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All Terrain Natural Remedies

What's Good for Mother Nature Is Good for You

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on Tue, Jul 21, 2009
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I often wonder if the products we apply to our skin do more harm than the conditions they’re designed to protect us from.  Ranging from sunscreens to bug sprays, muscle rubs to hand sanitizers, the unnatural compounds in these products (most of which I can’t pronounce) make me question if this is really what my body needs. Frankly, I’m not sure it is.

A few weeks ago I got to meet David Kulow, President of natural remedy provider All Terrain.  At first I was skeptical (I know, a real shocker for a GP writer) of David’s claims that his all natural sunscreen was just as good as the drug store brands we are all well acquainted with.  But I’m also always open to test out new products.  In total, I personally tested out 6 products from All Terrain, all with very satisfactory results.

My review after the jump.
 

All Terrain was born after founder Todd Hakanson opened his backpack after a hike in Costa Rica.  What he found was that his bottle of DEET insect repellent had leaked and eaten through his pack and melted the buttons on the calculator he was carrying to figure exchange rates.  Obviously concerned about the damage this very same DEET was doing to his skin, Todd set out to find natural remedies for outdoor enthusiasts.

First off, All Terrain isn’t a one trick pony.  They carry a variety of offerings over several categories: Insect Repellants, First Aid, Sun Protection, Soaps & Sanitizers, Remedy Rubs, Kids Outdoor Protection, and Pet Care products.  Each category is stocked with enough options to give each of us exactly the results we need.  And who doesn’t like buying products specifically designed for our individual needs?

After using the Herbal Armor insect repellant, the AquSport SPF 30 sun screen and Lip Armor lip balm during several rounds of golf, I was more than convinced that Todd and David were telling the truth.  I also followed up rigorous weight lifting routines with the Aloe Gel skin relief, HandSaz hand sanitizer and their Recovery Rub which left my muscles and skin feeling refreshed, rejuvenated, and ready for the next round.

What I found truly amazing was that many of All Terrain’s products have been clinically tested (example here) and proven highly effective. So you don’t have to just take my word on it. All Terrain even offers poison ivy and poison oak protection, which anyone who has ever been unfortunate enough to encounter that will certainly appreciate.  Not sure if all natural products are right for you?  Try their sampler kit for $20 like I did.

Cost: Varies By Product

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To visit the website this article came from go HERE


So...

In an effort NOT to repeat the outcome of last weekend, the research began late Friday afternoon via Internet and visits to a couple of local healthy crap stores (BTW, inept employees apparently now pervade all of retail, and many are now employed at healthy crap stores-in all 3 cases, I had to ask for the manager or relatively brain-engaged employee of the week before I could get any decent information).

According to the US Government (in which we all place GREAT trust):

Mosquitoes (long term exposure): DEET (20% or better to be effective) Mosquitoes (short term prevention): Believe it or not, your mom was right: Citronella actually works, but you need to reapply every couple of hours. New stuff: Picartin? The jury is still out. Some studies say yes, some no. Ticks: You gotta use DEET (100% recommended)

I KNOW that DEET works but I also know it's nasty and does react on my skin (mild rash) but I still use it. Ever met anyone who contract West Nile or Lime Disease? Not pretty.

That's great, but... Gnats? Black Flies, Deer Flies, Common House Flies, "Sweat" Bees?

You ever been fishing somewhere and think you are seeing spots in front of your eyes?

Your bare legs ever begin to resemble a nice blood dripping steak tartar?

DEET don't work! Citronella don't work!

What the heck does work besides a nice Macanudo or Monte Cristo #2 Cubano?

In combination:

1. Essential Oil of Lemon (yeah the fruit we only get with our salt and tequila) extracted from the skin of lemon. (Some say Lemongrass Oil will substitute)
2. Essential Oil of Eucalyptus
3. Believe it or not, Soybean Oil
4. Also, believe it or not, Oil of Peppermint
5. Cedar Oil. There is a real nice "chemical" substitute, derived from Cedar, called Cedrol which you might want to avoid-see the *below) that also works.
6. Pure Vanilla extract (actually for gnats, you can just buy the stuff from the baking aisle at your supermarket. NOT "Vanillin" but pure Vanilla)

OK, don't have a lab in the basement? Why not? Mine is right between the recording studio and the fly tying bench!

