Protection in the wild in summer

[KevCan]

Now that summer coming to the north, and wildlife are more active and provide us more opportunities to photograph them, there are mosquitos, ticks, bugs too. Please share the protection tips, products and accessories you use to stay safe.

Have fun go out shooting and be safe!

 

[MatthewK]

Picaridin lotion on exposed skin. Also have clothing pre-treated w/ Permethrin. If the bugs are bad-bad, I'll spray a repellant w/ DEET onto legs, as well as back of shirt and top of head, careful not to put any where the camera will run into it.

In the past have used a Therma-cell repellant/emitter, but it doesn't do as well if it's windy out.

Had to edit my reply, as I mistakenly had "Permethrin lotion", when I should have said "Picaridin".

 

[KevCan]

Thanks for the tips Matthew. I heard about Permethrin and DEET, but also heard about the potential health risks they may have. Just don't know how serious they are.

Permethrin lotion on exposed skin. Also have clothing pre-treated w/ Permethrin. If the bugs are bad-bad, I'll spray a repellant w/ DEET onto legs, as well as back of shirt and top of head, careful not to put any where the camera will run into it.

In the past have used a Therma-cell repellant/emitter, but it doesn't do as well if it's windy out.

 

[randomwalk]

I personally just use Permethrin treated into my clothes. I feel more comfortable with something being absorbed my clothes than by my skin, at least that's the theory. I don't use DEET or other sprays on my skin as I don't like the way they feel. Usually I have enough sunscreen on that it acts as a barrier

If it's really bad, then I will throw on a bug net around my face. We are pretty lucky here in the PNW though that bugs are usually not too bad.

 

[pnbarne]

I soak my pants in Permethrin in tick country.

 

[Ralph]

Thanks for the tips Matthew. I heard about Permethrin and DEET, but also heard about the potential health risks they may have. Just don't know how serious they are.

Permethrin should only be used on clothing. Never on skin. You can buy clothing already treated in that way. Studies have been done on permethrin and it has been found to be relatively safe. These products are absorbed into the skin but levels in the blood have been found to be very low. That being said, use as little as possible.

 

[CoyoteCreationsNW]

I used tape or rubber bands around pants legs to keep ticks from getting to my skin. A good check after returning is still warranted, A bee keepers hat can be helpful if you happen to catch a fly hatch in the mountains.

 

[jadewolf]

Bugs aren't a huge problem here in SoCal like they were where I grew up in Florida, but I still tend to wear long pants and long sleeved shirts against sun, thorns, jumping cholla, and the occasional tick. I also carry a tick spoon, just in case I have to pick them off myself or the dog.

I am a mosquito magnet, though. If I go outside for 30 seconds in mosquito-country, I'll be covered in bug bites even when nobody else is getting bit. So if I'm going anywhere that has a potential for mosquitoes, I break out the DEET. 20% for normal places, 30% for more tropical locations like Central America. I spray exposed skin and the edges of my clothes (sleeves, pant legs). Literally nothing else works to keep them off me.

I tried things like the Thermacell gadget when I was back in Florida for a year, but I might as well have just hung an Open for Dinner sign, because it didn't do a dang thing. Even if I was sitting right next to it in still air. Same for citronella or non-DEET sprays like Skin So Soft (picaridin) or lemon-oil/eucalyptus sprays. I've had permethrin treated clothes, but they didn't help much either. They'd just bite my exposed skin instead. Hands covered in bites.

I wish they made something like Frontline (topical flea goop for dogs) for people, I'd be all over that. Ha.

 

[KevCan]

Thanks Ralph and James, those are useful information and tricks.

 

[KevCan]

Just curious, are you type A blood? I have a theory that type A blood is mosquito's favorite. Don't ask me how I get to this conclusion

Bugs aren't a huge problem here in SoCal like they were where I grew up in Florida, but I still tend to wear long pants and long sleeved shirts against sun, thorns, jumping cholla, and the occasional tick. I also carry a tick spoon, just in case I have to pick them off myself or the dog.

I am a mosquito magnet, though. If I go outside for 30 seconds in mosquito-country, I'll be covered in bug bites even when nobody else is getting bit. So if I'm going anywhere that has a potential for mosquitoes, I break out the DEET. 20% for normal places, 30% for more tropical locations like Central America. I spray exposed skin and the edges of my clothes (sleeves, pant legs). Literally nothing else works to keep them off me.

