The best insect repellent is.....

Hi...


Boy Scout Troop 15 from Westchester County, N.Y. took a 10-day canoe trip to the Boundry Waters Canoe Area last summer, and tried out four different brands of insect repellent while they were there.

The brand that they rated the best was Natrapel (which won just by a nose) which included picaridin as its main ingredient. It does not contain DEET. It was said to ("...even smell good").

Rated #2 was Bens 30% Wilderness Formula, a DEET-containing product.

Rated #3 was Off! Deep Woods Dry, another DEET-based repellent.

Rated #4 was the Thermacell Outdoor Lantern, which required too much attention to keep constantly lit.

3M Ultrathon time release DEET is my favorite. Worked great all day on mosquitos and the few black flies left in the woods where we salmon fished up in Quebec late August/ early September.

Have to try one of those. I have had really good luck with this stuff it is 100% Deet. Cant say it smells all that great though.

Repel 100

Your just used to the old military "bug juice" that would melt the writing on the outside of the bottle. Mix with peanut butter and burn it to heat your coffee. Use it to apply or remove cammo stick. Boy that stuff was great!

Hi...


I've used repellents containing DEET for many years. That is, until I found out (first hand) that the stuff will dissolve paint...!!

That's something that I don't want on my skin anymore...!! :stop:

(I've just had one experience with the thermacell. One of the guys brought one along in the Wind Rivers last year and it worked well for us sitting around the fire in the evening. Expensive and more weight than I want to carry but it did work well.

Sawyers makes an excellent repellant and I like the off sportsmans deet. Being an old fat guy, I sweat a lot and several of the favorites mentioned don't last on me. They work okay until the sweating starts.

I don't remember the old military stuff but I think the old 6-12 stuff was the same. Dad always had a bottle or two of that around when we were up fencing. Kept the skeeters away but don't spill it on the barbed wire or it would eat right through it. (just joking)

Yes Jason bug her for the recipe, please. I use deet when the skeeters are bad but I don't like putting that stuff on myself any more than is absolutly neccesary. I take two garlic tablets daily all year long and the skeeters seem to bite everyone around me but I don't usually get bitten too much, but when they are bad I, reluctantly, use a product containing deet. Usually Deep Woods Off. I think I'll try that Natrapel but is picaridin any safer than deet?

The best mosquito repellant is four walls, a ceiling and a floor. Without these, I have to agree with IndianaHiker. That stuff will also keep black flies off you and they're much worse than mosquitoes.

Hikenhunter;

I take two garlic tablets daily all year long and the skeeters seem to bite everyone around me but I don't usually get bitten too much, but when they are bad I, reluctantly, use a product containing deet. Usually Deep Woods Off. I think I'll try that Natrapel but is picaridin any safer than deet?




Hi...


According to this month's Field and Scream, picaridin "doesn't cause any adverse reactions".

Permethrin, on the other hand, is a synthetic chemical generally used to treat only clothing.

The BWCA is the perfect place to test insect repellant. Don't forget headnets, long sleeves, and netting on tents. Keep a fire going and smoke cigars.

Days spent paddling on lakes have few mosquitoes to contend with. Once you hit land to camp their are ferocious. Camp on an exposed site with water around if you can. I like 100 % DEET especially on clothing.

Yea! Cigars!!

I use Deep Woods Off the mini pump spray. I was shooting falls the other day
and left it off, big mistake. Now AfterBite is my best friend. lol

Take care,
Dwayne Oakes (Hello from Canada)

Hello Dwayne Oakes, welcome to the OBC forums!

My favorite. And 100% DEET, thats the only way I roll.

Thanks for the info.

I found that 100% Deet was the only thing that worked on coastal no-seeums.

Hikenhunter;

Thanks for the info.




Hi...


You're welcome.

Thanks for the link, Jason. I want to try that since I get eaten alive but am also scared of DEET's effects. I hope it works.