May Long weekend family trip

[Whiskeyjack]

Basically, anywhere North of Thunder Bay is going to be relatively tick free. The farther you go, the less chance of encountering them. As soon as you go South down 61 or West along 11/17, you're heading into tick territory. In 10 years, we'll have to go quite a bit farther North. The little buggers are moving fast. The deer population is exploding up here and the ticks with them. The first cases of lyme were report in the last two years.
I liked it better when ticks were something you people from other places tell you about.

[Debi Jaytee]

I had my first tick year before last, at a lake I'd been camping at since I was a kid. We NEVER had to worry about ticks, now, they're everywhere out there! (this is southwest of TBay, btw). I'm willing to go north to avoid them, they're disgusting!

[BillyBob58]

Great report! We don't see something like that very often- if ever: 5 family members in hammocks, and all HHs at that! Loved the pooped pooch by the fire pic, and that Monsoon tarp sure looks like it would get the job done!

I know you have an HHSS that works pretty good for you, how did every one else keep their backs warm?

So would you say there is a "tick line" or "tick front" running through Thunder Bay? I got literally covered in ticks (15+) in 15 minutes bushwacking in the spring last year south of the city just south of Loch Lomond, and got ticks hiking near High Falls at the border the year before that. Then I watched one of the videos by the wintertrekking guy, who was up in Wabikimi area, partly to avoid ticks, and you're saying there aren't many ticks up the spruce river road. Just wondering how far north one has to go...maybe it's a Great Lakes vs, Boreal forest thing?

BTW looks like a nice hang...thanks for the pics.

I had my first tick year before last, at a lake I'd been camping at since I was a kid. We NEVER had to worry about ticks, now, they're everywhere out there! (this is southwest of TBay, btw). I'm willing to go north to avoid them, they're disgusting!

Uh oh, sounds like it's time for Permethrin even way up north! But do you guys have trouble finding the stuff?

But you have always plenty of Mossies? And maybe even biting flies ( I know some places up north have them)? So, I guess Y'all already use bug spray like DEET or Picaridin, right?

[Whiskeyjack]

The rest of the family has OCF pads, one CCF pad, and two of them had a windshield reflector as well. They were all warm, even my daughter on the night she got wet.
The biting bugs aren't really out yet, but they will be soon. Skeeters, black flies, noseeums, horse and deer flies and boat flies. Plus ticks now. The mosquitoes that were out there could have covered a dime.
Permethrin is still unavailable up here unless you're in the military. Deet is about our only option.

[sturgeon]

I ordered some Sawyer brand permethrin from the States, because I hate ticks, and I didn't want to water down horse permethrin ( which has petroleum distillates in it, nice), but man, it cost an arm and a leg for shipping. So next time you're at Ryden's....

Anyway, figured if i was going to pay, might as well get a bigger size to soak absolutely all my hiking clothes, and some picaridin at the same time, too, to try that out as a deet replacement.

I'm going to Algonquin this weekend in prime blackfly season, so I'll let you know how those chemicals work.

[The Old Boot]

Ok, Sturgeon, where and what is 'Rydens'. I'm not prepared to use horse stuff on all my brand new DIY gear either.

NWO and Debi in TB, I'm headed that way in September for a 'working vacation' and will need at least a couple of places to hang as close to TB as possible but still in the bush, preferably drive-in... as in looking presentable in the board room works better if I've not been on a 4 day hike...

Any suggestions?

[Whiskeyjack]

Rydens is a border store near here. We get stuff shipped there for pickup. Saves the brokerage fees. If you're lucky they wave you through without worrying about the taxes too. I'm heading down there next week to pick up some sil-nylon and plan to continue to Grand Marais to check out the outdoor stores there for some Permethrin. My middle son would appreciate it.
How close do you want to be to town Old Boot?

[The Old Boot]

I'll PM y'all once I find out the exact date, time and location of the meeting. That will give me a better idea of how close I'll need to be.

I'm taking as many days as I can squeeze to geocache my way up there and then do the same back again with a shopping trip stateside fitted in there as well....my 'only in the US' wishlist keeps growing...

[Whiskeyjack]

You'll have another option for shopping when you get here. There is an Atmosphere opening here this summer.
I'll be wandering around the city outskirts this summer, so I'll see what I can find close by.