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Tick-Tock: the grenades of the outdoor world

You’ve heard it all before, but I want to say it again: don’t mess with the tiny tick. 

Ticks and tick-borne diseases are found all over the world. Don’t fool yourself: disease-carrying ticks have been found not just in northeastern United States (hotspot for one tick-borne disease, Lyme), but all over Canada and the United States, including the southeastern US, and Australia, Europe, northern Asia, Latin America, and some parts of Africa

Bite prevention, early detection and removal (together) are the key. Ticks transmit their explosive diseases within or just after 24 hours after biting. There are over 300 different pathogens with which the various species of tick can infect a human, causing sometimes life-long, life-altering, chronic, and painful consequences. The symptoms of some of these diseases (such as Lyme disease, Babesiosis, Anaplasmosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Ehrlichiosis, and Tularemia) are frequently confused as being symptoms of other diseases, such as MS, fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, or lupus, to name a few. Not fun! Be aware!

I know several people who are suffering or have suffered tick-borne diseases, one a little kid who is still struggling with the debilitating pain of vicious diseases transmitted to him from a single tick bite in 2006, 6 years ago. Back then, I had never even heard of tick-borne diseases. He did not receive the treatment he needed right away and the symptoms became chronic. Where he lives in the Okanagan valley of British Columbia, Canada, there are few doctors who are educated in the types of diseases he has. He and his family have to travel over 6 hours to a doctor in Seattle for treatment. The drugs he must take daily sometimes cost over $800 out-of-pocket a month. Sometimes he is in so much pain, the normally active kid can barely move.

If you’re anything like me, witnessing this and understanding the danger just makes you want to panic and lock yourself inside with cans of DEET, but, really, we can accept and respect this danger just like we have accepted bears and skin cancer. We must intelligently prepare ourselves and our families to be aware and to be ready to prevent and deal with it.

What ticks look like: 

Black-legged ticks, male and female
nymph and adult stages.
From wac.450f.edgecastcdn.net

There are two stages in which a tick is dangerous to humans, the tiny nymph stage and the adult stage. In the nymph stage, they look like freckles that move, or like poppy seeds. In the adult stage they are easier to spot.
Other links to help with tick ID:

Pocket identification card for dog ticks and deer ticks 

Pictures of common North American ticks and their geographic distribution in the US (these pictures also apply to Canada, because, as far as I know, ticks don’t need passports to cross the border).

A thorough description of ticks found in North America and the more common diseases they are known to transmit.

Black-legged ticks, various
stages of growth.
From lymedisease.org

Really, it doesn’t matter if you can correctly identify the species of tick. Although some believe that only the black-legged (deer) tick and western black-legged tick should be tested, I believe that regardless of the type of tick, you should deal with them the same way… all species can carry diseases.

How to avoid tick bites:

  1. Let’s all say it together: PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE!
  2. Avoid leaf-litter, tall grass, logs, stumps and bushes. They like nice, moist spots. They can’t fly. Stay in the middle of trails! Where there are animals like deer and mice, there are usually ticks. Ticks are most active from April to October in North America, especially after mild winters. Watch this video to see how ticks get on you by brushing against shrubs and long grasses.
  3. Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants. Tuck pants into socks (yeah…). Don’t wear sandals. Ticks usually are brushed onto your legs and then tend to climb up. Spray 30%+ DEET product on clothing or treat clothing with permethrin, especially shoes, socks and lower pant legs (good for about 6 washes). Just don’t get DEET or permethrin in your mouth, eyes, hands, etc! Some outdoors clothing can be bought pre-treated with permethrin, good up to 70 washes. Natural repellents apparently don’t work.
  4. To make detection easier, wear light-coloured clothing. Check and remove clothing carefully. Place clothes in a pile on a hard surface and ticks should make their way to the top of the pile. Putting clothing in a dryer on high heat for about half an hour should kill ticks.
  5. Check yourself every day with a small mirror and a fine-toothed comb. This is probably the most important step for yourself, your kids and your pets. Check especially your hair, armpits, groin, ears, belly button, toes and backs of knees – all the nooks and crannies. It might seem like a pain, but trust me – I’ve seen what suffering from tick-borne diseases looks like. THAT is pain. Shower as soon as you can to wash off unattached ticks.
  6. Tick-proof your yard, especially if you live near woods. Click here and here for suggestions.
  7. Talk to your vet about protecting your pets.

