Tick strategies

[nastynate]

I just finished a 20 mile overnighter on the Cumberland Trail today. I picked at least 50 ticks off of me during the hike and my wife found another 15 or so on closer inspection when I got home. About 50/50 normal/deer ticks. I need to get a plan together since I am planning a trip with my 4 year old son this weekend. I am thinking of switching back to long pants. Shorts are nice in this hot humid weather but its hard to keep the ticks off. Permethrin sprayed on shoes, socks, pants, shirts, hats. What about packs and my tent? I've got 100% deet but I didn't use any this trip because the bugs weren't bad (other than the ticks). I was planning on getting some good picardin for my son, but maybe switch to that for me as well since it isn't so nasty to use? Any other tips and tricks. I'm thinking of getting some dirty girl gaiters but I doubt I could get them delivered in 5 days so maybe wear longer socks and tuck our pants into them? I'll be keeping an eye out for Lyme symptoms for myself, although I've heard there hasn't been many cases of that in SE Tennessee.

[Rasty]

Permethrin is sold at Walmart and is very effective with ticks. It's sprayed onto all of your clothing and allowed to dry for a day before wearing. It's effective for a number of washes. Then use Deet on exposed skin.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Sawyer-Pro...-Gear/19887389

[1azarus]

rocketsocks and I just did a controlled scientific experiment on the batona trail in New Jersey. I think he said he had around 80 ticks on him over the weekend (no permithrin)... I had three with permithrin. not bragging just telling it like it is.

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[Kerosene]

rocketsocks and I just did a controlled scientific experiment on the batona trail in New Jersey. I think he said he had around 80 ticks on him over the weekend (no permithrin)... I had three with permithrin. not bragging just telling it like it is.

Of course, now those 3 are resistant to Permithrin and are spawning a super-race of deer ticks.

[1azarus]

Of course, now those 3 are resistant to Permithrin and are spawning a super-race of deer ticks.

I killed em dead!

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[Rocket Jones]

ZOMBIE super ticks!!!!

[Rocket Jones]

I don't recall where I saw it, but anything over 45% (or so) DEET offers no extra protection.

[nastynate]

Thanks guys. Any benefit to spraying the tent and backpacks with permethrin as well?

[Rasty]

Thanks guys. Any benefit to spraying the tent and backpacks with permethrin as well?

Yes...........

[Unitic]

Thanks guys. Any benefit to spraying the tent and backpacks with permethrin as well?

Deet has been found to have little if any effect on ticks, but permethrin will kill them if they stay in contact long enough. I treat my backpack (since I set it on the ground frequently and tick nymphs are usually found in clusters...bad news to put your pack in the wrong spot), the ends of my hammock and the suspension between the hammock and the tree. Also, treated gaitors can be an alternative if you want wear shorts...just do very frequent tick checks after passing through shaded grassy or brushy areas. Lastly "although I've heard there hasn't been many cases of that in SE Tennessee". Many, many Lyme sufferers (as well as many other Tick-borne diseases) have learned to put little confidence in publish disease reporting stats. Even the CDC estimates that 9 out of 10 cases of Lyme disease are missed. I contracted it in Mammoth Cave NP here in KY, another state that supposedly is low risk, even though 20 years ago the Department of Defense categorized Ft. Knox, KY as a moderate risk for Lyme. I have a copy of a 2008 U of T tick population study that revealed significant growth in Deer tick populations all across TN (although the Cumberland Plateau was by far the worst). Lastly, be sure and toss all your cloths in a dryer on high heat for 20 minutes when you get home. That will kill ticks (they cannot survive in dry, high heat)...they easily survive a wash cycle though.

[nastynate]

Yeah, all my clothes went straight to the washing machine on "sanitize" and then an hour in the dryer. This is the first time I've encountered deer ticks on the trail and it definitely concerned me.

[Unitic]

Gotcha, dryer first though. You don't want any of the live critters crawling around the washing machine. Ticks hate sunny areas as well, so putting cloths out in the sun for a few hours when you're still on the trail can be useful...those nymphs are soooo tiny and easy to miss. Oh yeah, light colored clothing really helps with spotting them.

[tawa]

Peta will haunt you! lol Once had a woman go manic on me for killing a mouse in a shelter! lol You just gotta love it!

[ATMountainTime]

Don't know how to ask this, but what were you doing rolling in the grass? I was there last year pull 1 from me, zero from my wife. Hiked ALOT and stayed 7 days.

[nastynate]

Don't know how to ask this, but what were you doing rolling in the grass? I was there last year pull 1 from me, zero from my wife. Hiked ALOT and stayed 7 days.

I was doing the Mullens Cove Loop and Pot Point Loop in Prentice Cooper. A lot of the trail was overgrown. So bad in a few places with tall grass completely covering the trail. I actually lost the trail twice down around Pot Point road it was so bad. Every time I walked through a section of tall grass I could look down and see them crawling all over my legs. Same thing happened last summer while trail running on Signal Mountain.

[garlic08]

I had great success with long trousers and permethrin on my AT hike. I never removed a single tick in my daily inspections. I did not use any DEET. My fashion sense did not allow me to tuck the pants legs into the socks, but some were doing that and it's probably a good idea.

[Unitic]

I had great success with long trousers and permethrin on my AT hike. I never removed a single tick in my daily inspections. I did not use any DEET. My fashion sense did not allow me to tuck the pants legs into the socks, but some were doing that and it's probably a good idea.

This will be my strategy when I start my SOBO next month. Ex Officio ZIWA zip-offs with Insect Shield fabric, Insect Shield socks and gaitors. Here's a short video I did just a few days ago about this gear. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyB0kAaU0VI

[rocketsocks]

mods please remove previous post, as it was an older link thanks



http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=...ture=endscreen

[Rolls Kanardly]

The way my uncle said to kill ticks was to shave a small round circle somewhere on your body, put a burning fluid on the rest of your body and when the ticks migrate to the small shaven circle you stab them to death with an ice pick. muske-gon "my uncle was not the brightest bulb in the batch"

[Wise Old Owl]

Thanks guys. Any benefit to spraying the tent and backpacks with permethrin as well?

NO in fact I am surprised someone said yes... Ticks don't fly and Permithrin isn't Kryptonite. Ticks are ground dwellers... Unless there was a catastrophic wind they are not interested in your pack & never found one on my tent either...


Pants, shoes, possibly socks... Shirt for mosquitoes.. Places on your tent where you accidentally brush against with your body where mosquitoes might bite through.