The Hiking Culture (of fear)

[KingGator and Sons]

No need to be intimidated....just be conscious of what to look out for. If you or one of the boys start to run a fever or feel like you might have the flu, check your bod for a bullseye ring (the bite site). You probably won't find one. Either way, go to a doctor and tell them you may have been exposed to ticks and would like a test for lyme. (this is not a big deal...all docs are used to this and it's a simple blood test). The test will probably be negative, but likely the doc will put you on a script for dioxycillin anyway, just to be safe. It's a simple antibiotic and shouldn't bother you or keep you from getting right back on the trail. You may still feel crappy for a day or two, but it will pass whether it was lyme, the flu or fatigue.

One bit of advice....check the boys before bed every night....they'll hate it, but insist. You'll never see the deer ticks, but the other kind are icky and gross and need to be removed, even if they won't hurt you.

Wonderful advice and I appreciate every bit of it. Let me ask you, if we can't see the deer ticks, how can we possibly get them off within 48 hours or whatever the time frame is?

[KingGator and Sons]

its not exciting. its fear.mother nature doesnt play favorites. ive had my hair stand on edge coming off lafayette one year with a storm bearing down. i was already close to cover when it first hit, i was just glad i wasnt anywhere near the ridge, wasnt until i got below treeline that i felt safe. i dont think i ever moved so fast down that mountain

Wow, that sounds amazing and horrible at the same time.

[Deerleg]

...its fear.mother nature doesnt play favorites....

That says it all. Very scary few minutes!

[Teacher & Snacktime]

Wonderful advice and I appreciate every bit of it. Let me ask you, if we can't see the deer ticks, how can we possibly get them off within 48 hours or whatever the time frame is?

Thus my comment earlier that you can't avoid them. You'll probably never see them on you, so your best bet is to just be prepared for the symptoms. Keep as clean as you can and check all the hairy areas (unfortunately the groin is the most likely spot to find them), but they're miniscule and you probably won't see them. I guarantee the boys won't "self check" sufficiently.

What my grandson and I are doing is this: we're wearing short gaiters over our boots....both boots and gaiters are treated with premetherin. This is the stuff in Advantix (for dogs) and is probably the most effective product on the market (I can't use DEET). Our tent will also be treated on the outside. I've heard glowing testimonials about this product and can vouch for its effectiveness on our pups each year. Just be careful how you apply it....stay away from applied items until they are fully dry...keep pets away (especially cats) until fully dry. It can also be applied to certain items of clothing, but I haven't researched that yet. Check with an outfitter...or start a new Permetherin forum for advice for the experts here. I'll certainly read that thread!

[Sarcasm the elf]

Wonderful advice and I appreciate every bit of it. Let me ask you, if we can't see the deer ticks, how can we possibly get them off within 48 hours or whatever the time frame is?

You will be able to see deer ticks of you know what you're looking for, just take time to learn about them and be patient and careful when you check for them. I quickly check myself several times throughout the day and remove the majority of them before they've had a chance to really attach, I then check thoroughly at night once in my tent. The little buggers take a while to attach and from what I've read they need to be attached for a good while before they risk transmitting Lyme disease, so checking often can actually prevent disease transmission.

Living in Connecticut, I have removed literally thousands of ticks from myself, my cats and my dogs over they years and have gotten quite good at doing it with my fingernails. However in the last year I finally found a tick removal gadget that actually works and does a better job than I can by hand.

http://www.ticktwister.com/order.html

The Tick twister comes in a two pack with a large and small tool. The small one, when used as instructed is the best way I've ever found to remove deer ticks. Just one warning, the tools are very small and easy to lose (I'm on my second pair). If you do buy them, make sure to tie a string or put a several inch long streamer of duct tape on the handle of the tool so that it is big enough to see and can't get lost as easily.

[Dr. Professor]

Great quote!

Thanks Mike.