 

What to do if you find an attached tick on your body:

Less than 50% of those infected
remember having a tick bite
or a classic bullseye rash.
However, if you DO have
bullseye rash, see a doctor
IMMEDIATELY!
From knowlyme.com

  1. Remove tick safely with fine-tip tweezers (the kind with pointy ends). Grab the tick’s head as close to your skin as possible and slowly and steadily pull (do not twist). The first time I had to do this, I was surprised about how tenacious the little guy was. It took a bit more time than I expected. Be sure to remove any bits left behind with the tweezers. There are also nifty tick-removal tools, such as the Pro Tick Removal System, which we carry in our outdoors first-aid kit. Wash hands and disinfect bite site and tweezers (like with an alcohol pad). Photograph the tick for your own records. 
  2. Test tick. Place tick in a plastic zip bag with a lightly-moistened paper towel. Some Canadian testing labs ask for a small, rigid plastic container, like a  ilm canister. Label the bag with your name, date, site of bite and how long tick was attached. 
  3. Send the tick away for testing. Friends who have struggled with tick-borne diseases tell me that some testing facilities are better than others. One that is recommended is IGeneX labs. There is also a Canadian testing protocol found here. Most people just have the tick identified and tested by a lab, health department or veterinarian. Sometimes the fees can be upwards of $35, but it is worth it. 
  4. Watch for symptoms, such as a rash (especially a bulls-eye rash, but this only occurs in less than 70% of victims of Lyme disease; some of the other diseases can also cause rashes), fever, fatigue, headache, dizziness, mental confusion and “fogginess”, swollen lymph nodes, muscle and joint pain, numbness and tingling, and chills. Write down any symptoms and photograph any rashes. Typically the symptoms show up around 2 to 30 days after the tick has helped itself to your blood. 
  5. If you think you might have contracted something, contact your doctor right away. Not all doctors are tick-borne disease savvy, especially in Canada, and some of the diseases are difficult to test for and diagnose, but early accurate testing, diagnosis and treatment are essential to prevent chronic problems. Some believe that regardless of symptoms, some, especially children in higher-risk areas, should be given pre-emptive, preventative treatment. Common diseases carried by ticks in North America include not only Lyme disease, but Babesiosis, Anaplasmosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Ehrlichiosis, and Tularemia, all of which may need specific treatment. Typically, people are given a 6-week treatment of the oral antibiotic doxycycline or something similar for Lyme disease, but this does not treat the other diseases. I’ve been told by the experienced that having the tick tested and recording all symptoms helps for a more accurate diagnosis.

For more specific information about the various tick-borne diseases:  

Center for Disease Control 

American Lyme Disease Foundation 

California Lyme Disease Association (easy-to-read chart of diseases and symptoms, but not as thorough as the other two links) 

A place to start to look for a tick-borne-disease-educated doctor (aside from asking your own doctor) may be: http://knowlyme.wordpress.com/doctors/ or http://www.lymedisease.org/resources/referrals.html

Further info:

Two of the best, general, easy-to-navigate sites about ticks and tick-borne disease:

Informative list of links related to ticks for those who really want to dig: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tickbites.html).
Great little succinct PDF pamphlet about ticks and tick-borne disease prevention: http://www.mass.gov/eohhs/docs/dph/cdc/lyme/prevent-disease.pdf 
Excellent CBC (Canadian) article about tick-borne diseases: http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/2009/06/04/f-lyme-disease-ticks.html
Naomi Osborn, The Outdoor Adventure team

Spring Survival – Canadian Forests Conclusion (with video)

Well, it all comes to an end. A special thanks to SOG knives for giving me the Aegis and hand axe that were featured in these videos and that made survival possible.

Also, thanks to everyone who gave feedback on what to do, with what and where. It was an awesome experience and I can’t wait to do something like that next year.

Sit back, relax and enjoy the poorly edited video! Oh, and if you missed the previous ones, here are the links:

Spring Survival Part 1
Spring Survival Part 2
Spring Survival Part 3

Spring Survival – Canadian Forests (Part 3)

If you’re a long time reader, you will have heard about my long term plans to do a survival trip up in Canada for 3 days and two nights. I coordinated it for a trip I had planned to visit family, and my dad ended up coming with me.

