]

I'm leaving for my Sobo thru-hike in about a week and was wondering what people use for toothpaste. I read baking soda, but I was wondering if people actually use real toothpaste. I'd appreciate any input.

[Appalachian Tater]

Use one of those little tubes of toothpaste you get at the dentist or buy for travel.

[HikerRanky]

First of all, congrats on the upcoming Thru-hike!

While I am not a thru-hiker, but rather a section hiker, I do carry a small trial size tube of the Arm & Hammer toothpaste... It has baking soda and peroxide in it, and does a good job for me... Of course, YMMV....

Randy

[max patch]

I use real toothpaste for toothpaste and real floss for floss and sewing thread.

[Luddite]

I buy those mid-sized tubes of toothpaste you find at gas stations. Where do you buy the travel size tubes of tooth paste? The only time I ever see them they're sold with a small toothbrush and it seems like a waste of money to buy a new brush everytime I need tooth paste.

Brushing with baking soda everyday wears off your enamal.

[modiyooch]

I just squirt toothpaste into a ziplock and I cut my toothbrush shorter.

I'm thinking I might need a support group.

[Sierra Echo]

I buy those mid-sized tubes of toothpaste you find at gas stations. Where do you buy the travel size tubes of tooth paste? The only time I ever see them they're sold with a small toothbrush and it seems like a waste of money to buy a new brush everytime I need tooth paste.

Brushing with baking soda everyday wears off your enamal.

You can get them at wal-mart.
Go look around the section that sells soaps and toothpastes and they have all kinds
of travel sized goodies.

[Panzer1]

I use a small tube of toothpaste about 3/4 ounce,
and for floss I use a REACH flosser with snap on floss head
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B001LUCDKI/ref=dp_image_text_0?ie=UTF8&n=3760901&s=hpc

with this type of floss holder you don't have to put your dirty hands in your mouth.
This is especially good for hikers who don't believe in washing their hands with soap.

Panzer

[reddenbacher]

bronners soap does it all

[fiddlehead]

Here's something you can make at home and carry and is light enough and gram saving enough to make it worthwhile carrying:
Take a cap from a regular (or big) size toothpaste, and a cap from a small or travel size one that fits the kind you can buy at convenience stores (smallest).
Now, epoxy them together top to top (so the threads pointing outward on both ends)
Then drill a hole down the middle (on the insde)

Carry this along and when you get to a hiker box with toothpaste in it, or a store that only sells the bigger ones, simply put your newly manufactured double top on both tubes and fill the small one from the big one.

Before you know it, you will have friends telling you you are a genius.

ps. i can't take credit for this idea. It came from Lazee at Eckville shelter in PA.

[on_the_GOEZ]

bronners soap does it all
ive always used just baking soda but it doesnt suprise me that it wears your teeth down after a while. I like to use it for deodorant as well. But ive always carried Dr. B's too. how do you think this works for toothpaste? bad taste?

[Bronk]

Studies have proven that toothpaste is no more effective than brushing with just plain water...save your money and the weight and don't use toothpaste.

[Mountain Wildman]

I use toothpaste, Rite Aid has a section with bins/baskets with all the mini containers like toothpaste, sanitizer, shampoo, deodorant etc... I would think CVS, Brooks etc... have them as well.

[Liv2Ride]

Studies have proven that toothpaste is no more effective than brushing with just plain water...save your money and the weight and don't use toothpaste.

Unbelievable. I'm sure that I can't be the only one that knows that what you're saying and apparently not doing is pretty disgusting. Spend some money, carry the weight and brush your teeth. Again, unbelievable.

[DavidNH]

On the trail, you use well tooth paste for toothpaste. why use anything else?

[DavidNH]

I just squirt toothpaste into a ziplock and I cut my toothbrush shorter.

I'm thinking I might need a support group.

so you squirt your toothpaste into a ziplock and cut the toothbrush handle?

My friend..you need to seek help!!

David

[John B]

Travel-size tube of toothpaste, travel-size toothbrush, and dental floss. I brush after every single meal. A lot of the food that I eat while hiking is heavily laden with sugar and simple carbs, and I don't want my teeth coated in sugar all day/night.

