Making a Wilderness Toothbrush
Good hygiene is important, even in the woods. Your time in the wilderness can be made a little more comfortable if you can keep at least a modicum of cleanliness. For me this is especially true in oral hygiene. I don't care much if I am caked in mud, but I hate to go without brushing my teeth. I just don't like the nasty feeling of a gamey mouth, especially if I have been living off of roots, leaves, and the Lord knows what in the woods.
When I was a kid, my Dad taught me a great use for a birch twig - you can make a toothbrush. Black Birch (and perhaps some other birches) has a minty smell and flavor, and has some essential oils that counteract mouth germs. In the video below, I demonstrate how to make a toothbrush from a birch twig:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDnxkoXZfkI
This can be pretty useful. If birch doesn't grow near you, you could substitute some other tree with a decent taste and stout grain.
This was taken during my recent camping excursion - the one with the imaginary bear attack. (see thread: http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...931#post222931) That was a pretty sleepless night, so I am not looking my best. (Never look too good to begin with!)
Hope the idea and vid is helpful.
