DWR = durable water repellant. A chemical treatment applied to garments to increase water resistance. It is present on about every rain jacket, pair of waders, etc. whether membranous laminate or not. The vast majority of membranous laminates, like Gore Tex, Patagonia's H2No, and my personal favorite, EVent, would not be able to function properly without a DWR treatment. DWR treatments are the reason why water beads off your standard nylon Gore Tex laminate rain jacket.

PPE = personal protective equipment. An industry term for things like gloves, chemical gowns, and face shields. In the case of permethrin, I just wear a pair of gloves. Same as when Im working with varnishes and most sealants on my Tamo. Some permethrin soak kits, like Sawyer, come with a pair of disposable gloves.

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Rob Worthing
rob@tenkaraguides.com

Good info guys. In our Fisheries Resource Volunteer Corp meeting it was said that Lyme Disease is making a comeback here in SoCal and to be on the look out for ticks. I thought it would be good to have a link to information on types of ticks, where they are mostly found and what to look for in case you're bit. I found this page and it seems to be full of good information.

http://www.oes.org/html/how_2_identify_different_ticks.html

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Rick

テンカラ。小さなストリームのシンプルさ。
My Tenkara Rods:
13' Ayu, 12' Yamame, 11' with a conversion handle, and an Ito.

My Wife's Tenkara Rods:
12' Ebisu and 13.5' Amago, 12' Iwana with a conversion handle, and an Ito.

I worked in Dr. Jorge Benach's lab in the Center for Infectious Diseases, the State University of NY @ Stony Brook for the last 11 years. There were other members of my lab who studied other species of Borreila. I primarily worked on Borrelia burgdorferi and Babesia microti (another blood borne pathogen spread by ticks). Another bit of information just to put out there. There are certain regions of the country that have very high numbers of cases for Lyme Disease. These would include, most prominantly, the Northeast, the Midwest, and certain parts of California. In other areas of the country LD cases can be found but not nearly in the concentrations as those three areas.

I'm no fan of chemicals, but I guess it's time. Per the map on the earlier link, I fish right in the moderate risk area with some high risk areas near by. What about protection for kids?

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Chuck

Permethrin and DEET are safe on kids, too. But you have to think about how you're using it. Just read the directions and you'll be fine.

While I have been known to lather a bit of DEET on the back of my neck to keep away black flies, it really should never be placed on the head. Especially in infants and young children, who carry much more of their surface area in their heads, with a rich capillary bed to match.

Parents should apply all products. I do not recommend self-application until teenage years. Especially DEET. Younger kids have a tendency to pay less attention to where their hands are going. They stick fingers in mouths, rub their eyes, etc.

The last thing is buying the right DEET product. About 33%, polymerized. This means the DEET has been chemically linked to a polymer to make it "extended release". 100% DEET products are a waste of money for most. Studies have shown no additional benefit to products greater than 33%, they are not polymerized and therefore do not last very long, and they increase the risk of toxicity if used improperly.

There were a few reports of encephalopathy (brain badness) in infants blamed on DEET that were reported in the 80's. In response, the FDA, EPA, CDC, etc opened a number of investigations. It turns out that in all of the cases, the product had been used very inappropriately. This included ingestion, covering skin near mucus membranes (mouth and eyes, genitalia), etc.

The EPA subsequently released a very long and conclusive report. You can purchase it for about $30 I think. But I can summarize what the EPA said, "It's been around since 1950, millions use it each year, and there are no cases of significant harm linked to proper use".

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Rob Worthing
rob@tenkaraguides.com

.

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<{(((((><{

"The reverse side also has a reverse side"

Has anybody tried pants with a "tick cuff" that tucks into your socks? LL Bean has them, but I'm looking for a non briar proof pair for lighter weight. Good reviews on their website though.

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Chuck