I tried things like the Thermacell gadget when I was back in Florida for a year, but I might as well have just hung an Open for Dinner sign, because it didn't do a dang thing. Even if I was sitting right next to it in still air. Same for citronella or non-DEET sprays like Skin So Soft (picaridin) or lemon-oil/eucalyptus sprays. I've had permethrin treated clothes, but they didn't help much either. They'd just bite my exposed skin instead. Hands covered in bites.

I wish they made something like Frontline (topical flea goop for dogs) for people, I'd be all over that. Ha.

 

[jadewolf]

Just curious, are you type A blood? I have a theory that type A blood is mosquito's favorite. Don't ask me how I get to this conclusion

I'm actually not sure! Parents never told me and since I can't donate blood I've never been able to find out through that route. You could be on to something, though!

I figured it was just my... animal magnetism.

 

[jeffnles1]

I spray Permethrin on the clothing I wear out in the field a couple times a summer. I also spray DEET around my ankles and waist band. Permethrin keeps the ticks away but I am very allergic to chiger bites. They cause my legs (and other sensitive areas) to swell up and usually get infected. The only treatment I’ve found successful once bitten is to rub the bites down with 90% isopropyl alcohol and then treat with Neosporin. Even then, it takes about 10 days for the bites to clear up. I find DEET around my ankles and waist band keeps the overwhelming majority of bites away. My wife and I went to a cypress swamp area a couple weeks ago. The little devils are not out here yet and I wasn’t even thinking about it. I‘m recovering from about 20 bites on one leg. Why the one leg I have no idea, I guess I brushed up against the wrong bush or kneeled down on the wrong patch of ground,

I also wear a broad brimmed “breezier” style hat to keep sun off my head and face (especially ears and nose) and wear SPF50 sunscreen on exposed skin. Skin cancer runs in my family so I try to keep the sunscreen on as much as possible.

Wear moisture wicking quick dry clothing (including underwear) during summer and wear good boots. Even in summer I wear mid (over the ankle) boots to offer additional support. Nothing worse than being 4 or 5 miles away from the vehicle and roll an ankle.

Carry more water than you think you will need. I have a Nalgene bottle and also an Owallla bottle depending on how long I plan to be out. Keeping hydrated is super important. Also, if I plan to be out more than 3 or 4 hours, I carry a length of rope and a rain jacket In a small day backpack. My wife used to make fun of me until a friend of ours didn’t bring enough water and she became severely dehydrated and almost in heat stroke. I had enough water to cool her down and let her drink. I wouldn’t let her drink it all at once but sips every couple minutes over about a half hour and poured some on her head and on a handkerchief I had I got it wet and wrapped it around her neck. After about 45 minutes she was feeling good enough that we were able to head back to the cars about 6 miles back. Another time a friend wend down to a stream to get a shot of the water trickling over the rocks. The bank was slick and he was having trouble getting back up. I was able to toss the end of my rope down to him and use it to help him get back to the trail.

I;d rather have people make fun of me for being over prepared than to have a tragedy strike on the trails. Few things will put a damper on a photo outing than having one of your party have an emergency and no way to help.

Jeff

 

[KevCan]

Thanks for sharing your experience Jeff. You are absolutely right, there is no such thing called Over Prepared.

I spray Permethrin on the clothing I wear out in the field a couple times a summer. I also spray DEET around my ankles and waist band. Permethrin keeps the ticks away but I am very allergic to chiger bites. They cause my legs (and other sensitive areas) to swell up and usually get infected. The only treatment I’ve found successful once bitten is to rub the bites down with 90% isopropyl alcohol and then treat with Neosporin. Even then, it takes about 10 days for the bites to clear up. I find DEET around my ankles and waist band keeps the overwhelming majority of bites away. My wife and I went to a cypress swamp area a couple weeks ago. The little devils are not out here yet and I wasn’t even thinking about it. I‘m recovering from about 20 bites on one leg. Why the one leg I have no idea, I guess I brushed up against the wrong bush or kneeled down on the wrong patch of ground,

I also wear a broad brimmed “breezier” style hat to keep sun off my head and face (especially ears and nose) and wear SPF50 sunscreen on exposed skin. Skin cancer runs in my family so I try to keep the sunscreen on as much as possible.

