bug sprays ?

[penner]

Heading out on our Nfld - Labrador trip in a few days . Wondering what you Guys use for bug spray?? I've got a feeling there going to be nasty this year. Thanks.

 

[ntsqd]

In the past I have read that DEET is the only stuff that works, and that percentages lower than far upper 90's aren't worth buying. Might try searching here and other forums for bug juice advice for going to AK or driving the Al-Can Hwy. I'll suggest the Portal and ADV as forums likely to also have this info.

 

[Smokecreek1]

Truck Camper Magazine (truckcampermagazine.com) asked that same question several months ago-so it might be worth the effort to pull it up because they did a good job with finding out what our fellow campers thought (Thermacell ) .FYI-I got one, it worked okay around the campfire, but I wanted something that would work in the pop-up and that is not recommended;anyway it kept the bees away from my campsite. Me I still use my old standby, "Avon nice and soft with bug guard plus".

Smoke

 

[Vic]

A year or two back Consumer Reports did a study on these, and recommended the CVS house brand total home woodland scent:

https://www.cvs.com/shop/total-hometm-woodland-scent-insect-repellent-prodid-1510029


I normally don't follow their ratings, but a neighbor gave me the article and I thought I'd give it a try. It seemed to work just fine, and its cheaper than a lot of name brands. 30% DEET which is not as common to find.

I also have a Thermacell that works OK. Some brands of fuel don't work as well with it as far as making a connection to the unit, but other than that its one more tool for enjoying the outdoors.

-Vic

 

[Mthomas]

Best product out there is 3m ultrathon. This is the product developed for the US military. It is a sustained release DEET product. I have used this with outstanding success in multiple environments. If I was going to a known difficult area, such as AK, I would also use permethrin spray on my clothes. They cant bite if they are dead. I have recently switched to Picardin from Sawyer as a repellant to avoid destroying the plastics in my truck, camper, fly lines, etc. it is working well. Spray my boots, socks, pants, and shirt with permethrin in advance mostly to deal with ticks.

 

[smlobx]

Second vote for Permethrin.
Used it on our trip to Nova Scotia and New Brunswick a couple of years ago and it worked great.
Newfoundland is on our bucket list. Please let us know how your trip went...

 

[4corners44]

Thermacell in the Hawk just until they all depart (about 10-15 minutes) and I wonder if the "DO NOT USE IN ENCLOSED SPACE" warning is just a lawyer required thing to protect the mfg as I have been using this inside since they were first introduced with no ill affect.I use the Ultimate Bug Shirt when fishing along with a pair of light leather gloves. Not a single mosquito bite last week while fishing and camping on Colorado's Grand Mesa. Used the same combo two years ago on my three month trip up to Alaska and Canada. I am still trying to wear out several pairs of pants I used to use for backpacking as the nylon weave is so tight mosquitoes can't sting through the material. Great pants and I think the Mfg quit using this material as it was just about bullet proof. I only managed to wear-out the seat on one pair after several trips sliding down sandstone on my butt. Permethrin worked great as a clothing treatment also.

 

[Arctic]

DEET destroys nylon, polyester, polypro, etc. including clothing, packs, tents.

Many of us Alaskans who spend 12 hours/day in the field use the Sawyer Picaridin Lotion:

https://sawyer.com/products/picaridin-insect-repellent/

We also use Thermocells and they work decent if you are sitting around camp or taking a snack/rest break but they are not effective in windy conditions or when you are hiking.

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

One of my friends, who spent a career working in Alaska with USFW, recommended the Bug Shirt as an alternative to chemicals. As someone who mosquitoes find exceptionally tasty, I think I’m going to get one. Apparently the weave is tight enough the little needle nose critters can’t get through it. There is mesh in areas that hang free and don’t touch, plus a hoodie with zippered mesh.

 

[craig333]

Sounds like that might be a little warm.

 

[Arctic]

One of my friends, who spent a career working in Alaska with USFW, recommended the Bug Shirt as an alternative to chemicals. As someone who mosquitoes find exceptionally tasty, I think I’m going to get one. Apparently the weave is tight enough the little needle nose critters can’t get through it. There is mesh in areas that hang free and don’t touch, plus a hoodie with zippered mesh.

Yes Sir, bugshirts work well but the limitations are they tear if you are bushwhacking; however, they are a good option if you are in camp or on a trail, etc.

Headnets are another option but I don't care for them since they limit visibility that can limit ability to perform work or watch for bear.

The advantage to both bugshirts and headnets is you can avoid slathering on nasty bug dope onto your skin where it gets absorbed into your body. Maybe a week of that is no problem but an entire summer work season like your friend. What kind of neurological damage is it causing? So long sleeve garments are a big PLUS in my book.

BTW, Uncle Bens (most popular) and 3M and other 100% DEET products have about a 30-minute lifetime upon application. In other words, in AK mosquito swarms, you will need to re-apply that often to exposed areas. You can watch the clouds of mosquitoes continue to move closer to you as the DEET loses efficacy.

But the worst part is the constant drone of their buzzing. Its psychological warfare... Lol

 

[trikebubble]

Avon Skin-So-Soft bath oil mixed with rubbing alcohol and put into a spray bottle. Best mozzie repellent I have used in decades. A friend of ours who worked up North said all the loggers and tree-planters use this concoction, so it was worth a try.

 

[craig333]

Thats interesting as it pretty consistently gets poor reviews from places like consumers reports etc.

 

[AWG_Pics]

We just received two bottles of this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B010AFV1LQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 which is a lemon eucalyptus oil mixture that CR says works very well for mosquitoes and tics without damaging fabrics. Have not used it yet, but we want an alternative to DEET, which does eat up fabrics and coatings. Will let everyone know how it works when we finally find ourselves in a place we need it.

 

[Arctic]

Gents,
If you want to try all these natural remedies then do yourself one favor and carry a bottle of real & proven repellant in your kit for when the natural remedies fail. Otherwise, the mozzies will ruin your adventure.