How to avoid ticks while hiking

Ticks are small arachnids that feed on the blood of animals, including humans. They can be found all over the United States in tall grasses, shrubs, weeds, and leaf debris, being most active during the warmer months. How do you avoid ticks while hiking? Try using one or more of the following methods:

• Apply a repellant with DEET to your skin
• Apply permethrin on your clothes
• Wear long sleeves and long pants
• Tuck your clothes in
• Check your skin and clothing every 2-3 hours
• Inspect your gear
• Keep your hair short
• Wear light colored clothes
• Wash and dry clothing ASAP

We will dive more in-depth on how to avoid ticks when hiking, but first, let’s explore these little blood suckers in detail so that you are better prepared on your next venture through their neck of the woods.

Are ticks dangerous to hikers?

Ticks are potentially the number one threat to hikers depending on location, but especially in the Northeast and Midwest regions of the U.S. where Lyme Disease is the most prevalent. But they can also spread other viruses and diseases like Rocky Mountain spotted fever and Tularemia. In fact, they are second to only mosquitos when it comes to spreading diseases to humans.

However, not all ticks spread disease. In the United States, there are only a few species that do. The blacklegged tick, or deer tick, is the most infamous for spreading Lyme Disease.

Most hikers are aware of Lyme Disease, but there is a long list of diseases you can contract from a tick bite. Some of these diseases can even be fatal when left untreated. We won’t go in-depth on all the possibilities, so I encourage you to research what diseases to look for and to know their symptoms if bitten. This page from the CDC is an excellent resource to begin with.

While ticks can be extremely dangerous to hikers or anyone who gets bitten by this parasite, know that even if an infected tick bites you, it doesn’t mean you will contract a disease. In fact, it is estimated that only 1 – 3% of people bitten by a tick infected with Lyme Disease will actually get the disease. According to the CDC, it takes at least 24 hours before the bacteria can infect you which helps reduce the overall infection rate.

How does a tick get on you when hiking?

Most ticks attach themselves to a host by hanging on to the end of a long blade of grass or plant stem. They wait for a passerby to come along with their front legs extended and then they grab hold when someone or something does walk within their reach. However, they do not jump, but some will rush to you when they sense you are nearby.

Ticks can sense when someone or something is nearby by using what is called their “Haller’s Organs.” These sensors are like noses, sniffing out their prey when in the vicinity.

Using its Haller’s Organs, a tick can sense a person in numerous ways. They can detect the slightest movement and can detect the carbon dioxide you exhale. Ticks can even detect the ammonia in your sweat!

When we are hiking, it is normal for our bodies to brush up against limbs or tall grasses, especially if the trail is narrow or overgrown. This is when it is most likely you will have a tick get on you, especially since they are so good at sensing the slightest change in their surroundings. Being aware of this is half the battle when it comes to avoiding these nasty little vampires.

How do you avoid ticks when hiking?

As previously mentioned, there are several things to do to avoid ticks attaching themselves to you while hiking. While nothing guarantees you won’t get a one on you, combining these methods will further enhance the overall effectiveness of your prevention regimen.

1. Use a repellant with DEET on your skin

The CDC recommends using a repellant that contains at least 20% DEET on your skin. However, if you want to play it safe, go with a product that contains even more DEET. You can find these products in both lotions and sprays. I recommend Ben’s 100% DEET Insect Repellent. It’s inexpensive and can last you up to 10 hours, minimizing the need for reapplication.

2. Use permethrin on your clothes

Permethrin is both a medicine and an insecticide. In this case, use it as an insecticide for your clothes. There are different methods for applying permethrin, so follow the manufacturer’s instructions. You can also buy clothes that have an insect repellant already in the fabric. However, after numerous washings, their effectiveness will lesson and will need to be retreated.

You can easily treat your clothing with permethrin using this spray from Sawyer. This also works on your dog’s coat if you choose to hike with your four-legged friend.

3. Wear long sleeves and long pants

The more you minimize your skin’s exposure, the less likely a tick will find itself on your skin, so wearing a long sleeve shirt and long pants is a good idea. However, most ticks are out when it is hot and hotter temperatures makes us want to wear shorts and t-shirts, which is why it is critical to still use repellants on your skin and clothes. In fact, still use repellants even if you are wearing long sleeves and long pants.

Ticks are the number one reason I choose to hike in pants rather than shorts. Check out my other reasons in this post about hiking pants versus shorts.

4. Wear light colored clothing

Some people suggest wearing darker clothes when hiking so dirt and grime won’t show up so easily, but when it comes to ticks, wearing lighter colored clothes is a better choice simply because dark ticks show up better on lighter clothes. Being able to spot a tick on your clothes before it gets to you skin may be the only thing that keeps one from attaching itself to you.

There is a debate on whether ticks are attracted to lighter colored clothing more so than darker ones. I don’t know the answer to this, but ticks use their noses to smell you and they can even sense your motion and the carbon dioxide you release when you breathe. Ultimately, I prefer to see a tick on my lighter colored clothes than take for granted a tick won’t be on me because I’m wearing darker clothes.

5. Tuck your clothes in

To help prevent ticks from getting underneath your clothes, it is best practice to tuck your clothes in. This means tucking your shirttail into your pants and tucking your pants into your socks. Gaiters will also help prevent ticks from getting underneath your pant legs.

6. Check skin and clothing at least every 2-3 hours

It’s easy to forget to check yourself for ticks when your hiking momentum is in full swing but do your best to stop at least every 2-3 hours to thoroughly check your skin and clothes. Ticks tend to go for crevices on the human body such as:

• The underarms
• The back of the knees
• Between the legs
• The belly button
• In or around the ears
• Around the waist

Ticks also like hiding in the hair on top of your head, so feel around through your hair as well and check your hands again after doing so. However, do not check only these places! Look everywhere on your body.