The plan was to hit a mountain area of British Columbia where we could test out theoretical skills (this was my first trip) and carry a backup kit if we needed it. I brought simple items (emergency blankets for my dad and myself, flint strikers, survival fishing kit, a cheap rain poncho, aluminum pot and a hand axe and Aegis folding knife (provided by SOG). I also took a small panasonic camera to film all our adventures.

My dad acting as backup also brought a pot, plate and cup, in addition to a regular fishing kit. We headed up to a lake on crown land at about 800 meters where nights were below freezing and where snow in the day was not uncommon.

In this part I improve the comfort of the shelter, make a birch bark cup, dig for and cook cat tail roots, try both cat tail fluff and a Fire puck as fire starter, steam a trout over the fire, collect some wild edible plants for food and determine that I need a camera with an external microphone.

DISCLAIMER: I’m an untrained and unprofessional amature. DO NOT TRY THIS WITH PROPER TRAINING. I am NOT responsible for any harm that comes from anyone trying to imitate me.

Spring Survival Trip – Canadian Forests Part 2 (with video)

So, Having got the basics of our shelter together, we turn to fire and food gathering in the second part of our 1st day in a Survival Scenario in the Canadian Mountains.

If you didn’t see Spring Survival PART 1, here’s a rundown:

The plan was to hit a mountain area of British Columbia where we could test out theoretical skills (this was my first trip) and carry a backup kit if we needed it. I brought simple items (emergency blankets for my dad and myself, flint strikers, survival fishing kit, a cheap rain poncho, aluminum pot and a hand axe and Aegis folding knife (provided by SOG). I also took a small panasonic camera to film all our adventures. Video below!


My dad acting as backup, also brought a pot, plate and cup, in addition to a regular fishing kit. We headed up to a lake on crown land at about 800 meters where nights were below freezing and where snow in the day was not uncommon.

DISCLAIMER: I’m an untrained and unprofessional amature. DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME. I am NOT responsible for any harm that comes from anyone trying to imitate me.

Spring Survival – Canadian Forests part 1 (with video 1)

If you’re a long time reader, you will have heard about my long term plans to do a survival trip up in Canada for 3 days and two nights. I coordinated it for a trip I had planned to visit family, and my dad ended up coming with me.

The plan was to hit a mountain area of British Columbia where we could test out theoretical skills (this was my first trip) and carry a backup kit if we needed it. I brought simple items (emergency blankets for my dad and myself, flint strikers, survival fishing kit, a cheap rain poncho, aluminum pot and a hand axe and Aegis folding knife (provided by SOG). I also took a small panasonic camera to film all our adventures.

My dad acting as backup also brought a pot, plate and cup, in addition to a regular fishing kit. We headed up to a lake on crown land at about 800 meters where nights were below freezing and where snow in the day was not uncommon.

In this part we choose our location and focus on building a shelter and collecting firewood.

DISCLAIMER: I’m an untrained and unprofessional amature. DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME. I am NOT responsible for any harm that comes from anyone trying to imitate me.

Survival Trip: Final Preparations

Finally the plans are set, in fact, as of tomorrow morning (Read May 7th), I’ll be out and suffering… I mean surviving!

