Toothbrush for camping idea. Would love to know your thoughts!

[The Backpack Guy]

Hi guys,

Hope all is well. Welp, this is my second thread on this site – and as usual, I’m always trying find ways to improve camping products and maybe roll out something to the public if the feedback about the idea seems good. So, here we go :)

I was thinking if there could be a more efficient way of brushing our teeth while camping out an about. I personally, HATE, having to reuse my toothbrush when camping and storing it in my backpack when done. It’s wet, carrying toothpaste is annoying, the whole process just seems unsanitary and hassling personally – especially when I have a bunch of other stuff to be worried about (gear related).

Now, I’ve seen this product been mentioned here before, but what if I created something like the Colgate Wisp? It’s a single use tooth brush that’s been prepasted, so that you can brush your teeth, and immediately dispose the toothbrush. This eliminates the need of bringing toothpaste, and is convenient for all obvious reasons. To see this product on Amazon, click here.

The problem to me with this product is that its terrible to our atmosphere. There’s just too much plastic, from the design of the product, to the packaging. Just absolutely terrible – also a bit pricey. WHAT IF, I created something similar to this.

My idea: A one-time use 100% biodegradable pre-pasted toothbrush with high quality charcoal bristles that’s 100% environmentally safe and sold them individually pre-packaged for a fraction of the cost. It would be constructed of bamboo. Lightweight too. These would be small sized in nature (4″ length), so packing a lot wouldn’t be a huge ordeal or an issue in terms of weight. The quantity of the paste would be plenty too – not small/rip off amount – like some of these companies do.

Would this be something you could see yourself using while camping? Would love your thoughts on this idea! Also, have you ever considered using a miswaak while camping? Would like to know your thoughts on that too!

 

 

[Ken Thompson]

Not a big fan of single use anything. I also have never thought of brushing my teeth as an issue outdoors. But I was surprised that the Wisp is still around so you will probably find a market for such an item.

[David Thomas]

I’ve used those mini, disposable tooth brushes* on backpacking trips and am okay with them.  More than the weight, I like that it packs into a smaller toiletries baggie.  But in use, I don’t like the short length because I like to keep my hands out of mouth as much as possible.  I prefer to brush teeth as a I hike, so something that I can keep handy with my small tube of sunscreen and Chapstick works better.

Mostly, I scatter those mini tooth brushes around in my cars and travel bags for unplanned occasions or oversights in packing my full-sized around-town toiletries.

What about bristles only that could fit over a spoon handle? (I usually backpack with a $1 bamboo spoon which is stronger, lighters, larger and cheaper than titanium spoons).  That would give a lot of length with very little additional weight.

*we know that the tooth brush was invented in Kentucky, otherwise, it would be a “teeth brush”.

[Arthur]

David The tattoo/tooth ratio in KY is very high! Just kidding. In KY they say that about Tenn.
Forget the toothpaste, it’s weight/benefit ratio is very high in the short term. A used toothbrush is only unsanitary if it is somebody else’s. See https://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/oral-hygiene-question/

[The Backpack Guy]

@davidinkenai love your insight. So what I’m getting from this is as long as the handle is comfortably long enough to where your fingers aren’t in your mouth, that this would be something you could see yourself potentially using?

Hmm, bristles over a spoon sounds like a cool idea, but with the vast amount of spoons in the market – I can see it being a cumbersome option often overlooked.

Have you ever tried brushing with a miswak?

@here I totally understand your point. Though, couldn’t you see this being beneficial towards some people that may hate the idea of carrying a brush and paste like I described?

[Ken Thompson]

People love choices. Have you tried toothpaste dots? No mess. For short trips you can skip the paste all together brushing being the more important part. I too like a long handle to keep my fingers out of my mouth.

How did your bear resistant canister studies go?

[J R]

It’s wet, carrying toothpaste is annoying…My idea: A one-time use 100% biodegradable pre-pasted toothbrush with high quality charcoal bristles that’s 100% environmentally safe and sold them individually pre-packaged for a fraction of the cost. It would be constructed of bamboo.

So for two brushings a day on a weeklong trip I’m carrying 14 of these things? No way that’s lighter than my current setup. And, after each brushing I’m either a) tossing the bamboo-charcoal-toothpaste concoction into the wilderness (very un-LNT), b) I’m tossing it into a fire (which I won’t be building), or c) I’m stuck carrying not one wet toothbrush but multiple ones, which compounds the very problem I supposedly was trying to solve in the first place. Sorry, I don’t see this value in this idea.

[Ryan “Rudy” Oury]

+1 to JR

I’m a big fan of ingenuity and creation but don’t see it on this. on a 1-2 day trip, MAYBE this would be helpful. But overall I personally would have zero need/interest. My cut down toothbrush is long enough to keep my fingers out of my mouth but barely there light, I use Dr Bronners so don’t carry extra toothpaste, and really don’t see anything unsanitary about brushing on trail (at least no more than at home). I get my brush pretty dry by sucking as much moisture off it when done, then blowing air back through it.

[Todd T]

To  be blunt, I would never, ever consider a disposable toothbrush.  Why would I?  Carrying what I need to brush my teeth is not difficult in the least.  Why generate more trash?  This sounds like a poor solution in search of a problem.

[Mark Fowler]

Nice thought but I am against one use products and techniques from freezer bag cooking to non-rechargeable batteries to one use tooth brushes.  How many trees are destroyed each year to produce one use chop sticks?

