Ticks & Alpha-Gal Syndrome: What Every RVer Needs to Know
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I'm going to be honest with you. This was not the episode I imagined being passionate about. But here I am, because my son David was diagnosed with Alpha-Gal Syndrome last year, and it has changed our lives in ways I never saw coming.
If you spend any time outdoors, hiking trails, wandering through grassy campgrounds, or even just walking your dog, this episode is for you. Not to scare you. To prepare you.
Jennifer and I sat down and talked through everything: what Alpha-Gal actually is, which ticks carry it, how it hides in foods and medicines most people would never suspect, what our family's life looks like now, and exactly what you can do to protect yourself and your kids.
It's a little bit science class, a little bit very real mom feelings, and a whole lot of info that I genuinely wish someone had given me before David got his diagnosis.
What This Episode Is About
Jennifer and I dig into one of the most underreported tick-borne conditions on the rise across the U.S.: Alpha-Gal Syndrome, also known as AGS. Alpha-Gal is a mammal-product allergy triggered by a single tick bite. I share David's personal journey from diagnosis to daily life, including the foods we had to cut, the ingredient labels I now read like a research paper, and the first time we successfully melted fake cheese in our new rig's microwave. (It was a big day.)
We also get into Jennifer's companion blog post, which is packed with additional information about other outdoor health hazards, allergens, and things that bump into your life when you're out on the road. You're going to want to check out learntorv.com for that one.
And if you've been navigating gluten-free or allergy-sensitive cooking on the road, we have a resource for that, too, over at learntorv.com/baking-fall-treats-in-our-rv-navigating-a-gluten-free-life-on-the-road.
This episode is perfect for you if you’re:
● An outdoor-lover who hikes, camps, or lets their kids and pets roam in grassy or wooded areas
● Trying to understand a new food allergy diagnosis and what it means on the road
● Someone who has had a tick bite and is watching for symptoms
● A full-timer or part-timer who shops for groceries on the road and needs to know what’s actually in the food
● Anyone who has ever stood in a grocery store aisle reading an ingredient label like they’re studying for a final exam (you’re my people)
● A homeschooling or roadschooling family who wants to teach outdoor safety in a real and practical way
What You’ll Learn
I’m only giving you enough here to make you want to listen. But I will say this: some of what I learned while researching this episode genuinely surprised me, and I’ve been living it for over a year.
What Is Alpha-Gal Syndrome, Exactly?
Alpha-Gal Syndrome is an allergy to products derived from mammals. We're talking beef, pork, lamb, and dairy, yes, but also gelatin, some medicines, certain sugars, soaps, and lotions. It's triggered when a tick that has recently fed on a mammal bites a human and introduces that sugar molecule (galactose-alpha 1.3-galactose) into the bloodstream.
The most consistent thing about Alpha-Gal? It is wildly inconsistent. Reaction times range from a few minutes to hours after eating a trigger food. Severity varies enormously from person to person. Some people end up in the ER. Others just feel a little itchy. David falls somewhere in the middle: he makes his own choices, but he knows exactly what a bad day looks like if he does decide to take the risk. And he also knows that the more he introduces foods with alpha-gal to his system, the worse his allergy will become over time.
Alpha-Gal Symptoms To Watch For After a Tick Bite
Common Allergic Reactions | Less Obvious Signs Often Missed |
Hives or itching | Joint pain |
Swelling of lips, face, throat, or eyelids | Dizziness or fainting |
Wheezing or shortness of breath | Tingling or tightness in the mouth or throat |
Stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea | Delayed reaction hours after eating, not always immediate |
Anaphylaxis in severe cases | Symptoms that feel like food poisoning or a mystery stomach bug |
If any of this sounds familiar and you’ve had a tick bite, please talk to your doctor about running an allergy panel. Don’t guess. Ask.
It’s Not Just the Lone Star Tick Anymore
I used to feel a little better knowing Alpha-Gal was primarily linked to the Lone Star tick, which meant a more geographically specific threat. Then I did the research for this episode and found out that is no longer the case.
Multiple tick species are now linked to Alpha-Gal transmission in the U.S. and worldwide. And because climate shifts are changing tick migration patterns, species that were once concentrated in the Southeast are spreading further north every year. If you’re traveling across the country, you are not necessarily leaving alpha-gal-tick territory behind.
The full list and the global picture are in the episode. I’ll just say: this is not a regional problem anymore.
