Pike Trail Ultralight Compact Outdoor Camping Tailgate Festival Beach Chair
Pike Trail Water Resistance Seamless Gloves
Pike Trail Carbon Fiber Trekking Poles – Lightweight, Adjustable Hiking Poles for Every Adventure
Extra Thick and Wear Resisting Rubber Tips for Trekking Poles, Hiking Sticks, Hiking Poles and Nordic Walking Poles
Pike Trail Mid Length Gaiters Small/Medium Adjustable Fit
Our Mission
Pike Trail exists to keep people safe outdoors. In Missouri and across the country, ticks carry more than an itch: alpha-gal syndrome, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and Lyme are changing lives in our own community. We build handcrafted, field-proven gear that puts a real barrier between you and the threat — designed to outlast the season and the seasons after it.
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Don't Just Take Our Word For It
Stephanie Lindhjem
Perfect for traveling. I purchased this chair to take on a beach vacation. I needed it to fit into a backpack, and this chair does that perfectly. Easy to set up and take apart, comfortable, and sturdy.
Mike
They Work as Advertised! A friend lent these to me for a trip I took through Death Valley. Unfortunately as I was jogging up the trail, a rattler was just behind a rock where I couldn't see it. It lunged as I came upon it, bit into the gaiter and its fangs got stuck. As it was squirming, I pulled out my knife that I always have holstered on my thigh pack. I grabbed it by the tail and cut off it's head. Crazy experience. So glad I had these!
Peter Stoll
Amazing gaiters with unique design. These are the easiest gaiters to put on and best protection I have experienced. Lightweight, waterproof and easy to pack with you. Quality stainless fasteners, heavy duty velcro to secure leg wrap and lightweight. highly recommend!!
Verified Amazon Customer
They worked in a downpour after my real socks got soaked. I took these along on a trip bc my barefoot shoes aren't waterproof at all. Sure enough, I got caught in a downpour--my socks soaked--I swapped to these and they kept my feet dry the rest of the day. Well worth the price to have dry feet!
Chrissi Deutsch
I got these for some Fl hiking 🥾. I’ve been thinking about getting a pair when I saw these advertised on FB. [I] got them...[and] super pleased with the result. Easy to put on, stayed in place & kept my shoes sand free. Really like that they are easy to take on & off because we also have mud 😅
Verified Amazon Customer
Good quality. Nicely made double sheet for sleeping bag. However, I was so impressed with the quality, I actually bought a second set for my full size bed at home. These sheets are well sown, using quality material and zippers.
Pike Trail Ultralight Compact Outdoor Camping Tailgate Festival Beach Chair
Pike Trail Carbon Fiber Trekking Poles – Lightweight, Adjustable Hiking Poles for Every Adventure
Working Dogs for Warriors
Let's be real for a sec.. shall we? We all love the outdoors and all the beautiful places that we have to explore in this fine country of ours called America. However, NONE of this would be possible without the service and sacrifice of our active military, returning veterans and first responders. Please join us in helping to give back to these warriors and defenders of the mainland who have returned from the battle field while suffering from the effects of PTSD. We have partnered with Working Dogs For Warriors to match our returning heros with a trained, loyal, canine companion to help ease their sufferings as they struggle to adapt to their new life. Together we can ease the pain of PTSD one warrior at a time. Donate or Learn More by clicking on the button below.
