Permethrin // Every $ Counts!!!!!

[mbqhappy]

I plan to NOBO Thru-hike the AT in mid Mar 2018. At the risk of being classified as cheap...thinking along the lines of every $ savings count.

Given your AT trail experiences during the Mar-Apr period and the weather being on avg. mild / cold and bugs are not likely to be out during this period.

Would you still go ahead with the Permethrin gear & clothing treatment prior to the start of the hike? Or Would you skip this 1st application until the last part of April / early May?

On another related topic: Applying the Permethrin while on the AT. Did you applied it while camping? or On a zero day in town?

[egilbe]

I soak my clothes a couple times each summer a couple months apart. I never see ticks anymore. Since it has to dry to bond to clothing, I wouldn't do it on the trail, your clothes will rarely have a chance to dry.

[Hikingjim]

I plan to NOBO Thru-hike the AT in mid Mar 2018. At the risk of being classified as cheap...thinking along the lines of every $ savings count.

Given your AT trail experiences during the Mar-Apr period and the weather being on avg. mild / cold and bugs are not likely to be out during this period.

Would you still go ahead with the Permethrin gear & clothing treatment prior to the start of the hike? Or Would you skip this 1st application until the last part of April / early May?

On another related topic: Applying the Permethrin while on the AT. Did you applied it while camping? or On a zero day in town?

I wouldn't cheap out on that and would do it out of the gate. It could be a non-issue, but tick range and prevalence seems to keep expanding

As for application, you do it in town. You don't bring the stuff with you. It takes 2-4+ hours to dry, depending on conditions, and you don't want to cart that stuff around

[Christoph]

I sprayed all of my clothing, bag, pack, and tent with the Sawyer stuff before I headed out and again in Pa. Didn't have one tick on me the entire trip. Not sure if that actually helped or if I just got lucky.

[Slo-go'en]

I'd wait until I got into Virginia. Marion would be a good place as there is a Walmart there you can buy the Saywer spray. Do the treatment in town so you can dispose of the empty bottle. Treat your pants, socks, shoes and your pack. The spray on treatment only lasts for about 6 weeks, so you have to renew every so often. Would be a good idea to retreat when you get into PA. The soak treatment lasts a bit longer, but if you treated your clothes in March, you'd have to do it again anyway when you got into the danger area of central VA.

[colorado_rob]

I plan to NOBO Thru-hike the AT in mid Mar 2018. At the risk of being classified as cheap...thinking along the lines of every $ savings count.

Given your AT trail experiences during the Mar-Apr period and the weather being on avg. mild / cold and bugs are not likely to be out during this period.

Would you still go ahead with the Permethrin gear & clothing treatment prior to the start of the hike? Or Would you skip this 1st application until the last part of April / early May?

On another related topic: Applying the Permethrin while on the AT. Did you applied it while camping? or On a zero day in town?

I did in fact not treat my clothes until mid-May, never had any bug/tick issues whatsoever in March and April before permethrin, nor after that after later applying the Permethrin (in town, easy-peasy) during the summer and fall.

FWIW, I only use the stuff on my lower pant legs, shirt sleeves, shirt neck area, hat (ball cap type), socks and underwear. I don't do this to save money or product, I just think that provides adequate coverage of the body and "critical parts" (the underwear thing!).

[saltysack]

I’ve yet to see a tick or any biting bugs between October and April on the southern AT...


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[mbqhappy]

Thanks everyone for your quick feedback...I really appreciate learning from your experiences on the AT Trail....

[Rain Man]

You do know you can buy it online, concentrated, and dilute yourself to .5% (one-half of one percent) and soak/spray very cheaply?

Just make sure to get odorless, water based version intended for in-home use.

[swisscross]

I'd wait until I got into Virginia. Marion would be a good place as there is a Walmart there you can buy the Saywer spray. Do the treatment in town so you can dispose of the empty bottle. Treat your pants, socks, shoes and your pack. The spray on treatment only lasts for about 6 weeks, so you have to renew every so often. Would be a good idea to retreat when you get into PA. The soak treatment lasts a bit longer, but if you treated your clothes in March, you'd have to do it again anyway when you got into the danger area of central VA.

