UKC

Hey one and all,

Just bought an alpkit bivi bag and I intend to try it out this weekend in Glenshee, my main concern is how the hell do i keep out any ticks from joining me?

Ive been told normal insect repelant has no affect, same with good old avon skin so soft. Ive also been told tea tree oil puts them off but as it puts me off (hate the smell of the stuff) too id rather not use it, if its the difference between not getting limes disease though then needs must i spose.

any ideas folks?

tia

In reply to Bonesaw:

Doesn't Citronella ward of beasties too? And it smells a lot nicer May be worth a try?

In reply to Bonesaw: Go to a hotel?

In reply to Bonesaw:

You'll wake up looking like a massive corn on the cob. There is no escape.

In reply to Bonesaw:

Gary, the weather over the last week in Angus/Perthshire has been warm and clear during the days, with cold clear nights.

Chances are that a fair proportion of the ticks in that area are either dead or hibernating thanks to the recent frosts higher up the hills.

PS, where you bivvying in glen shee?

adam

In reply to rusty_nails:

im taking a friend and her 4 year old quine camping (the bairn has never been camping before and so i said id take them...) so they will get the tent, i get the bag

the only place i could think of with mountains, riverside, not too far to walk and within easy driving of aberdeen and where we could have a wee campfire is at the Braemar end of glenshee. I know it aint strictly glenshee but you know roughly where im meaning?

so hows tricks adam? you been gettin much done recently?

In reply to anansie:

il take citronella too then, cheers spiderquine

In reply to Soren Lorenson:

lmao, so instead of a tick remover tool i should dig out the belt sander?

In reply to Tree:

naaaa, hotel aint as much fun as the great outdoors, tryin to convince masell here...

In reply to Bonesaw:

Sounds nice Gary.

Perhaps the forests round lin of dee would be nice?

Hope the weather holds out for you this weekend.

PS, make sure you take a leak and have a hot brew before you get your head down. It makes the night SO much muore comy!

Had a great summer ta, loads done, worked up to E1 and got my SPA, just need to have a great winter and then im off to do more instructor quals.

In reply to Bonesaw:

Was thinking, try finding a base oil and putting a few drops in it and rubbing your skin with it? ( will stink!, but might keep them away

Anyhoo, nae bother me dear and have a great camp out!

In reply to Bonesaw:

A friend puts insecticide on her clothing to keep ticks away, you may be able to do the same with a bivvy bag. I'm sorry, I don't know what type of insecticide but I'm sure google will be your friend.
In case you think this is a bit paranoid, it is as a result of contracting Lyme's Disease & not wanting to get it again.

In reply to rusty_nails:

sweet!!! congrats on the spa and the E1!!! wel have to get some more cragging done, i got ur mob number, il text you today so we can arange something next time youre up this way? A bunch of us are heading to the ice factor next month at some point so i can finally use my ice tools in anger hopefully il get some winter stuff done too this year.

I thought about the woods round the linn, too high a risk of a forest fire round there and the rangers from mar lodge patrol that place very regularly at weekends for campers and for fires.

the forecast looks good, though a belt of rain may pass over suring saturday night, I dont mind as it wil ltest the bag out

In reply to Mike C:

Aye its the lymes disease im wanting to avoid, I know of a lass up this way who got it from a tick bite when she was working over in the hebrides, ive heard that its very much on the increase in our tick population.

wait a minute, i see your from aberdeen too, bet were thinking of the same lass, works for sepa? im prolly wrong here though lol

In reply to anansie:

base oil is no problem, iv got a mahoosive drum of chainsaw oil in the garage, plenty of that, so i cud just add a mix of tea tree oil, citronella and deet to that? hehe

In reply to Bonesaw:

Be careful you don't burn the skin aff yersel though with too much oily stuff ha ha!, or come oot in funky blotches :o/

I kinda did that trying something with oil that i Maybe shouldn't've :o#

In reply to Bonesaw:

I recently drove through Glen Shee and noticed some new signs on some of the roadside posts, something about 'Parking tokens' I think(?)

I'm assuming the estate owner was (or is) charging for parking on some of the roadside laybys?

The signs seemed to be confined to the section between the ski centre and Braemar.

You don't happen to know anything about them?

In reply to Bonesaw:

Could well be, there are pics of her in my gallery, though it was on Rum & through pleasure not work.

In reply to Mike C:


According to my map the glen N from the ski centre to Braemar is Glen Clunie.

I'd be surprised if you got ticks at this time of year. The way to avoid them is to avoid bracken and birch woods, and/ or go higher.

In reply to Tim Chappell:

Would agreee that heading higher sounds like a good bet, maybe up the Baddoch Burn or towards Glas Maol, not that I've camped there, just an idea. The only ticks I've had this year have been from working around river banks, low altitude and lots of vegetation - around Aviemore, Grantown areas, even managed to get one attached to my eyelid which was quite unpleasant!

In reply to Tim Chappell:

that's a relief - this conversation wasn't doing much for my bivi-ing daydreams

In reply to Anonymous:

Aye there was word in the P+J recently that the estate up there were wanting to get a degree of control on wild camping at the roadside up there, maybe thats the comprimise theyve reached?
I havent been up that way for a few weeks so i havent seen the signs for myself yet...

In reply to Mike C:

Aye thats her, i met her a few months ago at clashrodney with Heidi and the rest. I got muddled up with the details, auld age disnae come itsell eh?

Hows she keeping now, is it still bothering her or did she get it in time?

In reply to Tim Chappell:

Aye glen clunie, thats the very area I didnt realise they were more prevelant in birch woods, il keep that in mind for future.

In reply to Joe G:

YOUR EYELID!!! omg thats horrible!

In reply to Bonesaw: You should worry, I'm trying to work out how to keep the scorpions and snakes out. Its ok not being scared of snakes but I might baulk at finding one in the sleeping bag

In reply to Al Evans:

lmao, aye but will a snake give you lymes disease?

I THINK NOT!!!









lol

so where are you camping to have such wildlife concerns? The Pass of Ballater?

In reply to Bonesaw:

She's had to have a lot of treatment, particularly as the local NHS guidelines don't prescribe sufficient treatment to really do the job (& didn't in her case). She should be finished treatment in about 2 weeks & hopefully that will be it gone. It's not been easy for her.

In reply to Mike C:

Poor quine! bloomin nhs its been a long time since I heard she had got lymes, a fair few months? She probably wont remember me but next time you speak to her tell her the gardener who climbs with Amanda sends his best.

In reply to Bonesaw:

I say take off and nuke the site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure.

In reply to Bonesaw:

Nahhh!, nowhere so scarey, just the Costa Blanca.