comforts+nessesities making life so much more bearable.

granolagirl · Post by **granolagirl** » Thu Apr 02, 2009 11:05 pm

Aloe Vera without alcohol-- soothing, quickly absorbed, and rehydrating.
Bio-Oil-- it's a mix of different plant derived oils that soften, condition, a rehydrate dry cracked, burned, irritated skin. Highly suggested. Although it's like putting olive oil on your face, but it works wonder. Give grease a chance. It's also pretty cheap, considering the amount that is used for each application.
Gold-Bond powder/cream-- Nobody likes to be chaffed, and everybody knows the burn. Go for the gold.
Krazy glue-- if you have small-ish cuts, clean them out really well, and proceed to glue together. insta-heal?
sewing kits-- often forgotten, but dearly missed.
birth control-- let's not kid ourselves.
plan b-- opps...
high quality sports bra-- your girls will thank you. maybe not the guys.
silk long johns for sleeping. lightweight, comfortable, and warm. also, it won't break the bank.
wool underwear, if you aren't sensitive to itch.
cycling glove for your shovel hand. pad those palms and avoid blister.

All I can think of right now. Add to the list!

seanjackins · Post by **seanjackins** » Fri Apr 03, 2009 7:58 am

Hockey tape for your shovel handle
Costco sized container of gummy worms and energy drinks
The biggest tarp money can buy
Laptop
Scarpa boots!!

backcountrysister · Post by **backcountrysister** » Fri Apr 03, 2009 8:05 am

[quote="granolagirl"]
birth control-- let's not kid ourselves.
plan b-- opps...

how about "CONDOMS"?
birth control & plan B wont help you when you got some STI or worst. think smarter not harder.

Post by **Scooter** » Fri Apr 03, 2009 8:32 am

One nurse I talked to a few years ago in PG said that planters hit the hospital in four "waves" every summer. I can't remember the second of the four for sure, but I think she said the order was:
1. Tendonitis
2. Sunstrokes
3. STD's
4. Early terminations.

jono · Post by **jono** » Fri Apr 03, 2009 9:00 am

granolagirl · Post by **granolagirl** » Fri Apr 03, 2009 12:43 pm

backcountrysister wrote:
granolagirl wrote: birth control-- let's not kid ourselves.
plan b-- opps...

how about "CONDOMS"?
birth control & plan B wont help you when you got some STI or worst. think smarter not harder.

when i said birth control i meant any method, condoms included.
plan b for the times in which all else fails.

eisan · Post by **eisan** » Fri Apr 03, 2009 1:16 pm

I need my MP3 player while I'm doing any bush work. And a kick ass pair of head phones for brushing. I love having board games or bocce while planting as well, and marshmellows when I remember to buy them on day off.
Ummm... Scooter shocking facts from the hospital! Although since it was a PG hospital brings the shock value down a few notches.

eisan · Post by **eisan** » Fri Apr 03, 2009 1:18 pm

I forgot to add nail polish, personaly I like hot pink. In reality I don't wear it but it hides the perma dirt under my nails planting.

backcountrysister · Post by **backcountrysister** » Fri Apr 03, 2009 9:12 pm

eisan wrote:I forgot to add nail polish, personaly I like hot pink. In reality I don't wear it but it hides the perma dirt under my nails planting.

HAHAHa , Eisan YOu are freaking funny:)
Okay - well ,how about a nice nail brush - possibly those surgical brushes- U can get them through lee valley- like a dozen for 7 bucks. Worth every penny ; although I do have to say I steal mine from my mom's gardening supplies.
these brushes are awesome. They are plastic & supper soft.

donkeyrider · Post by **donkeyrider** » Sat Apr 04, 2009 1:27 pm

I love wearing compression socks. These are the same things flight attendants wear. Knee high tight socks that keep your legs tight and blisters off your feet.

Hemp Hearts aswell are something I'm going to make an essential this year... looks like one of the best breakfast suppliments I can find.

eisan · Post by **eisan** » Sat Apr 04, 2009 1:41 pm

backcountrysister wrote:Okay - well ,how about a nice nail brush - possibly those surgical brushes

Haha, I do clean under my nails everynight before dinner. I'm not flithy I swear! The hospital scrubbies are so excellent, my mum hooks me up with a half dozen or so each season. No matter how much I scrub there's always a bit of dirt stuck in there though... maybe I just like nail polish and I'm reluctant to admit it so I use the dirty nails as an excuse, haha.

