View Full Version : so,..wanna tallk about toothpaste?
mweinstone
02-07-2011, 15:46
were out of freash topics. its the height of the springer feaver epidemic. merfluan powder. whatchewgot?
sorry.
Sickmont
02-07-2011, 15:48
So why isn't it called TEETHpaste?
swjohnsey
02-07-2011, 16:03
It was invented in West Virginia.
ChinMusic
02-07-2011, 16:06
It was invented in West Virginia.
Kentucky........
You can refill a trial size by squirting a full size into it until full. You can top it off at home before leaving for the trail and you might not have to get any more toothpaste for the whole trip.
Roughin' It
02-07-2011, 18:18
I only used one mini tube of toothpaste the whole time, and I had about 1/4 of it left. Granted I only brushed maybe once every week...
4eyedbuzzard
02-07-2011, 18:31
I only used one mini tube of toothpaste the whole time, and I had about 1/4 of it left. Granted I only brushed maybe once every week...
Ah, only pink blazin' one day a week, eh?
I get one of those mini sizes every 6 months when I go to my dentist. I always save them for hiking. Never run out
Panzer
Also, I got one of those toothbrushes that holds the toothpaste inside the handle. you turn the handle and the toothpaste goes down a tube in the handle and comes out a hole in the bristles. Refillable and holds enough for about 10 usages.
Panzer
mweinstone
02-07-2011, 21:17
wow. didnt realize this would involve grossness. may i ask why you brushed so infrequently? is this a habit at home as well? shame. i need about a pound of toothpowder to get me even 1200 miles. and about 6000 board feet of floss. also made by merfluan. did i mention i carry merfluan mouthwash? then restock with listerene smalls. and i carry tooth picks. im a flossaholic. i just cant live without flossahol.
johnnybgood
02-07-2011, 21:45
I have dozens of minature SparkleFresh toothpaste in the 0.85 oz tube . I'm set for a thru when it comes to toothpaste , whenever that might be.
Wonder if a hostel would accept these as a donation ?
mweinstone
02-07-2011, 21:52
there isnt a hostel that wont. as long as you dont put stickers with a web address on them or something.
jenpharr
02-07-2011, 22:51
Oh my gosh! This is still something I wonder about! What do you do with your toothpaste? I swallowed it for years, but I then I met several hikers who said that it was totally PC to spit it out. What does LNT say? What does whiteblaze say? I see this as a really important aspect of backpacking that no one talks about. Another question close to my heart: how long can you use the same piece of dental floss before it becomes unsanitary?
ChinMusic
02-07-2011, 22:57
Oh my gosh! This is still something I wonder about! What do you do with your toothpaste? I swallowed it for years....
On a serious note (if I dare), it is OK for adults to swallow toothpaste but always tell your young children to spit it out. Too much fluoride can cause discoloration in their developing teeth.
OK, back to the fun.........
4eyedbuzzard
02-07-2011, 23:00
Oh my gosh! This is still something I wonder about! What do you do with your toothpaste? I swallowed it for years, but I then I met several hikers who said that it was totally PC to spit it out. What does LNT say? What does whiteblaze say? I see this as a really important aspect of backpacking that no one talks about. Another question close to my heart: how long can you use the same piece of dental floss before it becomes unsanitary?
I've always heard swallowing was preferred over spitting.
I hear the ultralight way is to NOT brush. Hence, your teeth will rot out, hence, you're lighter. Also, you won't have to pack toothpaste or a brush, saving even more weight!
mweinstone
02-07-2011, 23:08
this isnt turning out as minty freash as i imagined.
mweinstone
02-08-2011, 08:26
Once was paid to remove about a 10 mile long squeeze of crest some idiot caulked their entire apartment and spackled the walls with.It was a slumlords drafty broken window apartment and the student was despretly trying to stay warm and keep bugs out.
Awol1970
02-08-2011, 10:27
Ah, only pink blazin' one day a week, eh?
I've always heard swallowing was preferred over spitting.
Thank you for starting my day off right. Wowwwww.....
I never carry toothpaste but I do brush daily on the trail. Just use water. Toothpaste only makes it tolerable for other hikers around you. Dont like it, go away!
I use the tiniest amount of toothpaste and then spit it out somewhere nobody will see, then rinse and spit it out on top of the toothpaste until you can't see it anymore. I will admit to skipping a day of brushing on the trail here and there, but mostly that was because I was hiking the PCT and worried I didn't have enough water. Once I got some, I would make up for it.
