Geo
Member
- Sep 9, 2014
- 30
- 8
- Time of past OR future Camino
- Looking to walk Camino, mid Oct 2014. Looking for potential hiking partners or those traveling there at same time. I'm from the US
Yes.Worthwhile to spray bag and pack?
Seriously: In 4 caminos I have never seen one..
No.skip it?
Worthwhile to spray bag and pack?
Thoughts?
Thanks.
I do not like toxic chemicals on my stuff but I keep hearing/reading how bad they are and that's blek. No thank you.
Geo
David, just to be clear, you treated the sheet but not the sleeping bag? I'm not hugely worried about bed bugs. I do have problems with insecticides, though--they usually make me woozy if they've been used in the area.I took a single fitted sheet which was treated with permethrin and put my sleeping bag on top - seemed to do the trick as I was bite free for my Camino - did notice a few people getting bitten - maybe 5 or 6.I think it's a worthwhile precaution - Dave
Thanks, Annie. I have already checked out your blog and it is awesome. Have the link saved in my growing get ready for all things Camino list. I'm thinking of spraying the sleeping bag as a trial, waiting a week and crawling in to see how I do with it. It sounds as if the Camino area is a pesticide laden place at this point. I don't have a great sense of smell, but I can taste pesticide when it's been used. As much as I don't want to be bitten up, I'm a little more concerned with walking into to recently sprayed areas and not having other sleeping options.I am chemically sensitive and balked for a long time about spraying.
Now I spray the outside of my backpack before each Camino so no travelers are encouraged to hop in.
I do not spray my sleeping bag, but if I were not chemically sensitive, I would spray the outside of it for sure.
Aerogard contains DEET, which is the most effective insect repellent available. However, DEET does not deter bed bugs according to studies! Permethrin is an insecticide that is also somewhat effective as a repellent. DEET is applied to the skin; permethrin is used to treat backpacks, clothes, sleeping bags, and blankets. Once dry, it is safe for humans (in the U.S.).
@Robo, Aeroguard will not protect you from bedbug bites but it will help detect them (see AnnieSantiago's link to her method). The one to get is the low toxic spray armed "safe for children over 12 months". It does not contain Deet but only pyrethrum (or similar). People use sprays with Deet because they think "more toxic therefore more effective" but that is not the case. Deet is good for mosquitoes but actually pretty useless for bedbugs and ticks.
Before leaving Australia I wash my silk liner and sleeping bag in pyrethrum
Thanks for this. We have problems with some chemicals and avoid them as much as possible. So no permethrin or deet for us.I have learned the hard way to be a bit cautious with permethrin. After repeated exposure, I eventually developed an allergy to it. Very light contact with permethrin treated clothes, sheets, or equipment messes up my sodium channels and gives me an irregular heartbeat. It takes about a day for the symptoms to subside. Very uncomfortable. It is powerful stuff and has risks of its own. So be careful.
Yes. I use it every time. I wear mask and gloves to apply it, and do not touch sprayed items until they are dry.Is it safe enough for you?
Yes. I use it every time. I wear mask and gloves to apply it, and do not touch sprayed items until they are dry.
Amazon Australia or ask your local hardware store. I personally wouldn't use it. But I checked Amazon Australia for you and it's available.But where can I buy pyrethrum in Australia?
I do not believe Lavender oil works.
If people use lavender oil and don't get bitten, they wouldn't have been bitten to begin with.
My brother tried lavender oil, tea tree oil, and a few others and the bugs just ate on him like they were exotic spices.
I have Multiple Chemical Sensitivities, and the permethrin, once dry, doesn't bother me, and I'm telling you EVERYTHING bothers me!
I have a nose like a bloodhound.
I can smell the UPS man coming 2 miles away, no joke.
I spray the OUTSIDE of my backpack and the OUTSIDE of my sleeping bag.
You can also use the method in my blog.
Or.. use lavender oil if it makes you feel better and take your chances, but if you use lavender oil in the albergue where I am staying, or any other essential oil, it will give me a MAJOR migraine, so please be aware of the rights of other people around you to breathe un-perfumed air. And if you think your oils are "organic" you may want to do more research. Most "organic" oils are processed by a chemical method that is NOT organic, resulting in a scent that is toxic to those canaries like me, and probably to you too, though you won't know it for years.
@Robo yes, in a hotel in France. It made the room smell nice. It did not get rid of the bedbugs. We went elsewhere.
Smoking is outside only now in Spain, Robo. Just an fyiThanks for the feedback Annie. You seem to have some fairly firm views on the topic
Like you I am hyper sensitive to smells and chemicals, but thankfully can tolerate essential Oils.
I quite agree about being 'sensitive' to others in shared lodging. One of the main reasons we will avoid Albergues if we can.
One of the things I am hyper sensitive to is cigarette smell. Not just the smoke, The smell. In my office building, I can tell when the smokers have returned from their 'outside the building' fix, because the stench lingers in the lift. By the time I have gone up 3 floors I have a splitting headache.
And Yes, I understand that smoking is allowed in bars and cafes in Spain. I'll have to sit up wind
Thanks for the feedback Annie. You seem to have some fairly firm views on the topic
Good to hear!Smoking is outside only now in Spain, Robo. Just an fyi
@Robo using essential oils to prevent bedbugs is about as useful as waiving a clove of garlic around to prevent getting ebola.
Fixes the vampires but.
Thanks, David! Not too late. I'm planning my trip for next Fall.Sorry about this very late reply Luminaria (to late?) - yes I only treated the sheet which I slipped over the mattress at each Albergue.Then I had my sleeping bag on top .ie:no direct contact with any premethrin.Didn't bother with anything else.You can buy this stuff in camping shops in Australia.Dave
Vampires, vampires? Another thing to worry about. Agggggh! My pack is getting heavier by the minute. Not only do I need garlic to ward off a vampire, but perhaps also a wooden stake (for someone else to kill it - I'm a too chicken).
Get soft Tyvek. Mine has lasted ten years!So, I looked up Tyvek on the internet and the sheets appear to be disposable - not sure how long they would last.
Thanks, Falcon. That makes me feel a lot better about procuring a Tyvek sheet and spraying my gear.Get soft Tyvek. Mine has lasted ten years!
Permithrin is safe for humans once it has dried. Liners are thin, so spraying the outside also sprays the inside. For the sleeping bag, if you are taking both, just spray the outside. I spray my backpack inside and out, and both sides of the Tyvek sheet. I use the sheet as a sheet, not as a mattress cover. I admit that I am taking the FDA/EPA at face value!! I have seen a lot of bed bugs, but never been bitten.