We spent 2 days scouting locations and we decided on the best of two. I haven’t made specific location plans, but I’ve decided on a lake that works at 800 meters. There aren’t a lot of wild edible plants, but there are fish and wild game. We should be able to set ourselves up and get some interesting shots to share.
My dad is coming as a semi-participant, semi-safety camp in case things go wrong.
Here’s the gear I’m taking:
  • SOG Aegis black TiNi – Provided by SOG for the trip
  • SOG Hand Axe – Provided by SOG for the trip
  • 2 Survival Straps – Donated by Survival Straps for another project
  • 2.5 Liter lightweight aluminum pot
  • Adventure Medical Kit survival pak
  • 1 Extra mylar blanket
  • Super cheap waterproof poncho
  • 3 LED lights
  • small survival fishing kit (a couple extra things to add to the one in the AMK pak)
  • Extra Paracord
  • flint striker
  • 2 pieces of processed cheese
  • 3 pieces of homemade fruit leather
It seems like a long list, but it’s not actually that much and all fits inside the cook pot.
I addition to those items, I’ve packed a waterproof backup kit that I don’t plan on touching. It has the following:
  • bear spray
  • lightweight down bag
  • AMK escape Bivvy
That’s it! The weather is likely well below freezing at night and so I’ve had to think hard about the most effective and warm shelter for the trip. It’s not necessarily efficient, but it should keep us warm.
The Scenario
I’ve been trying to think up a scenario to make this somewhat realistic, and the best I can think of so far is the following:
We’ve been dropped off on a remote mountain lake for a 3 day fishing and camping trip, but our gear got dumped and all that survived was my waterproof duffle bag full of stuff. It’s not entirely unimaginable and would explain the 3 day event.
Here’s a video of the scouting of another lake and trail. It was a fun hike and we saw a lot of really cool stuff.

Upcoming Reviews: AMK

Sorry for the delay, but I assure you we have some reviews in the pipe and we wanted to let you know what they were, so here are some photos of what we’re testing. Have you seen or tried any of these? What do you think?

The AMK (Adventure Medical Kits) SOL Origin
The AMK Escape Bivvy
The AMK 0.7 Medical Kit
So, do you use AMK gear? Do you want to win some? If so, check out our Survial Week Giveaway that ends tomorrow!

Survival Week Giveaway! Spring Into Adventure

WAHOO! I’m seriously a bit giddy about this week’s giveaway! Can you believe it? A huge pile of survival gear in all the truest senses of the word! Are you ready?

For the last couple months, We at The Outdoor Adventure along with in no particular order: My Life Outdoors, Wilderness Dave, A Little CampyHiking the Trail and Trail Sherpa have been working together with a whole bunch of outdoors companies to bring all you guys more than a month of giveaways.

This week we’re super excited to be giving away awesome gear to keep you surviving… in style. I recommed you subscribe to the feed for some awesome gear reviews coming up highlighting this stuff on the blog! Oh and we’ll be updating this with links to all the reviews!


Now you want to know what we’re giving away! Wait no further… I mean Look no longer… never mind, just read it and enter to win:

Grand Prize:
Adventure Medical Kits Ultralight Watertight 0.7 oz Med Kit – Review Coming!
Adventure Medical Kits Origin Survival Kit – Review Coming!
Adventure Medical Kits Escape Bivy – Review Coming!
Gerber BG Survival Parang – Review Coming!
Buff USA Merino Wool Buff, Buff USA Wool Buff Review
Innate Storage Sack
Second Place Prize:
Survival Strap – Review Coming!

Oh sorry about the logo, no alpine aire food this week, that’s next week!
Enter here:
a Rafflecopter giveaway<a href=”http://rafl.es/enable-js”>You need javascript enabled to see this giveaway</a>.

What should you put in your survival kit?

First of all, a survival kit is designed to help you survive… for short periods of time. The idea is that in an emergency, your survival kit should keep you safe, providing for your needs until rescuers can find you or you can make your way out on your own. The reality is that we’re not likely to ever need most of the things in it, but they’re there for the JIC (Just in case) situations. I’ve already made a survival kit for my daughter that was suited to her ability, but in an effort to make my own kit, I’ve done some research on what other people recommend.

 

Today, I thought I’d present 3 sets of recommendations that I’ve come across. Please comment and tell me what your thoughts are and where these kits could be improved. A question: Is weight and size worth the sacrifice of some of these items? Can some dual purpose items be substituted?
JOHN WISEMAN’S KIT
First off, Let’s look at What is recommended by John “Lofty” Wiseman in his book the SAS survival handbook. It’s probably the biggest and at 2 parts is probably meant to last you more than 72 hours.
  1. Matches (waterproof)
  2. Candle
  3. Flint
  4. Magnifying glass
  5. Needles and thread
  6. Fish hooks and line
  7. Compass (button)
  8. Beta light (tritium illumination)
  9. Snare wire
  10. Flexible saw (chain saw)
  11. Medical kit – Analgesic, immodium, antibiotic, antihistamine, water purification, anti-malaria, potassium permanganate
  12. Surgical blades (for scalpels)
  13. Butterfly sutures
  14. Plasters (band-aids)
  15. Condom (for water storage – holds up to 1 liter)
He also recommends a separate survival pouch to keep on your person containing:
  1. Mess tin (cooking utensil)
  2. Fuel (solid fuel tablets)
  3. Flashlight (pencil style)
  4. Flares (signaling)
  5. Marker Panel (fluorescent 0.3×2 meters for signalling)
  6. Matches (in a waterproof container)
  7. Brew Kit (tea, milk and sugar)
  8. Food (high in fat, long lasting, with salt)
  9. Survival bag (large plastic/polythene bag)
  10. Log book
LES STROUD’S KIT
 
