Preparedness for when

[Deleted User]

There's a lot to said for living in the south in that we 'mostly' don't have a midge problem except in parts of the New Forest but last summer we and lots of other folks who live here were bitten by something that caused a massive reaction and swelling and soreness and itching so I'm wondering if the Blandford Fly has spread out this far, we're not that far away. A friends husband was actually hospitalised for the bite on his leg and there were half a dozen other folks in the ward he was admitted to with exactly the same symptoms and discomforts as his. He was there for about a week and on pretty strong anti biotics as the wound became infected. I think that this year I'll make sure that we use insect spray regularly when we're gardening/allotmenting but He Who Knows like many other men tends to wear shorts in the warmer weather and is often forgetful of the need to apply the repellent. It's something to throw into the preparedness pot that insect repellent might just be as necessary in the stores as the thought of an infected bite of that magnitude (his leg doubled in size overnight) in a situation where antibiotics and antiseptics weren't available is very serious indeed.

Karmacat

Wow. I'm a lot luckier than I realised, never had any of these sorts of problems before, I wondered if I was being pessimistic in buying So Soft. Obviously not! Good to hear all these experiences, thanks folks.

ivyleaf

thriftwizard wrote: »

Having lived, camped, walked & climbed in Scotland many a merry year ago, I have to say that the New Forest midges run the Scots variety a close second... the difference being that they're around much earlier; there were midges merry-go-rounding in our garden in February this year, but we're a little further West. Ours don't seem to see me as a mobile feast like the ones east of the Avon, and they don't seem to go on all summer. But of course we have the dreaded & horrible Blandford Fly to contend with in May/June instead; not so many of them about now, but they're no laughing matter. Friends have ended up in hospital with Fly bites, and OH's legs are a perennial target for the nasty little beasties.

That's interesting about the Blandford Fly thriftwizard - I remember seeing a programme about it years ago and they said it only bit females, but that's obviously not the case! Your poor OH

jk0 I'd have loved to see the engineer's face when you were able to produce a circuit board

ivyleaf

GreyQueen wrote: »

Is the NZ sandfly the same as the blackfly you get in Abel Tasman National Park, and other places on the South Island?

If so, I've had the pleasure, and they're close contenders for the crown of I can't believe something so small I can barely see it on my skin has a bite like a horsefly.

Geezer working the Park gave us a great tip for the flies (on the boat journey out, unfortunately) which was to mix up baby oil and Dettol, 50/50 in a spritzer bottle and coat available flesh in that. They loathe it, apparently.:rotfl:

The flies on the west side of the South Island of NZ are so appalling that they were pretty much the reason humans didn't live there until modern times; the Maori had more sense and just used to make brief foraging visits.

Yep, that's them - as you say, it's astonishing that something so tiny can bite like that :eek: We were careful, put gallons (well ok, maybe not gallons, but loads ) of repellant on, but I did get bitten on a finger, which ended up with a huge itchy and sore lump on it for a few weeks. I'd go back again though, bet you would too

fuddle

Strictly speaking the Blandford Fly would have had to fly past my house :rotfl: and we never had a problem the 2 years we were down there. I've never even heard of it. Off to go investigate.

GreyQueen

ivyleaf wrote: »

Yep, that's them - as you say, it's astonishing that something so tiny can bite like that :eek: We were careful, put gallons (well ok, maybe not gallons, but loads ) of repellant on, but I did get bitten on a finger, which ended up with a huge itchy and sore lump on it for a few weeks. I'd go back again though, bet you would too

Oh yeah, was having a happy reminisce about the ATNP and kayaking around up there and plotting about going back some time in the next few years.

I was pretty lucky in the Park because I didn't use insect repellant but didn't have much of a problem (we were out on the water and camping alongside the beaches, they're pretty bad for walkers on the coastal track there). I actually got bitten on the tops of my feet when lounging around outside a pub in Nelson.

It was like OWW!! and you look down expecting to see some horrendously-mahoosive insect chomping down on you, and there's this little tiny black dot you can barely see that's causing the damage.

Another tip from the locals was to take brewer's yeast tablets for a few weeks before travelling in that area as it apparently does something to your skin chemistry which makes you less luscious to the blighters. I have heard that taking garlic can also have similar repellant effects.

But seriously, folks, the ATNP is heaven on earth, truly glorious. I swam with stingrays in the shallows by moonlight, woke to incredible dawn choruses of birds like you never saw in your whole life and had a darling wee blue penguin hitch a ride on the front of my kayak, watched a seal catch a fish and eat it on the rock and sailed with a 4 kayak raft-up using a square of ripstop nylon for a sail.

We went like a bat outta hell - huge fun!

[Deleted User]

I've just come across a really good idea for prepping but it's an American thing and I can't find any UK equivalent recipes. It's DRY PACK MEALS IN A MASON (KILNER) JAR to which you just add water. Such a simple idea and if you have access to a dehydrator making the ingredients to go into them would be easier, apparently they seal so well that the dry pack stays good for years. Anyone come across this as an idea before, anyone got a book which gives recipes? I'd be really interested if anyone does have either along with rehydration/cooking instructions.

NewShadow

MrsLurcherwalker wrote: »

I'd be really interested if anyone does have either along with rehydration/cooking instructions.

This kinda thing?

http://www.backpackingchef.com/dehydrating-food.html

[Deleted User]

Exactly this kind of thing, clever NEWSHADOW I was searching for DRY PACK JAR MEALS and never thought of trail meals, I think I might even have a book on my prepping shelf, off for a look.....Thank You so much.

I do have a book called BACKPACK GOURMET by LINDA FREDERICK YAFFE that the girls got me for a stocking present a few Christmases ago, it had got enclosed between two hardback books on my bookcase and disappeared, full of dehydrator recipes to take camping, just where I need to start looking,. many thanks NewShadow!

nuatha

GreyQueen wrote: »

But seriously, folks, the ATNP is heaven on earth, truly glorious. I swam with stingrays in the shallows by moonlight, woke to incredible dawn choruses of birds like you never saw in your whole life and had a darling wee blue penguin hitch a ride on the front of my kayak, watched a seal catch a fish and eat it on the rock and sailed with a 4 kayak raft-up using a square of ripstop nylon for a sail.

We went like a bat outta hell - huge fun!

Are you sure you aren't on commission?
Seriously you should be writing copy for the NZ Tourist Board.
Even if I hadn't seen photos that description would get ATNP added to my bucket list.

NewShadow wrote: »

This kinda thing?

http://www.backpackingchef.com/dehydrating-food.html

I've played with several recipes from that site, they work.