Author Topic: The way of St James (France & Spain)  (Read 5308 times)

toadoftoadhall

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Re: The way of St James (France & Spain)
« Reply #15 on: 11:16:28, 03/03/17 »
News travels fast on the Camino, we heard about one hostel that had bugs, (not ticks by the way, they are much more dangerous) and that place was bypassed by many walkers. i am sure they sorted out the problem pretty quick, as they would have lost money daily.
I washed my sleeping bag in permethrin, and slept in that. Bag was sprayed too on the outside. Many places now use disposable paper sheets and pillow cases.

Rather be walking

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Re: The way of St James (France & Spain)
« Reply #16 on: 12:25:12, 03/03/17 »
Quote
I washed my sleeping bag in permethrin, and slept in that. Bag was sprayed too on the outside.
Yes we will be using permethrin.

We've decided in April to walk the Northern Way and then pick up the Original Way. Starting from Irun (Camino del Norte 817km) into Santiago de Compostela, less busy  :)

““The hardest part was coming to terms with the constant dispiriting discovery that there is always more hill.”
― Bill Bryson, A Walk in the Woods

gunwharfman

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Re: The way of St James (France & Spain)
« Reply #17 on: 12:36:49, 03/03/17 »
I've never been keen on hotels either. When I sleep in a hostel my routine is to bring in my inflatable mattress (I do not inflate it) and lay it on top of the bedding already there. I then sleep in my own quilt, at least I know I'm the only one who has used it. Not a perfect solution to not get bed bugs and the like, but good enough.

I always carry a bug comb and check myself every few days. My procedure in part has been caused by my life experience. When I was 18yrs I worked in our local hospital and was often rostered on duty on a Friday or Saturday night in the Accident and Emergency Dept.

Us young blokes were the 'muscle' to help control drunks and generally out of control people who were often bought in fighting! I remember distinctly two of us were ordered to 'gown up' because a drunk had come in covered in lice! We had to hold him down, he also scratch my face and hand (no HIV etc, problems then, it was the 60s) and tried to punch and bite us! I was fast and nimble then!
 We shaved him from head to foot, applied green gunge and sent him on his way. Two days later I was itching! Ho9rrible experience!

jimbob

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Re: The way of St James (France & Spain)
« Reply #18 on: 00:09:41, 04/03/17 »
What do you actually buy when you say permethrin, I have been advised to use dog tick spray as it contains permethrin. Safe enough for dogs I suppose, so maybe OK for us humans, but I'm not sure.

Can anyone recommend the best permethrin  buy?

Too little, too late, too bad......

toadoftoadhall

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Re: The way of St James (France & Spain)
« Reply #19 on: 06:38:12, 04/03/17 »
I just went on amazon and searched for it. Bottle cast about £8. It's a chemical so not aware of any being better than others just bigger or smaller amounts.

toadoftoadhall

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Re: The way of St James (France & Spain)
« Reply #20 on: 06:41:09, 04/03/17 »
And just saw, it was a spray I used not in a wash. Sorry.
Ex-4 antimosQuito about £9.amazon UK.

« Last Edit: 06:45:48, 04/03/17 by toadoftoadhall »

jimbob

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Re: The way of St James (France & Spain)
« Reply #21 on: 20:59:13, 04/03/17 »
Many thanks. Will go for that.

Just found out that bed bugs are insects and ticks are arachnids (like spiders).

I really hate the idea of ticks and having seen pictures of people following a bed bug rave , have decided I really don't think much of them either.


Too little, too late, too bad......

Rather be walking

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Re: The way of St James (France & Spain)
« Reply #22 on: 07:23:12, 06/03/17 »
Ticks are very common in the U.K.
High risk in the south south-west; the lakes are low-med, although we did spot two on my wife's
Rucksack at 'Black Sail' in Sept last year.
Basically you get ticks where there are sheep or deer.
Ever wondered why walkers have trousers tucked into their socks. ;) O0
““The hardest part was coming to terms with the constant dispiriting discovery that there is always more hill.”
― Bill Bryson, A Walk in the Woods

gunwharfman

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Re: The way of St James (France & Spain)
« Reply #23 on: 11:19:53, 06/03/17 »
Even though I have my own concern about ticks and so on, I am also aware that if we listened to all the things that could happen to us, or what we could catch, we might never leave the house! When I was young and in my teens I was blissfully unaware of most dangers. Falling out of trees for example! Near to where we lived there was a large wood with lots of slender trees. Our 'thing' was to shin up as high as we could and try to bend the tree with our body weight and then grab and move onto the next tree and so on. I once did about 50yds, I was totally exhausted with the effort but it was great fun. I fell out of the trees, got cuts and bruises galore so many times, as did all my mates, it was what we did. I cannot remember ever being told by mum and dad about 'danger', certainly not from people anyway, perhaps they did, but would I have listened anyway?

I saw the same thing done on the film 'Hidden Tiger, Crouching Dragon' years later!

So for me, has 'real' danger from ticks and everything else increased since I was young? I have been bitten by this and that, I just try to accept it as part of the hiking experience! I'm not going to lose sleep over it, because I know that I cannot plan for all eventualities, there is always an element of risk in day to day life.

Mind you, I do know a couple in the next road who have a son and daughter (about 4 and 7) who I genuinely believe have never been in a wood and certainly have never been dirty! They are always, but always, immaculate, dirt, bugs, etc would never dare get near them!

jimbob

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Re: The way of St James (France & Spain)
« Reply #24 on: 11:38:15, 06/03/17 »
I have a friend with Lyme disease caused by ticks. I do NOT want it.  I always wear gaiters, rarely wear shorts but I usually wear zip offs. Will definitely use permethrin spray on bags etc. Also I do NOT want to be covered by angry itchy blebs from head to toe.

Actually I do listen to all the things that could happen to us, I then work at reducing the risks without reducing the enjoyment of life. Not doing anything out of fear is never an option. Ergo gaiters and permethrin.

I try to allow my neighbours to live their own lives without judgement, there just isn't enough time to do so. ( They may reciprocate and I certainly don't want that! :) )
Too little, too late, too bad......

Rather be walking

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Re: The way of St James (France & Spain)
« Reply #25 on: 12:32:27, 06/03/17 »
Quote
Even though I have my own concern about ticks and so on, I am also aware that if we listened to all the things that could happen to us, or what we could catch, we might never leave the house! When I was young and in my teens I was blissfully unaware of most dangers. Falling out of trees for example! Near to where we lived there was a large wood with lots of slender trees. Our 'thing' was to shin up as high as we could and try to bend the tree with our body weight and then grab and move onto the next tree and so on. I once did about 50yds, I was totally exhausted with the effort but it was great fun. I fell out of the trees, got cuts and bruises galore so many times, as did all my mates, it was what we did. I cannot remember ever being told by mum and dad about 'danger', certainly not from people anyway, perhaps they did, but would I have listened anyway?

Totally agree, I was a outdoor child, in my teens often camping up on the south downs or the back of Portsdown Hill.  O0
I don't worry about such things. :)
““The hardest part was coming to terms with the constant dispiriting discovery that there is always more hill.”
― Bill Bryson, A Walk in the Woods

Sunday_day

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Re: The way of St James (France & Spain)
« Reply #26 on: 10:11:18, 15/05/19 »
I walked Camino 3 times (the French way), I definitely recommend it for everyone. It changed my perspective on life and my relationships with my family.

 

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