Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
to apply moleskin is to cut out a circle of moleskin and remove the center—like a
doughnut—and place it over the blistered area. Cutting the center out will reduce
the pressure applied to the sensitive skin. Other products can help you combat
blisters. Some are applied to suspicious hot spots before a blister forms to help de-
crease friction to that area, while others are applied to the blister after it has
popped to help prevent further irritation.
Insect bites and stings.
You can treat most insect bites and stings by applying
hydrocortisone 1% cream topically and taking a pain medication such as ibupro-
fen or acetaminophen to reduce swelling. If you forgot to pack these items, a cold
compress or a paste of mud and ashes can sometimes assuage the itching and dis-
comfort. Remove any stingers by using tweezers or scraping the area with your
fingernail or a knife blade. Don't pinch the area as you'll only spread the venom.
Some hikers are highly sensitive to bites and stings and may have a serious al-
lergic reaction that can be life threatening. Symptoms of such a reaction can in-
clude wheezing, an asthmatic attack, and shock. The treatment for this severe type
of reaction is epinephrine. If you know that you are sensitive to bites and stings,
carry a pre-packaged kit of epinephrine, which can be obtained only by prescrip-
tion from your doctor.
Ticks.
Ticks can carry diseases such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever and
Lyme disease. The best defense is, of course, prevention. If you know you're go-
ing to be hiking through an area littered with ticks, wear long pants and a long
sleeved shirt. You can apply a permethrin repellent to your clothing and a Deet re-
pellent to exposed skin. At the end of your hike, do a spot check for ticks (and in-
sects in general). If you do find a tick, grab the head of the tick firmly—with a
pair of tweezers if you have them—and gently pull it away from the skin with a
twisting motion. Sometimes the mouth parts linger, embedded in your skin. If this
happens, try to remove them with a disinfected needle. Clean the affected area
with an antibacterial cleanser and then apply triple antibiotic ointment. Monitor
the area for a few days. If irritation persists or a white spot develops, see a doctor
for possible infection.
Poison ivy, oak, and sumac.
These skin irritants can be found most anywhere
in North America and come in the form of a bush or a vine, having leaflets in
groups of three, five, seven, or nine. Learn how to spot the plants. The oil they
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