Being outside in nature is wonderful. There is fresh air, trees, plants, grass, wide open spaces, and usually some awesome views.

Then you accidentally touch some poison ivy or poison oak and the fun is gone.

Now instead of enjoying nature and all its beauty, you may well be cursing it because you are itching like crazy and your skin looks horrible with a red rash and oozing blisters on it.

I currently have a mild rash from either poison ivy or poison oak. I’m not sure which because I don’t recall seeing any poison ivy or poison oak when I was on my last camping trip but it must have been someplace where I wandering around.

Because it’s a mild case I’m trying to “tough it out” but I’m getting pretty sick of it. Nothing I’ve tried has stopped the itching and I can’t stop myself from scratching it like crazy.

I wish I would have had a product I recently heard about to use on my arm to get rid of the oil from the poison ivy or oak that is causing the rash. It’s from Buji Products and is called Buji Wash

buji Wash works by removing urushiol, the toxic oil from poison ivy and related plants. Many people think that washing with soap and water will remove the urushiol from their skin but it is so thick and resin-like (think about pine tree resin and how hard it is to get off a camper or RV) that soap and water can’t usually remove it and often instead spreads it, making the rash worse.

buji Wash works by breaking the bond between the urushiol and your skin, dissolving the oil so it can be washed away.

And, for people who are highly sensitive to poison ivy, poison oak or related plants, such as my husband who is so sensitive to poison ivy he no longer has to touch it to get infected - he gets a rash just by getting close to it (not sure how but I’ve seen it happen), buji also has a block to wear to prevent the poison ivy from adhering to skin.

Buji block is applied to the skin before heading out into the great outdoors where poison ivy can be lurking. With the buji block on it’s kind of like being in a plastic bubble because it acts as a layer of protection between you and the stuff that wants to make you itch.

To learn more about buji wash and buji block visit their website: bujiproducts.com

For poison ivy facts that includes answers to frequently asked questions such as, why poison ivy causes a rash, how long the rash lasts, how to treat it, can it be spread to other parts of the body, and whether or not it is contagious, click here to check out buji’s poison ivy facts page.

For help identifying poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac click on the images below to go to buji’s plant identification page.

Plus, buji is offering a special deal for campingearth readers on their shopping page bujiproducts.com/buy

Receive $6 off any minimum purchase of two büji Wash or two büji Block by entering bujicache in the coupon code box on the ordering page.

Or, receive $6 off any combo purchase of one buji Wash and one buji Block by entering bujicachecombo in the coupon code box on the ordering page.

Mosquitoes are the bane of my existence when I go camping. I am like a live advance warning system for everyone else when it comes to mosquitoes because I am always the first person bit, which doesn’t seem fair since I am also the one that is most allergic to them.

So I am always looking for a better and easier way to stay bite free.

Repellents with deet in them work well for me if I use a lot, but I hate having a strong chemical like that on my skin all the time.

Anytime I see something that seems less toxic than deet to me, I try it.

A few weeks ago I saw Bug Off biting insect wrist bands (they come in kids and adult sizes and there’s also a “glow in the dark” model) and decided to try them because they are deet free and instead use citronella, lemongrass oil, and geraniol (a liquid derived chiefly from the oils of geranium and citronella) as their active ingredients.

They were easy to use. I just popped one on one of my wrists and went about my day, for about 3 minutes. Then got I got bit. I figured that since the directions said to use one around a wrist or ankle or to use several and have one around each wrist and ankle, that I would use all three bands in the package I bought because I was camping in a large forest. So I put one around each wrist and one ankle and headed back outside.

Five minutes later I had multiple mosquito bites. It was obvious the wrist bands weren’t going to work for me.

My experience is that they are not worth the money. I got bit just as much as usual.

While doing a little research on the company that distributes the Bug Off wristbands, Kaz Incorporated, I found that they can’t even give their own product a “glowing “review because information on their website says the wrist bands “reduce mosquito landings by 50%.” That is not exactly a wonderful claim. Who wants to get bit half as much? I don’t want to get bit at all.

I’m back to searching for something that does work because Bug Off wrist bands definitely don’t.

If you are like me and think a campfire is one of the best things about camping, then firewood is a necessity. But, before you pack up firewood and haul it to the campground, check ahead to see if there are any restrictions.

For example, here in Wisconsin the state has been trying hard to keep the Emerald Ash borer, a nasty little green beetle that kills ash trees at an alarming rate, out of the state. One of the ways the state was trying to keep the beetle out of the state was by banning firewood from out of state and by only allowing in state firewood from up to 50 miles away from the campground.

It was an effort that was successful until this summer when it was discovered in two Wisconsin counties. Now firewood restrictions are even tighter. I live in a county that has been quarantined which means I can’t take any firewood out of my county. In addition, the northern half of the state has banned firewood from the the entire southern half of the state.

The restrictions may seem a little over zealous, but I can understand them. The emerald ash borer has been in the state of Michigan since 2002 and has killed over 40 millions ash trees during that time, which is pretty devastating.

For me it means I now have to buy all my firewood when going camping.

Truthfully, I don’t mind buying it as much as I mind getting crappy firewood. It’s hard to find dry hardwood. Usually it’s wet wood that smokes and smolders instead of burning or wood that burns so fast it’s practically gone by the time I’ve grabbed a beverage and sat in a chair by the fire. But I guess that’s a small price to pay to try and keep the ash trees in the state from getting killed.

The bottom line with this whole story of mine is that other states, or portions of states, may also have firewood restrictions that you may not be aware of.

If you typically take firewood with you when you go camping, take a minute to call ahead and check for restrictions. Because if you bring firewood into a banned area, it will be immediately be confiscated and you could possibly be fined (yes, it’s one of those situations where ignorance of the rules doesn’t matter), although I haven’t yet heard of anyone being fined.

And, if you’re one of those people that think firewood restrictions are dumb and you want to smuggle firewood in anyway, keep in mind the price you pay for it could be high even if you don’t get caught. Because if there is a firewood restriction or ban due to an invasive bug or dry weather, and millions of trees are killed as a result, you’ll pay for it somehow because if the state or federal government has to replant trees the money will come from us - the taxpayers.

Right now the emerald ash borer is of a concern in Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, Missouri, Maryland and Wisconsin. The first North American infestation occurred in Ontario, Canada and was likely brought in from its native Asia via wood packing materials.

But, even if you don’t live in one of the currently affected states, the bug could spread. States that border any of the affected states are obviously the most at risk so if there are restrictions or bans in place where you live or where you camp, please observe them.

Visit emeraldashborer.info for more information.