Sebastian · Post by **Sebastian** » Sat Apr 04, 2009 2:39 pm

This is just confirmation that yeah, Eisan actually does wear nail polish on the block.... kinda took me by surprise the first time I saw it.

For the shovel handle, I haven't used handle bar tape but I started using mole skin once when the rubber on the handle wore off. Having a fuzzy handle is cozy as hell, and it lasts longer than you'd think.

Also, A+ on the nail brushes. My camp supplies them around the wash bins, and I really don't understand people who don't fully wash their hands before meals. It seems like some companies have a culture of cleanliness, whereas others have a culture that's really really not conducive to it. Hand sanitizer is also a plus in camp, cuts down the incidence of viruses like colds and gastrointestinal junk like crazy.

seanjackins · Post by **seanjackins** » Sat Apr 04, 2009 4:05 pm

Dig a small hole in the morning, put your water bottles in it, then put your day pack on top of the hole.
You'll have nice cold water on the hotest day, while all the lazy suckas drick nasty hot water.

backcountrysister · Post by **backcountrysister** » Sat Apr 04, 2009 4:12 pm

seanjackins wrote:Dig a small hole in the morning, put your water bottles in it, then put your day pack on top of the hole.
You'll have nice cold water on the hotest day, while all the lazy suckas drick nasty hot water.

Seanjeckins- Ive done that before it works , but here is another idea to add to your awesome one...
it works even on the hotest days- freeze a 500 ml plastic bottle & put it in a silvicool with the rest of Ur water bottles - just remember to close the bag

I EAT TREES · Post by **I EAT TREES** » Sun Apr 05, 2009 12:50 pm

Two words....GOLD BOND

skibum_ · Post by **skibum_** » Sun Apr 05, 2009 4:16 pm

laptop and lots of movies for those lazy days off of eating old dutch all dressed chips and watching movies.

electric hair clippers. I use it to shave and cut my hair. Beards and long hair are way to hot and gets stinky and dirty.

Seabass · Post by **Seabass** » Sun Apr 05, 2009 6:32 pm

skibum_ wrote:laptop and lots of movies for those lazy days off of eating old dutch all dressed chips and watching movies.

electric hair clippers. I use it to shave and cut my hair. Beards and long hair are way to hot and gets stinky and dirty.

where do you guys store your laptops in camp? I am driving this year but don't want to leave it in my car since it will be blazing hot in there during the day and the same goes for the tent. Probably could leave it in the office trailer though. But where are places that you guys generally store them so they don't get ruined?

Mike · Post by **Mike** » Sun Apr 05, 2009 10:39 pm

I kept my laptop in a laptop case that was inside another bag. Left it in tent over day. It's a cheap laptop and 2 years old, so no real worries if it suddenly dies. I've got everything backed up a few times, so...

jules · Post by **jules** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 2:41 am

Clean, dry socks in my daypack for the end of the day. I keep them in a freezer-weight ziploc so they stay clean and dry. Putting those on at the end of the day feels fantastic.

skibum_ · Post by **skibum_** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 5:09 am

Seabass wrote:where do you guys store your laptops in camp? I am driving this year but don't want to leave it in my car since it will be blazing hot in there during the day and the same goes for the tent. Probably could leave it in the office trailer though. But where are places that you guys generally store them so they don't get ruined?

I keep mine in a laptop bag that I put in one of my duffles. Only thing I was careful of was using it was really cold or really hot. I also didn't advertise to the camp I had it. I wasn't worried about it getting stolen, but with limited computers in camp and everyone wanting to check their email every night, a laptop can get crazy dirty and wrecked after a couple weeks. Make sure to wash your hands good before using yours too. Also, I am trying to figure out a way to minimize the amount of dust it takes in this year. I am thinking of putting a screen cover on it and some sort of plastic wrap/screen cover device over the keyboard. We'll see.

seanjackins · Post by **seanjackins** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 10:12 am

I no longer advertise it either, I had someone try to download a pirated version of windows with a nasty virus that totally SCREWED my laptop, I found out when I went to use it several weeks later....

