Monkey Butt
A delicate subject for delicate areas. I can't believe I'm the only one who has rash problems with those tender bits. Any advice on how to avoid and how to treat?
Balmex. Before if you know you are going to have trouble with moisture, after if you forgot.
The trouble I have with campfires are the folks that carry a bottle in one hand and a Bible in the other.
You never know which one is talking.
Same three things that parents of newborns learn - clean, dry & zinc oxide.
Wet Ones can be useful for the first part.
Backpacking light, feels so right.
there is actually something called monkey butt...
http://www.amazon.com/Anti-Monkey-Bu...ata/B001W4FKDU
Compression shorts as underwear
Relief comes in little orange containers:
Gold Bond
Use generously. Enjoy telling your hiking partner, "Excuse me, I need to go powder my b@lls."
Wear running shorts to stay ventilated.
keep rubbing to a minimum, with Body Glide, GoldBond, or whatever you like.
If you have on wet underwear... Change them or take them off. Wet roos make everything worse. No secret, just trial and error to see what works for you.
Not to cause any friction, but IMHO....Glide is magic. Big favorite with the lads who sport the kilts.
http://www.bodyglide.com/
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Also, cleanliness. Wet wipes, washing up wherever you can, change underwear from time to time (if you wear it). One of the many experiments I'm trying next month is alternating between two pairs of Officio briefs. I can wear one, rinse out the other and it should be dry by morning. Most expensive darned underwear I ever bought!
They dry well in your bag at night....
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I just did this on a ten day trip to Europe, but I used my wool Icebreaker boxer briefs. It worked very well -- and the wool never starts to smell bad (unlike synthetics on my skin.) The second pair dries overnight.Originally Posted by Hikes in Rain
Wool dries that quickly? Interesting!
Haven't had much experience with synthetics yet (all my underwear is good old cotton, totally the wrong thing for hiking!). We shall see; it's an experiment. Worse comes to worse, I'll just quit wearing it. Didn't wear underwear at all for much of the early '70"s. Gratifying, though, to hear my logic has worked with other folk. I do appreciate the feedback, thanks!
You bring up a good point. All of us have different biochemistry. What causes an odor with some will not with others. This, too, we shall see!
The 150-wt wool does dry that quickly, yes. (It's really thin and light.)
When I wore synthetic briefs, you could smell me coming miles away. I offended myself. Bears fainted as I passed by on the trail. But yeah, other people have different chemical reactions.
I use Johnson & Johnson's Baby Powder every time I even think about the stuff. It works wonders. Also when your butt crack is sweating profusely you should take your bandana and wipe dry. Also wash your crotch often, it only takes a cup of water to do a decent job, and makes trail romances much more pleasant. Gold Bond Rocked, I liked the cool tingling feeling on my crotch and anus until I grew allergic to it and got a bad rash. Avoid creams on your crotch, they clog those pours which need to breathe and cause infections to get worse. Shave that 70's bush down just before the start of your hike, to a point where it's long enough to not be stubbly or prickly at all. This will help keep your pubic hair from causing abrasion in your crotch while your'e hiking and increase air flow (got this from a friend in Iraq). At night when your'e sleeping wrap your bandana around your crotch to keep the raw skin from laying against your legs and with the sweat from both further irritate. Also take a corner of that bandana thats around your happy parts and lay it between your butt cheeks to keep them dry.
Now that's the best advice that I can give you on keeping your "delicate areas" happy while hiking, learned from over 10,000 on trail miles.
You're not the only one. Cleanliness, Body Glide, and fresh air
work best for me.
I often wondered about the hair getting pulled "down there" - I guess the previous poster shed a little light in a dark place.
As I live, declares the Lord God, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn back from his way and live. Ezekiel 33:11
Okay I just visited with my friendly pharmacist who nodded knowingly with a little smile as I described the situation. Actually she recommended alternating between a zinc based product (I went with Boudreaux's Butt Paste) and Lotrimin. The Lotirimin is an antifungal for jock itch and athletes foot. Apparently prolonged issues are often a yeast based problem.
Also good when a bit too much dried fruit leads to over firm stools, and you need a touch of lubricant.
The trouble I have with campfires are the folks that carry a bottle in one hand and a Bible in the other.
You never know which one is talking.
creams and Body Glide will cause infection by clogging pours if they are not washed off at the end of the day. I heard that the Body Glide was to be avoided for this reason on long hikes. I don't have first hand experience, just what I heard. The Baby Powder is just Talc and is completely benign. You would trust it on a babies butt right? Somewhere on Krudmeisters Blog he has a good article he wrote on this subject.
http://krudmeister.blogspot.com/
Check out his blog either way. He's an ultra lighter that set the speed record on the PCT and the Arizona Trail. He's about to start the Grand Enchantment Trail to for a speed record attempt. His info is credible, and he's a great person. The kind of guy that will actually stop and hangout with people on the trail while still putting in 40 mile days. I hope everyone gets the chance to meet this guy on the trail.
Please tell me you are carrying more than one bandana.... Please.
No just one! It's multi-use. While rehydrating food for dinner I fold it and lay it over my cook pot to retain the heat. During the day it helps also wipe my nose, and occasionally is seen under my hat with its ends hanging down over my neck providing shade. It is also used to mop condensation off of the insides of my tent, and is used for a few other uses as well. Yogi has a good write up of the Multi Use Bandanna in her guidebook, as well as the advice to never ever pick up or touch someone elses bandanna, as they usually contain every fluid produced by the human body.
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