Odd Questions that need answers LOL

[Mortisha]

Ok I have a few things that I wanted to get some answers too. They are all odd questions but still van dwelling related.<br /><br />1. What kind of van or rv would a person get if they snore? and how would that affect stealth camping or would it? (no I do not snore I am just curious LOL)<br /><br />2. For people that camp in the southwest.... How often do you see scorpions, black widow spiders, rattle snakes or any other thing that would kill ya LOL?<br /><br />3. Same for the northern people... how often do you see bears or wild boars that could kill ya?<br /><br />I am just kinda curious about those things LOL HuggZ

 

[Where~the~wind~blows]

Good morning Mortisha,<br /><br />As for question number 1 I have no clue, but I do have an opinion! LOL like something else I have 1 of...hehehehe! I don't think it would be a super big deal, then again I don't snore either, but I have been told I talk in my sleep, (don't ask)<br /><br /><br />Question number two, when I went to&nbsp;Oklahoma, I saw no dangerous critters, not that they are not there, but when I let the dogs out to run, either I was lucky or just not in area's where the critters where.&nbsp;<br /><br />and for number three I have seen lots of bears, coyotes and rattle snakes but none have been an issue the dogs keep the bigger ones away, and the snake I closely had an encounter with was shedding and almost blind, I took a Steve Erwin (miss you) bushy stick approach and moved it from the road to the side , felt bad it was sun bathing, but it would have gotten run over or sent to the rainbow bridge by one or both of my dogs at the time so felt best to move it and yes it was a rattle snake about 3 feet?, beautiful creature, may have had different feelings if it had bit me but it was quite calm, and was glad to help ensure it's&nbsp;safety&nbsp;if only for a small moment.

 

[Mortisha]

Good Morning Autumn<br /><br />I do really worry about those critters. I just worry mostly about them getting into my van or something like that. I would soil myself for sure LOL<br /><br />As for the snoring part LOL I have always wondered about that cause when I was younger me and my family would go camping and OMG my dad snores loud LOL I guess I was too little at that time but now being older I wonder if a van or rv would contain such sounds LOL we camped in a tent so I know he must of drove that whole part nuts! I just keep picturing in my mind a man like my dad sleeping in his van at walmart and people hearing him LOL I suffer from insomnia and so when I sleep I toss and turn all the time... I can imagine I will need new shocks once a month LOL HuggZ Have a great day!

 

[Guest]

Hi Mortisha....I snore&nbsp; but I also have sleep apnea so use a CPAP machine..or soon to be a BIPAP and it eliminates any snoring.<br /><br />I&nbsp; can speak to the southwest and the bugs. I cannot imagine any coming into your rig. As you know I live in southern New Mexico and rarely see any of the critters you mention. They are here, including the Brown Recluse spider but I am careful and don't put my hands where I can't see first.<br /><br />If you want a good thrill, turn over a rock and see a vinegaroon!&nbsp; I thought it was something from outer space! They are harmless but really, really weird!<br /><br />The one I ran across was about 4" long...yikes!<br />Bri<br /><br />

 

[She]

I am a very light snorer due to allergies. Somehow I think with the insulation I am putting into the van would cover it. I am near apt buildings so I think I might be near some loud snorers which should drown out mine LOL<br /><br />As for the other stuff I have only seen in zoos,so no help there.

 

[Mortisha]

that is one weird bug LOL thank goodness it is harmless cause it looks deadly!! I did see an episode of survivorman and he ate a scorpion YUCKY! We do have the brown recluse here where I live as well. Those will do some damage if bitten. My old landlord, she got bit by one and omg they had to take a huge chunk out of her ankle. They are icky!&nbsp;<br /><br />@She... how is it camping near apt buildings. I never thought of it. I guess I am going to be in the woods as much as possible but as I travel and see some of the places I want to see I am sure I will be close to the city sometimes.&nbsp;<br /><br />HuggZ

 

[She]

I don't know yet! LOL Don't have a van yet. But from what I hear is this the bigger the apt building is the more you get lost in it. Too many people and of course people bring friends ,relatives over. I am planning to bring the van over before I do it so people won't think anything of it. I have a dozen places I can park for night time including right where I work.