I can’t remember where I pulled this list from, but this is what he recommended as a minimum. This is considered to be lightweight and seasonal.
  1. Tin for boiling water in which goes:
    1. garbage bag
    2. snare wire
    3. saw
    4. candle
    5. rope / cordage
    6. flare
    7. whistle
    8. razor blade
    9. mirror
    10. nails / pins
    11. lures / line (for fishing)
    12. fire starting
    13. compass
    14. flashlight
    15. tablets (medicine)
    16. repellant (bugs)
    17. repair kit
    18. laces
CODY LUNDIN’S KIT
This list was taken from the September 1999 Backpacker Magazine.
  1. 1 gallon zipper-lock bag
  2. Tincture of iodine (disinfecting water)
  3. Plastic drinking tube (3 feet)
  4. 2 condoms (canteens)
  5. Orange flagging tape
  6. Dental floss (100 feet)
  7. Duct tape (3 feet)
  8. Mini flashlight w/ spare bulb
  9. Extra flashlight batteries
  10. Magnesium block with striking insert
  11. Cigarette lighter
  12. Strike-anywhere matches dipped in paraffin
  13. Firestarters – cotton balls saturated with petroleum jelly
  14. Magnifying glass (signalling and fire starting)
  15. Glass signal mirror with sighting hole
  16. whistle
  17. Light space blanket
  18. Heavy duty space blanket
  19. 3 heavy duty plastic bags (type used for gathering leaves)
  20. Paracord (50 feet)
  21. Extra knife (fixed blade, high carbon steel)
  22. Bandana (brightly colored)
  23. Basic first-aid kit (wound dressing, moleskin, antibiotic ointment, and more)
  24. Topographical map and compass
So, what do you think? Overkill or underkill? What would you change, add or remove?

May Survival Trip Update

Not to long ago I asked for advice on what to take on a survival trip in May in the BC mountains. Keep the ideas coming! We’ve had some great ones.

One thing that I picked up from Sierra Trading post and am considering taking a long on a trip is the Adventure Medical Kits SOL Survival pack I got it on sale for $8.97, so I bought two! It’s a simple, prepackaged kit. It could be a good test of what one of these kits can do.


Here’s what is inside:

  • Ideal for backcountry skiing, backpacking, boating and hiking
  • Waterproof pouch with items that address top priorities in survival situations
  • Pack intended to supply one person with survival needs
  • Waterproof, windproof Heatsheet survival blanket reflects 90% of body heat back to you and provides shelter from the elements
  • Mini Rescue Flash signal mirror is visible from over ten miles away
  • Slim rescue howler whistle can be heard over one mile away
  • Waterproof, windproof matches in watertight vial with submersible striker
  • Tinder-Quick waterproof tinder burns for two to three minutes so you can start a fire
  • Survival fishing and sewing kit includes fishing or sewing line, fishing hooks, needle, snap swivel and safety pins
  • Accurate, liquid-damped and fast-acting 20mm survival compass
  • Weight: 5.8 oz.
  • Material: Includes 1 – 2×50” duct tape 1 – Liquid-filled button compass 7- Waterproof matches 1 – Fire Lite fire striker 1 – Fishing gear in vial 1 – Heatsheet survival blanket 1 – Mini rescue flash signal mirror 1 – Mini rescue howler whistle 4 – Tinder Quick pieces

I will probably add a couple this as was suggested to spice it up (like paracord), but I don’t want to bring too much.

