Save your pants!

Hippies, as we know, are all about not showering and wearing the same clothes until they're more patch than original material.   Generally masters of mending, darning and rolling blunts, the modern day hippie is a wealth of practical knowledge. 

Living on a nudist beach for a month in interior BC last summer, these rag-tag, dog-on-a-string types abounded.  Bringing with them not only the musky smell of  infrequent showers, beeswax from their scratchy flowing dreadlocks and strong overtones of marijuana, but plenty of handy tips for mending your clothes. I for one, would rather keep wearing my pants until the point of no
return, where said pants are no longer socially acceptable.  However, crotch
holes and flashing (unintentional or otherwise) is still consided 'indecent exposure' in most areas (bar the nudey beach, obviously), and money was tight-to-non-existent, so when the hippies advised, I listened.  

Toothfloss??

Toothfloss, which any self respecting traveller and/or hippie should own, is useful not only for removing the remains of last night's vegan tofu spinach salad from between your teeth, but also a good alternative to cotton thread.  Tooth floss is strong, easy to sew and will leave your mended crotch smelling minty fresh. 

Somewhat dismayed at the holey state of not just one but several of my favourite jeans, I had all but given up and had been reluctantly thinking about a shopping expedition.  But then I remebered the kindness and wisdom of the hippies I encountered, and ran for my toothfloss.  My old jeans now have a new lease of life, and I'm happy to not be flashing my choda all around town like a proper little ghetto hussy.

by Kate 'You saw my pants and already knew this was me' Reddington