What to Wear Hiking to Avoid Ticks

If you’re like me, you probably aren’t thrilled at the thought of ticks crawling all over you while hiking. However, ticks are a fact of life in many parts of the world, and they can be very dangerous if not removed properly. Luckily, there are some ways to prevent ticks on your next trip into the woods or mountainside:

What to Wear Hiking to Avoid Ticks

Long Sleeves

The most effective way to avoid ticks is to cover as much of your skin as possible. To do so, wear long sleeves and pants and tuck all of them into your pants or socks. Lace up shoes tightly, including around the top of your foot, so that no skin is exposed between them and socks. Check every layer that you are wearing regularly—including hats—and use repellents on skin that can’t be covered up with clothes, such as ankles and wrists.

Learn How to Avoid Ticks While Hiking?

Long Pants

You’ll want to wear long pants. This includes jeans, khakis, and cargo pants. Longer loose-fitting pants are better than short ones because they can’t get caught on branches or shrubs as easily. Tight-fitting pants are better than baggy ones so they don’t flap around while you’re hiking. The best choice is to tuck your long-sleeve shirt into the waistband of your trousers so that it doesn’t hang out from the bottom of your clothes.

Hiking in cotton is a bad idea because it gets wet easily and dries slowly if at all (so much for avoiding ticks). Synthetic fabrics like polyester or nylon dry quickly when exposed to air currents, so they’re less likely than cotton to become damp with sweat during physical exertion outdoors (which is also what makes them good choices for staying warm when temperatures drop). Polyester fabric should be avoided while hiking because it traps heat too well and makes sweating more likely—and once again we come back around full circle: sweating increases transmission risk of disease via tick bites!

Tuck Everything In

Tucking in your shirt and pants can help keep ticks from climbing up your legs, but don’t overdo it. It’s important not to tuck in any other articles of clothing as well, or you might find yourself with a tick on your face or hands. If any part of the skin is exposed, ticks will have an easier time reaching it.

It’s also important not to tuck in socks too much because they need room to move around (especially when hiking). This will help prevent friction against the skin that could cause blisters and sores—and may even lead to hot spots.

Wear Light Colors

Wear light colors. Ticks are much easier to spot on light-colored clothing than dark or black clothing. While a tick may crawl up your leg and you may not notice it, you will certainly notice the black or dark-colored bug crawling on your body.

If you do see one, don’t panic! The best thing to do is freeze and calmly remove the tick with tweezers as soon as possible. It’s also important not to scratch at your skin—you could irritate the area around the bite, which could lead to an infection later on in life (not something anyone wants).

Check Every Layer

To avoid ticks, you need to know what they look like. Ticks are tiny round creatures that can be as small as a poppy seed or as large as a pea. They have eight legs and are typically brown or black in color. Most have an oval-shaped body with a mouth on the front of their body called the capitulum.

Note: The CDC does not recommend people use tick repellents containing DEET when walking through wooded areas or areas where there is tall grass and brush because it’s hard to avoid getting it on your clothes and skin even if you apply it only where needed (don’t put DEET directly on your skin).

Wear long sleeves, pants, and light colored clothes, tuck everything in and check yourself thoroughly to avoid ticks

You should wear long sleeves and pants, with light colored clothes. Tuck everything in and check yourself thoroughly to avoid ticks. Some people recommend wearing full body suits or even taping clothes on your skin. This isn’t necessary for most hikes, but if you are hiking in an area where Lyme disease is common and/or you are hiking through dense brush like forests or tall grasses (where ticks live), it might be a good idea to use these precautions.

Conclusion

The tick risk is real, but you can avoid becoming a statistic by taking the right precautions. The best thing to do is to wear long sleeves, pants, and light colored clothing. You should also tuck everything in and check yourself thoroughly before going on any hike or camping trip. If you want to be extra safe, use insect repellent with DEET or permethrin which will kill ticks on contact.