Journal
Staying Active Outdoors With Alpha-Gal Syndrome
There's a particular kind of irony in an outdoor-acquired condition that makes people afraid of the outdoors. Alpha-gal syndrome — a meat allergy triggered by the bite of certain ticks, most often the lone star tick — pushes a lot of hikers, hunters, and foragers to pull back from the activities that gave them the diagnosis in the first place. That reaction makes sense. It's also not the only option. With the right precautions, most people with alpha-gal syndrome can keep doing what they love outdoors; the goal is avoiding another bite, not avoiding the trail. A quick alpha-gal primer Alpha-gal syndrome is an allergic reaction to galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose, a sugar molecule found in red meat and some other mammal-derived products. It's believed to develop after certain tick bites introduce this molecule into the bloodstream in a way that triggers the body's immune system to treat it as a threat going forward. Reactions vary in severity and timing, and diagnosis and management should go through an allergist or other healthcare provider — this isn't something to self-diagnose or manage based on a blog post. Our Tick Prevention Guide has a section specifically on alpha-gal syndrome with more background and trusted resources. The lone star tick: where it lives, why it matters The lone star tick is most heavily concentrated across the Southeast, South-Central, and lower Midwest U.S., though its range has been expanding. For outdoor communities in this footprint — including here in Missouri — it's less an exotic risk and more a routine part of trail and field conditions during the warmer months. Knowing you're in lone star tick territory is the first step toward taking its bite seriously, since this is the species most associated with triggering alpha-gal syndrome. It's also linked to other tick-borne illnesses, including ehrlichiosis and a Lyme-like illness sometimes called STARI, which is one more reason a bite from this particular species is worth paying attention to even before symptoms of any kind show up. Preventing re-exposure If you've already been diagnosed, the prevention routine doesn't change dramatically — it just deserves extra consistency, since a second bite from the same tick species carries its own risks and some research suggests repeated bites can intensify a reaction. The core stack still applies: permethrin-treated clothing, an EPA-registered repellent on exposed skin, light-colored clothing to spot ticks faster, and gaiters to close the ankle gap, which is the most common entry point on a hiker or hunter moving through brush. A thorough check after time outdoors, followed by a shower and a hot dryer cycle for your clothes, rounds it out. For hunters specifically, the same precautions apply during field dressing and processing, where extended time in brush and contact with vegetation add up over a long day. None of this is more complicated than standard tick prevention — it's the same routine, just one worth taking seriously and keeping up consistently rather than only on the days it feels necessary. A few extra things worth knowing Alpha-gal syndrome is best known as a red meat allergy, but for some people the sensitivity extends further — to certain dairy products, gelatin, or other items derived from mammals, including some medications, supplements, and personal care products. Reactions and triggers vary a lot from person to person, so it's worth working through your specific list with an allergist rather than assuming your experience matches someone else's. This matters for outdoor gear too: a small number of people with alpha-gal syndrome find they're more sensitive to certain lotions, sunscreens, or repellents that contain mammal-derived ingredients like lanolin or glycerin, though this varies widely and isn't universal. If you've noticed unexplained reactions to a product, it's a reasonable thing to flag with your allergist rather than something to troubleshoot alone. Community and support You're not the only one navigating this. There's an active community of hikers, foragers, and other outdoor-minded people living with alpha-gal syndrome, including groups like Alpha-gal Outdoors that focus specifically on staying active outside with the condition. The Alpha-gal Information site keeps an updated list of support communities, including outdoor-focused ones, along with broader educational resources on living with the diagnosis. Our Tick Prevention Guide also links out to several of these. You don't have to give up the outdoors A diagnosis changes how carefully you prepare, not whether you can still hike, hunt, or forage. The people who stay most active with alpha-gal syndrome tend to be the ones who treat prevention as a fixed part of the routine rather than an afterthought — which, encouragingly, is the same habit that protects everyone else from the dozen other tick-borne illnesses out there. Take the precautions seriously, and there's no real reason the diagnosis has to keep you off the trail. Shop Tick-Protection Gaiters This article is for general educational purposes and isn't a substitute for medical advice. Alpha-gal syndrome should be diagnosed and managed by an allergist or healthcare provider.