[Tuckahoe64]

I know there are always a lot of questions when it comes to gear and backpacking, but I cant believe that this really is a question. Why would one's hygene be any different on the trail than at home? I use toothpaste at home and on the trail.

As already stated you can get all sorts of travel and trial sizes at Walmart, Walgreens, CVS and etc.

My trail toiletries inclused floss, toothpaste, brush, soap and scrubbie.

[flemdawg1]

Travel size toothpaste and other travel size toiletries are alot easier to find thanks to the TSA's 3oz limit.

[flemdawg1]

or is 4oz?

[modiyooch]

so you squirt your toothpaste into a ziplock and cut the toothbrush handle?

My friend..you need to seek help!!

DavidMaybe not as bad as I thought. I at least do carry toothpaste and I do brush my teeth. Last year, someone suggested a dog toothbrush that slides on your finger. Although tempting, and I did purchase one; but, I didn't follow thru with it.

[couscous]

ive always used just baking soda but it doesnt suprise me that it wears your teeth down after a while. I like to use it for deodorant as well. But ive always carried Dr. B's too. how do you think this works for toothpaste? bad taste?

Start with just a single drop of the peppermint version. It's not something most people would want to use. Two drops is max or you start foaming at the mouth. :D

[Panzer1]

bronners soap does it all

I bet that's where the saying "wash your mouth out with soap" came from.

Panzer

[on_the_GOEZ]

Start with just a single drop of the peppermint version. It's not something most people would want to use. Two drops is max or you start foaming at the mouth. :D
I dont mind taste. I will try it. thanks

[grayfox]

People here are often amazed that new hikers ask this question. I think it is just human nature--we don't have to diet on the trail so maybe we don't have to brush everyday either! Bath-who needs a bath?!

Anyway, not a dumb question. Some people use those mouthwash strips and brush with that. It might get wet and be unusable though after a while. I never tried this but it might work.

I have had good luck with putting a small amount of paste in a tiny jar they sell for cosmetics when you travel. I doesn't dry out or leak. But usually I just use the travel size. It lasts a long time so you don't have to be wondering who you can get some from. Use only a small bit on your brush and you won't have to waste water just rinsing your brush. Also, pour a bit of boiling water over your brush every now and then to keep it clean.

[Mountain Wildman]

I bet that's where the saying "wash your mouth out with soap" came from.

Panzer

Some parents used to actually do that, I remember a Little Rascals episode where it was done and when I was a child I must have used profanity or talked back because I did get my "mouth washed out with soap" It was the most disgusting thing I had ever tasted, I think I actually swallowed some.:eek:

[Bags4266]

For gauging, a small toothpaste tube last me for 24 brushes. So if you brush twice a day you get a 12 day supply

[garlic08]

Good point above about baking soda being abrasive. I started using plain baking soda at home about half a year ago and just yesterday saw my dentist and hygienist and asked their opinion. They both said they don't recommend it because it can be abrasive, but after looking at my teeth they saw no adverse effects and they told me to continue if I wanted to. BTW, it was one of the easiest cleanings I've ever had in my adult life, and my teeth were noticeably less stained than usual. I'm sold on it for now, and I think I will try using it on my next long hike.

I researched baking soda use before trying it, and I also saw the reports saying that toothpaste is not really needed, that good brushing with plain water is just as effective. And you can easily add mint oil or a mouthwash drop, they say.

[Old Hiker]

Maybe not as bad as I thought. I at least do carry toothpaste and I do brush my teeth. Last year, someone suggested a dog toothbrush that slides on your finger. Although tempting, and I did purchase one; but, I didn't follow thru with it.

There are human toothpaste dots that do the same thing - can't remember where I got them, but they worked, sort of. I take a small travel toothbrush and travel toothpaste.

[turtlesteps]

I know there are always a lot of questions when it comes to gear and backpacking, but I cant believe that this really is a question. Why would one's hygene be any different on the trail than at home? I use toothpaste at home and on the trail.

As already stated you can get all sorts of travel and trial sizes at Walmart, Walgreens, CVS and etc.

My trail toiletries inclused floss, toothpaste, brush, soap and scrubbie.

Because I don't have bears in my home...

[10-K]

Before you know it, you will have friends telling you you are a genius.

ps. i can't take credit for this idea. It came from Lazee at Eckville shelter in PA.