After INTENSIVE research, followed up by 22 hours of field testing, I can now recommend a single, VERY effective solution:

A product called All Terrain Herbal Armor Spray or Lotion (I tried the lotion, the stores were out of the spray, which I would have preferred).

http://www.allterrainco.com/insect_repellent.html

    * Unique formula contains five natural essential oils
    * Clinically proven to be 100% effective for more than 2 hours, 95.8% effective for 3 hours and 77.1% effective for 4 hours
    * Protects against mosquitoes, ticks, gnats, flies, ants, black flies and other pesky insects
    * Convenient spray formula is sweat- and water-resistant and non-greasy
    * Natural ingredients won't damage or fade fabric or equipment

Active Ingredients: Citronella Oil (10%), Soybean Oil (5.6%), Peppermint Oil (2.0%), Cedar Oil (1.5%), Lemongrass Oil (1.0%), Geranium Oil (0.05%)

IT WORKS! No problems. The students who preferred DEET didn't have any mosquito problems (because
there WERE NO mosquitoes) and were plagued with Gnats and flies (this time of year in Shenadoah, they are everywhere). Their instructor, on the other hand, was calm, cool, collected, suave, smooth, and Gnat FREE!

It's available in health food stores and better outdoor outfitters. I WILL be bringing it next September, but if you need it before... Well, you have computers, figure it out.

See ya,
Todd

Todd McCagg


All Terrain Gear Review

 

Protecting the Environment While Protecting Us Too!

By JJ Yoshihara from Junto Venture

On our recent 2 month sustainability trip from Death Valley, CA to Mt. McKinley (Denali), Alaska, All Terrain provided great products for Junto Venture’s needs for sustainable travel. We used everything from lotions to bug spray to sunscreen, all with great results!

 

The hand and body Natural Remedies rubs worked great to relieve pain when our joints ached from a long ride in the car or after rock climbing and hiking.  We also used several lotions, which were not only biodegradable and made from natural ingredients, but they worked great and didn’t leave a scent – important in the wilderness, as to not attract bugs!

 

Speaking of bugs, the Natural Insect Repellant seemed to work well most of the time, but we still managed to get a few bites here and there, which is typical for any long trip in the outdoors. It did just as good as any other bug spray on the market. The bites didn’t matter much because the bug relief lotion made the itching go away immediately!

 

Another great way to keep away the bugs was to use the all body wash, which was also scent free. Yet another biodegradable product which makes it safe for the environment!  The fact that it was an “all in one” wash, made it easy for backpacking because we didn’t have to bring multiple soaps, which minimized on space and weight.

 

Another product we tried out was the Sun Protection Biodegradable Sunscreen. We were extremely impressed at how well it worked for the first 2 hours - the typical period for sunscreen to last before re-applying. It was a little difficult to rub into the skin when applying, especially on the face, but that thick layer definitely did the trick!

 

All Terrain also provided a few first aid products such as bandages and Antiseptz, but fortunately we never had to use them because no one got hurt! They were still compact and lightweight, which makes them great for carrying with you wherever you go. Did I mention they were biodegradable? Yeah, All Terrain sure likes to make everything biodegradable, and rightly so!

 

Overall, we think All Terrain’s products held up well to the environment and protected us as well. We’re experienced outdoor travelers and have used a vast majority of products on the market over the years. It’s nice to know we can still use products that are environmentally friendly without compromising their effectiveness!  Cheers to a progressive company with great products!

 

Media Contact:

Justin Link
justinlink@juntoventure.org

 


All Terrain Sunscreens

I used sunblock from All Terrain called TerraSport. The UVA/UVB sunblock is biodegradable and all natural. It uses something called Z-Cote which is basically zinc so it really blocks the sun. I liked the non slip and dry grip of the TerraSport. It seemed to work really well in the areas where I actually applied the natural sunblock to. So, needless to say, my back is burnt unfortunately, but that’s what aloe’s is for.

-Mike

www.leafygreen.info


All Terrain Recovery Rub

Posted: 01/22/2007 In Category(s): Product Reviews
Most athletes, be they weekend warriors, serious rock jocks, die-hard club enthusiasts, committed adventure racers, focused trail runners, or pick a sport of choice, find that sore muscles and joints become part of the training package at some point.

For the SNEWS® California-based team, ultra- and distance running is a passion and, after two years of serious training with races from shorties to 50K and 100 miles added to other forms of active weekend entertainment, we've encountered our share of cramps, muscle strains, minor tweaks and the occasional revolt of a muscle or joint. It is our opinion that while no pill or salve replaces a good, regular regimen of stretching and proper strengthening exercises, there's a time and a place for a warming rub that can calm barking muscle fibers.

We've tried many such ointments and potions over the years, but few has performed as well for our team as the All Terrain Recovery Rub.

Under active ingredients, the label lists menthol at 5 percent. That would account for the delicious cooling effect the salve has upon contact, as well as the decidedly fragrant but not overpowering hit upon the nose. Now, we also know that All Terrain can't list some very active ingredients as, well, active, without the wrath of the FDA upon them. So a host of other tongue twisters are called “inactive,” although some would claim they are decidedly not so passive. Inactive ingredients listed on the label include: almond oil, arnica, caprillic-capric triglycerides, ceteareth-20, cetyl alcohol, cinnamon oil, citric acid, dimethicone, glycerin, kava kava extract, methylparaben, olive oil, propylparaben, sweet clover leaf extract, shea butter, steareth-2, and water.

