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I spray my silk sleep sack and my down blanket with permethrin. No issues at all.If one can’t treat a down bag, has anyone tried sleeping with a down blanket or bag inside a treated silk liner?
I also spray the pack, but mostly inside. The permethrin doesn't repel bedbugs, but with prolonged exposure of a couple of hours or so it should kill them. If they get inside my backpack I want them exposed to the treated surface.I’m planning to treat my pack (outside and inside) and the silk liner — I’m just not sure whether it would be OK for the backpack.
I've soaked my down sleeping bag in permethrin treatment (I use Equip Debugger) and then hung it outside on a line to dry completely. It has not affected the down or cover and once dry I think it's impossible to tell its been done.Has anyone treated a down sleeping bag with permethrin? Will it wreck the down? Any watch-outs?
- Is it worth it to bag you backpack in a sealed garbage bag everynight, or is that just overkill and not worth the weight?
I’m planning to treat my pack (outside and inside) and the silk liner — I’m just not sure whether it would be OK for the backpack. Any and all thoughts are welcome. Thanks!
Putting your bag in a plastic bag at night is a good idea. Remember to leave the room before unwrapping so all else can sleep. Permathrin is a neurotoxin , a known carcinogen and should be avoided .I’m planning for the Camino Frances in late September and would appreciate some guidance on some finer points of bedbug avoidance. I’ve read lots of posts and I have the basic covered (e.g. check the mattress seams, don‘t put your pack on the bed, etc.), but could use some help with the following questions:
- Has anyone treated a down sleeping bag with permethrin? Will it wreck the down? Any watch-outs?
- If one can’t treat a down bag, has anyone tried sleeping with a down blanket or bag inside a treated silk liner? (I have a lightweight down Sea2Summit Traveller and a slik liner).
- Is it worth it to bag you backpack in a sealed garbage bag everynight, or is that just overkill and not worth the weight?
I’m planning to treat my pack (outside and inside) and the silk liner — I’m just not sure whether it would be OK for the backpack. Any and all thoughts are welcome. Thanks!
I spray the outside of my down bag with permethrin every year before doing the Camino. So far, no issues.- Has anyone treated a down sleeping bag with permethrin? Will it wreck the down? Any watch-outs?
- If one can’t treat a down bag, has anyone tried sleeping with a down blanket or bag inside a treated silk liner? (I have a lightweight down Sea2Summit Traveller and a slik liner).
- Is it worth it to bag you backpack in a sealed garbage bag everynight, or is that just overkill and not worth the weight?
I’m planning to treat my pack (outside and inside) and the silk liner — I’m just not sure whether it would be OK for the backpack. Any and all thoughts are welcome. Thanks!
I hang my down bag outside on a clothesline and spray the outside with Permethrin. I also spray the outside of my pack and my shoes. When my pack its sitting on the floor at night, I have used a garbage bag to place my pack in at night but never sealed the bag. What i do now though is to use a polycro pack liner and just keep everything inside the pack at night. One thing to remember is to bring something (a small garbage bag) to set the pack on if you’re sitting outside for a break on the trail. Bedbugs are hitchhikers and can jump on anywhere, not just in lodging at night. Most important, my down sleeping bag has held up just fine after several applications of permethrin, so no worries there.I’m planning for the Camino Frances in late September and would appreciate some guidance on some finer points of bedbug avoidance. I’ve read lots of posts and I have the basic covered (e.g. check the mattress seams, don‘t put your pack on the bed, etc.), but could use some help with the following questions:
- Has anyone treated a down sleeping bag with permethrin? Will it wreck the down? Any watch-outs?
- If one can’t treat a down bag, has anyone tried sleeping with a down blanket or bag inside a treated silk liner? (I have a lightweight down Sea2Summit Traveller and a slik liner).
- Is it worth it to bag you backpack in a sealed garbage bag everynight, or is that just overkill and not worth the weight?
I’m planning to treat my pack (outside and inside) and the silk liner — I’m just not sure whether it would be OK for the backpack. Any and all thoughts are welcome. Thanks!
Me as well...Permethrin is a highly neurotoxic dangerous chemical. The thought of choosing to sleep bathed in its poison cloud baffles me.