I do something similar... I just take the tops off both tubes, hold the open ends together tightly and squeeze the full tube which fills up my travel sized empty.

[Rick Hancock]

I always use the small travel size toothpaste. They can be bought just about anywhere with or without the travel size brush. Most can be purchased for less than a buck. Actually it's a good idea to purchase 8-10 of the brush/paste combos, then you can send a replacement brush regularly when it gets gunked up. They don't weigh very much, cheap, and you should replace your brush often anyway.

[WILLIAM HAYES]

try eco dent toothpowder a small container lasts for 2oo brushings

[Tuckahoe64]

Because I don't have bears in my home...

Really??

So you take all the other things that bears like to eat, but leave that one little thing at home?

[Surplusman]

ive always used just baking soda but it doesnt suprise me that it wears your teeth down after a while. I like to use it for deodorant as well. But ive always carried Dr. B's too. how do you think this works for toothpaste? bad taste?

Depends. The first time I used Dr. B's for toothpaste I put too much on the toothbrush. Yecch! Tastes like what it is .....soap. But, I got the hint from someone here on WB who said just use a drop or two. That was much better.

[IceAge]

or is 4oz?

It is 100mL, but because no one in the US knows what 100mL is, the rule is 3.4 oz. Except they thought that would be too hard for people to remember, so they advertise it as '3-1-1'.

[Sir-Packs-Alot]

:rolleyes: Nice idea!


Here's something you can make at home and carry and is light enough and gram saving enough to make it worthwhile carrying:
Take a cap from a regular (or big) size toothpaste, and a cap from a small or travel size one that fits the kind you can buy at convenience stores (smallest).
Now, epoxy them together top to top (so the threads pointing outward on both ends)
Then drill a hole down the middle (on the insde)

Carry this along and when you get to a hiker box with toothpaste in it, or a store that only sells the bigger ones, simply put your newly manufactured double top on both tubes and fill the small one from the big one.

Before you know it, you will have friends telling you you are a genius.

ps. i can't take credit for this idea. It came from Lazee at Eckville shelter in PA.

[Chenango]

bronners soap does it all

Yuck!! :eek:

[Sir-Packs-Alot]

:-? Something else to consider on the "toothpaste front"...

I use a tiny little motel toothbrush & travel toothpaste myself - but in addition - I've heard over the years to try to use a mint / peppermint / spearmint (any MINT) flavored toothpaste. The logic is that if it smells like mint - it's not an unnatural smell in the woods - and supposedly the bears feel the same - so they don't tend to investigate that smell of toothpaste as much as others.

I haven't tested the notion - and always put my toothpaste / soap / deodorant up in my bearbag - but I'd thought I'd mention it.

(If anyone has anything constructive to add to the "mint smell idea" - please start another thread or send me a message - cause I really didn't mean to steer this one astray!)

[Don H]

I use a small eyedropper type bottle. Just pull the spout out and fill with gel type toothpaste, then replace the spout. One small drop each time is all it takes.

[sbhikes]

I just squirt toothpaste into a ziplock and I cut my toothbrush shorter.

I'm thinking I might need a support group.

I use a travel size of toothpaste and if I stay anywhere that has toothpaste lying around, I squeeze some of it into my travel toothpaste tube. Squeeze a little, tap the travel toothpaste on the sink to get it to sink in, squeeze a little more, repeat.

You may need a lightweight support group but I need a cheapskate support group.

[Appalachian Tater]

sbhikes, if you are that cheap just go into any decent hotel, walk up to the front desk, tell them you forgot your toothpaste, and they will give you a little tube.

[Bear Cables]

I buy those mid-sized tubes of toothpaste you find at gas stations. Where do you buy the travel size tubes of tooth paste? The only time I ever see them they're sold with a small toothbrush and it seems like a waste of money to buy a new brush everytime I need tooth paste.

Brushing with baking soda everyday wears off your enamal.

Most walmarts have an isle in the health and beauty section with sample sizes for around .99.

[JAK]

sbhikes, if you are that cheap just go into any decent hotel, walk up to the front desk, tell them you forgot your toothpaste, and they will give you a little tube.I think if you just told them the truth they would still give you one.

[longhiker]

I'm dehydrating lots of food my upcoming thru-hike (of a different shorter trail).

