Question from Anna
I have been becoming sicker and sicker and am not sure if I will be able to tolerate living in society much longer. I have already been sleeping in a tent behind a house rather than in the house itself.
I think perhaps what I might need is a very long camping trip to get away from the toxic chemicals and the cell phones and the WiFi and all of it.
I was wondering if you might suggest a decent portable water filtration device (I was thinking Lifestraw, but I don’t know if there’s something better but still affordable), a low-toxicity sleeping bag that will still be fairly winter-proof, reasonably affordable wool or other non-cotton clothing that is at least free of naphthalene and paradichlorobenzene, a low-toxicity bivouac sac, minimally toxic boots, some sort of first aid kit appropriate for a chemically injured person, and some sort of non-plastic water bottle durable enough for hiking. I was reading that for winter hiking, you basically have to use an insulated stainless steel water bottle anyway, but maybe some of these are better than others. I was also wondering if you might have any suggestions on re-usable pads and/or period underwear.
Lisa’s Answer
I’m sorry you are having such a difficult time. For non-toxic clothing and shoes/boots you can look at Debra’s List or use the search button on the site to look up clothing. There are several articles and threads where readers have reported on clothing that is both non-toxic and tolerable. As always though, because everyone is different, what is tolerable to one person may not be to another.
Here is information on a lightweight wool sleeping bag that might work for you.
Here is some more information on Lifestraw. I have not done a full investigation of these type of filters so I can’t tell you about other options.
I use Kleen Kanteen for hiking because glass is not practical for this purpose. If you are sensitive to nickel you should not use stainless steel. Here is some more on using stainless steel for drinking.
You might want to consider reaching out to Debra for a paid consultation because you have many specific needs. She is available for paid consults until June 18, 2020.
Readers do you have any other suggestions?
Hi Anna and Lisa,
I also have chemical sensitives. At one point I couldn’t tolerate my house and became so sick I slept in my backyard. I did go camping in a place with clean air and it helped me a lot. Later I discovered my sensitivities was caused by mold.
Searching Debra Lynn Dadds website before I purchased things helped me. For camping gear, my chemical free house .net has a great post. She recommends products she has actually used being sensitive and different camping locations.
I, too, use Klean Kanteen. This would work if you tolerate stainless steel. For water filtration, you may consider Zero Water portable tumbler or Berkey water, although Berkey is pricey. I have no experience with Life Straw, so I can’t say anything about that one. I have not yet used Berkey, but have done quite a bit of research and Berkey will be my next water filtration I buy. You may want to try organic undyed Glad Rags for reuseable pads, but there’s lots of washing involved, as you may imagine. I certainly wish you all the best. I understand the struggle.