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How to Safely Remove a Tick (and 4 Things Never to Do)
If you find a tick attached to your skin, how you remove it matters. Done right, removal takes less than a minute and meaningfully lowers your risk. Done wrong — with heat, petroleum jelly, or a hard twist — you can leave mouthparts behind or even increase the chance of infection by agitating the tick before it's fully out. A lot of the folk remedies that get passed around on the trail come from a reasonable instinct — wanting the tick gone as fast as possible — but they tend to make things slower and messier, not faster. Here's the method public health guidance actually recommends, and the folk remedies to skip. How to remove a tick safely Get a pair of fine-tipped tweezers. Blunt tweezers or fingers make it much harder to get a clean grip. Grasp the tick as close to the skin's surface as possible. You want the tweezers right at skin level, gripping the tick's mouthparts rather than its body. Pull upward with steady, even pressure. Don't twist or jerk — a straight, steady pull is far less likely to leave mouthparts embedded in the skin. Clean the bite area and your hands. Rubbing alcohol, an iodine scrub, or soap and water all work. 4 things never to do Don't use heat. A match or lighter held near the tick doesn't make it back out — it just risks burning you and can agitate the tick. Don't smother it in petroleum jelly or nail polish. Trying to suffocate the tick takes too long and doesn't reliably work; ticks can survive for hours without air. Don't twist or jerk it out. This is the most common cause of leftover mouthparts under the skin. Don't squeeze or crush the tick with bare fingers. Crushing it can push its contents back into the bite site. Use tweezers, not fingertips. After removal Once the tick is out, clean the area and your hands, and note the date. It's worth saving the tick — in a sealed bag or container, or simply photographed clearly — in case identification becomes useful later. Most tick-borne infections require an extended period of attachment, so prompt removal already puts you in a much better position regardless of what kind of tick it was. Why identification can help Different tick species carry different risks, and knowing which one bit you gives a healthcare provider more to work with if symptoms show up later. A blacklegged (deer) tick carries different risk than a lone star tick, for example, and your provider may ask about size, color, and how long it was attached. A clear photo — taken before or after removal — is usually enough for general identification; you don't need to mail the tick anywhere unless a provider specifically asks you to. Some local health departments and university extension offices offer tick identification or testing services if you want a more definitive answer. What to watch for Over the days and weeks following a bite, keep an eye out for a rash (including one that expands or changes shape), fever, fatigue, headache, or joint pain. None of these on their own confirm an infection, but any of them is a reason to follow up rather than wait it out. When to see a doctor Talk to a healthcare provider if you develop any of the symptoms above, if the tick was attached for an extended period before you found it, if you weren't able to remove it completely, or if you know you're in an area with high rates of tick-borne illness and want to be cautious. It's also reasonable to check in simply because you'd rather not wonder — there's no harm in a precautionary visit, and a provider can evaluate your specific situation, tick species, and regional risk far better than any general guide can. This article isn't a substitute for that conversation, and none of the above should be read as a diagnosis or a reason to wait if something feels wrong. A note on removal tools Fine-tipped tweezers work well and are usually already in a first-aid kit, but several trail-specific tools exist too — small notched cards or hooked tools designed to slide under a tick and lift it out with the same straight, steady motion described above. Any of these work fine as long as you can get a grip close to the skin and pull without twisting. What matters far less than the specific tool is having something fine-tipped on hand at all; fingers alone make clean removal much harder, especially on a tick that's already partially embedded. Prevention is easier than removal The best removal is the one you never have to do. A few habits — treated clothing, a repellent on exposed skin, and closing the ankle gap with gaiters — prevent most bites before they happen. See our Tick Prevention Guide for the complete routine. Shop Tick-Protection Gaiters This article is for general educational purposes and isn't a substitute for medical advice. If you've been bitten by a tick or are concerned about symptoms, talk to a healthcare provider.
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Permethrin vs. Picaridin vs. DEET: Which Tick Repellent Wins?
