True story. I was backpacking with friends on San Gorgonio and we were warned to check our boots before putting them on in the morning. Of course, when you're groggy and tired you don't always think rationally, but in spite of that I did remember to check my boots. Unfortunately, I did it by reaching into them with my hand. I can tell you from experience that scorpions do hide in shoes, they don't like it at all when they are trapped by someone stupid enough to wedge their hand all the way up to the toe, and they can sting more than once in the time it takes to remove the aforementioned hand.
Much more painful than a bee sting but not as bad the little round stingrays that are everywhere off the Pacific coast. A little nausea, probably more from the shock of being stung that the actual venom, but no lasting effects.
Personally I'd rather deal with scorpion than New Jersey's ubiquitous ticks. I won't go hiking here without a HazMat suit.
