Outdoor Survival Tips
Helpful Tips for New ATV Riders
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First Aid - Ticks
The very thought of walking through a valley
infested with ticks makes most human's skin crawl. Perhaps it is because of the
ticks predilection to attaching itself firmly to its host and then draining a
seemingly prodigious quantity of blood from those dark and moist places where we
would rather not have something alien nibbling.
What do the experts recommend to prevent tick bites
when adventuring in tick country? Wear long pants that are tucked into the socks
as well as a long-sleeved shirt tucked securely into the pants and secured with
a belt. Clothing should be light in color making it easier to spot ticks and
tightly woven so ticks have trouble hanging on. Perform tick checks regularly,
especially those dark, moist areas and crevices around the waistline, knees,
breasts, armpits, ears and crotch. It is best to utilize a buddy system and no,
this is not a good time to be modest.
A combination of DEET insect repellent applied to
the skin and permethrin repellent applied directly to clothing, tents, sleeping
bags and any surface other than skin are considered to be the most effective
line of defense against ticks. Natural repellents should be avoided as they have
no proven effectiveness against ticks.
What makes permethrin so good is that the human
risks are dramatically minimized, since the chemical is applied directly to the
outer fibers of gear or apparel. The permethrin chemically binds to the fibers
which minimizes inward migration and possible skin contact. Permethrin-based
products are designed to repel and kill arthropods or crawling insects-making
them the preferred repellent for ticks. The currently available products will
remain effective, repelling and killing mosquitoes, ticks and chiggers, for two
weeks and through two launderings.
If you head outdoors enough, however, you're going
to encounter a tick or two, even with the best of precautions. What should you
do when you find one of these little arthropods clinging to your body, draining
blood?
Get as close as possible to the head, slowly pull
the tick away from the skin without twisting or jerking. Although tweezers work,
I prefer the Sawyer's Tick Pliers as you can easily slide the jaws beneath the
body and extract the tick without squeezing the tick's body or cutting the tick.
If it becomes too difficult to remove the tick by
pulling, try applying permethrin to a cotton swab and daubing it directly to the
upper and lower surfaces of the tick. Wait 15 minutes and then try pulling the
tick out again. The application of pesticide serves to relax the tick making it
easier to remove. Once you have removed the tick, check tick and the bite area
to be sure none of the tick is still attached and then wash the bite area with
soap and water. Apply an antiseptic to the wound.
Try to identify the tick. If it is a Lone Star or
deer tick, place it in a vial or polybag with a cotton swap soaked in alcohol to
preserve it for analysis in case disease symptoms appear. In our area the most
common diseases is Lyme disease.
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Wisconsin Riders Inc. ATV Club visitors. North East Wisconsin Riders Inc.
ATV Club can not be held responsible for errors contained in this page or any
other section of this website. North East Wisconsin Riders Inc. ATV Club
strives to ensure that all our content is kept up-to-date. North East Wisconsin
Riders Inc. ATV Club is an all volunteer organization and please remember North
East Wisconsin Riders Inc. ATV Club is NOT offering any legal advice. We
are simply trying to raise awareness. As an ATV owner it is your responsibility
to know and understand the rules and regulations regarding your ATV and the
surrounding community. Lets all try to work together to educate each other.
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