[tdoczi]

You don't need to fear lyme disease as much as you need to be aware of it's possibility. I don't know about the south, but it is a very real thing from NY north, and needs to be taken seriously. Learn about it, be prepared to recognize the symptoms because you can't really prevent it. Don't take this threat casually or it will cost you....this I know from personal experience.

for those who missed it the first time-""Tick bites often go unnoticed because of the small size of the tick in its nymphal stage, as well as tick secretions that prevent the host from feeling any itch or pain from the bite. However, transmission is quite rare, with only about 1% of recognized tick bites resulting in Lyme disease; this may be because an infected tick must be attached for at least a day for transmission to occur.^[37]"

[tiptoe]

Like my fellow CT resident Sarcasm the Elf, I have removed zillions of ticks over the years from my pets and myself. Often I don't see them, but I feel them crawling before they embed. Or I run my hand over my body and feel a small bump. They can land anywhere on your body, but I've noticed that they like to be close to the blood supply: at the back of the knees, inner bend of the elbows, groin or upper thigh.

[HikerMom58]

We live in VA. We are always hiking in the woods somewhere & we take our dogs with us. This Fall,we had both Cairns tested for Lyme. They both tested highly positive for the disease. We keep them on Frontline, as a first defense, but somehow they got the disease anyway.

My mother-in-law got Lyme in Lynchburg VA from working in her back yard ONLY. She's not an "outdoorsy" person at all. She felt sick- no bulls eye rash. Luckily, her doctor tested her for Lyme. She took the med. and has been feeling fine ever since.

My fear of the disease has gone way down after witnessing my mother-in -law's experience with it. We still find it so hard to believe that she got Lyme when not one of us, including my daughter, who has hiked over 1/2 the trail has ever got it, so far.

[rickb]

for those who missed it the first time-""Tick bites often go unnoticed because of the small size of the tick in its nymphal stage, as well as tick secretions that prevent the host from feeling any itch or pain from the bite. However, transmission is quite rare, with only about 1% of recognized tick bites resulting in Lyme disease; this may be because an infected tick must be attached for at least a day for transmission to occur.^[37]"

It's hard to know how to interpret that. I am of the understanding that if you remove an embedded tick within 24 hours, then 0 out of 100 of those bite will result in Lyme disease.That's the good news. The bad news is that for those of us living on the Northeast or paying attention to the experience of our fellow hikers, Lyme is rather common and something we need to avoid.What to do then? Read up.I also think hikers should consider asking their physician for a script of Cipro (I think that's the one anyway). A single dose has been shown to be an effective prophylactic when you find an engorged tick that has been on you for something between 36 and 72 hours. Again, not sure about the exact details- you can always google them up. Having the antibiotic in hand is something you might well want to do on advance, however.

[rocketsocks]

It's hard to know how to interpret that. I am of the understanding that if you remove an embedded tick within 24 hours, then 0 out of 100 of those bite will result in Lyme disease.That's the good news. The bad news is that for those of us living on the Northeast or paying attention to the experience of our fellow hikers, Lyme is rather common and something we need to avoid.What to do then? Read up.I also think hikers should consider asking their physician for a script of Cipro (I think that's the one anyway). A single dose has been shown to be an effective prophylactic when you find an engorged tick that has been on you for something between 36 and 72 hours. Again, not sure about the exact details- you can always google them up. Having the antibiotic in hand is something you might well want to do on advance, however.

That's a fine idea, I get tired of doctors looking at me when I make a request, "guess you been pokin round on the internet" "Yeah, yeah, sure have", and there tone suggests ("oh, so your a doctor now too.) I quit three doctors over the last two years for that kinda bedside manner, nobody needs that crap.

[jcavenagh]

I think a little fear is something we all desire. Just that small bit of thrill that we are overcoming some undefiend odds against us is part of the enjoyment of outdoor life. My fear is that I will not be able to get a fire going and it will be cold and wet. It has only happemned to me once, but it is a fear I carry with me.

[KingGator and Sons]

You will be able to see deer ticks of you know what you're looking for, just take time to learn about them and be patient and careful when you check for them. I quickly check myself several times throughout the day and remove the majority of them before they've had a chance to really attach, I then check thoroughly at night once in my tent. The little buggers take a while to attach and from what I've read they need to be attached for a good while before they risk transmitting Lyme disease, so checking often can actually prevent disease transmission.

