The other day, I was on the hunt for some Isopropyl Alcohol. I’d done some research on how to remove some sticky residue on the floor of my tent, and the Internet told me that Isopropyl Alcohol could do the trick. And I learned that only this type of alcohol would do. When I went to a pharmacy, I found only denatured alcohol, methylated spirits, methanol, things like that, and though that seems very similar, I was told that it would NOT work. I had to get Isopropyl Alcohol.
On that day, I only went to one pharmacy. I didn’t continue searching at other pharmacies or at any hardware stores. I just wasn’t in the mood for another big shopping expedition. But I did talk about it on a recent video and I included a video clip in which I went into a pharmacy and couldn’t find any.
And then, today, another Planet Doug Mystery Benefactor showed up at my door and delivered a full (very large!) bottle of the exact alcohol I was looking for. So I have a new project to take care of. I’m not sure how I’m going to do it. But I have to find some open space to set up my tent and then see if this will truly work. The floor of my tent is very sticky, almost like glue, because the various waterproofing and other coatings have dissolved in the heat of Southeast Asia and turned into goo. It makes sleeping in the tent very uncomfortable. I would end up taking a whole separate tarp and putting that tarp inside the tent as a barrier between me and the glue. It’s not a great solution.
This is where a typical low budget hostel would come in handy. Those places often have an open rooftop, and you can do things up there like set up your tent to clean or repair it or air it out. But in a typical small hotel, there are no such spaces. And no outdoor lawns. I’ll probably have to scout out an open piece of land nearby and set up my tent when the sun isn’t scorching and get to work. People will think I’m going to be camping there.
Thank you to my Isopropyl Alcohol Mystery Benefactor!