How To Protect Your Family From Ticks on the Road
Step | What To Do |
1 | Wear long pants and long sleeves in wooded, grassy, or leafy areas, even in warm weather. Lighter fabrics help. |
2 | Tuck your pants into your socks and wear closed-toed shoes. No sandals on the trail, Jennifer. |
3 | Use tick repellent on skin and clothing. Look for EPA-registered options that are safe for kids and pets. |
4 | Use gaiters for extra protection over your shoes and socks. We featured the Hikas Gaiters by Gear Envie in our Christmas episode and they’re genuinely great. |
5 | Do a full tick check when you come back inside: hairline, armpits, behind the knees, and all the warm, dark spots ticks prefer. |
6 | Check your pets every time they come in. Dogs are an easy ride for ticks and will bring them right into your rig. |
7 | If you find a tick, save it in a sealed zip-lock bag. If someone develops symptoms, you’ll be glad you have it. (Yes, I put mine in the freezer. No, I am not apologizing.) |
8 | See a doctor if you’re unsure how to remove a tick or if you develop any unexplained symptoms in the weeks after a bite. |
Alpha-Gal Hides Where You’d Never Think To Look
This is the part that surprised me the most when we started living it. Alpha-Gal isn’t just in the red meat aisle. It shows up in:
● Gelatin, which means Jell-O, some vitamins, and certain medications, even something as simple as cough drops can have alpha-gal
● Cane sugar
● Natural flavors, a catch-all ingredient that can legally include mammal byproducts
● Red seaweed, an additive with high Alpha-Gal content used in processed foods
● Some soaps, lotions, and personal care products
● Certain injectable medications that use gelatin as a stabilizer
For grocery shopping help, I use the Fig app. It lets you scan barcodes and flags ingredients that conflict with your dietary restrictions. It can’t catch everything and companies change formulas constantly, but it is a genuinely useful tool for making the grocery aisle a little less overwhelming.
Ready to Dive Deeper?
The full episode is where all of this really comes to life. We get into David’s diagnosis story, the cost of eating safely on the road, the fake cheese microwave win, the hunter who got Alpha-Gal twice, and a lot more real-talk that doesn’t fit in a blog post.
For official medical information, the Mayo Clinic’s Alpha-Gal Syndrome page and the Cleveland Clinic’s resource are both excellent and I’ve linked them here and in the show notes.
For outdoor protection gear, check out the Hikas Gaiters by Gear Envie, which we genuinely recommend for hiking and trail walking. And if you’re navigating gluten-free or allergen-sensitive cooking on the road, we have a companion resource at learntorv.com that covers some of what Jennifer is navigating in their rig.
And if you’ve been thinking about joining the Campfire Crew on Patreon, this is a great episode to jump in on. Our Campfire Crew members get early access to every episode, exclusive bonus content, free merch, and a community of RVers who are genuinely living this life. Three membership tiers, each with different perks. Your first week is free.
Where To Listen and How To Connect
Catch “Ticks & Alpha-Gal Syndrome: What Every RVer Needs To Know” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, YouTube, and everywhere else podcasts are streamed.
Join the Campfire Crew on Patreon to support the podcast and unlock early access, exclusive bonus episodes, and member merchandise. Three membership tiers, each with their own perks. What’s not to love?
Connect with the community in the free Learn to RV: The Community on Facebook. Follow @LearnToRV on Instagram for behind-the-scenes moments and travel inspiration.
Explore more RV tips, resources, and guides at learntorv.com. Want to get involved or share a story? Email us at connect@learntorv.com.
You Can’t Prepare for What You Don’t Know About
That’s genuinely the reason I wanted to make this episode. Not to ruin your next hike. Not to make you scared of the outdoors. But because before David’s diagnosis, I did not know what Alpha-Gal Syndrome was, I did not know which ticks carried it, and I definitely did not know that turkey deli meat could be a problem for someone with a red meat allergy.
Now I do. And now you do too, at least a little bit. The full picture is in the episode.
Learn To RV: The Podcast was built for every kind of RVer: full-timers, part-timers, weekend warriors, and still-deciders, who wants honest, real-talk knowledge from people actually living this life. This episode is exactly that.
Subscribe so you never miss an episode, share learntorvthepodcast.com with a fellow outdoor-lover, traveler, or dreamer, and leave a review to help other families find this community. The trail is better when you know what’s out there.
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By day, Tasha Martin wears the title of copywriter extraordinaire, crafting compelling stories and sharp, strategic messaging. But when night falls, she steps into her second superpower—podcast queen. With a natural gift for conversation and a voice that draws listeners in, Tasha brings energy, curiosity, and heart to every episode she helps create.
When she’s not writing or podcasting, you’ll find Tasha out exploring. She loves traveling with her family and seeking out unique outings, hidden gems, and memorable experiences on the road. Whether it’s a quirky roadside stop, a scenic trail, or a new town to wander through, Tasha brings the same sense of adventure to her travels that she brings to her creative work.
A storyteller, a traveler, and a connector—Tasha is the kind of voice every RV community needs.
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