About 3 weeks ago, a friend and I were putting up a new ladder stand and cutting some shooting lanes. We both got nailed with Poison Ivy, all over our arms legs and necks.

Needless to say, we made a pretty solid mental note of what that nasty vine looks like for future reference.

We went back out again today to add some steps and reinforce a wooden stand. While I was hanging on the tree, I noticed what looked like the remnants of the same plant, but they looked OLD dead and barely clinging to the tree. Didn't touch it, washed up when I got home with dish soap to cut the resin...but man I hope I don't get that stuff again!

So what are the best remedies for poison ivy? How do you identify it and avoid it? How do you treat it? How bad is it in your area? Any other nasty plants out there in your woods?

I don't get poison ivy but I have issues with food.

My brother just has to look at it and he's covered. We have a pool and he likes to come over and get into it <in the summer time> because I use bleach as my source of chlorination. He swears by it even though it burns. It dries it out.

Well, I hope you feel better!

Maybe someone else has other suggestions.

I too get is nasty. I use alcohol or bleach to dry it out. Scratch it open and bleach it, it burns, but does the trick. I was too putting up a stand last year and ran into a nasty posion ivy vine. Man I had it in my eyes, face, neck, arms...I had to get the shot and steriods. I had the SHHHEET. There is some soap you can buy at a pharmacy or online that helps better to cut it down.

I never got it as a kind in NY, but here in NC I get fiercely. My first incident was when I climbed a tree with this leaf less "furry" vine on it. I got poison ivy so badly I ended up in the hospital as my airway was constricting. Now, I just avoid any vine all together. When cutting shooting lanes, I wear jeans, long sleeves and gloves, even when it's 90+ degrees out. Check out: http://www.poison-ivy.org/ They have some good information. For relief, you can try Zanfil, but it's expensive, try $20 for a 1oz. tube. I found that if I wanted some temporary relief form the itching (app. 4-6 hrs.) if I used my wife's hair drier to heat the spot to the point of pain, the itch was gone for a while. Good luck, and I hate that poison ivy shi#.
JC-

BTW, don't forget to wash your clothes and tools really well. The sap will keep you itching for years if you forget to take care of them!!

I have used this stuff called Tecnu. You can use it as a preventative if you know or think you might have been into it. It will also clear it up once you have it. You can find it at most pharmacies, grocery and Walmarts.

I'm hyperallergic to that stuff. If its in the air I get it. I just make sure that WHENEVER I get out of the woods I shower good. If you do get it, DO NOT scratch it in any way.

i used to mix vinegar with baking soda into a paste and spread that on it. That would get rid of it in 2-3 days.

Scratch it open good first.

I usually don't get poison ivy either. However, just to make sure when I get into a patch I wash with Fels Naptha soap. It can usually be found in most grocery stores in the laundry section. It is a large yellow bar of laundry soap.

i used our parts washer at work the mineral spirits drys out the oil. then i used calamyne lotion. seemed to work pretty freakin good..

Calamine lotion work to both dry it out and soothe the itching. Pretty well. Just bear in mind, too, that poision ivy can still cause you to break out even after it's dead because the oil that causes the allergic reaction is still in the dead plant.

I'm really allergic to poison ivy, too. I remember one time (could never forget it) as a kid a neighbor burned a brush pile with a bunch of poison ivy in it. Our house was directly downwind and I broke out over literally 100% of my body, including my private bits (ouch!)! Had to go to the doctor for a steroid shot, and I was MISERABLE for a couple days.

Mike