I am inspired by your comments and caring on this forum.
I am an avid bush camper in a pop-top hiace.
To date I have been travelling with a friend, but am keen to do a few trips on my own.
I am concerned about what I would do on my own if something went wrong. It might be something simple like a tick latching on my back, feeling unwell, spraining and ankle, or perhaps something more serious
I look forward to hearing how as experienced solo travellers manage in these situations.
Excited but nervous
ZedJay
ps: as a newbie I also inadvertently posted this msg on the general forum. Apologies for the cross postings
Welcome to Nomads ZedJay. Wow, you really are a deep thinker. I don't know your age, but I believe we are all vulnerable to many things, no matter what our age, whether we are travelling or not. I have travelled most places in Aus on my own, and never once thought about the afflictions you list here. Unless you're crossing the west of Qld, or heading north in WA or SA, there are towns and roadhouses in strategic locations from where you could seek assistance. The other way would be to get yourself a satellite phone, or by hiring a Flying Doctor Radio which uses the HF frequency while you are in outback regions. I do have some annoying chronic health issues, but I just take the pills and carry on regardless. I have miles to do, and I'll keep doing them until my health says I can't, or I can't get up the van steps. If I feel "crook" I stop in town for a while to get a medical opinion, and stay until the feeling passes. Of the things you list, a tick on your back is highly unlikely, but it can be removed by running methylated spirits over it, and it will pull out. I've lived in the tropics since '96 and haven't been "ticked" yet. In '76 while working on prawn trawlers I had to remove ticks from the crew after they carried buffalo hind quarters to the boat for fresh meat. A sprained ankle hurts like hell, but you can probably still get around. Broken might be different. Anything more serious may or may not give you a warning. The best way to reduce your concerns is to have a medical before you set out for peace of mind. The other way to avoid injury is to work within your capabilities to reduce the risk. Foolishness can inflict more than a red face. All the best in your travels.
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20ft Roma caravan - Mercedes Benz Sprinter - SA-based at the moment. Transport has no borders.
Management makes the decisions, but is not affected by the decisions it makes.
Welcome ZedJay, Granny has pretty well summed it up. If you don't have Metho., we used to use Kerosene on ticks when I was a child. They pull their heads out, and drop off. I have a Hi-ace Pop-top too. Cheers, xina.
Thanks for your words of encouragement cruising granny. The ticks came up because just got back from a trip to the coast where my friend ended up with a couple of ticks that were tough to remove and it got me thinkin' ZedJay
Hi Xina I love my Hi-ace. The ticks on the south coast must be super tough - metho didn't get em, tried burning them off too they just hung in there. Cheers ZedJay
Ticks rarely attach to people, but they can and are dangerous.
I have infused crushed fresh Garlic with boiling water in a jar, adding a couple of drops of detergent to help make it soluable. Then transferred this to a spray bottle when cooled and sprayed the tick.
This was used on my show cattle and the ticks dropped off within the hour. I am unsure if it killed them, so for personal use, monitor them and kill so they do not re attach.
-- Edited by twobob on Wednesday 25th of November 2009 03:48:02 PM
Dont know if this helps we used to use turps as kids but many many years later while camping my sons friend got a tick because he wasnt ours we took him to the ambo station there new way was to just break the body off and not worry about the head sure enuf no dramas followed the head fell out later
Heard somewhere just recently that if you smother the tick and surrounding area with hand cream, moisturiser, conditioner or anything that is a bit oily and thick they will back out because they are being smothered. Evidently ticks are those queer creatures that actually breath through their rear end.
Ma
-- Edited by Ma on Sunday 29th of November 2009 10:14:17 AM
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Guru & Ma Ulladulla NSW Happy day, safe travelling Ford Ranger towing 21ft Jurgen shower and toilet which was large enough to fit in a few extras (fridge, bed, stove...)
