After picking up a nasty case of poison oak, I made the following Poison Oak Survival Guide:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipwER-ZbIuI

Pretty good info and advice. I, too, was burned by winter Poison Oak a couple of years ago while doing trash pick-up in the National Forest, and I never want to go through that again.

I will also put a plug in for Ivy Block, as I am not a big fan of long pants/sleeves when I hike, so I have started applying this product to my legs and arms with good success. Ivy Block is also worn by firefighters on their exposed skin, so this should be a good testament for the product because they run into mountains of Poison Oak when they are clearing brush.

And for those people like me who like to wear shorts while hiking, I can also recommend the use of gaiters, either the shorter ankle-length or the longer knee-length versions.

And for quick access to the above video, just click on the link below:

www.youtube.com/watch

A lot of good points but light weight breathable hiking pants are not a guarantee especial if it's a hot dry day where dust is being kicked up letting the oils to become airborne.

Maybe I should break out the pic's!

That's true - lightweight, nylon hiking pants with no inner shell may allow the urishiol oil to pass through.

But this is another good reason to wear knee-length gaiters. I've used the plain ol' packcloth one from Oregon Research, as well as their Gore-Tex coated version, and both were PO-proof.

And to prove their success, I did catch some PO just below where my shorts ended and above where the gaiters started. So now I use Ivy Block in that area on my leg.

Lee, you are right about truly breathable pants. As a matter of fact, the dust got me in places where I was covered on this trip, including through the liner of my breathable shirt. Thank you for making that astute observation. --Bill

Kelly, thank you for that observation. Like Lee, you are absolutely correct that lightweight, breathable clothing is no guarantee. I just saw a friend of mine today who is covered with poison oak after bird hunting in an area that is COVERED with the stuff. He kicked up dust and debris that had urishiol oil. His breathable shirt let him down and he's paying the price. As for me, I'm going to do my best just to keep myself covered, carry Ivy Block when I think I'm in a bad area and work on keen observation.

One trick I have also used in the past is if I think I'm exposed and I'm near water, I'll dive in and wash myself off immediately. It seems to work.

A friend of mine just picked up a case of poison oak. Now he wishes he would have watched the video for plant identification and clothing recommendations.

Hey guys, with the nice weather and open trails, remember that Poison Oak, aka the Devil's Weed is out there and waiting to turn your life into a nightmare... : )

Great information. Thanks!