 

[Mortisha]

Sounds great! I do hope it works out well for you and you will have to let us all know the ins and outs LOL! HuggZ

 

[Les H]

Hi Mortishia, glad to see you stuck around.
1- i do snore, but apparenty (according to my wife) it is rather soft, so not an issue to my knowlage.
2- we have black widos, scorpions, 1 1/2" long bees, fire ants, "cow killer " ants. Copperheads, rattlesnakes and brown recluse, as well as australian funnelweb spiders. Throw into the mix that just about every plant has stingers a.d spikes and nettles, and, well you get the picture. Some prudance on your part will go a long way to making sure you dont occupy the same space at the same time as they do.
3+- iIve seen signs of wild boar here in Tn and Alabama, but never whren i lived up north. Bear are everywhere almost, and i kinda miss seeing them. I the south, it seems more like coyote, coy dog ( domestic dog gone wild), but quite honestly, ive had far more trouble out of two legged vermin in my lifetime than all the four legged and six legged combined.

 

[Mortisha]

Hey Les.... Thanks so much =)<br /><br />How would you suggest me not to occupy their space LOL I mean I understand checking when you first arrive but what if they come later on LOL I am going to have to make sure my van has no holes for them to get into as much as I can that is.&nbsp;<br /><br />I can understand the 2 legged vermin... I don't look forward to that either. I hope me going deep in the woods will keep me from most of those. HuggZ

 

[Rollin]

#2 and #3 - Mortisha, I have spent a lot of time in the outdoors, form the mountains out west to the deserts of the south west, the hardwoods of the&nbsp;great-lakes&nbsp;regain to the swamps of&nbsp;Florida. I have camped above the&nbsp;arctic&nbsp;circle, in the deserts of&nbsp;Saudi&nbsp;Arabia&nbsp;to the jungles of south&nbsp;pacific&nbsp;islands. In all my time being outdoors I have never had one problem with&nbsp;animals. I&nbsp;traditional&nbsp;bow hunt and can tell you&nbsp;encountering wild&nbsp;animals&nbsp;is&nbsp;a lot&nbsp;harder than you thing.&nbsp;When we enter the woods we are entering there world there home. Most often times they know we are there and will evade us. Most times you wont even see them even though they are there.&nbsp;<br /><br />Insects are another story. But as long as you take the proper precautions you should be fine. Deet works great for biting flies,&nbsp;mosquitoes, and nats.&nbsp;Permethrin&nbsp;works good for tics.&nbsp;<br /><br />Take your time and do some&nbsp;research&nbsp;about the wild&nbsp;animals&nbsp;you might encounter in the areas you plan on staying in.<br /><br />Now the 2 legged beasts...&nbsp;that's&nbsp;another story.<br /><br />&nbsp;No matter what anyone says here things do happen. There are no guarantees in life. But to worry about&nbsp;something that might never happen is a waist of time imho. Like we used to say in the cub scouts "Be Prepared"

 

[akrvbob]

Hi Mortisha good questions. <br /><br /><ul><li>The deadly critters in the southwest go underground in the winter. You basically won't see them November to March. That does vary with elevation and lattitude though. As a snowbird, if you move whenever it starts to get into the upper 80s or 90s, you won't have a problem. Starting in April they are out, but not very active. As it gets hotter, they are out and active more. I have had a couple of close calls with Rattlesnakes, but i walk a lot in the desert, at least 5 miles a day, every day, 365 a year, almost 2000 miles a year, 8,000 miles in the last 4 years. If you don't do that, no problems at all as a snowbird.</li><li>In the summer I am in the National Forests, and have had many run-ins with bears, I mean very close encounters. In every instance they turn and ran as soon as they saw me. BUT, every instance was walking in the back-country, never in camp. In-camp encounters do happen, but are very rare.</li></ul><br />I've had many close encounters with coyotes everywhere I have gone. They are no threat to humans, but they will kill your pets if given the chance. I believe I was stalked by a mountain lion once, but it didn't attack. Again, that will never happen to you unless you are a walker.<br /><br />Brown Recluse spiders do scare me. Your best chance there is to spray an spider killer around the perimeter of the van. <br /><br />My most common problem with critters is mice. I get a couple of those in the rig every year. But all they do is keep you awake at night and ruin your food. However, they can chew up your wiring, belts and hoses, so you MUST get rid of them. Nothing beats a plain old wood mouse trap. Some people have ant problems but I never have. Bob