This is horrid advice. We DO have Lyme in the south. Treat your clothing when ever possible though out your journey.

[JC13]

I'm surprised no one mentioned that you can send it off and have your gear treated. The benefit is with that method it lasts 60 washes or something like that. Unless you are going into town/hostel more than once a week, it will last you the entirety of the thru hike. The military uses this method or one similar.

[DownEaster]

I'm surprised no one mentioned that you can send it off and have your gear treated. The benefit is with that method it lasts 60 washes or something like that. Unless you are going into town/hostel more than once a week, it will last you the entirety of the thru hike.

You don't need to go into town to wash your clothes. I'm bringing two pairs of socks, two pairs of underwear, and two T-shirts so I can hand wash one of each (with Dr. Bronner's soap) and hang them on my pack to dry while I'm wearing the other set. So everything gets washed every other day, and even permethrin treatment good for 60 washes will be gone in 4 months.

[Elaikases]

I plan to NOBO Thru-hike the AT in mid Mar 2018. At the risk of being classified as cheap...thinking along the lines of every $ savings count.

Given your AT trail experiences during the Mar-Apr period and the weather being on avg. mild / cold and bugs are not likely to be out during this period.

Would you still go ahead with the Permethrin gear & clothing treatment prior to the start of the hike? Or Would you skip this 1st application until the last part of April / early May?

On another related topic: Applying the Permethrin while on the AT. Did you applied it while camping? or On a zero day in town?

I paid for the treatment. They have an "all you can stuff in a sack" deal (they provide the mailing sack) and the ATC has a discount code. It is supposed to last the life of the gear.

[JC13]

You don't need to go into town to wash your clothes. I'm bringing two pairs of socks, two pairs of underwear, and two T-shirts so I can hand wash one of each (with Dr. Bronner's soap) and hang them on my pack to dry while I'm wearing the other set. So everything gets washed every other day, and even permethrin treatment good for 60 washes will be gone in 4 months.

As they say, HYOH. I only wash once a week when we are out.

[egilbe]

You don't need to go into town to wash your clothes. I'm bringing two pairs of socks, two pairs of underwear, and two T-shirts so I can hand wash one of each (with Dr. Bronner's soap) and hang them on my pack to dry while I'm wearing the other set. So everything gets washed every other day, and even permethrin treatment good for 60 washes will be gone in 4 months.

What's going to actually happen is you are wearing one set of wet clothes and carrying one set of wet clothes.

[Slo-go'en]

This is horrid advice. We DO have Lyme in the south. Treat your clothing when ever possible though out your journey.

Maybe, but the Lyme disease distribution maps show a very small number of incidents south of central Virginia. And some of those reported cases could be from people traveling back from high risk areas. The risk along the AT between GA and VA, especially in the early spring is very, very low.

Also keep in mind that Lyme is most prevalent where there are large numbers of deer, such as SNP and PA. It has been found that reducing deer populations in trouble areas significantly reduces the incidences of Lyme. The most likely place to pick up a deer tick is actually in suburban backyards, which provide good tick habitat.

I believe those who "stealth camp" off the trail in high risk areas are the most likely to find a deer tick. Staying on the trail and camping at well used, designated spots away from tall grass, low bushes or lots of leaf litter will significantly reduce the risk and that goes for all ticks, not just the Lyme carriers.

[Cheyou]

What rain man said . Dip clothing last longer and cheaper .

[egilbe]

Deer ticks aren't only on deer. Their primary vector is white-footed deer mice, not deer. Kill off the mice population and deer ticks drop off dramatically.

[Cheyou]

Deer ticks aren't only on deer. Their primary vector is white-footed deer mice, not deer. Kill off the mice population and deer ticks drop off dramatically.

So stay away from shelters or bring a cat with you . ;0)

[Martzy13]

I started this year on March 5th in Georgia with the idea of reapplying Permetherin every 500 miles. I did apply before heading out, but looking back there was not really a need for it. It's still too cold for ticks to be out and about, or that was my experience. I didn't see a tick until mid-Virginia, maybe Shenandoah?