What do you think? have you had any experience with AMK products?

Help me plan a survival trip – stage 1 making the plans


UPDATE: The event was a success, read about part 1 here. Feel free to leave comments though and we’ll try to integrate them into next year’s trip.

This is it, New Years. With it we normally hear about resolutions and goals. I like plans and I need your help for it. I’m calling upon all the outdoorsy people or anyone that has seen a Survivorman episode to help me plan a trip where i can try to implement a few survival tools and tips.

That’s right. I’m relying on my readers and youtube followers to help me plan a 2-3 day trip where I can try my hand at survival. You, the reader gets to help decide what to bring and what I need to accomplish.

When: 
I’m planning the event for early May.
Where:
In the Pacific Northwest and probably in a controlled environment for safety reasons (I have a wife and 3 kids to worry about). Altitude will be between 1500 and 2000 feet. I’ll be planning to be near open water.
How long:
2 to 3 days. possibly 1 or 2 trips.
Your involvement:
I’m looking for things that you’d want me to try/demonstrate. Fire, shelter, fishing, you name it.
I’m also looking for things that you think I should be allowed to take with me:
Pot? knife? ax or hatchet? cordage? bags? emergency blanket? shelter? food? fire steel?
Depending on the feedback we can work together to plan the trip. I need the feedback now to hone my skills and put them into practice.
Please challenge me. I have some basic skills and a lot more head knowledge that I want to practice. This controlled environment means I’ll have access to help in an emergency, but will also allow me to try more challenging things.
Please leave a comments with your ideas, how every wacky you think they are.

Suggestions I have received:
Just a knife – @davidecreech
survival fishing kit… Do they work? – @Richkolb
A clear plastic bag (construction) – TheDao101


Survivalvideos1 says on youtube:  I did a survival trip a couple weeks ago. Built a wooden bed and all that. Basically what i brought was a Knife , a stainless steel canteen that i can boil in, a magnesium fire starter, a coat, one protein bar, and 2 mylar blankets. only got a few hours of sleep but i survived!

Commonsurvivalnet on youtube says: 6 C’s of Survival: Cutting tool, Cordage, Combustion device, Cover, Container, Calories,
ere it me, i would try: 
Cutting: Multitool and forest ax
Cordage: about 50 Feet of 550 Cord that would be wrapped around various gear 
Combustion: Ferrocerrium Rod 
Cover:80% or higher Wool Blanket
Container: Canteen with Stainless Canteen Cup 
Calories: King Size Snickers bar

How I survived Black Friday: by staying at home

Well Black Friday has come and I saved a ton… by not buying anything. It may just be me, but the thought of pushing my nose into the armpits of someone that spent the last week camping outside the store just doesn’t impress me… Even if I lost out on one good deal.

To console myself I look through a list of news articles on the joys of Black Friday shopping. For example, aren’t you glad that you saved yourself the fun of getting pepper sprayed just to save a couple bucks on an xbox at Walmart? Or maybe the let down of getting shot in the foot after walking home after midnight with your prize purchase? I think it’s slightly scarier that those individuals were ready to shoot back at the perps.

Then of course there is the multiple accounts of people ignoring the lines and choosing the 100% off 5 finger discounts being offered in the parking lots. Not cool guys. Why is Walmart a magnet for these sorts of things?

If looking at photos of crazed Walmart shoppers floats your boat then I recommend looking at Black Friday in photos.

Here’s a question, what’s cooler? Getting your wife a good deal on a piece of Walmart jewelry, or getting arrested for fighting over said jewelry?

I think the following tweet says it all, “Nothing makes me less hopeful for humanity than watching people get trampled for a $5 microwave at Walmart.” Thank you America.

Ok, so I know most of us really want some good deals. Fear not, most of your favorite stores are kindly offering black friday sales. Here’s a few to add to the links on the right hand side of the page.

The Clymb’s not so black friday sale for men for women and for feet and gear
Left Lane Sports has some gear on the go
Even BackCountry.com has it’s share of deals on with a bunch of 70% off deals too

So don’t despair, don’t resort to bear spray and just walk away from that imposing individual who wants that jacket. When you get back to your computer you’ll know that you are the fastest click in the west.

Plus, Amazon already has your shipping address saved!