Also, this may be a good time to reapply repellant to your skin. Be sure to refer to the product label for time intervals between reapplications and strictly adhere to it.

7. Keep your hair short

Keeping your hair short makes it easier to spot ticks that may find their way onto your head or inside your beard. While I don’t expect anyone to cut their hair or shave their beards off, it is an option that is available.

8. Wash and dry clothes ASAP when you get off trail

As soon as you get off trail and are able to do so, remove your hiking clothes and immediately wash and dry them. This should remove and kill any ticks that managed to hang on to you during your trek. Keeping your clothes on after the fact gives any lingering ticks a chance to find their way to your skin and bite down.

9. Inspect your gear

Make sure ticks have not found their way onto you or your gear. Inspect your backpack, trekking poles, and anything else that was exposed or that ticks could have crawled on. Do not invite ticks into your home where you can later find them on your pets, family members, or yourself.

How to avoid ticks on your dog when hiking

Many people choose to hike with their dogs, but dogs are very susceptible to picking up ticks, especially since they are at a closer level to the tall grasses. Here are a few things you can do to avoid ticks latching onto your best friend when hiking:

• Use a tick preventative before your hike
• Brush your dog every 2-3 hours
• Thoroughly inspect your dog at the end of the hike
• Bathe your dog when you arrive home

Use a tick preventative

Use a tick preventative on your dog before going on a hike. Hopefully, you already have your pet on a monthly regimen of flea and tick prevention, but if not, strongly consider doing so before hiking with your dog, especially in the warmer months.

There are also powders available that you rub into your dog’s skin that are good for around a week. Applying this a day before your hike should help repel ticks away from your dog. Or, you can try using a spray tick killer and repellant just before your hike to keep the ticks at bay. Again, this Sawyer spray works.

Whatever you decide to use, be sure to follow the instructions on the bottle as some of these treatments can be harmful if used incorrectly.

Brush your dog every 2-3 hours

Because dogs are covered in hair, it will be extremely hard to stop and thoroughly check them for ticks at every stop. Having a brush handy will hopefully sweep away any ticks before they can attach themselves, so brush your dog every two to three hours or whenever you stop to check yourself. If you do see a tick, remove it immediately because the longer a tick spends on your dog, the greater chance it has at spreading a disease.

Inspect your dog at the end of your hike

At the end of your hike, before getting back into your vehicle, take the time to thoroughly check your dog for ticks, removing them as you find them. Not doing so is another way to invite ticks to your home.

Bathe your dog upon arriving home

It is also a good idea to bathe your dog when you get home with a shampoo that kills ticks. This serves as extra precaution for removing ticks you might have missed during the inspection of your pet’s coat. These precautions combined will hopefully be enough to keep your pet tick free before, during, and after your hike.

How do you remove a tick?

If you find that a tick has already sunken its head into your skin, don’t fret, but proceed to remove it right away. Hopefully you are prepared on your hike and are carrying a pair of tweezers and some alcohol in your backpack. An alternative (and better) option to tweezers is the tick key, a tool designed specifically for removing a tick entirely from you skin, simply by using forward leverage.

Always clean the area around the bite first with alcohol. Then, if using tweezers, touch them against your skin before grabbing the tick as close as you can to its head. Pull up slowly, being sure not to jerk, while applying even pressure throughout the motion. Once the tick is removed, clean the area again with alcohol.

If you fail to remove the head, you can pick at it with the tweezers or you can leave it. Your skin will still heal anyway.

Do not attempt to remove the tick via some alternative method you read online. I’m not going to argue whether some of these methods work or not, but you want to remove a tick right away and not wait for it to die. The longer a tick spends burrowed in your skin, the greater the chances of it passing a disease to you.

After you get the tick out, DO NOT CRUSH IT! This is another way diseases can spread. Instead, you can keep it in a container with a blade of grass to keep it alive, and then have it tested for any possible diseases, or you can get rid of it by drowning it in rubbing alcohol or by wrapping it in sticky tape and throwing it away.

Note: You can remove a tick from your pet by following the same instructions. Just be cautious as a pet is less likely to sit still when you are trying to pull a tick out from their skin.

What are the symptoms of Lyme Disease?

Lyme Disease is the biggest concern among hikers when it comes to getting bitten by a tick, especially if you are hiking in the Northeast where, according to the CDC, 93% of all Lyme Disease cases originate. If you have been bitten, regardless of where you have been hiking, it is good to know the symptoms. Symptoms include but are not limited to:

• Fever
• Rash that can look like a bulls-eye
• Headaches
• Stiff neck
• Joint pain
• Dizziness
• Memory problems

If something seems a little off after having been bitten by a tick, it doesn’t hurt to be cautious and see a doctor who may opt to perform tests to confirm if you have Lyme Disease. It can be difficult to diagnose the disease based on symptoms alone because the symptoms are very common amongst other illnesses, especially since the most identifiable symptom, the bulls-eye looking rash, is not always present.

Treatment for Lyme Disease involves antibiotics, with recovery time being quicker the sooner it begins. If you think you have contracted this disease, see a doctor as soon as possible because being left untreated can have life-threatening effects.

Please note that I am not a medical expert. Do not use this post as a method to self-diagnose!

Be alert to avoid ticks when hiking

When choosing to hike or backpack, especially during the warmer months, always be prepared to keep ticks away by implementing the above methods for avoiding them, and if you find one on you, remove it immediately. While ticks can be dangerous, there is no reason to let them prevent you from doing what you love, so just use caution, be alert, and get out there and hike to your heart’s content.