 

[tinythetrucker]

Hi Mortisa.<br />I'm glad you had a change of heart and stayed around!! <br />snoring, I snore but i live alone no problem but maybe if your partner snores a pillow with a plastic bag wrapped around it with enough downward pressure would end the problem but i think that's illegal, Critters, Here in Iowa we have coyotes and various nasty critters It has ben my experience that if i tread lightly none of them have ever chased me, in&nbsp;closing I treat critters like my ex wives i always know were they are,&nbsp;I find if i don't bother them they don't bother me. Have A great day.<img src="/images/boards/smilies/wave.gif" alt="" align="absmiddle" border="0" />

 

[VanFan]

Folklore has it that lavender and rosemary repel scorpions.&nbsp; Some say that is unlikely.&nbsp; If you like the scent of either, it might be worth a try.<br /><br />I was told this time last year that first year die off among bears was between 40 and 50 percent due to drought-related food shortage.&nbsp; This time of year, bears forage as much as 20 hours a day in preparation for winter.&nbsp; It just makes sense that desperation would cause them to step out of their comfort zone--and possibly into mine.&nbsp; That does make me a little nervous.&nbsp; I'd much rather have my dinner snatched by a fox or magpie!&nbsp; Since there is nothing more than standard precautions to be done in advance of an encounter, I prefer not to worry about it too much.<br /><br />Vickie<br /><br />

 

[joey]

Hi Mortisha....I snore&nbsp; but I also have sleep apnea so use a CPAP machine..or soon to be a BIPAP and it eliminates any snoring.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I&nbsp; can speak to the southwest and the bugs. I cannot imagine any coming into your rig. As you know I live in southern New Mexico and rarely see any of the critters you mention. They are here, including the Brown Recluse spider but I am careful and don't put my hands where I can't see first.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;If you want a good thrill, turn over a rock and see a vinegaroon!&nbsp; I thought it was something from outer space! They are harmless but really, really weird!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The one I ran across was about 4" long...yikes!&lt;br /&gt;Bri&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;

I looked it up out of curiosity..Whipscorpion, Mastigoproctus giganteus, also called a Giant Vinegaroon or Grampus. Legend has it that the bite of a Vinegaroon will cause the person to taste vinegar for weeks. Though this is untrue, BugGuide notes that “Although its tail in unable to sting, this creature can spray an acidic mist from a scent gland at the base of the tail when disturbed. The spray is 85% concentrated acetic acid/vinegar, hence the common name “Vinegaroon.” The heavy pinching mouthparts (modified pedipalps) can also inflict a painful bite. Although very unlikely to attack humans, it can certainly defend itself if provoked.” The Vinegaroon is a nocturnal predator with poor eyesight. It feeds on insects, other arthropods, and also, probably, small vertebrates like lizards.

 

[joey]

I also looked up Coydog,because I know a guy who has 2 of them mounted.They are not a wild/feral dog.They are a mix breed,half coyote and half dog.They are also very aggressive in the wild and hunt in pairs.One will get your attention,while the other attacks from behind.Anyways here is a link...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coydog

 

[Fireweed]

