Permethrin is your best defense.

Yes, treat your clothes, not just your skin.

Ticks are not hard to beat if you take the right steps. The single most effective thing is permethrin spray for your clothes, tent, and gear. It kills ticks on contact and lasts through several washes. DEET on exposed skin helps, but it wears off and doesn’t kill ticks.

Do tick checks every night. Run your fingers over your whole body — ticks often go for warm spots (groin, armpits, scalp). If you miss one, it takes 24–48 hours to transmit Lyme, so evening checks are your safety net.

If you find one attached, grab it with fine-tipped tweezers as close to your skin as possible and pull straight up. No twisting, no matches, no petroleum jelly. Then clean the bite area and watch for a bullseye rash (not everyone gets it). If you get flu-like symptoms in the next month, tell your doctor about the tick bite.

Skip the fancy home remedies. Permethrin + DEET + nightly checks. That’s the whole playbook.

Future you will thank present you.