Dirty planters aren't always the most tech salvy folks.

Mike · Post by **Mike** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 11:41 am

I didn't advertise I had it, but I was charging it and on it at a library and had several requests. I just politely told people I don't let anyone touch my laptop (which, while tree-planting, I don't).

granolagirl · Post by **granolagirl** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 3:26 pm

skibum_ wrote:laptop and lots of movies for those lazy days off of eating old dutch all dressed chips and watching movies.

electric hair clippers. I use it to shave and cut my hair. Beards and long hair are way to hot and gets stinky and dirty.

beards get all the ladies.

Slash Monkey · Post by **Slash Monkey** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 4:09 pm

when i do hotel contracts, which is pretty much 98% of the time, i bring my whole kitchen; juicer, blender, salad spinner, wood cutting board, my own knives. hotels always have the shittiest stuff.

TheDain · Post by **TheDain** » Wed Apr 08, 2009 1:40 pm

Nothing made tent-living more bearable for me than getting clued in to the pee bottle. Or bucket in the vestibule, ladies.

L'Amour · Post by **L'Amour** » Wed Apr 08, 2009 2:06 pm

jono · Post by **jono** » Wed Apr 08, 2009 2:09 pm

seanjackins · Post by **seanjackins** » Wed Apr 08, 2009 2:26 pm

What game is this?

megamike · Post by **megamike** » Wed Apr 08, 2009 3:21 pm

no way, now this makes for a fun day off

Benny · Post by **Benny** » Wed Apr 08, 2009 6:07 pm

What game is this?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Settlers_of_Catan

The most entertaining way to talk about sheep and rocks ever.

dr.greenthumb · Post by **dr.greenthumb** » Fri Feb 19, 2010 9:11 pm

for thos cold spring nights its nice to have a biig tin can with sand in it to put hot rocks on in ur tent. let the rocks sit on a fire for a couple hours and carefully put them in the tin, you should put the tin on some clothes also, even though the sand will stop the bottom from getting too hot. it'll keep your tent warm for a GOOD 5 hours, in the right tent it'll still be warm in the morning.

chronic · Post by **chronic** » Sat Feb 20, 2010 8:58 am

steel8909 · Post by **steel8909** » Sat Feb 20, 2010 10:15 am

Baby wipes to cleans your ass.
Flashlight
Books
Pencil\Paper

newb · Post by **newb** » Sat Feb 20, 2010 10:23 am

krahn · Post by **krahn** » Sat Feb 20, 2010 1:30 pm

L'Amour wrote:

haha i'm trying to finish a Planters of Catan although if i'm really retired then who will play?

krahn · Post by **krahn** » Sat Feb 20, 2010 1:33 pm

seanjackins wrote:Dig a small hole in the morning, put your water bottles in it, then put your day pack on top of the hole.
You'll have nice cold water on the hotest day, while all the lazy suckas drick nasty hot water.

or make friends with the cooks, and put a few small bottles with juice and gatorade in the freezer overnight. if you don't leave them in the sun you'll have ice-cold beverages even for your last bagup.

dr.greenthumb · Post by **dr.greenthumb** » Sat Feb 20, 2010 5:08 pm

I also find comfort in my big fat can of bear mace..

newforest · Post by **newforest** » Sun Feb 21, 2010 6:33 am

a little bit of cash is nice to make it to each payday. both for when you start, before your first paycheck, and later too. everyone else gets tired of That One Person who can never make it all the way to payday without bumming some money from someone else because they are so far in debt they have to pay out all the money as soon as they get it. ditto for contractors such as myself ... I will advance you money on a paycheck if you really need it, but that doesn't mean I will enjoy the extra bookkeeping work.

ekim · Post by **ekim** » Sun Feb 21, 2010 1:59 pm

chronic wrote:Boots, Bags, Shovel and at least a POUND

Now your talking.

landhammerer · Post by **landhammerer** » Thu Mar 18, 2010 9:02 pm

Portable bose ipod dock and a 12guage shot gun

gilkie · Post by **gilkie** » Thu Mar 18, 2010 10:17 pm

"when i said birth control i meant any method, condoms included."

