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Ticks — those blood-sucking insects known to carry a whole host of infectious, and potentially deadly, diseases — are an unfortunate reality of camping, hiking, or backpacking trips. Common across the United States, ticks can be incredibly sneaky and hard to find, but there are some simple tricks that help prevent ticks on hikes. However, even if you take precautions, there is still the possibility that a tick will make its way onto your body. Thankfully, there is a handy little tool you can use to get rid of ticks that is an absolute must to bring along on any outdoor adventures.
A Tick Remover Tool , like this one on Amazon, is a highly portable device that could fit on any keychain or backpack zipper. Shaped similar to a house key, a tick remover has a small, teardrop-shaped opening slot that can easily slide over a tick and remove it safely. These tools are affordable and can be kept in storage with the rest of your outdoor adventure equipment.
You can find these tick removal tools for sale at most outdoor or sporting goods stores, including REI, Cabela’s, and Bass Pro Shop. Once you have one, you’ll find it easy to use on pets and people alike. It’s an essential handy bit of gear to carry with you because removing ticks early can help prevent Lyme disease.
How to use a tick remover tool
While wearing brightly colored clothes is one of the best methods of avoiding ticks on your next hike, they don’t do you much good once the tick has latched on. If the tick is somewhere you can easily reach, you will be able to remove it yourself. If it is somewhere you can’t really reach, you will need someone to remove it for you.
Using a tick remover tool is very straightforward. There is a stamped side, which faces up, and a flat side, which comes into contact with the skin. Slide the teardrop slot over the backside of the tick and trap it with the tapered end. Then simply pull (but do not lift) the tool forward until the whole tick is removed. This can be used on even the most engorged ticks, and will not leave any fragments of the head behind, preventing infection.
Now, there is the possibility that this tool will not remove the smaller — and potentially more dangerous — ticks. If that is the case, a good pair of tick tweezers, which are just as easily portable, will do the job well. As you would with the tick remover tool, get a good grip on the tick with the tweezers and pull straight up. Since it is always better to be prepared, having both tools in your outdoor gear pack is going to serve you well if you get a tick bite. Travel clothing treated with insect repellent is also becoming popular, but is it safe?
