Obligatory "wear your bug spray and sunscreen" post

It's getting to be that time of year. The time of warm sunny days and lush forestation.

But...I saw too many of you with sunburns last event! D: Wear your goshdurnned sunscreen and bugspray, kids! Don't forget to pack it! Bathe in it every 4 hours! Just because it's cloudy out doesn't mean that you can skip the sunscreen because UVA rays are darned sneaky little buggers that like to squeeze through just to attack you. Have fun, slay some monsters and don't let those pesky little sun rays or mosquitoes bite ya!

As the recipient of the sun's ... blessing last event, I cannot stress this enough.

Yes, for the love of all that's good and right please do. Even if you play heavy-makeup characters, you can burn through that stuff if it's water based. When you re hydrate on NPC, take the time to step outside and rub/spray more lotion on, your skin will appreciate it.

There is/was a player who made stick lotions that acted as bug repellents. If she's still around, it works crazy well. There are also organic/natural options for bug repellents now a days. And as always (because I heard a LOT of this last month):



Please please PLEASE do TICK CHECKS. I know we don't want to think about it, but quite a few players found ticks of all sizes on their persons. Lets avoid anyone getting sick, the deer population is way way up.

And if someone offers you sunscreen, that's usually a subtle hint that you need to apply sunscreen!

Don't be bashful. Don't be stubborn and humble. Don't be me! I got burned pretty mildly last event, but it may have been worse (had I not slept in on Sunday.) I should have taken the hint!

I already got noshed by a tick at camp and am undergoing preemptive lyme treatment.

Wear your bug spray, kiddos, they're out early.

I'll pack some extra, and thank you for the post.

Deer population is way up huh? I'll help that this Fall!

Obligatory "Thank you, Kat!" comment.

As a tick vic two years ago WITL, please do tick checks, and insect repellent on you :) And as an Australian, Slip on a shirt, slop on Sunblock and Slap on a hat. Your body will appreciate it.

Note to self: Put sunscreen in nice container, bring to game, find suitable hat for ranger.

Also, glad you mentioned the ticks. I'm used to them being not much of an issue (the map shows your area is a high risk area for lyme borrelliosis), but I will wear long pants and sleeves and closed shoes anyway.

The hoods I wear aren't just because I'm a paladin acolyte- they keep the evil daystar off my scalp! I can't recommend good head wear enough. Sunscreen is essential, but most of us don't want it in our hair If you can stand the heat, but burn really quickly, you might want to check out SPF-rated clothing like I do. If you dress in long, loose clothing, it adds a protective barrier between you and nature.

Shameless plug here! Renee Grace/Maeve makes soaps and sells them at Market Faire. You may have seen her. She does an anti-bug/anti-tick soap that I've used to great effect. You can even use it for more than just showering. Just get it damp and rub it onto your skin. It absorbs right into the skin and works like a charm! Get thee some.

Also, not to cause undue alarm but I just checked the CDC map and the camp is projected to fall within the range of mosquitoes that could potentially transmit Zika Virus this year.

This is absolutely no reason to stay home but it does mean you should be extra cautious and definitely wear the bug spray every time you're outdoors at dusk whether LARPing or not. Consider ordering a little mosquito net to sleep in if camping in a tent. Be extra vigilant about it this year, friends <3

I look forward to seeing you all soon and smelling heavily of lemon eucalyptus and DEET.

www.cdc.gov/zika/vector/range.html

So as someone who has never had to worry about ticks before (yay dry forest), what the heck am I looking for? Are they huge? Little? Black? Flesh colored? Do I have to check in my hair, too? If I find some, WHAT DO I DO!?!?!? Do I yank them off? What if their little teeth get stuck in there?

Ticks on the camp are usually black or brown, have 8 legs, are (roughly [usually]) teardrop shaped, and can be as wide as a millimeter(this is the smallest I've seen. Doesn't mean they can't be smaller.) they aren't larger than your pinkie finger nail.

You should check everywhere(including your hair) especially warm areas(armpit, groin, etc.)

If you find one don't panic. If it hasn't bitten yet, take it off and kill it. If it bit you, Find someone who knows how to remove them safely. Afterwards go to a doctor for a follow up to see if it carried Lyme. (DONT PANIC) The doctor will prescribe medication to take care of it. Lyme is treatable if caught early(which it would be if you go straight to a doctor.)

The biggest thing to take away is DONT PANIC and STAY CALM. I've been bitten from Boy Scout camping before and it is nothing to worry about if you take care of it as soon as you can.

Le BUMP for Week in the Life!

If anyone forgets to bring, or doesn't like the store bought stuff, I will have "Don't bug me" all natural spray and (if you prefer) roll-on bug repellent at marketfaire for sale. They have the following essential oils: Lavender, Tea Tree, Peppermint, Eucalyptus and Lemon to keep away all the creepy crawlies.

I'll be bringing a bottle of spray-on sunscreen and probably keeping it in the barracks. Come bug your (other) friendly neighborhood ginger if you find yourself without.

went without bug spray
went without sunscreen
...

was fine at event
...

WAS DECIDEDLY NOT FINE FOR REST OF WEEK.

Wear it! Respect it! Reapply it! Worship it!

Worried about Vampires waking you up in your sleep? I have the prefect defense to recommend

Ketryn Shiverthorn wrote: Worried about Vampires waking you up in your sleep? [/url]to recommend

I mean, I'd be worried for them?

However, that is super awesome!

STILL RELEVANT.

It's going to be in the 80s! Wear sunscreen! Wear bug spray! Heil Hydrate!

Get some shade! Take a dip! Stay cool!

Have fun! #whowillyoube? #notalobster

Pushing this to the top as a last minute reminder for July.

BUMP! Have you bathed in lemon eucalyptus and zinc yet?

Sounds like you want us to marinate us before grilling.

Why else do you think Valos burns us if we don't soak ourselves in all of those neat minerals and oils?

If anyone forgets to bring them, or doesn't like the store bought stuff, I will have "Don't bug me" all natural spray bug repellent at marketfaire for sale. It has the following essential oils: Lavender, Tea Tree, Peppermint, Eucalyptus and Lemon to keep away all the creepy crawlies.

I will also have all new, home made and organic sunscreen SPF50+ available for sale in 10oz containers. (Ingredients: Coconut oil, Apricot seed oil, Shea butter, Beeswax, Pure Vitamin E oil, Carrot Essential Oil and Zinc Oxide) I only have 5 of these so reserve them if you'd like one ahead of time please!

Cash or credit (aka OOG currency only please, need it to keep making more )