This was used on my show cattle and the ticks dropped off within the hour. I am unsure if it killed them, so for personal use, monitor them and kill so they do not re attach.
Surely you'd notice if the mixture killed your best show cattle????
Please allow me to bid you welcome to the Nomads forum. Newbies seem to drop in at the oddest times, like this one. I love it. It gives a bit of a guide to the type of person who's compelled to comment on a particular topic. Safe travels.
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20ft Roma caravan - Mercedes Benz Sprinter - SA-based at the moment. Transport has no borders.
Management makes the decisions, but is not affected by the decisions it makes.
Hello..I am a newbie also. Ohhh the thought of ticks makes me get the creeps, but the likelyhood of getting one is much rarer than the loss of health or life from the stress's that modern suburban stress brings these days..i would be more worried about that....i travel alone and think that if you are well prepared, are careful and are kind to the universe then it will be kind to you..hopefully....so far so good!!!
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Everytime a drum sounds, the world pulsates, joy erupts, pain is felt, a baby is born..a heart beats!
Wrote ticks breath through there bottoms is correct I think!
I have worked most of my life in the bush and have been visited by both ticks and leaches many many times the only time I have ever had any trouble was with a tick in my neck my usual treatment was to get thumb and for finger under the body and just pull I was told by a medical doctor that the head stays in but is no worse than a splinter any-how back to the one in the neck because my neck was wrinkled I pulled and pulled and it would not come out as it happened I had to go to Nowra so I dropped in to the hospital again the doc wasn't to worried and his treatment was a big teaspoon of vasoline it 'the tick' could not breath and in about 15 minuets it backed right out as for any other consideration that you my have don't worry about them or you will never do any thing I don't mean drop all thought of safety but just normal caution is enough The places you will see he people you will meat well I cant find the word it's just a great life style I am a newbie to the 4um not to the life style GOOD LUCK from fredo
havent had much to do with ticks but I was under the impression that if you grab a tick by the freckle and yank him out, they spill the poison out of their gut and make you crook
You wrote: haven't had much to do with ticks but I was under the impression that if you grab a tick by the freckle and yank him out, they spill the poison out of their gut and make you crook
Thats a bee, when it stings it leaves it's stinger with a sack that pumps it chemical for some time after it has riped out of the bee's back side it's worse for the bee unless you go into Anaphylactic shock, it only happens to people who are allergic to bee's your supposed to scrape the sting out side ways with a fingernail or the back of a knife but I digress.
Ticks secrete saliva that thins your blood it's usually no trouble and when younger and fitter I have had as many as 14 on me in one day with no apparent ill-affect this was on the south coast of NSW (there are differnt types in different districts)
I know from bitter experience that one or two can kill by paralysis a Dog tho!
all of the above is an old mans opinion and I am happy to be corrected by an expert.
fredo
Don't like getting old but it's a 'lot better' than the alternative!!
nope we dont have them here but I will let you in on a secret that very few know,
we travel!!! shhhhh!!! dont tell anyone!
we havent been bothered by them even though we have been all over the joint, why? I hear you ask, well I really dont know
but I've heard some horror stories and would like to know how to deal with the little buggers if or when one grabs me or my doggy's
is it just a matter of using a stern commanding voice or maybe an eviction notice or does one proceed to the petty claims court,
ripping off his head for a simple matter of trespass seems drastic even though he has some nasty habits
I reckon he has a bag of that paralysis gear in his back pocket and if you pull his head off then logically he cant remember where he left it, that is how I reckon it would work!
The Symptoms for tick bite in a DOG are excessive saliva then paralacis first in the back legs then front this happened to a dog of mine it died because I missed the tick we lived at sussex inlet south coast NSW at the time. The saliva that only thins our blood (keeps the wound open) doesn't hurt us but kills dogs same as onions don't hurt us actualy good for us but is poison to dogs.
This is all away from the original thread ZedJay if you stay at home you will miss out on what you know is great don't let things stop you all the best, fredo