I have sprayed by down bag with the stuff and left it to dry in the sun. No smell and no bugs. That being said , I walked with a group that didn’t spray and didn’t get bit. I previously on another Camino did get bit up and put everything in a big plastic black bag that sat in the hot sun for a couple hours. And it fixed my fears. I did plan to spray everything but me on my next trip.I’m planning for the Camino Frances in late September and would appreciate some guidance on some finer points of bedbug avoidance. I’ve read lots of posts and I have the basic covered (e.g. check the mattress seams, don‘t put your pack on the bed, etc.), but could use some help with the following questions:
- Has anyone treated a down sleeping bag with permethrin? Will it wreck the down? Any watch-outs?
- If one can’t treat a down bag, has anyone tried sleeping with a down blanket or bag inside a treated silk liner? (I have a lightweight down Sea2Summit Traveller and a slik liner).
- Is it worth it to bag you backpack in a sealed garbage bag everynight, or is that just overkill and not worth the weight?
I’m planning to treat my pack (outside and inside) and the silk liner — I’m just not sure whether it would be OK for the backpack. Any and all thoughts are welcome. Thanks!
Several previous posts on this thread have mentioned that permethrin treated bedding will not stop bedbugs from biting you. It's slow acting, so they can crawl right into your sleeping bag and have a quick snack. But if they stay inside your treated bag they should die after s couple of hours of exposure. This will keep you from transporting them to the next place you stay.I have sprayed by down bag with the stuff and left it to dry in the sun. No smell and no bugs. That being said , I walked with a group that didn’t spray and didn’t get bit.
I’m planning for the Camino Frances in late September and would appreciate some guidance on some finer points of bedbug avoidance. I’ve read lots of posts and I have the basic covered (e.g. check the mattress seams, don‘t put your pack on the bed, etc.), but could use some help with the following questions:
- Has anyone treated a down sleeping bag with permethrin? Will it wreck the down? Any watch-outs?
- If one can’t treat a down bag, has anyone tried sleeping with a down blanket or bag inside a treated silk liner? (I have a lightweight down Sea2Summit Traveller and a slik liner).
- Is it worth it to bag you backpack in a sealed garbage bag everynight, or is that just overkill and not worth the weight?
I’m planning to treat my pack (outside and inside) and the silk liner — I’m just not sure whether it would be OK for the backpack. Any and all thoughts are welcome. Thanks!
You are correct that permethrin should not be applied to the skin. However Deet repellants are intended to be applied to the skin.Permethrine is for clothing (or packs) but like Deet should not come in contact with the skin.
How does that work with clothing?Permethrine is for clothing (or packs) but like Deet should not come in contact with the skin.
My experience with permethrin is pretty good , I believe it come from a flower resin . It come in a spray bottle and I sprayed my pack. , sleeping bag and my sleeping shirt . Then let them dry on the sun. Then forgot about it. No smell no color. Better safe than sorry. I have seen people spray their bunk in an albergue when they checked in.How does that work with clothing?
Only one of the four species of bedbug is known to be resistant, the others aren't. Even bugs from the resistant species will die with sufficient exposure, but permethrin appears to still be effective against the other species.I have read that most bed bugs are now resistant to Permethrin so i am not sure of how effective it would be.
My understanding is that once clothing has been treated with permethrin, the permethrin molecule bonds tightly to the fabric, and there is no reason to not wear the clothing. What is important is to not let permethrin coated fabric come in contact with the 'wet areas' of ones body - genitalia, mouth, nose, eyes, etc. So don't treat underwear for a start.From what I understand, Permethrine is for clothing (or packs) but like Deet should not come in contact with the skin. Picaridin is a safe alternative for the skin.
Why don’t you use a bunch of cloves that you place in your bag instead of using a chemical agent? Bed bugs hate cloves and will stay away and apparently won’t bite you either.I spray my silk sleep sack and my down blanket with permethrin. No issues at all.
I also spray the pack, but mostly inside. The permethrin doesn't repel bedbugs, but with prolonged exposure of a couple of hours or so it should kill them. If they get inside my backpack I want them exposed to the treated surface.
Not quite, though I appreciate where you are coming from. Interestingly no-one here is suggesting that eating Permathrin or applying to your own skin in quantity is an efficacious approach to dealing with Bed-bugs.Permathrin is a neurotoxin , a known carcinogen and should be avoided
Because I would prefer to use a well established and proven insecticide. Besides, essential oils and their sources are just as much chemical agents as permethrin, and there are many people who will react to having essential oils and other scented chemical compounds used in dormitories. Be kind to your fellow pilgrims.Why don’t you use a bunch of cloves that you place in your bag instead of using a chemical agent? Bed bugs hate cloves and will stay away and apparently won’t bite you either.