The most important thing to understand about tick repellents isn't which one is "best" — it's that they solve different problems. Permethrin treats clothing and gear; DEET and picaridin go on skin. Used correctly, they're not competing options, they're a layered system, and the strongest protection comes from using more than one. The key distinction: clothing vs. skin Permethrin is registered for use on clothing, footwear, and gear — not skin. DEET and picaridin are registered for direct skin application. That single distinction explains most of the confusion around these products: they're not three versions of the same thing, they're two different tools for two different surfaces. A lot of hikers default to whichever one they grew up with, usually DEET, without realizing the other two solve a different part of the problem entirely. Permethrin: built for fabric, not skin Permethrin is an EPA-registered insecticide, not a repellent in the traditional sense — it kills ticks on contact rather than just discouraging them. Applied to clothing, boots, and gear, it keeps working through repeated washes. Factory-treated clothing typically holds its effectiveness far longer than spray-on treatments, which wear off sooner and need to be reapplied more often — check the product label for specifics. Because it's bonded to fabric rather than skin, permethrin protects continuously without needing to be reapplied throughout the day the way a skin repellent does. Picaridin: an odorless option for skin Picaridin is an EPA-registered skin repellent that's largely odorless and doesn't have the greasy feel some people associate with DEET. It's generally gear-safe, meaning it won't damage plastics or synthetic fabrics the way DEET sometimes can, and it provides several hours of protection depending on the concentration of the product. DEET: the long track record DEET has been registered and studied for decades and remains one of the most effective skin repellents available at adequate concentrations. Its main downsides are a stronger odor, a greasier feel for some users, and a tendency to degrade certain plastics and synthetic fabrics with repeated contact — worth keeping in mind if it gets on watch bands, sunglasses, or gear straps. Application tips and safety basics Whichever skin repellent you choose, the product label is the actual source of truth — concentration, reapplication interval, and any age restrictions all vary by product and brand, not by active ingredient alone. A few general habits apply across the board: apply repellent to exposed skin only, not underneath clothing; avoid the eyes, mouth, and any cuts or irritated skin; and wash it off with soap and water once you're back inside rather than leaving it on overnight. If you're using both a repellent and sunscreen, apply sunscreen first and let it absorb before adding repellent on top. For specific guidance on children, pregnancy, or any skin sensitivity, check the label and ask a pharmacist or healthcare provider rather than guessing. A note on combination products Some clothing comes pre-treated with permethrin straight from the manufacturer, and some repellent sprays combine picaridin or DEET with sunscreen or other ingredients in one bottle. Combination products can simplify your kit, but they also tie reapplication schedules together — sunscreen often needs reapplying more frequently than a repellent does, which can mean you're either under-protected on the repellent side or over-applying the sunscreen side. Separate products give you more control; combination products give you fewer bottles to carry. Neither is wrong, it's a matter of what you'd rather manage. Side by side Permethrin Picaridin DEET Where it goes Clothing & gear Skin Skin How it works Kills ticks on contact Repels Repels Durability Many washes (factory-treated) Several hours per application Several hours per application Odor/feel None once dry Largely odorless Noticeable for some users Gear-safe Yes — that's the point Generally yes Can degrade some plastics The recommended layered approach The most effective setup combines both types: permethrin-treated clothing and gear as a base layer of protection, plus a skin repellent — picaridin or DEET — on any exposed skin it doesn't cover. Neither one alone addresses the whole picture. Together, they cover both the parts of you that are clothed and the parts that aren't, which is the same layered logic behind pairing gaiters with a repellent. In practice, that usually looks like treating your hiking pants, socks, and gaiters with permethrin ahead of the season (or buying them factory-treated), then applying a skin repellent each time you head out, focused on wrists, neck, hairline, and any other skin that stays exposed. Reapply the skin repellent according to the label if you're out longer than its stated protection window — sweating and water exposure both shorten how long it lasts. The clothing layer doesn't need that kind of daily attention, which is exactly why it's worth setting up once and not having to think about it again for months. For the complete prevention routine — what to do before, during, and after time outdoors — see our Tick Prevention Guide. And since the ankle gap is one of the few areas neither repellent fully solves on its own, it's worth closing with the right gear: our hiking gaiters collection covers exactly that gap. Shop Tick-Protection Gaiters This article is for general educational purposes and isn't a substitute for medical advice. Always follow the product label for any repellent or insecticide, and talk to a healthcare provider with questions about a specific product or reaction.
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