Hey Mortisha, I like the questions.<br /><br />I've done a lot of camping out in the desert SW. Most times with nothing more than a tarp on the ground. Though I did see small scorpions, they never were a problem.&nbsp; Check your shoes before putting them on in the morning if you leave them on the ground.<br /><br /> As far as rattle snakes, I've seen a few around. They tend to like rocky areas. I have seen them as early as April at elevations around 9000ft, even when it was snowing; this is rare and usually means you are near a den site (the big ones come out early to sun and take heat back to the others who haven't woken yet). But some simple precautions are good. Like when your hiking, instead of stepping over the rock or log, step on top of it and look on the other side before stepping down.&nbsp; Above all just being observant and aware of your surroundings is the best precaution. Same goes for spiders. BTW Black Widows can be found in nearly every state and bites are rarely fatal. Rule of thumb with venomous creatures is the bigger they are the less potent the bite. The babies haven't learned how to regulate the venom so they tend to use more. Hope this is helpful and not scary.<br /><br /> I do have to say though, that poisonous centipedes really have a nasty bite, I have been bitten once and I don't care to repeat the experience.&nbsp; He was about 5-6" long and got me on the heel. Burning, shooting pains and major swelling for a few days, but no lasting harm. <br /><br />-s<br /><br />P.S. Snake bite kits are a waste of space and usually do more harm than good.

 

[yesican]

We use to play with centipedes.&nbsp; Do they all&nbsp;bite?&nbsp; <br />Rae

 

[Mortisha]

WoW Thanks so much everyone for the info! I do get a bit worried about those little critters. My kitty Hallo is an inside girl so I am not so worried about things out to get her as she will most likely be in the van most of the time.&nbsp;<br /><br />I intend on snowbirding so I don't think I will see very much but always want to be prepared. Insects and reptiles I think worry me the most LOL<br /><br />Hallo is a great mouser so I hope that will help with keeping mice out of my van but if you see a post one day of me screaming please come running cause I will be trapped cause I can not pick up dead animals LOL I hope one of you will be close enough to me to come and help LOL!&nbsp;<br /><br />You are all the greatest... Thanks again for the info HuggZ!!!

 

[peacetara]

I grew up on the Az and Mexico border, and camped a lot and was homeless down there for a while. &nbsp;I think the rules of thumb to avoiding the non pleasant sides of nature:<br /><br />* Don't stay in any 1 spot for too long, you stick in the same spot for 6 months, and you will have to worry about them a lot more than if you are there for a week. If you were worried you could take a broom or something, and regularly sweep the tire places, and other things that touch the ground, and the outside of your vehicle if you are going to stick around in 1 spot a while.<br /><br />* like akrvbob says, winter pretty much hides them all.<br /><br />* Be aware of your surroundings, keep aware of what's going on out in nature, it's their home, you are the visitor!<br /><br />* 'Look before you leap'. I.e. don't stick your hand or foot in dark places you can't see. &nbsp;i.e. bump your shoes around if you leave them outside BEFORE you stick your feet in them. &nbsp;wear thick gloves(and make sure they are not holding a surprise as well, easiest is just to smush the gloves before putting them on) or use a flashlight if you want to stick your hand *IN* something dark, turn over rocks, etc, you could get a surprise!<br /><br />* Snakes and other non-insecty animals: Generally they are as afraid of you as you are of them, so if you stop, and slowly move away from them, you will be fine (some distinct animals require special care, like say bears, of which I have no experience). &nbsp;That said, rattlesnake can be super tasty if you are up for that sort of thing <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"><br /><br />* insecty type animals: there are tons of sprays, electrical gadgets, burning things, plants, etc that tend to help keep them at bay, but your mileage will vary. &nbsp;Personally I wouldn't do anything until I had a problem with a certain kind and then treat for that particular kind, like ants do not cross ground cinnamon, so you can just lay out ground cinnamon, and be done with ants!<br /><br />* Bats are your friend! they eat all those insecty things, so if you find a place where there are bats, stick around a while! They will never touch you! <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"><br /><br />*If your cat is a good mouser, then you probably have nothing to worry about with her, unless she decides to play with a scorpion, but I bet she'd only do that once and learn quickly!<br /><br />In the desert southwest we have something called a 'Gila Monster', which is a lizard of pretty large size, they are not deadly, but they have a unique ability to lock their jaw shut on something, and inject venom, They are really rare, but it's not unheard of for someone to wander into the ER with a lizard stuck to their hand. &nbsp;They are totally gorgeous, so search for a picture online (and then stay away from them in the wild, they are a protected animal so you can't kill them)<br /><br />Good luck, be fabulous!