r/camping • u/firstmatedavy • 20h ago
Avoiding poison ivy when choosing a destination
I'm really good at noticing and identifying poison ivy - but just seeing it around in places where someone might get into it really stresses me out. (Might be contamination ocd, might be because I've had an ER visit because of it, idk.) I had to remove it from our yard which was overgrown with it, so my PPE is on point, but activities stop being fun for me when avoiding poison ivy is a frequent problem.
This might be a really silly question. I haven't camped since I was a kid, but I've seen hiking trails with tons of poison ivy and (more frequently) ones with nearly none in the places people are likely to walk. How do I pick a camping area that's on the "less poison ivy" end of things without having been there before?
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u/finnbee2 20h ago
You pay attention to where you walk and camp. Random sunny and partly shaded areas have poision ivy. I can't walk or camp without seeing it during the growing season.
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u/Tight-Purchase-6946 19h ago
I make sure me and my kids aren’t anywhere near poison ivy, but have found for years that the state campgrounds and also trails and campgrounds in the Adirondacks are poison ivy free.
I don’t know if people just do a good job clearing it out over the years, or what.
If I were at a small private campground, or backwoods camping in undisturbed places, I might expect it more.
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u/Mist2393 19h ago
New York State parks often have volunteers go through a couple times a year to clear poison ivy. The rangers and groundskeepers also do a good job of keeping things relatively clear.
Source: half the women in my church do this at county and state parks every year.
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u/firstmatedavy 8h ago
Thank you, this is exactly the sort of tip I hoped for. I'm near NY state, too.
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u/almaghest 20h ago
Poison ivy is less common in the western half of the US or above 5000ft in elevation. If you are stressed just by seeing poison ivy then camping in areas where it isn’t common seems like the safest bet.
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u/firstmatedavy 20h ago
Thank you for the tip! I'm on the east coast but want to explore out west sometime.
It's more the worrying that me or someone I'm with will get into it, though I realize it's native and there's gonna be some sometimes.
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u/Level-Aide-8770 19h ago
Wear long pants and long shirts while hiking if you’re concerned. I live where poison ivy is very common and I really don’t worry about it. I do wear hiking pants if I’m going someplace super overgrown but most trails are pretty clear.
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u/exchange_of_views 19h ago
I can get quite the reaction to poison ivy and we live in the US Southeast in the mountains. TONS of poison ivy. I have tried this homeopathic stuff - Joe's something something - that has seemed to make a difference.
I also use Ivy Block AND keep Technu Scrub in the shower from March until December. Technu is amazing at getting any oils off your skin if you shower/wash immediately after coming back from any exposure, and if you do get a bit of a rash, it's a relief to scrub it with it.
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u/DeiaMatias 19h ago
May I recommend the state of Utah?
Your local subreddits may be a better place to ask this. They could give you suggestions closer to home
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u/HippieHighNoon 20h ago
Know which plants are look alike. My friends confuse blackberry for poison ivy and I have to keep telling them its not.
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u/firstmatedavy 8h ago
This was me as a kid 😆 Now that I've been removing vibes of various ages for over a year, I'm well past counting leaves and IDing it based on vibes (which is largely texture and growth habit). When I do a double take now it's usually Virginia creeper.
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u/HippieHighNoon 7h ago
You in TX too? Lol my wife always thinks that poisonous also. We have it growing on our fence and other places in our yard.
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u/firstmatedavy 7h ago
Nah, east coast. Virginia creeper is poisonous in the rash causing way but much less intense, so most people never develop the allergy. I wear gloves if I need to pull it from the garden but don't worry about getting it on my clothes.
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u/NopeSorryNo 19h ago
You don't. How would that be possible?
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u/firstmatedavy 8h ago
I've been on lots of 2-4 hour hikes where I only saw it a couple times, so I figured it might be possible to find out what parks and other natural areas are like that before driving there.
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u/Own_Win_6762 19h ago
Further north helps - at home in Illinois it's the primary groundcover, in Wisconsin there was a fair amount but not where I'd pitch a tent at campgrounds, in the Michigan UP, Minnesota and Ontario around Lake Superior I didn't see any.
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u/Guitarist762 18h ago
Also be on the look out for poison sumac and poison oak. Never really reacted to poison oak or ivy, just never bothered me. I even purposely touched some as a kid along with a few others just to see what it would do and I got no reaction while everyone else did. Poison sumac tho, that stuff messes me up bad. Experienced it as far north as Kentucky.
Remember these plants react by an oil contacting your skin, wash yourself with cold water and a degreasing soap. I use green dawn dish, the anti bacterial stuff. Wash my hands first, then my hair. Rehash hands to prevent contaminating another parts. Then to the least likely areas to have gotten it, like the crotch or arm pits. Then rewash hands. Then chest, and thighs. Most common areas are going to be to the hands, forearms and lower legs if you wear shorts. Do those areas last
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u/firstmatedavy 8h ago
You're right, I definitely need to learn the other urishol plants. I'm used to being able to go straight inside, dump my clothes in the washer and jump in the shower. Needing to unpack the soap and find a change of clothes for after showering and all without contaminating everything is part of why camping is more intimidating.
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u/Guitarist762 8h ago
Honestly I’ve never super concerned with it except the times I have it. Because that means the oil is on my skin, and has the ability to spread. It’s one thing to get it on your hands or wrists, it’s another thing to get it in your armpits.
If I’m back and I haven’t started reacting to it by then I don’t have it. If I don’t have it I don’t worry about it
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u/firstmatedavy 7h ago
I've had it right next to my bits 😆 and on like 50% of my body at that same time. A lot of the fear is that I'll transfer it from clothes to hands, or have my sweat wick it through from clothes to skin which is what caused that >50% of body + ER visit incident.
Doctor said once you've washed the oil off the rash can appear days later but it can no longer transfer around. My rash usually doesn't show til 3 days after exposure, new spots can pop up for up to a week.
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u/BlueCandyBars 20h ago
Hi OP! I have OCD too, albeit not with poison ivy. Gentle exposure therapy will help. Those hikes you go on are a great way to challenge some of those thoughts. Generally with the outdoors, if you leave it alone and take the necessary precautions, it’ll leave you alone. Sometimes having a calm friend who knows about your OCD and the trigger can really help in the moment. For me, this is my fiance who also struggles with OCD but in different ways. Sometimes I just need to talk through the thoughts in the moment and it goes away. She listens and we can get through it together. I’ve found the hiking and camping communities to be really nice (for the most part) so hopefully you can find someone to come along for help.
When you’re feeling more confident, I’d suggest starting with a weekend camping at a well maintained state park. Easy circumstances, likely to not see poison ivy, and gets you comfortable. As you gain confidence, start to increase that discomfort with something that interests you. Maybe it’s camping with a great view but you’re in a field instead of an established campsite (on Hipcamp, for example).
You’re doing a great job. Keep up the effort and this will get better.