Cinnamon oil provides a gentle feeling of warmth on the skin, which contrasts nicely with the cooling of the menthol. Arnica extract is a natural analgesic that is said to help relieve pain from bruises and sprains and is sold commonly in natural health stores. Kava kava root extract is also a natural remedy for pain relief. Shea butter offers a creamy feeling.

In more than a year of use, the SNEWS® team has massaged numerous tubes of Recovery Rub into sore muscles, after a minor sprain or pain, and as a preventative measure before races and hard workouts on muscles that are still healing from mild pulls. While there is no way to clinically say the rub works healing wonders or not, we can state with certainty -- at least as much certainty as a year of practical experience allows – that  no other rub or salve has worked so well and so quickly to sooth and to help elicit a feeling of well-being and promote healing, while still feeling good on the skin and not leaving an over-annoying fragrance.

We especially like that the formulation is not greasy, and that it rubs into the skin quickly and easily, leaving behind no residue. The heat provided is not overwhelming, and yet is effective, although we wouldn’t mind if it warmed just a wee bit more. The odor is mild and quite pleasant – no, it won’t scare off people two aisles over in the grocery store.  Bottom line, none of our team leaves home without a tube in the workout bag or travel kit.

SNEWS® Rating: 4.5 hands clapping (1 to 5 hands clapping possible, with 5 clapping hands representing functional and design perfection)

Suggested Retail: $10 for 3 oz. tube

See the original article here:  http://www.snewsnet.com/cgi-bin/snews/07923.html
 

 


Sports Product Review
October 10 - Naturally

Wood cellulose. Arnica extract. Cinnamon. Sweet almond oil and sweet clover leaf extract. If it sounds like these ingredients could all be found along the hiking trail, that’s because they probably can be. In fact, All Terrain (www.allterrainco.com) was started in 1996 when its founder, Todd Hakanson, was hiking in Costa Rica.  A bottle of DEET insect repellent he was carrying in his backpack leaked.  It ate through his backpack and melted the keys on a calculator he was carrying to figure out exchange rates.  Worrying what the DEET was doing to his skin, he began to research the effect of DEET upon his return to the United States.  What he found concerned him so much that he developed an all-natural insect repellent formula. This formula, Herbal Armor Insect Repellent, is a synergistic blend of five essential oils, which is microencapsulated for release over time.

The product line has expanded from its modest clinically tested, DEET-free insect repellent beginning, to now encompass “Natural Remedies for Outdoor Enthusiasts.” All Terrain Recovery Rub is a wonderful amalgam of menthol and other oils and extracts that not only provides a natural “icy-hot” feeling to skin and muscles, but offers a deep cinnamon-menthol fragrance that is sinus-buster. Their Aqua-Sport sunscreen is some of the best we’ve tried and it won’t wash off in the water or with sweat. Soaps and sanitizers, like carbon-free Hand Sanz, first-aid supplies and even products to protect your pet are all made from 100% natural ingredients, right down to packaging that is either recycled, recyclable or biodegradable. If you’re camping, hiking, or just generally outdoors, All Terrain continues to develop, test and introduce great products to help you enjoy nature, naturally.


White Mountain Report praises All Terrain’s Herbal Armor™ for Black Flies and Mosquitoes

The White Mountain Report, providing the most up to date information about climbing in New England, reported on the effectiveness of Herbal Armor™ Insect Repellent against mosquitoes and black flies.  Excerpts were:

Bug Dope:
"Over the past two weeks, conditions have moved from moderate into the abysmal.  If you don’t cover all exposed areas with some sort of bug repellent or netting, you are going to be a very unhappy climber.  Now I’m not one to normally push products, but when I find a new insect repellant that seems to work – well, I have to tell you folks.  A week ago when Jeff and I were climbing we both sprayed up with bug stuff before we started up.  I used my normal Cutter, he used a DEET-less aerosol called Herbal Armor.  It was a bit breezy so the bugs weren’t all that bad once we got up on the cliff, but when we got back to our packs 5 hours later they were absolutely brutal.  Interestingly enough while they were making me bleed, they weren’t bothering him at all.  I went and got some the next day and have been very impressed with the performance.”

“Black Flies and Mosquitoes:  Over the past week the black flies have abated somewhat.  Thank God… Of course it may be somewhat due to my finding a good bug repellent (Herbal Armor by All Terrain Company.”

The White Mountain Report provides the most up to date information about climbing in New England

NE Climbs Report 1 NE Climbs Report 2

 

All Terrain's products are never tested on animals.

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