camping with kids (Metlakatla, Chicken: to live, food, oil)

[summerlane1981]

My husband and I are planning our summer excursions.... this will be our second summer here, but we didn't do much last summer because our son was only a few months old.

Our son will be about 16 months when summer hits and we think he's old enough now so we can do a lot more... like camping. But I'm worried how to handle it. Does anyone have experience with this? You know how curious toddlers are and how they like to wander... shoud we bring one of those play-yard thingies? A leash (the teddybear backpack kind)? We've got a good hiking pack to put him in, so I'm not worried about travel so much as when we're stationary.

Any advice or personal experiences would be great. Thanks!

[Metlakatla]

I think that the thing you're going to have the most trouble with will be mosquitos. It seems that the deet based products are the only ones that really work...

[blueflames50]

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

I think that the thing you're going to have the most trouble with will be mosquitos. It seems that the deet based products are the only ones that really work...

Before you dose your child with DEET try wiping the child with vinegar ( apple cider) and adults wipe yourself down with motor oil 30...not pleasant but lot less hazardous chemicals than DEET. Drinking vinegar and honey daily will help to be less attractive to the flying state birds!!!

[HighlandLady]

I found that spraying the DEET product on the clothes instead of the skin helps. Not certain if that formula would work here, blueflames...these beasts are impervious to just about anything but DEET.

To the OP, certainly those child 'leashes' would be a benefit, I would keep one handy. My father always tied a rope about my waist and his when we were outdoors - I always seemed to find the river or puddle headfirst

[blueflames50]

Originally Posted by HighlandLady

I found that spraying the DEET product on the clothes instead of the skin helps. Not certain if that formula would work here, blueflames...these beasts are impervious to just about anything but DEET.

To the OP, certainly those child 'leashes' would be a benefit, I would keep one handy. My father always tied a rope about my waist and his when we were outdoors - I always seemed to find the river or puddle headfirst

Alaska was where I learned about the vinager and 30 motor oil!!!
I was up on 40 mile river outside of Chicken Creek and the vinager and motor oil worked great...was recommended by the "indian" we met and were traveling with. As far as the child leash...had one for my daughter years ago and believe me it was well worth all the crap I got from other people!! People will give you crap about it but your child will be save!!

[HighlandLady]

Originally Posted by blueflames50

Alaska was where I learned about the vinager and 30 motor oil!!!
I was up on 40 mile river outside of Chicken Creek and the vinager and motor oil worked great...was recommended by the "indian" we met and were traveling with. As far as the child leash...had one for my daughter years ago and believe me it was well worth all the crap I got from other people!! People will give you crap about it but your child will be save!!

I learn something everyday! Apologies and thank you for that, blue...I may just try that this summer. I am trying to find something that won't be toxic on the beasties...the mosquitoes nearly carried off the Labs last year.

[The Grill God]

I find that if I spray my clothes with deet and then don't let the wife have any they seem to be more interested in her. That's my strategy....

[Wanderer818]

Skeeters?

a very loooong time ago, in a far and distant foreign land (canada) I had the opportunity to live on Carol Lake in Ontario, working as a guide. West and North of the Red Lake Gold Mine. Fly in access only. Fella that owned it was one of them big shooters with a big company that loved to hunt and fish all over the world.

First year up right before ice-out, he hauls me up to prep the place for the summer fun. Had an old Irishman and his wife to do cooking and maintnence around the island. As summer hit and it started to get warmer, the black fly's and skeeters would roll by in clouds.

Now ol' Jimmy had a coupla neat tricks when it came to bloodsuckers. His first line of defense was a hunk of garlic cut skinny and gulped down. Every day. Garlic. I swear it works! All the guests that came up during summer would spray themselves silly with goop to beat the bugs. Jimmy and I smelled like an Italian deli. And no skeeter welts.

His second line of defense? Hold on now. I swear it's true!

DragonFly.

Yep. This ol' man would catch a Dragonfly and tie a piece of thread 12 to 16 inches long and attatch it to his hat. I kid you not!

Now, when I know I'm gonna be in skeeter country I start with the garlic about a week ahead of the trip. It takes a week to get it built up in yer system.

They hover. They may even land. But they ain't gonna stick ya.

Try a clove of garlic every day and you too, will be amazed.

Now I'm craving CREAMETTE noodles and a nice gravy.

[Rance]

My kids grew up here. I took them camping before they could walk. Just don't let them crawl into rose bushes! Or raspberry patches! I always steered clear of running water and chose small serene lakes for the kids sake. Keep a clean camp site to stave off visits from the bears.

[blueflames50]

Originally Posted by HighlandLady

I learn something everyday! Apologies and thank you for that, blue...I may just try that this summer. I am trying to find something that won't be toxic on the beasties...the mosquitoes nearly carried off the Labs last year.

Wanderer818 is correct with the garlic...I have never gone to the point of eating it raw daily but I have put a couple of drops of garlic oil behind the dogs ears and on top of the base of the tail and it works to keep you baby dogs from getting sucked dry by the winged bloodsucker! The only draw back is...if they sleep with you...you wake up craving italian food in the middle of the night!!!