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task force k

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Feb 10, 2007
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I just wanted to recommend a product for BOB and long-term survival kits. If anybody else has already brought this up, I apologize.

I always keep a small botle of Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap in my buttpack kit. I've used it since I was seriously into thru-hiking, used it during field exercises in the Army. Don't let the pseudo-religious messages on the bottle turn you away from this great product. A few drops will wash your hair...another few drops will wash the rest of you...and another drop or two will, believe it or not, work as a pretty decent toothpaste (use the peppermint oil version...tastes a little soapy but that rinses away). Also good for cleaning camp dishes, clothes, tentage, and just about anything else. Good stuff.
 
Dr. Bronner's is a useful soap. My issue with it, for survival applications, is that it has a strong fragrance. Peppermint, almond, castille... lots of choices, but no choice of no scent whatsoever. I prefer not to have anything scented in my survival kits.
 
I used Dr Bronners probably 30 years ago and for quite a few years. I prefer Campsuds, the green stuff, over Bronners. I think it cleans better esp on dishes. Mountainsuds is more common here but I don't like it as much though I friends who prefer it over Campsuds. BTW Campsuds is available in a Nalgene bottle rather than the squeeze bottle. I try to convince the scouts to start with one drop but it seems they think they need to use half a bottle per dish.
 
Dr. B' is great stuff, same with Campsuds. The one I like best though is the Coughlans. The scent is very light, and goes away pretty fast. It's cheap too, and I like the little tubes it comes in.
 
Evolute said:
Dr. Bronner's is a useful soap. My issue with it, for survival applications, is that it has a strong fragrance. Peppermint, almond, castille... lots of choices, but no choice of no scent whatsoever. I prefer not to have anything scented in my survival kits.
Click to expand...

Now, that's a good point. I've never found the fragrance to be that strong but it probably wouldn't be easy to stalk within range of a deer if you smelled like a candy cane. LOL
 
Well, color me poorly informed. I didn't even know there were all these other choices out there. Thanks guys. Good info.
 
Has anyone ever tried hunting with Dr bronners, I wonder what if any effects it has on game, I also know it is very popular among backpackers and I wonder if it is an attractant to bears racoons etc. I have been told that it is a bug repellent but i have had mixed results with that myself.
 
All i can think of was hunt deer smelling like candy........ Im sure some bears would love a sweet treat to start a day *L^ ..... But it would be more of a problem if you left your pack and small animals got into it cause it smells intresting. Once i went backpacking the night before i had some pizza i picked up. So im going to the bathroom at the trail head and i left the door open. When i came back a few min later i had something like 5 chipmanks in my car fighting over some dried food. The pizza crambs they finished already. I got lots of pics cause they would just hang around my car and nothing would drive them away. When i came back i made some pancakes Had to share more then half of them. Just to keep those rodents from staring in my mouth the all time. No i didnt try to hurt them cause i found it funny and they were cute. But think of a bear that gets something that smell diffrent.

sasha
 
I don't know the brand off the top of my head, but I don't like using scented products because I believe (rightly or wrongly) that it attracts unwated attentions from animals...kinda like mini skirts for racoons.
 
I read here once, someone had said; "what do you think smells better to a bear or wolf or any carnivore, sweet/perfume like smell or ripe/stinky person smell? I would think anything, even something claiming to be unscented would still register in an animals nose, and I doubt if it even registers the same to them as us. Our sweet may be just weird or foreign to them. Dr Bronners is good stuff and I keep it in my pack/gear.
 
I think I may have to try squirting a little DR bronners in the woods and see if any thing comes around. I have used it on me and dishes and never had much touble. but since i may be heading into bear country this summer I may have to do some experimentation before I go.

I would think that any link between campsoap especially one this popular, and animal attacks would have been documented by now.
 
Still can't find the name last night of the soap I use. It marketed for fishing, and it's for washing odor off your hands.
 
I'd think a sweaty human scent will alert an animal just as easily as a soap smell.
 
hey i just had a thought here. Yes its a bad thing when i do that. I did carry once some lemon juice for cooking food and ended up using it to clean my hands. That stuff works great smells great and most animals seem to not like it.

sasha
 
I use Dr. Bronner's, decanted into a smaller container. I've wondered about the strong peppermint smell attracting vermin and I'm switching to the unscented version this season. The peppermint smell is very obvious when I open my hygene kit.
 
Have some Summit Pocket Soap, 50 leaves in pack and 1/2 leaf is supposed to be enough for most clean-ups. Any other users out there? Haven't tried it yet, still in the pack.
 
task force k said:
I just wanted to recommend a product for BOB and long-term survival kits. If anybody else has already brought this up, I apologize.

I always keep a small botle of Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap in my buttpack kit. I've used it since I was seriously into thru-hiking, used it during field exercises in the Army. Don't let the pseudo-religious messages on the bottle turn you away from this great product. A few drops will wash your hair...another few drops will wash the rest of you...and another drop or two will, believe it or not, work as a pretty decent toothpaste (use the peppermint oil version...tastes a little soapy but that rinses away). Also good for cleaning camp dishes, clothes, tentage, and just about anything else. Good stuff.
Click to expand...

Yes, that is what I pack as well. Good stuff.
 
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