Wear moisture wicking quick dry clothing (including underwear) during summer and wear good boots. Even in summer I wear mid (over the ankle) boots to offer additional support. Nothing worse than being 4 or 5 miles away from the vehicle and roll an ankle.

Carry more water than you think you will need. I have a Nalgene bottle and also an Owallla bottle depending on how long I plan to be out. Keeping hydrated is super important. Also, if I plan to be out more than 3 or 4 hours, I carry a length of rope and a rain jacket In a small day backpack. My wife used to make fun of me until a friend of ours didn’t bring enough water and she became severely dehydrated and almost in heat stroke. I had enough water to cool her down and let her drink. I wouldn’t let her drink it all at once but sips every couple minutes over about a half hour and poured some on her head and on a handkerchief I had I got it wet and wrapped it around her neck. After about 45 minutes she was feeling good enough that we were able to head back to the cars about 6 miles back. Another time a friend wend down to a stream to get a shot of the water trickling over the rocks. The bank was slick and he was having trouble getting back up. I was able to toss the end of my rope down to him and use it to help him get back to the trail.

I;d rather have people make fun of me for being over prepared than to have a tragedy strike on the trails. Few things will put a damper on a photo outing than having one of your party have an emergency and no way to help.

Jeff

 

[Woody Meristem]

My field pants' legs are sprayed with permethrin every six weeks and they don't get washed between sprayings eek. I've been doing that since 2001 when black-legged ticks (the carriers of Lyme disease became common here) and have only had two or three embedded ticks since; I believe they all got on me when I pushed through high shrubs. Permethrin has low toxicity to mammals but is quite toxic to all arachnids (ticks, insects, etc.) When I do have an embedded tick I take two 500mg amoxicillin. After working outdoors for 52 years and recreating outdoors even longer I've had multiple basal cell carcinomas and a squamous and have had many areas frozen to deal with the basal cells and had surgery twice for more serious cases -- WEAR A BROAD-BRIMMED HAT.

 

[jeffnles1]

One thing I forgot to mention, in winter I carry a “winter survival pack” in a tote in the back of my SUV (could be trunk of a car or behind the seat of a truck). In it i have a jacket, a sweatshirt, a set of coveralls, a knit hat, some gloves, wool socks, and a set of dry shoes, dry pants, a few hand warmer packets, a cigarette lighter and some snacks. I have another tote for my wife with same stuff in it. We spend a lot of time out photographing nature year around. The goal is if we have car troubles or get stuck out somewhere, we may not freeze to death or suffer severe hypothermia. I would rather have that stuff and never need it than to need it and not have it.

 

[Not A Speck Of Cereal]

Permethrin spray treatment: I treat a host of clothing for the season, pants and shirts, but also socks and underwear. I spray my hiking boots/shoes as well. In the past, I've also treated the openings of my tent.

I then use DEET on exposed skin when I'm in a bad skeeter area.

 

[Butlerkid]

Just remember that DEET will disfigure most plastics......think camera bodies and grips, watch faces, etc. Do NOT get DEET on your hands and then handle gear or spray DEET where it may get on rubber type surfaces.

We use Picaridin, available on Amazon, REI and many sporting goods stores.

Ticks? I just found one on my neck a week ago. It undoubtedly moved off the dog and onto me!

 

[Butlerkid]

Just remember that DEET will disfigure most plastics......think camera bodies and grips, watch faces, etc. Do NOT get DEET on your hands and then handle gear or spray DEET where it may get on rubber type surfaces.

We use Picaridin, available on Amazon, REI and many sporting goods stores.

Ticks? I just found one on my neck a week ago. It undoubtedly moved off the dog and onto me!

LOL! Dog is treated to repel ticks........ I am not! So the tick moved off the dog and apparently I was "good enough". I found it before it made entry....thank goodness.

 

[Karl Gillard]

LOL! Dog is treated to repel ticks........ I am not! So the tick moved off the dog and apparently I was "good enough". I found it before it made entry....thank goodness.

Butlerkid, what did you treat the dog with? We are going to a state park in south Louisiana that is sorta known for ticks. I have Permethrin, but can't remember the percentage mixture for our clothes.

 

[Butlerkid]

Butlerkid, what did you treat the dog with? We are going to a state park in south Louisiana that is sorta known for ticks. I have Permethrin, but can't remember the percentage mixture for our clothes.

Each month Sir Isaac gets 1 tablet of Credelio - a Flea and tick medication for dogs. I hadn't even been outside.....LOL!

