Be aware when you LARP

When we attend a LARP event or a Renaissance Faire, we literally take ourselves out of out daily lives and put ourselves into a world of fantasy, where adventure awaits. For a weekend, the Faire grounds turn into an actual kingdom; the camp site turns into a frontier town just waiting to be explored. It is truly an entertaining experience.

However: No matter how imaginative our minds can be, the faire grounds and camp sites are still locations in the real world, which means that certain dangers may exist. This time of year, one of the biggest dangers are ticks, who can potentially spread the dangerous Lyme disease. Below are some tips you can follow to minimize your chance of coming into contact with a tick.

• Ticks live in humid and wooded areas. If you are walking through brush, tall grass, or near trees you maybe in area where ticks are located. Whenever possible stay in the middle of the path or trail.
• Insect or tick repellent with DEET can help keep the parasites away.
• Wear long sleeved clothing, such as Medieval Shirts, long pants that are tucked into boots, long socks, and some sort of cap if possible.
• After being outdoors, check your body for ticks either in a full length mirror or have a family member check for you: Under the arms, around the ears, inside navel, behind the knees, between legs, around the waist, and in and around hair.
• Always shower shortly after you’ve left the woods, as showering helps reduce the chance of being bitten.

Hopefully with these tips you will remain tick-free while you explore the country side.