The mouth (saliva) has quite amazing abilities to destroy pathogens so a toothbush “contaminated” with your own saliva is unlikely to do you harm – just store it so there is no exposure to the external world where it may pick up contaminants.  Mine is kept with a little plastic cover over the head in a plastic bag with my other hygiene items.

[The Backpack Guy]

@jringeorgia This is some spot on info. This really put it into perspective for me, heck, that would be quite a hassle to have to carry 14 of these on a week long trip.

@jringeorgia @ohdogg79 @texasbb @kramrelwof @jringeorgia @here Thank you guys for this great insight. I think all these points are extremely valid and are for the most part steering me away from this idea. Which lead’s me into this:

Have any of you all heard of a Miswak? Miswak is basically a pencil-sized stick 15 to 20 cm long with a diameter of 1 to 1.5 cm from Arak (Salvadora persica) or the Toothbrush tree. It’s essentially a twig that has been used for cleaning your teeth for over 7000 years, in Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. A good quality Miswak can last you 3 months. It’s very common outside the US and people have great results with such.

Here’s a picture for your reference:

Light weight. Small. Multiple use for months. No toothpaste. Environmentally friendly. Wouldn’t you agree this would be a great alternative to a toothbrush for camping? Could you see yourself using this or have you used this before?

The taste of the twig gets some takes some time getting used to. Would love to know your thoughts on this.

Guide on how to use miswak: click here

Scientific article on benefits of miswak: click here

@here, regarding the bear containers – the feedback I got was great. But the mold cost for manufacturing a new design was easily running me $30,000+ from a reputable factory. All in all, there really aren’t much new ways to innovate a bear resistant container than it is from its current form, at least, not without harming the bears. Maybe i’ll revisit this someday. Also, the IGBC only approves products for a short period of time, so by the end of that thread, I was out of the window of product approval for national parks.

[JCH]

re: toothpaste.  I quit carrying that in the backcountry long ago.  Baking Soda tastes a little salty (to me) but it works great for cleaning teeth and mouth and you just rinse and swallow it down when done.  It is a natural antacid, so beneficial there too.

As for tooth brushes this type works just fine for me.

As others have said,  I applaud the thinking and desire to improve, but don’t think this is the issue to tackle.

[Link .]

. Ultralight thru hiker toothbrush for SERIOUS cavity reduction .

[Jeffs Eleven]

” How many trees are destroyed each year to produce one use chop sticks?”

None.

[Ben C]

I guess my opinions on this matter will not be taken seriously.  I’ll just be quiet.

 

I’m from Kentucky.  No experience to draw from here.

[The Backpack Guy]

@pastyj-2-2 Ever considered using a miswak for camping? Great alternative than a brush!

@alexdrewreed I would love to hear your opinion, friend!

 

[JCH]

@backpackguy – No, I have not tried a miswak and that was pretty much my point…I don’t want or need an alternative :)

[Gary Dunckel]

Miswaks are used in the Middle East and Africa, because they have been used in those places for thousands of years. That’s all they had, and I admire the creativity to come up with something to enhance their oral health. The thing is, they are inferior to the modern toothbrushes. It’s nearly impossible to properly clean the back sides of the front teeth (the lingual and palatal surfaces) because of the working surface being at the end of the stick.

When I lived in Saudi Arabia I checked all the miswak dealers in the local souks (ethnic market places) to try to find the perfect one that had a right angle. They didn’t seem to exist. I watched one miswak dealer make them. He started with a miswak stick that was 12-15″ long. He cut the stick into 4-5″ lengths, scored and removed the bark 1/2″ from one end, and teased the parallel fibers to separate them. This created the perfect brush, but as I noted earlier, the brush is straight and not at right angles to the handle. I even bought a full-length miswak stick to see if I could make a ‘toothbrush’ from it. I soaked it in water (for several days) to see if I could put a right angle bend on it. I couldn’t, so I blew off the project.

[The Backpack Guy]

@zia-grill-guy this is really informative. Thank you so much for your insight. While I do agree they are inferior to the modern toothbrush with paste, and have to disagree on the fact that it’s completely impossible to brush the back of your teeth with them – couldn’t it be seen that this could indeed be an alternative to a toothbrush will camping.

Sure, it’s more difficult to clean the back of your teeth with it, and may take some time – and yes, it is not as good as a regular toothbrush, but wouldn’t the advantages of the pros outweigh the cons in terms of an ultralight camping experience? No toothpaste. Light weight. Easily disposable.

[kroot]

Speaking personally, I’m looking to get all my teeth removed for some serious weight savings. Should save me in the realm of two ounces between the tooth weight and the toothbrush/toothpaste. More when you consider that I’ll have to carry less water since I won’t need to have any for brushing. With a diet of gels, oatmeal, and beans I don’t actually need the teeth so leaving them behind is a no-brainer no-downside choice.

This is even beginning to discuss the time savings I’ll get by not having to brush my teeth each night/morning. I estimate that I’ll get another 0.1 miles in each day that I wouldn’t otherwise.

[Gary Dunckel]

Backpack Guy, have you actually tried to use a miswak? Have you weighed one to compare it with the compact toothbrushes available? The absolute lightest option on a 1-2 night outing is to not even take a toothbrush. 48 hours of plaque won’t have much of an effect at all.

[Brad W]

Why is a regular brush anymore unsanitary that a toothbrush at home? Use, rinse with water, put it in ziplock or other pouch, done. No need to reinvent the wheel. Filling up landfills waiting for things to biodegrade is not a good idea.

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