Leech socks (1 Viewer)

[Mike Penfold]

The brown leeches and tiger leeches we ran into in Borneo had a taste for the underside of forearms, but when not attached could be simply flicked off.

As previously posted, the Nomad Travel leech socks work fine, as did the permethrin-treated pants and shirts from Ex Officio. I was surprised the socks didn't change the fit of our hiking boots, and that you can't feel the seam that runs under your foot. They're made from a durable, uncoated/breathable/tightly-woven nylon/polyester blend in a dull grey. We had no issues with sweating (as you get in a rubber boot). Actually we did wear rubber boots on one part of the trip, and found that these socks dry overnight in 85% humidity. The height of the lower elastic cord can be changed to fit just above your calf; so it doesn't need to be super tight.

We saw lots of OBC (or similar) below-the-knee leech socks, secured with inelastic tape ties. The guides seemed to have figured out how to keep these from falling down by rolling their pant legs up to just below the knee, and then tying off the leech socks above the rolled-up material.

Once a leech is attached, it can be removed/falls off easily by spraying it with Deet. These unpleasant creatures have serious suction -- I tried to flush an engorged brown leech down the toilet, and it stuck to the porcelain through two long flushes -- until sprayed with Deet. Having said that, another advantage of leech socks is that we used less Deet (really nasty smell), but still the best product for bare skin against mosquitos.

Mike

 

[temmie]

My wife and I are going to Borneo in the new year, and wondering if any of the leech socks on the market work more effectively.

You can only do so much useful comparison without hearing from someone who has actually used an unfamiliar piece of equipment. Having said that, nylon would seem to be more durable than cotton, while fixlock closures probably are easier to use than simple tape/cord ties.

How much does the leech sock affect the fit of your boots?

It appears that wet weather determines the frequency of leeches, and you probably don't need leech socks if you're birding down the middle of a road.

Do pymethrum-infused pants/shirts/socks (Ex Officio Insect Repellent clothing) discourage leeches?


Thanks,

Mike Penfold

Buy the nomads here (like I did): http://www.nomadtravel.co.uk/catalog/view/travelproof-leech-socks
The weaving will stretch locally in rubber boots after a hard day's walking, but they generally keep their functionality very well.
They are very thin, you won't feel them in your boots, and dry easily overnight.
I did not wear them on wide roads (like the entrance road in Danum), only on trails. No Deet used. The only leeches I still got were on my belly and some on my underarm.