75% less bites than your average Trekker :-)

I thought I should give a quick update on my Vitamin B Complex experiment to repel the Canadian mozzies! The worst encounter with mosquitoes on my Mountie trek was in Golden, near Yoho National Park. There were literally thousands of mosquitoes in the air, so the thought of camping there for two nights was not a pleasant one to say the least!

We had an indoor kitchen and dining area so we could cook and eat away from the mosquitoes, so that was great but as soon as we were outdoors, we all wore long sleeves and trousers - but we certainly didn't let the mosquitoes spoil our campfire fun! Everyone wore plenty of deet but unfortunately that doesn't prevent anyone from staying completely bite-free, not when there are so many mosquitoes around.

Thankfully, our encounters with mosquitoes weren't as bad for the rest of the trip but most people still had a lot of bites and I'm talking a LOT of bites. Myself on the other hand, I definitely had 75% less bites than most, with probably 30 bites in total for the whole trip - don't get me wrong, that's still plenty bites, but when you consider that some of the guys had about 20-30 bites on the back of their necks alone, I'd say the combination of Vitamin B Complex and deet, definitely did the trick for me. And my bite zapper certainly helped reduce the desire to scratch those itchy bites!

So if you're heading into a mosquito-infested zone, you might want to stock up on Vitamin B too, the only thing I'd recommend you do first is check with your doctor because apparently it's easy to overdose on B vitamins and there can be health risks associated with that, and if you're pregnant (or taking medication), never take any supplements without speaking to your doctor first. Since completing this experiment, I've read that B vitamins can be used to ease the symptoms of repetitive strain injuries RSI's) and also that too much of some B vitamins can cause symptoms similar to RSI (confused?!)....just check with your doctor if in doubt.

Preparing for an attack of the mosquitoes!

In less than seven weeks I'll be flying out to Seattle to meet up with my fabulous mate LJ and the rest of 'Team Mountie' to start our Trek America adventure. Although I absolutely can't wait to get out there, I have heard quite a lot about blackfly, mosquitoes and horseflies and as someone who definitely seems to have tons of 'insect-appeal', I need to think about preparing for this.

According to the 'Rough Guide to Canada', the biggest problem appears to be in Northern Canada and I won't be venturing that far north, but I'm still going to take precautions. I've previously taken Vitamin B complex for a couple of weeks before going on a trek (Atlantic Dream, last June, starting in New York and ending in Miami) and that seemed to make a big difference to the number of bites I would have expected to get with sleeping outdoors. If you're travelling at the height of the summer season in some areas, you will find it is too hot to sleep in a tent, so be prepared for this. Taking vitamin B complex is well documented as a measure to prevent mosquito bites and the 'Rough Guide to Canada' also confirms this (p.295 on the e-book version I've downloaded onto my iPhone):

'If you're planning an expedition into the wilderness, you'd be well advised to take three times the daily dosage of vitamin B complex for two weeks before you go, and take the recommended daily dose whilst you're in Canada; this cuts down bites by up to 75 percent.'

I've never experimented with taking three times the daily dose but I'm confident that it will help. Of course I will also use other preventative methods whilst I'm away:

1. Boots Soltan sun cream and after sun with insect repellant is worth using (or any other sun cream containing repellant) and I always use it unless I'm swimming and then I switch to the water resistant version. I always use high SPF to minimise the risk of skin cancers - having experienced a family member being diagnosed with malignant melanoma, I know too well, how dangerous the sun can be.
2. Insect repellant in sun cream is not sufficient alone when camping outdoors though, you really need to use repellant containing deet (this stuff is not good for you though, so you have to use it with care and always read the instructions) - I always carry repellant that contains at least 50% deet, but for this trek I think I'll take some 100% along (you can buy Life Venture 100% deet from adventure stores like Millets).
3. If you need to buy any clothes for your trek and want to keep the mozzies at bay, check-out the clothes that contains insect repellant and sun protection (it all helps and some clothing claims to reduce bites by 90%). Remember, wearing white clothing also helps.
4. Consider taking a mosquito net - I've got one you can wear over a hat, although to be honest, I've only ever needed it so far to pose for stupid photographs, but you never know. I've also got a bug sheet, that folds up tiny and is good for staying in hostels.
5. Of course other insects can bite too and if you are camping somewhere where there's a lot of dry leaves etc on the ground, it can be a good idea to sweep all of that stuff away and keep the area around your tent clear.
6. Keeping food out of your tent is obviously another way to stop insects from wanting to enter - if you're camping in bear country, you should not have any food, drinks or toiletries in your tent anyway - park rules are there for a reason!
7. Gaffa tape can be useful for blocking any holes you might find in your tent. Generally the tents I've used on Trek have been in pretty good shape, but you never know.
8. Leave the perfume and aftershave at home. We all like to smell good, right? And we certainly prefer it if our trekking buddies smell good too, but if you want to keep mosquitoes away, then it's time to eliminate using perfumed products as much as possible. Another benefit of reducing the toiletries you take is you have more space in your bag for shopping whilst you're away ;-)

What happens if they bite anyway?
For some, no matter what you do, the mosquito will find a way so I never, ever travel without my mosquito bite zapper! For me, there is nothing else more effective at killing the desire to scratch that itchy bite! I've tried 2 brands, Mosquito-Click and Boots' own version (both available from Boots). The device works by giving the bite a small electric shock (seriously, this does not hurt, although guys are always very cautious about trying it - haha!). You can find out more about Mosquito-Click here

Depending upon where you travel in the world, mosquito (and other) bites can lead to illness and even death so it is important to be careful, research the areas you are visiting (before you leave home) and identify the risks - knowing what signs to look for, if you or someone else displays symptoms, can be important. Always make sure you follow local advice too. For many, bites are just an inconvenience, an irritation which for some, can spoil a holiday.

So, if you also suffer from high 'insect-appeal' (we can't help it if we taste so good!) and follow at least a few of the above tips, hopefully you will find those darn bitey insects give you a wide berth and go pester someone else!

What to do when things go wrong abroad

The Foreign Office have loads of really useful advice that you should take note of when planning a trip overseas, including advice on getting help and dealing with situations if the worst should happen.

The Foreign Office's Consular Assistance team in London can be reached 24 hours a day on:

020 7008 1500 (+44 20 7008 1500 from abroad)

Make sure you save that number in your phone before you go away, because you never know if you will need it and will be grateful to have it to hand if you do.

Take a look at their site: FCO

If you're a British National you should consider registering with LOCATE before you travel

In light of the catastrophic events that have been unfolding since Friday in Japan, it is perhaps useful to consider how prepared you are if you encounter a crisis whilst travelling. One important thing you can do before you travel is register your travel plans with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).

The FCO encourage all British Nationals travelling or living overseas to register with their service, LOCATE, so that they can help you if you find yourself in the middle of a major catastrophe and they can also assist your loved ones in contacting you.

You might not want to think about the prospect of finding yourself in the middle of a disaster when planning your next trip, but you should always be proactive and where possible, have contingencies in place if something goes wrong whilst you are away.

Visit the FCO website to find out more and register with LOCATE

You can also follow the FCO on Facebook and Twitter: @britishabroad

All-American Spring Break experience, the Trek America way!

Trek America not only offer guided tours but also offer Spring Break packages in conjunction with StudentCity for 2 to 6 people. Spring Break Trek style is offered in two destinations: Panama City Beach, Florida and Cancun, Mexico. To find out more, visit the Spring Break packages page