Wash Your Hands
Always wash your hands thoroughly after changing out of your hiking clothes. This helps protect against the spread of poisonous oils in the event that you brushed up against any poisonous plants.
Wash Your Clothes
Even after you've returned from your trip, the oils from poisonous plants linger on your clothes and shoes. Keep your hiking clothes separate until you're able to wash them.
Consider Your Pets
Dogs and other animals can transfer poisonous oils even if it doesn't affect them directly. If you suspect your dog went tromping through an area with poisonous plants, wash him down with soap and water.
More: 5 Tips for Camping With Dogs
Carry Tecnu
If you or your kids are particularly susceptible to poison oak or poison ivy, stick a bottle of Tecnu in your daypack. It might not be a bad idea to bring it no matter what; just in case.
Be Aware
Poison oak and ivy, while the most talked about, aren't the only toxic plants. Stinging nettle, for example, has a triangular stem with small hairs along the stem and on the underside of the leaves. These hairs carry histamine that can cause a stinging sensation on your skin.
Don't Eat Any Plants
Edible plants are really difficult to identify, as they're often confused with non-edible look-alikes. Poison hemlock, for example, looks very similar to wild parsnip. While wild parsnip is edible, poison hemlock is highly toxic.
Berries might be tempting to snack on but it's really hard to tell the difference between edible berries and non-edible berries.
"Unless you know for sure what it is, you shouldn't be popping it in your mouth," says Bennett.
If you think anyone in your group ingested a poisonous plant, contact poison control. In some cases, you might have to induce vomiting. If possible, take a picture of the plant that was ingested to help identify it later for proper treatment.
For more information about common poisonous plants and plant parts, click here.
More: The 7 W's of Hiking Safety
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