Leaving Friday... a few questions i could use some advice on...

[Megapixel]

Hi all,

Doctor went ahead and prescribed doxycycline in case i need it for possible tick-lyme... but I'm wondering should I even bother bringing this heading NOBO? I was thinking of picking it up somewhere after i get rid of my cold weather stuff in VA since lyme isn't as prevalent as further north. not sure though.

also,

leaving friday. sunglasses for the start of the hike until the green tunnel forms... yes or no???

I will take this time also to thank everyone on here who has helped me think this trip through. I've had a ton of questions and thoughts, and I appreciate all the feedback. Hope to see some of you out there!

[ambroseya]

Was this serious, thinking Lyme Disease isn't as prevalent further north? I mean, take meds or don't take meds, but it was originally a New England disease... named after Lyme, CT. Everyone I know that's had problems with it got it *north* of VA.

[Loneoak]

Easy to sun burn when no leaves are out, so yes the sun will be bright till leaf out. As for Lyme's, I hunt in TN and two of my friends have gotten it, so it is not just the more northern states you will be exposed.

[swjohnsey]

I would leave the sunglasses, fragile, hard to keep clean, mostly unnecessary, unless you bring a five buck pair to leave in a hiker box when you are tired of 'em. The Doxycyclene I would bring. You probably won't need it but if you do need it, it will be hard to get on the trail. I am taking 20. I paid ten bucks for a hundred in Mexico. I ain't taking sunglasses but am bringing a hat and Chapstick.

[Megapixel]

Was this serious, thinking Lyme Disease isn't as prevalent further north? I mean, take meds or don't take meds, but it was originally a New England disease... named after Lyme, CT. Everyone I know that's had problems with it got it *north* of VA.

isnt as prevalant AS further north. typo sorry.

[flemdawg1]

I would leave the sunglasses, fragile, hard to keep clean, mostly unnecessary, unless you bring a five buck pair to leave in a hiker box when you are tired of 'em. The Doxycyclene I would bring. You probably won't need it but if you do need it, it will be hard to get on the trail. I am taking 20. I paid ten bucks for a hundred in Mexico. I ain't taking sunglasses but am bringing a hat and Chapstick.

Bring chapstick, hat, sunglasses and sunscreen. Leave the doxycycline with your mom or support person to mail to you whenever you need it. Or better yet just take the prescription and fill as needed.

[swjohnsey]

Quick treatment of Lyme disease is important.

[Megapixel]

Quick treatment of Lyme disease is important.

yeah, it will be an advantage to have it on hand should i be a few days from a doctor.

[O-H-10 Lil Ohio]

good question, I also will stop by the docs office for Doxycycline before I leave on Friday for a Sunday Start at Springer.

[SGT Rock]

You probably won't see ticks until after Pearisburg, probably later. Sunglasses are just something else to loose on the AT.

[RichardD]

If you have not already done so I would recommend that you spray your clothes with Permethrin and repeat about every six weeks or so or whenever you find an outfitter that carries it. Last year most outfitters North of Pearisburg carried it, those South did not. I found that it works extremely well. Spray trousers, shirt, socks. One bottle seemed to treat my clothes so I never carried any, I just repeated the process any time I could find any in an outfitter. Brands varied along the trail, REI sold Sawyer brand. It was very effective.

[Phikes]

I'm headed sobo in June and plan on bringing lyme meds. I find at least a half dozen ticks on me every summer hiking in New England. Hell, I even had to pull one off me in January this year!?!

[fiddlehead]

If you're NOBO, the sun will mostly be at your back.
I'd leave the sunglasses at home.
When packing gear for a thru-hike: When in doubt, leave it out. (Saves you the time and trouble to send it home later)

[trucker2015]

Leafs are just starting to bud on the most southern point of the trail.I would say use a cheep pair of sunglasses.

[moldy]

by the 15th of May it will be raining wood ticks everywhere in the Southern Appalachians

[Mountain Mike]

If you're NOBO, the sun will mostly be at your back.
I'd leave the sunglasses at home.
When packing gear for a thru-hike: When in doubt, leave it out. (Saves you the time and trouble to send it home later)

Did the planet rotation change?

[O-H-10 Lil Ohio]

I guess that earthquake in Japan, changed the direction that the Sun comes up in the morning and sets in the evening.
New trail EastBo to Westbo

[Pony]

You probably won't see ticks until after Pearisburg, probably later.

I am by no means an expert on this, and we don't have many deer ticks in Ohio, but my step mother works in a vets office, and with the unseasonably warm winter they have seen way more ticks (on dogs), than they normally see. By way more, I mean, you almost never see ticks at all in my area between Nov-Feb. Like I said, I'm no expert, but could be a bad year for them.

[ScottP]

I've had lyme, it's awful. I got it in or around Massachusetts

The sun rises in the east and sets in the west OVER the equator (give or take, depending on the season). In the northern hemisphere it rises in the southEAST and sets in the southWEST. The southern angle is more pronounced the farther north you go.

I've never taken sunglasses on the AT

[kidchill]

I would definitely recommend bringing it. I live in central PA and found a tick climbing across my pants while hiking 2 weeks ago! It's been a very mild winter and I'm already starting to see flying bugs buzzing around. The weight of a round of doxy is negligible and it generally takes a few days for symptoms to begin subsiding. In my opinion, it's better to have it on hand and start treatment early. I work in healthcare so I've already got someone willing to script me for a round of doxy as well as flagyl to cover crypto/giardia...I look at it this way, very low weight to treat one of the primary reasons people leave the trail. But, HYOH...