Living in Connecticut, I have removed literally thousands of ticks from myself, my cats and my dogs over they years and have gotten quite good at doing it with my fingernails. However in the last year I finally found a tick removal gadget that actually works and does a better job than I can by hand.

http://www.ticktwister.com/order.html

The Tick twister comes in a two pack with a large and small tool. The small one, when used as instructed is the best way I've ever found to remove deer ticks. Just one warning, the tools are very small and easy to lose (I'm on my second pair). If you do buy them, make sure to tie a string or put a several inch long streamer of duct tape on the handle of the tool so that it is big enough to see and can't get lost as easily.

Thanks for the advice bro, it helps alot. I gotta admit that I laughed at the end of your post though, because I pictured you saying it outloud like a commercial in the middle of the night. lol. Thank you. Also thank you to TEACHER and SNACKTIME. I have to admit, the conflicting reports here have me confused. Will I be able to see them or not? lol

[HikerMom58]

Thanks for the advice bro, it helps alot. I gotta admit that I laughed at the end of your post though, because I pictured you saying it outloud like a commercial in the middle of the night. lol. Thank you. Also thank you to TEACHER and SNACKTIME. I have to admit, the conflicting reports here have me confused. Will I be able to see them or not? lol

I have to admit, the conflicting reports here have me confused. Will I be able to see them or not? lol

That answer would most likely be a negative.............

[Capt Nat]

Having read this, it sounds like it would be a good idea to pair up with another hiker, preferably opposite sex, and check each other for ticks every afternoon...

[Prime Time]

I'm literally outside probably 10 hours a day in the summer I remove an average of three to four ticks a day. I check my wife and she checks me in places on our bodies we can't see ourselves. Chimp style. We spend a good 3-5 minutes doing it because you often don't see them at first (my poor wife having to stare at my bare butt for 3 minutes must be grounds for Sainthood). Anyway, do be careful how you remove a tick. Don't just grab it and pull it if it's imbedded because you could leave the head it you, and NEVER try to squish it between your fingernails. If you get infected blood into any open cut, Lyme disease can be transmitted that way as well. Remove it thoroughly but carefully with a tweezers or the twisy gadget mentioned above if the tick has started to bore into you. Remember the majority of ticks are not deer ticks and do not carry Lyme disease, but you just don't know.

[Prime Time]

Oh also, although I spend a lot of time backpacking and hiking, the vast majority of ticks that I find on myself come from working in the field in front of my house or from mowing our lawn. So it's definitely not just a woods thing. They seem to be much more prevalent in high grasses or other places where they can easily grab on to a passing host.

[Teacher & Snacktime]

Like my fellow CT resident Sarcasm the Elf, I have removed zillions of ticks over the years from my pets and myself. Often I don't see them, but I feel them crawling before they embed. Or I run my hand over my body and feel a small bump. They can land anywhere on your body, but I've noticed that they like to be close to the blood supply: at the back of the knees, inner bend of the elbows, groin or upper thigh.

Only the deer ticks carry the disease....you probably won't feel their bump or crawl as they are just too small. If you can see it, you likely don't have anything to worry about (except for that other disease.....)


this might help answer any questions http://www.lymeticks.org/46

[tdoczi]

It's hard to know how to interpret that. I am of the understanding that if you remove an embedded tick within 24 hours, then 0 out of 100 of those bite will result in Lyme disease.That's the good news. The bad news is that for those of us living on the Northeast or paying attention to the experience of our fellow hikers, Lyme is rather common and something we need to avoid.What to do then? Read up.I also think hikers should consider asking their physician for a script of Cipro (I think that's the one anyway). A single dose has been shown to be an effective prophylactic when you find an engorged tick that has been on you for something between 36 and 72 hours. Again, not sure about the exact details- you can always google them up. Having the antibiotic in hand is something you might well want to do on advance, however.

theres nothing to interpret, its a question of believing science or your "experience" which is mostly hearsay and fear mongering.

thanks for the advice. i would never take a antibiotic as a preventive measure. nonsense like that is why we now have things like mrsa to contend with.

[tdoczi]

That's a fine idea, I get tired of doctors looking at me when I make a request, "guess you been pokin round on the internet" "Yeah, yeah, sure have", and there tone suggests ("oh, so your a doctor now too.) I quit three doctors over the last two years for that kinda bedside manner, nobody needs that crap.

yeah those goofy idiots thinking they know about medicine because they went to med school. the nerve.