Ticks And Camping

A big camping concern is ticks which can carry several types of infections, including Lyme disease. If left untreated, these insect bites can be threatening. You cannot avoid the ticks in the woods, but can take some precautions from tick bites. Common types of ticks are wood ticks and deer ticks. The deer ticks carry Lyme disease.

Finding and removing a tick early is key to the prevention of Lyme disease. If a tick is attached to your skin, grab it with tweezers as close to your skin as possible and pull it straight out. Do not use Vaseline. It will kill the tick and cause more harm. Also do not squeeze the tick, it can cause all the infected material of the tick to enter into your skin. Wash the area thoroughly with soap and water and use a disinfectant.

Five Step Tick Preventions For Campers

1.Wear protective clothing such as long-sleeved shirts, long trousers, boots or sturdy shoes and a head covering. Ticks are easier to detect on light-colored clothing. Tuck trouser cuffs in socks. Tape the area where pants and socks meet so ticks cannot crawl under clothing.

2. Apply insect repellent sparingly to exposed skin. Do not spray directly to the face; spray the repellent onto hands and then apply to face. Avoid sensitive areas like the eyes, mouth and nasal membranes. Be sure to wash treated skin after coming indoors. Use repellents containing permethrin to treat clothes especially pants, socks and shoes but not skin. Always follow label directions; do not misuse or overuse repellents. Always supervise children in the use of repellents.

3.Walk in the center of trails so weeds do not brush against you. In camping areas, individuals who sit on the ground or disturb leaf litter on the forest floor may encounter ticks.

4.Check yourself, children and other family members every two to three hours for ticks. Most ticks seldom attach quickly and rarely transmit disease organisms until they have been attached four or more hours. If your pets spend time outdoors, check them for ticks, too.

5.If ticks are crawling on the outside of clothes, they can be removed with masking tape or cellophane tape. A ring of tape can be made around the hand by leaving the sticky side out and attaching the two ends. Ticks will stick to the tape which can then be folded over and then placed in the trash.

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Morel Mushroom Hunting While Camping

Morel mushrooms are one of the most prized edible wild mushrooms in the world. They look like a sponge on a stem, morels don’t look like any mushrooms you get at the store or taste like ordinary button mushrooms. Morels have a rich, woodsy flavor that is deliciously earthy, nutty, and it’s this awesome taste that makes the morel mushroom rank number one with mushroom lovers. We find many pounds of them every year in early spring when we go on weekend camping trips in southern Missouri. We hunt for morel mushrooms from early April through May depending on the weather conditions and location.

Most mushroom hunters around here will agree that the weather has the most effect on the availability and quality of these mushrooms. Typically the day time temperature around 60 to 70 degrees, night temperatures not less than 40 degrees and the soil temperatures of about 50 to 60 degrees with good ground moisture levels are ideal for moral growing. Morel Mushrooms like it warm and moist. Morels grow where soil is moist but well drained not oversaturated. If you have a dry spring, the crop will be sparse. If you have ample rain but not an unusually wet spring the crop will be plentiful. Many mushroom hunters know to head out after receiving warmer rains. Morels need moisture, warm days and warm nights.

Most people in southern Missouri will tell you to look for certain trees like elm (dead), ash, apple, and maples and look around the drip line to the base in a circle. My experience has been that the larger in diameter trees seem to have proven to be better luck. I’ve never had much luck just walking around in the woods with my head down just hoping to find some. They have always been for the most part found around dead elms and ash in my area. I also look around old creek banks and down very old fence lines I have found many morel that way also. If you are going to be camping during the morel mushroom season try to find some and if you find many share them with friends and family they will love you for it.

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