1 drop of tea tree oil in 1/2 cup of water. Dip toothbrush, brush teeth, swish with remainder.
maybe clem
02-08-2011, 14:31
A travel-sized tube usually lasted 7-10 days for me but I'm pretty diligent about brushing at least twice a day, even while hiking.
tirebiter
02-08-2011, 16:07
Baking soda. Toothpaste, deodorant, antacid, insect bite paste, and many other wonderful uses.
...Toothpaste only makes it tolerable for other hikers around you. ...
Toothpaste works to remove plaque.
Panzer
bad buzzard! don't swallow! toothpaste is not protein. it's flouride. it's bad for you. also, bears and raccoons really like it. can't attest to possums. if you're near a shelter, spit it into the firepit with everybody else's trash or dig a hole. if somebody camps on top of it, they might get a rude awakening.
Skidsteer
02-08-2011, 19:42
Once was paid to remove about a 10 mile long squeeze of crest some idiot caulked their entire apartment and spackled the walls with.It was a slumlords drafty broken window apartment and the student was despretly trying to stay warm and keep bugs out.
That is pretty stupid. Crest costs more than caulk.
ChinMusic
02-08-2011, 19:47
That is pretty stupid. Crest costs more than caulk.
He had to use the caulk to fill his cavities.
Another vote for baking soda.
jenpharr
02-08-2011, 21:20
Okay, I can be convinced of the merits of Baking Soda, but do you swallow it or is it PC to share with the trail?
Diatribe
02-08-2011, 22:04
Okay, I can be convinced of the merits of Baking Soda, but do you swallow it or is it PC to share with the trail?
Wow, we are in the presence of a very famous pretty lady! I am smitten:eek:
My GF got me your book! Im going to delve in as soon as I finish my present read.
To happily chime in on your question: Baking Soda is a great alternative to toothpaste, and it is completely biodegradable. Therefore, I would suggest the PC thing to do on trail is find some lovely ferns and spit into the middle of them, as to not leave the ubiquitous bluish white foam found at almost any campsite & at EVERY shelter.:rolleyes:
Okay, I can be convinced of the merits of Baking Soda, but do you swallow it or is it PC to share with the trail?
i think spitting or swallowing would be fine. however, spitting might not be good for the ferns as suggested. ph balance is such a delicate thing. as for swallowing, baking soda is great remedy for heartburn.
Diatribe
02-08-2011, 22:20
i think spitting or swallowing would be fine. however, spitting might not be good for the ferns as suggested. ph balance is such a delicate thing. as for swallowing, baking soda is great remedy for heartburn.
Good looking out Kanga! I was so overwhelmed in answering Mrs Davis's baking soda question, I failed to think about the PH of the ferns!
Another vote for baking soda.
Another here.
tcha5782
03-29-2011, 22:20
I had some travel sized toothpaste that I was using for the first few weeks of my hike last year, two things happened: one, I met some older hikers at Jerry Cabin shelter (north of Hot Springs, I think) and one of them told me that he used Dr. Bronner's for toothpaste (I had read that on some forum threads but never thought I'd want to try it); two, I started having a mild allergic reaction to something in the toothpaste and was looking for something else to try.
Now Dr. Bronner's soap has always had a mystical quality to it, ever since I first used it on a hiking trip before my freshman year of college. But toothpaste?? Turns out that one drop on my wet toothbrush is enough to get a good lather without the taste being too strong. And I actually got over the taste fairly quickly. In terms of convenience I carried one small bottle of Dr. B's that I refilled from a 32 oz. bottle at key points along the trail and used to wash clothes, shower, and brush my teeth.
Had a checkup/cleaning last October and the dentist said my teeth looked great (I flossed daily, brushed twice daily on the trail). And that 32 oz. bottle was still half full at the end of my hike.
There was a study done some years ago that proved that brushing with plain water was just as effective as using toothpaste, so I generally don't use any. In 35 years I've never had a cavity.
Also, the stuff they put into wall paint to make it really white...they put that stuff in toothpaste to make your teeth look whiter too.
joshua29
03-30-2011, 10:49
is it ok to brush your tooth with dr bronners
Hikes in Rain
03-30-2011, 11:41
Also, the stuff they put into wall paint to make it really white...they put that stuff in toothpaste to make your teeth look whiter too.
Hey! That's titanium! Finally, I can be sexy, like my new pot. :banana
Wait, that didn't come out right......