You can probably Google the percentage mixture for treating your clothes with Permethrin.

 

[Maljo]

Now that summer coming to the north, and wildlife are more active and provide us more opportunities to photograph them, there are mosquitos, ticks, bugs too. Please share the protection tips, products and accessories you use to stay safe.

Have fun go out shooting and be safe!

Picardin and Pants

 

[Wade Abadie]

The main pest I have to deal with in my area (SE Texas) is mosquitos….and I absolutely HATE using any type of insect repellent on my skin.

I always have long pants on when going into mosquito country, and I keep a “bug tamer” jacket/parka in my camera backpack during the warmer months. It is a double layer mesh top (camo) that can simply be worn over a t-shirt, with a face net that tucks into the collar as well. It will keep the mosquitos at bay. I also keep some heavy powderless nitrile gloves to wear as well, which the mosquitoes can’t bite through. Without this combo, there are certain areas I simply would not be able to shoot in.

Here is a link to the “Bug Tamer” products:

Bug Tamer Plus Archives - Shannon Outdoors

shannonoutdoors.com

 

[Abinoone]

Now that summer coming to the north, and wildlife are more active and provide us more opportunities to photograph them, there are mosquitos, ticks, bugs too. Please share the protection tips, products and accessories you use to stay safe.

Have fun go out shooting and be safe!

I grew up in Florida, in the days when the mosquito foggers drove through the neighborhoods spraying clouds of DDT, which us kids thought great fun to ride through on our bikes (who knew?). Ever since, I suppose that I have enough DDT in my system that mosquitoes don’t really bother me much, except when they’re numerous and big enough to carry you away, as I found out one summer in the northern Yukon. The only critters that gives me the heebie-jeebies are ticks and I’m usually careful to spray my clothing with permethrin, and check myself carefully after being out in the woods.

 

[Calson]

Check for posts on using permethrin. I buy it in concentrated form at 37% in a 32 oz. bottle (shelf life is 3 years) and dilute it with water and use a garden sprayer to treat all clothing for a trip. At 1.15% solution made from 2 ounces permethrin added to 2 quarts of water will protect for one year and last through 50 washings. I treat pants, shirts, socks, neck gaiters, and our travel mosquito netting, with the permethrin solution

Picardin is as effective as DEET and unlike DEET it will not damage plastics and not harmful to use on your skin. The trick is to use 15% or 20% picaridin solution and not a lower concentration. We use it on exposed skin.

I first used this approach on a two-week trip to Cambodia and my wife and I did not get a single mosquito bite. For chiggers and noseeums the Johnson & Johnson Skin So Soft product is a very effective repellent.

Where I live in California the ticks and mosquitoes are a problem 12 months out of the year and there are more than two-dozen tick borne diseases so treatment of clothing is important. We could spend an additional $15 per garment for pre-treated clothing or spend 10 cents per garment to treat it myself. I pin the clothes to a line outdoors and use a 1-gallon garden sprayer and let the clothing air dry.

 

[O]

One thing I forgot to mention, in winter I carry a “winter survival pack” in a tote in the back of my SUV (could be trunk of a car or behind the seat of a truck). In it i have a jacket, a sweatshirt, a set of coveralls, a knit hat, some gloves, wool socks, and a set of dry shoes, dry pants, a few hand warmer packets, a cigarette lighter and some snacks. I have another tote for my wife with same stuff in it. We spend a lot of time out photographing nature year around. The goal is if we have car troubles or get stuck out somewhere, we may not freeze to death or suffer severe hypothermia. I would rather have that stuff and never need it than to need it and not have it.

Same here, i do the same for both vehicles, your so glad when you need it you have it.
Also i keep in each vehicle a Jet Boil of course plenty of water as well, i can make boiling water in 60 seconds and or heat up a Continental chicken noodle soup in 60 seconds. Or cook up some oats in 90 seconds steering quickly. Also i keep 6 Quality Protein shakes, the soup and shakes there in a sealed dry pack and have several years use by, but gee if your hungry or need something to warm you up...........wow, the the car i carry 10 ltrs of filtered water in a sealed cask. My girlfriend also keeps a packet of Oats, just adds cold water lets them soak, or heats them up in the Jet Boil.

Nice to get back to the vehicle heat up some soup, or have a bowl of oats with a banana or apple............some warm dry clothes.