Ask Buck

What’s the best way to remove and treat a tick bite? My recent attempt severed the head, which required a hospital visit to remove.

Can altitude increase the effect of thyroid medications? I recently hiked four days in the Grand Canyon and had an experience which felt like an overdose of my thyroid meds. I skipped a dose and all the symptoms went away, even after climbing another 3,000 feet. What's up?

The day after a long, tough, hike I often feel like my head is filled with cotton and like my eyes won't fully open. What can I do to prevent or cure this? I drink a lot of water, but that doesn't seem to help.

If you melt snow for drinking water in the winter, do you need to boil it for purification?

Is an ultraviolet light, like a SteriPen, better for treating filtered water than iodine tablets?

I was recently introduced to "wicking" blisters--putting material under the skin to drain the fluid. I am a certified Wilderness First Responder, but I couldn't recall any mention of "wicking" blisters in my training, and I didn't find any in the Wilderness Medical Institute's training book. I think it is a great way to get a very bad infection. What do you think?

What would be the best snack to eat just before going to bed to help stay warm? Would it be something high in fat and high in calories or something high in protein because you burn more calories digesting protein, which would increase your metabolism?

Why do I get the shivers about 20 mins after along, hard winter hike, even after changing into dry clothes and blasting the heat? What can I do to prevent this?

I have two questions about cramps: How can I avoid or prevent cramps just above my knees, in my quads? And how can I stretch out cramps in that area?

If I had to survive on bad water for several days (say I fell in a canyon with no water) would enemas of the bad water actually keep me from dying of dehydration and not give me diarrhea? I heard of a family lost at sea with a hydration bladder was able to survive this way.

I tore tendons in my left ankle when I was younger, and as a result, don't have the most stable of ankles while hiking. Braces tend to be too hot and irritating inside a boot - is there any specialty boot or aftermarket product to help?

My dog joins me on many of my hiking trips. Is there anything short of giving her a bath that will remove the oils from poison oak/ivy?

Does bleach repel Rattlesnakes?

What do you recommend including in a medical kit for a five-day hike with four (middle age) adults?

Sometimes drugs that help with attention deficit problems help with acclimatization to altitude—and sometimes they don't...

What’s the SPF of a deciduous forest?

Why is it advised to leave odor free deodorant or antiperspirant behind in the backcountry when sunscreen and bug spray are considered ok? Wouldn't the same premise apply to all?

My grandfather told me many years ago that using rubbing alcohol on your feet a few weeks before a backpacking trip will help prevent blisters. Have you heard this before?

I am leading a crew to Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico next summer. We are covering 115 miles in 10 days and summiting four peaks around 12,000 ft. What workouts would you recommend to prepare 12 guys around the age of 16 for this trek

What is the fastest way to recover for hiking from a sprained ankle? What exercises can I do to strengthen my ankle muscles?

Can hiking with an aluminum external frame pack pose a hazard during an electrical storm?

I've had Lyme disease now for three years, misdiagnosed at first, I am a hiker and a climber and continue to do so even though the pain in my shoulders and knees is sometimes bad. I’m going to climb Mts. Whitney and Rusell soon. Will the high altitude affect my Lyme disease?

I recently went on a seven-day 100 mile hike. My knees where killing me on the down hills. What exercise can I do to prevent this from happen?

You run out of water on a long, hot dayhike. You find a full water bottle trailside, and also find a clear running stream. Drink from the stream, drink from the bottle, or abstain?