I walked the Camino Frances this past May-June and did not spray any of my gear or clothing.Personally for me, spraying my gear with any preventative substance is a complete non-starter. Haven't ever done it on any of my six Camino's and certainly won't be doing so for our walk this fall.
My wife and I always ask to look at our accommodations before we lay our money down. If we have any doubts as to cleanliness we move on ( which we have done on a few occasions.)
The idea of sleeping in something that has been sprayed with a chemical is more terrifying than preventing the remote chance of an encounter with bed bugs.
We do bag our clothes inside a bag and keep our packs off the floors when possible. Zero bed bug issues so far.
Chemicals are always said to be safe until they aren't.
The idea that you aren't spraying your gear for yourself but for the protection of others is the same fractured ultimately disproven reasoning that was used early on with the covid shots.
The use of cloves has a distinct odor but is it that problematic to my fellow pilgrims in a dorm?Because I would prefer to use a well established and proven insecticide. Besides, essential oils and their sources are just as much chemical agents as permethrin, and there are many people who will react to having essential oils and other scented chemical compounds used in dormitories. Be kind to your fellow pilgrims.
Yes, it will be, to some people. It is especially annoying when one knows that there is no evidence that it is effective against bed bugs.The use of cloves has a distinct odor but is it that problematic to my fellow pilgrims in a dorm?
I don't know about cloves but oil of cloves or other "essential" oils may. Peg and a friend have big problems with these and perfumes (as do many others). Scientific papers I've read don't give them much of a chance of working.The use of cloves has a distinct odor but is it that problematic to my fellow pilgrims in a dorm?
To each his or her philosophy as long as one does not impede on others’ welfares.I don't know about cloves but oil of cloves or other "essential" oils may. Peg and a friend have big problems with these and perfumes (as do many others). Scientific papers I've read don't give them much of a chance of working.
This is not a question of philosophical position on some matter, but on having other people in an albergue that have an intolerance to the chemicals contained in certain essential oils and similar products. So, yes, it might well be something that affects someone else's welfare in a albergue dormitory.To each his or her philosophy as long as one does not impede on others’ welfares.
Ditto on this approach, I do the leaf bag thing when I return home. Everything goes into a leaf bag (large thick trash bag) sealed then into my vehicle, windows up in the blazing sun for four to five days to ensure total elimination of any critters!I spray the outside of my pack before each Camino also. I do take a garbage bag JUST in CASE I can't find a place to put my pack up off the floor. I take a hook or bungie so I can tie it up on the bed or put it on a chair - never on the floor unless forced.
I spray the inside of my pack with permethrin. If a bedbug gets inside the pack I want to make sure that it's exposed to the permethrin treated surface for as long as possible - that's how it kills the bedbugs. Since permethrin isn't a bedbug repellent it's not going to stop one from crawling inside regardless of which side is treated.I spray the outside of my pack before each Camino also
Yeah, I don't want it touching my clothes but I understand why you do it.I spray the inside of my pack with permethrin. If a bedbug gets inside the pack I want to make sure that it's exposed to the permethrin treated surface for as long as possible - that's how it kills the bedbugs. Since permethrin isn't a bedbug repellent it's not going to stop one from crawling inside regardless of which side is treated.
Yes, and I even undress in the garage and leave everything in that bag.Ditto on this approach, I do the leaf bag thing when I return home. Everything goes into a leaf bag (large thick trash bag) sealed then into my vehicle, windows up in the blazing sun for four to five days to ensure total elimination of any critters!
Me too!Me as well...
Permethrin is a highly neurotoxic dangerous chemical. The thought of choosing to sleep bathed in its poison cloud baffles me.
Me as well...
It would baffle me too, if this was how permethrin behaved. But it isn't. Once treated fabric is dry, the permethrin molecules bond tightly to fabric, and do not form a vapour cloud. You are not 'bathed in [any] poison cloud' and provided to don't allow the treated fabric to come into contact with the wet areas of your body, any transfer through your skin will be minimal, well below the levels considered dangerous.Me too!
