Bug Spray

[Rachel]

Do you pack bug spray when you go hiking or do you prefer those little off fans you clip to your belt?

I haven't tried the fan so I still use bug spray. I'm the person who gets eaten alive while everyone else has one bite.

 

[ChadTower]

I'm the person who gets eaten alive while everyone else has one bite.

I have often wondered about this. Does this really happen or is it in that one person's head? There is one person in every group who claims the bugs like them more. Do they really?

 

[outwest]

I have tried just about every spray known to man but honestly I am just one of those that tends to get hit by random things when I go outside. I have been this way my entire life, my family says its because I am so sweet but I am calling fibs on that one.

 

[Grandpa]

I've wondered about the little fan things Off is making, but having to carry batteries and the risk of batteries going dead on a long backpack makes the little bottles of deet still work the best bet for me.

 

[Rachel]

Good point, Grandpa, I didn't think of that.

Chad--Yes, it really happens. Others will seriously get 1-2 bites, while I have 20 on my legs alone. It sucks.

 

[Grandpa]

And Yes Chad, the skeeters are desperate when they get to me. If I'm in a group, I'm the last thing on the menu. Only when I hike alone am I bothered much.

 

[oldsarge]

My sister used the "OFF" brand fan device and says it worked for her. I think I'd prefer to carry one bottle of bug juice as opposed to a fan clippy thingy and extra batteries. In Panama, As an experiment, Special Forces had us using vitamin B complex in large doses to ward off mosquitoes. The key to this working is that you are sweating profusely from carrying a large pack and walking all day. Here's the kicker...it works fine, no mosquitoes came near us at all, it's because we had a body odder that was so bad we couldn't stand each other. You could actually smell my squad from a distance, not something you want when trying to be tactical and stay hidden. This was the last time we ever did this.

 

[JollyRogers]

I prefer the stick-type of bug repellent because it is less likely to evaporate or run off from sweat. Think DEET in the form of a deoderant stick.
It is also easy to gage how much you have left.

I carry clothing and gear to cover up when they come out in force. (Gloves, headnet, long sleeve shirt, pants, etc.) I also carry some mosquito coils to burn around camp. I will just break a small piece off, wedge it in a log pointing up and light it at times when the mosquitoes are thickest.

 

[Stormypath]

I carry a bottle of deet with me. I hate being eaten alive by bugs. If they swarm, they tend to bother me, otherwise they will leave me alone. I eat a lot of garlic, I have been told that is a deterrent.

 

[Refrigerator]

any with 30 percent deet. 100 percent is a little nuclear for me.

 

[scubaghost]

I use this. Works well for me. Insect repellent, Pterodactyl repellent

 

[oldsarge]

any with 30 percent deet. 100 percent is a little nuclear for me.

Kind of like the old Army issue bug juice that would eat the paint right off the bottle and melt your C-rat spoon. But I did like mixing it with the peanut butter in the can, lighting it and heating up your water when you were out of heat tabs.

 

[ChadTower]

I'm not really convinced the bugs like some people more than others. They rarely bother me. I've been sitting in groups too many times where 1-2 people are complaining about the bugs and swearing to the heavens that it's because they themselves specifically attract more insects than everybody else. These are always the same people who say the heat bothers them more, they feel the cold more, their feet are more sensitive...

Maybe it's a product of just being accustomed to them? There are tons of them where I used to live. I used to sit and watch my great uncles ignore mosquitoes biting them right in the forehead without notice. I find as I get older I do the same thing. The bugs don't ignore me. I just don't care. I only use bug spray when they are thick enough that most people wouldn't even go.

And yes, I'll fully admit that over the years my forehead is getting bigger so it's easier to see mosquitoes on it.

 

[oldsarge]

I'm not really convinced the bugs like some people more than others.

I believe that diet has something to do with it, read my previous post about vitamin B complex. Skeeters may be drawn to one person more than others. And yes I do agree that some folks are just bothered by bugs in general. You always see it in the field, bugs swarming around people who are unaffected and one guy getting buzzed by a single fly and he's flopping around, arms flailing doing the funky chicken freak dance, pretty comical though!

 

[EyeOfThePark]

I've noticed the spray is more efficient than the little belt fans. I generally try to pack a sufficient quantity of insect repellent, as I can't stand a lot of bites. It's not exactly an allergy, but my skin is a bit sensitive and heals slowly from bug bites.

 

[SweetSassyLady]

I have to use bug spray. I get eaten alive by anything that will bother a human. I am a diabetic and I have to think that my blood sugar levels have something to do with it. They do seem to like me a bit better when my blood sugar is higher, like at 2 hours after a meal.

@ Old Sarge-I don't run from them though I have a daughter in law who panics every time she sees a bee of any type.

 

[Michael]

How you smell influences mosquito preference for you. Eat a banana and they think you smell delicious, for example.

I've definitely been with crowds of people and had some of them get eaten alive while everyone else gets off fine. On some occasions, I've been that person.

I generally use a 30% deet spray. If the bugs are awful, I have a permethrin head net that works absolute wonders. I'm considering purchasing a bottle of permethrin and treating all of my outdoorsy clothing.

 

[Judy Ann]

I was doing some research recently about noseeums since my 100% deet didn't keep them away...I'll be mixing a concoction of fresh chopped tomatoes, garlic, red wine vinegar, fresh basil and some pepper, spoon it on toasted thin slices of bread and enjoy just to keep all those blood sucking vampires away.

 

[oldsarge]

I recently read in the book "Camping and Woodcraft" by Horace Kephart, several different recipes for keeping bugs at bay. One uses 3 oz pine tar, 2 oz castor oil and 1 oz pennyroyal oil all simmered over a fire and then used as a glaze. The book covers a few others also. Might be worth looking into.

 

[Refrigerator]

Permethrin spray works. I use this every year on my clothing only..

Sawyer Permethrin Pump Spray - 24 oz. at REI.com
Sawyer® Products - The Leader in Outdoor Protection


Backpacker Magazine - Alternative To Bug Spray: Permethrin