Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board help a soldier

This would be way, way off topic re: Whitney but I don't know who else to ask.

My god son is in the middle of the s___, in the mountains of NE Afghanistan, living in a sandbag hut, no telephone, electricity, Internet, plumbing, etc. - in short, the back country w/killing. The location is a few miles from where 9 American soldiers died a month ago. The only access is via helicopter.

They live and patrol between 9K and 10.5K elevation. The latitude would be roughly equivalent to Telescope Peak.

He reports "...its really dusty and mold is a problem...", and the food is nasty, starchy and he's craving protein.

In terms of provisioning him, the latter I can handle. But for those familiar with the Western Himalaya, what kind of mold would be a problem there and what can I ship to him to make his life a bit less miserable?

Seems odd to have both dust and mold. Dust goes along with dry conditions, while mold usually is a problem in moist conditions.

Steve - I thought the same thing. I can't get details easily since it takes about 2 weeks + to turn around mail, and the mail only goes on the helicopter if there is room. I suspect that the mold might be a bodily / clothing problem and maybe something like SportSlick would be good (open to suggestions on sticks / liquid treatments). I don't know of any powders but maybe someone could suggest something. I'll send him everything that might be relevant and possibly work - if they toss it fine, if it's useful great. Cost / waste is no concern...I'll put it in the package regardless and if they throw away $1K of stuff but one thing works it's a success.

How about beef and/or turkey jerky in resealable pouches,Atkins protein bars, protein powders, freeze dried eggs as a start.

Doc - all of those are in the plan except the stuff heavy in carbs - they are getting tons of that.

Maybe he meant that the food is moldy.

I'm happy to put together a care package. I hear that 2cans of beer fit into a Pringles container. Serious.

mold=fungus=yeast

If they are talking about mold attacking the body, that is usually a moisture problem. It would be very beneficial to have wicking underwear, to pull moisture away, and get away from the cotton. Of the treatments, powders (which dry) are good, as is using antiperspirant powders or creams where one would not usually use them. Ointment treatments are FAR better than creams or lotions, which contain varying amounts of water...which adds to the problem.

By the way, there are two types of powder sold: Talc and Cornstarch. For this application, you want Talc, which is a ground up mineral, and is non-organic. Cornstarch is organic, and some types of fungus happily feed on it.

http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___77867

http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.a...WELAID=61231219

Ken - extremely helpful - thank you.

The Army has learned the benefits of boxer-briefs (I personally learned the hard way). But when it comes to polymers, the answer they give me is "...we don't like stuff that can melt to the skin..." which makes some sense. That said, except for the underwear design their clothing gear is appalling. It's like they held a contest and the winner was the heaviest, most uncomfortable cotton crap possible. They did learn one lesson, by the way, which they attribute to the CA mountaineering community: water bladders and hydration. Everyone is outfitted w/ camelbacks or equivalent.

During boot camp PFC Dave told me he never saw or heard of a solar shower - the Army's answer is baby wipes - but as we all know nothing beats a bath. Solar shower is on the list.

Your 'ointment' and talc comments are golden. Any liquids shipped will be along the lines of Blooty's suggestions.

Yes, modern hiking clothing is very dangerous around flame, as when it melts it sticks to the skin. Cotton is best for fire, or wool but that's usually even hotter. Sometimes I don't think we are fully aware of how our nylon or polypro shirt sleeves can really hurt us when we're lighting our stove or working around a campfire.

And God bless our troops.

Don't know if it helps, but stay away from powders creams with scents. At altitude they make you nauseus, and can be smelt from a mile away and further by insects. Unscented talc is probably the best, but Goldbond or CVS medicated powder is the best for rashes (I lived in Africa for 2 years in a bit damper place) though they do have a medicine scent it doesn't seem to be overwhelming like baby powder.

Thanks everyone for all the suggestions. I can send a PM to anyone on what and how to ship to combat troops based on your inputs and more.

I guessed right on the package I sent - I assumed the Panamints / White profile and that's about what it looks like.

Watch NBC tonight, this is where my god son is. They did a piece on it yesterday, too - the tuna, mayo and jelly sandwiches are one of his specialties. Talk about back country food that sucks.

Here's a video:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619/vp/27284450#27284450

I need a recommendation on a very light weight, very effective solar shower - any suggestions?? It will be cold up there soon so maybe it's too late for it: would one work on White Mountain this time of year (I know, no water on White but they have water)?

Thanks and love to all.