Nettles

[+goldpot]

We miss the Nettles... Get some nasty Cactus spines out here though! Fortunately we're in the one bit of the US that doesn't have Poison Ivy..

See here for details of this nasty plant!

 

Oh my god! Just had a look at the picture on the link showing the massive blisters on some poor soul's arms - give me nettle stings any day than that!

 

I hope he got 5 stars difficulty/terrain for finding that cache

[+dannable]

But the trouble with trampling / hacking is that it does leave a 'cachers trail', inviting even the casually curious to wonder why it's been done!

[+Ah yes!]

But the trouble with trampling / hacking is that it does leave a 'cachers trail', inviting even the casually curious to wonder why it's been done!

 

Very true.........we try to "comb" the sorry looking nettles back into place with a walking pole. Or perhaps trample down a lot more nettles to spread the area of activity, laying false trails........the trouble we go to, in the cause!

[+Geo.Kitten]

yeah - I have a cache near nettles and to get to it people have to trample them. Now you can see that people have been there and its not normaly a place someone would of gone so I'm going to have to move my cache!

[+Pendoe]

just grin and bear it. I've got to the stage these days where I hardly notice them - I think I must be producing some kind of anti-venom!

[+Cushie Butterfield]

We went to a cache last week while we were away and the nettles were chest height so we didn't even bother trying to get through them, we could almost guarantee one of the kids would have fallen over into them

[GerritS]

A) long trousers

a jacket

 

That deals with most nettle (and bramble, holly etc problems.

 

C) a hat or cap

 

That deals with prtecting the top end

 

D) Gardening gloves

 

For those situations where you have to put your hand in ....

 

E) a Stick of Whacking.

 

For when you need to clear a path in head-high nettles. I can be quite ruthless to nettles.

 

I read this the other day presently I am recovering from a days caching.

 

My legs sting from Ancles to top of shorts .

My arms start at Tshirt down stinging ,

My fingers have randon holes in , from prickles and I had a GREAT Days Caching .

 

Next time I will try and remember to follow above advise...

 

Gerrit

Edited June 7, 2008 by GerritS

[Copepod]

A couple of years ago I introduced a friend to caching. We did GCP5RD Via Duck Volts. My friend is a seasoned orienteer and a tough nut. To my amazement she walked, or strolled might be a better word, or even swanned, in shorts, through a terrifying thicket of nettles and did the quite difficult cache retrieval as casually as if she were getting a box of teabags out of a cupboard. I was amazed. Sadly - although a natural - she didn't take up caching, but when we meet up we she sometimes accompanies us.

 

I must be a softie, then, as I generally wear trousers for both orienteering & geocaching. However, for summer orienteering events, I have found that being a later starter helps, as other people have already trampled the nettles approaching a control before me, plus I often wear shorts with trainers and gaiters, as a compromise between temperature comfort and sting / prickle protection. Usually, hands and arms don't get stung so much in orienteering as controls are on short poles, unlike low placed caches.

[+currykev]

Along with stinging hands I usually draw blood due to the nearby brambles.My arms are permanently scratched too.

[+Simply Paul]

<too much information>Urine has ammonia in it</too much information>

[+Geo.Kitten]

<too much information>Urine has ammonia in it</too much information>

 

you just said what i been thinking !!! lol thought someone would say it at some point

[+careygang]

yeah - I have a cache near nettles and to get to it people have to trample them. Now you can see that people have been there and its not normaly a place someone would of gone so I'm going to have to move my cache!

 

That's always been a problem in rural caching. I remember doing one in the Lake District that was along a country lane, but the final location was a bit cryptic etc. All we had to do was drive along until we saw the neat path through the nettles at the roadside. Spot on. Of course it had been a winter hide.

[+keehotee]

Had to do a bit of maintenance today.....

 

First cache, too many muggles - will do later.

Second cache - nettles everywhere - but not too bad. Cache replaced.

Third cache. Stopped the car, and didn't notice the nettles outside the door.

Opened door and climbed out - felt stingy sensation.

Looked down to see nettle brushing against teeshirt.

Backed away, and brushed off nettle seeds - not realising that the top 6" of the nettle had gone up my shirt, and broken off - so my frantic brushing was rubbing the raw nettle and it's seed head into my belly.....

 

6 hours later and it still feels like it's on fire.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Edited to enhance 6 pack)

Edited June 22, 2008 by keehotee

[+Geo.Kitten]

ouch :< see i get really bad from them too! and people think im a baby

[+Dark_Faerie]

Ouch! You won't be wanting to wear any of these then! Sounds uncomfortable to me!