I presume that includes the tried and true, pull-out method. My personal favourite, works like a charm

Dogmusher · Post by **Dogmusher** » Thu Mar 18, 2010 11:05 pm

rah rah ah ah ah, roma romama, gaga oh lala, want your bad romance ! I want your ugly , I want your disease , I want your everything as long as it's free ...

dirt rich · Post by **dirt rich** » Fri Mar 19, 2010 11:07 am

Cotton woven gloves, the cheap white ones, under cheap nitrile gloves not only cushions your hands preventing cuticle damage, slivers, jammed nails, and cracking caused by dehydration, they keep you warm on cold mornings and rainy days, they make jamming your hand into holes all day much less punishing on your hands, and also keep extend the life of the Nitriles. Best of all, they only cost me about ten buck for a season (that's six cotton and six nitrile pairs.) I find them at a liquidator in Saskatoon for the cheapest. Rotate every day with fresh gloves and they'll surprise you how long they last.
Vitamine E oil is the best thing for healing small cuts and abrasions, burns, and any wounds as long as they are CLEANED WELL because things heal so fast that any little infection will get sealed in and then it could get really bad. But I've repeatedly experienced cuts completely sealing up overnight with vitamine e oil. Much better that aloe on sunburns as well. You can even eat it and it helps everything heal and strengthens bones and hair.
Pure Wild Oil of Oregano has kept me healthy for years, just take three to five drops under the toung when you feel any sore throat or weakness coming on. I swear, It really is amazingly powerful stuff.
Wool wool wool, suck it up and you'll get used to it.
Solid matel buckles are the only way to go, last forever, easy to clean if they get clogged with mud, and can usually be found at army surplus stores. no comparison to plastic.

The Rev · Post by **The Rev** » Fri Mar 19, 2010 8:02 pm

Dogmusher wrote:rah rah ah ah ah, roma romama, gaga oh lala, want your bad romance ! I want your ugly , I want your disease , I want your everything as long as it's free ...

yes ... and when we wake up after the final party there won't be a mushy good bye / an exchange of phone numbers / or a friend addition on face book ...

but maybe I'll see you next season.

jdtesluk · Post by **jdtesluk** » Fri Mar 19, 2010 8:41 pm

Dirtrich, I like your list. Good picks. I find that empty cellulose caplets help the Oregano Oil go down a lot easier. No taste, just drip it in the caplet and wash it down. Then you only taste it in your burps.
I would add my trusty nasal rinser (netti-pot) to the list of essentials. A key to a good season is a healthy season. Just one bad illness can wipe out 2 or 3 days, and quickly cost you a K$. The key to avoiding sickness lies in proliferation not contact. You will come in contact with germs and viruses. There is no way to avoid contact. The key to remaining healthy is A) proper hygiene- wash your hands often. and B) ensuring the viruses etc cannot proliferate inside you. As flus and colds tend to grow initially in your mouth and mostly your sinuses, a good sterile saline rinse will help keep their population to a minimum. A mild saline rinse will help kill the bad stuff without excessively harming the good stuff. You just need to get used to blasting warm saline up your nose, but if you've ever been surfing it's really not a big deal. You get out of the truck and back to your room/camp, a quick nasal rinse is a good routine. I also find it helps me breathe easier at night, which equals a more peaceful sleep- another cherished planting commodity. THere are many other ways to help your immune system fight the winning battle (reduce sugar and white foods!), but nothing like shoving a water bottle up your nose to help tilt the board in your favour.
You can get $20 kits at the drugstore that have enough sterile saline packets to last a season. Don't use table salt and plain baking soda though- it's not pharmaceutical grade and you don't want it inside you.

Gabe · Post by **Gabe** » Tue Mar 23, 2010 9:51 pm

Penaten Cream - for chafing in the high friction parts of the body

Carcasonne - it's fun like settlers but easier to learn

jayBOT · Post by **jayBOT** » Fri Mar 26, 2010 11:27 am

1. I modified an otter case to hold my mp3 player but allow a cord to go out to a small pair of battery powered speakers. The whole set up would sit in my back bag. Once free of head phones I could never go back. It was also awesome for buddy planting, like back bagging a party.

2. Hot water bottle - Cheap as anything but will really help to keep you warm all night.

3. Silk liner for my sleeping bag. Expensive but totally worth it. Bedding has never felt damp since.