This is a side note question, but what size dry bags do I need to order? My town is small so I can’t see them. And do you spray the inside of all of those, too?Permethrin takes a few hours to kill bed bugs. It can stop you spreading bed bugs to your next accommodation or home. It can't stop you getting bitten if the bed bugs fancy a meal! I also have a Sea 2 Summit Traveller; I will spray the compression sack inside but not the down blanket. I will spray the inside of my pack too. I sprayed my pack last year and have not seen that it caused any problems. I did the spraying outside hung on a washing line. I keep my clothes etc inside UL dry sacks and these I spray inside and out too.
I try to keep my belongings sealed in their bags as much as possible. I hang my pack up if I can (and have a small S hook). I didn't use a garbage bag every night. That's just what I do
Get one that can fit inside your pack and big enough to fit your pack inside. At night you protect your pack from being invaded by bed bugs and when walking you have your belongings safe from getting wet (of course you don't need to seal the bag if it is not raining). I'm not sure how effective spraying the bag will be as the fabric will already have been sprayed with waterproofing.This is a side note question, but what size dry bags do I need to order? My town is small so I can’t see them. And do you spray the inside of all of those, too?
Second this. You’ll be very unpopular rustling a big plastic bag morning and night.Putting your bag in a plastic bag at night is a good idea. Remember to leave the room before unwrapping so all else can sleep. Permathrin is a neurotoxin , a known carcinogen and should be avoided .
I walked the aragones and Salvador in 2019 and treated everything with permethin,including my pack. I found that my back would break out in a terrible rash if I did not wear two shirts. I would suggest that you first spray a shirt to see if you are allergic.I’m planning for the Camino Frances in late September and would appreciate some guidance on some finer points of bedbug avoidance. I’ve read lots of posts and I have the basic covered (e.g. check the mattress seams, don‘t put your pack on the bed, etc.), but could use some help with the following questions:
- Has anyone treated a down sleeping bag with permethrin? Will it wreck the down? Any watch-outs?
- If one can’t treat a down bag, has anyone tried sleeping with a down blanket or bag inside a treated silk liner? (I have a lightweight down Sea2Summit Traveller and a slik liner).
- Is it worth it to bag you backpack in a sealed garbage bag everynight, or is that just overkill and not worth the weight?
I’m planning to treat my pack (outside and inside) and the silk liner — I’m just not sure whether it would be OK for the backpack. Any and all thoughts are welcome. Thanks!
That cannot have been pleasant, and I am sorry to hear that. However, I wonder why you treated your clothing as well as other equipment, and whether you treated your underwear as well.I walked the aragones and Salvador in 2019 and treated everything with permethin,including my pack. I found that my back would break out in a terrible rash if I did not wear two shirts. I would suggest that you first spray a shirt to see if you are allergic.
Hmmm. That doesn't strike me as a product that is 100% 'safe and effective.' Getting a chemical induced rash from a product that may or may not save you from a bug bite seems like a poor trade at least to me.I walked the aragones and Salvador in 2019 and treated everything with permethin,including my pack. I found that my back would break out in a terrible rash if I did not wear two shirts. I would suggest that you first spray a shirt to see if you are allergic.
Unlike this post, @Beeman's earlier post seems to have carefully avoided leaping to any conclusion about what caused the rash, but did recommend a perfectly reasonable check that others might use were they to want to treat their clothing.Hmmm. That doesn't strike me as a product that is 100% 'safe and effective.' Getting a chemical induced rash from a product that may or may not save you from a bug bite seems like a poor trade at least to me.
Agree, I treated only outside of my lite bag and outside of my pack.Unlike this post, @Beeman's earlier post seems to have carefully avoided leaping to any conclusion about what caused the rash, but did recommend a perfectly reasonable check that others might use were they to want to treat their clothing.
Note that I have already said earlier that treating clothing seems unnecessary to me. Unlike areas where one is seeking insect protection against an insect active in the daytime or at dawn and dusk, on the Camino, one is seeking protection against an insect that is active at night. Unless one is sleeping in their clothes, treating them will offer no protection against bed bugs.
You have to weight the risks against the benefits. There are the differences between not using permethrin at all, having the permethrin on the outside of a pack, outside of clothing, and inside/outside of a pack. Then there is the weigh-off of the risk of rash against a normally harmless bed bug bite, one that you are allergic to, and mosquitoes and ticks that may carry serious diseases.Hmmm. That doesn't strike me as a product that is 100% 'safe and effective.' Getting a chemical induced rash from a product that may or may not save you from a bug bite seems like a poor trade at least to me.
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