Your pants, your shirt, and your gloves are your first line of defense from contact with poison ivy. Do not touch your gloves to your face or eat with your gloves on. When you get back to camp at the end of the day, we recommend you use your gloves to untie and remove your boots, then carefully remove your gloves and change out of your work clothes. Keep in mind that the oils can remain in your clothes, so keep them separate from your other gear. Once you’ve changed, wash from your elbow down with soap and water right away. If you get a poison ivy rash, let a crew leader know. All med kits are equipped with Tecnu, a poison ivy scrub designed to wash away the rash-causing oil from your skin.
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Check your whole body for ticks daily (you might want to bring a small mirror for this purpose). Ticks tend to bite under the hairline, in or around the ears, under the arms, around the waist, between the legs, and behind the knees. If you have a tick bite, let a crew leader know. Do not try to pick a tick out with your fingers. All med kits are equipped with tweezers, which allows you to pull out the whole tick without leaving its head embedded. Leaving the head could lead to infection and increase your chances of getting a tick-borne illness.
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