I find it very convenient to put single-serving sized toothpaste dots on some baking paper and put it in the dehydrator with the rest of the food. It doesn't become completely dry but it comes dry enough to handle easily. You can pick it up with your fingers without making a mess.

I then pack this up in a zip lock.. one dot / day.

Easy , saves weight, saves packaging , saves money and a lot easier to deal with on the trail.

[JAK]

I am not sure that baking soda is any more abrasive than toothpaste, or any more abrasive than it needs to be. It is cheap, and light, and has multiple uses.

Does anyone know if baking powder can be used as toothpaste? It is more convenient for making scones or buscuits, and comes in a convient light plastic jar that would be a better size for backpacking, and useful as a container for other things when your done. The fizziness might me kind of fun, and perhaps even more effective.

Another option is making your own paste from wood ash. It would be a pottassium based soda, rather than soidum, but otherwise equivalent. Hardwood ash is better as it has less gums and stuff that might leave some residues. Try and remove all charcoal bits. Rinse well. You can scrub your pot in the process, then rinse some more, then wash some clothes, then rinse some more. Maybe start over with more white ash at this point. Rinse well, then maybe wash your body and your hair with some later rinse water. Test to make sure the potash lime is reduced. Once you are left with a potash paste, you can prush your teeth, and also make scones or biscuits.

Instead of a toothbrush you can use a hardwood twig. Crush the end down with your molars to form a brush. Yellow birch has a very pleasant, and therapuetic wintergreen flavour. Willow might be used if you have a headache, or other aches and pains. Any hardwood might be used. Perhaps any softwood also. Nice way to check for interesting flavours and effects for making tea.

Don't forget to floss.

[chris948]

wal-mart travel section as mentioned.

If you want to go real light, and actually use toothpaste, as opposed to soap or something keep an eye out for free samples like this one.

http://slickdeals.net/forums/showthread.php?sduid=0&t=1854821

It's not too hard to find sample packs that are nothing but a few ounces in heavy foil.

[Trailbender]

Here's something you can make at home and carry and is light enough and gram saving enough to make it worthwhile carrying:
Take a cap from a regular (or big) size toothpaste, and a cap from a small or travel size one that fits the kind you can buy at convenience stores (smallest).
Now, epoxy them together top to top (so the threads pointing outward on both ends)
Then drill a hole down the middle (on the insde)

Carry this along and when you get to a hiker box with toothpaste in it, or a store that only sells the bigger ones, simply put your newly manufactured double top on both tubes and fill the small one from the big one.

Before you know it, you will have friends telling you you are a genius.

ps. i can't take credit for this idea. It came from Lazee at Eckville shelter in PA.

Or you can hold the tubes together tightly and squeeze from the bigger one. I did this when I carried toothpaste, but I also used Campsuds to brush my teeth.

[leaftye]

Maybe not as bad as I thought. I at least do carry toothpaste and I do brush my teeth. Last year, someone suggested a dog toothbrush that slides on your finger. Although tempting, and I did purchase one; but, I didn't follow thru with it.

I thought they were for prisoners.

To answer the original question, I use travel size tubes of toothpaste.

I used a full size toothbrush because 1) I want less risk of contaminating my mouth with my grubby hands, and 2) I prefer softer bristles. The soft bristles are good because sometimes I'll just brush without toothpaste for a good long while. Stiff bristle on travel toothbrushes tear up my gums.

For floss, I've been messing with those dental sticks. I can't remember what they're called, but they look like a 2-3" long stick with a small handle and bristles on the other end. I use it by poking it between my teeth where they meet the gums. The ones I have now are made with metal wire and while it works, sometimes I stab it straight into my gums and make a bloody mess out of my mouth. I reuse these a few times by washing with water and a couple drops of alcohol.

I keep telling myself I'll use Act mouthwash, but I never put it in my pack.

[rhjanes]

Does anyone know if baking powder can be used as toothpaste? Yes. I had several relatives who grew up in the depression. They used a baking soda and salt mix all their lives. Seemed to have great teeth and few cavities. You can suck on your toothbrush, mash it into the powder, take a sip of water, add the brush with the powder stuck to it and brush.

[ephbulay123]

I am using colgate toothpaste. It's pretty cool brand.