Mosquito Repellent?

[layton]

What works best?

 

I took a deet shower and formed a perimeter of deet around my bivy and it barely worked.

 

I even tried putting an MSR pocket-rocket on my head on full blast, but although many perished, they were attacted to the CO2.

 

Screaming doesn't work either.

Any luck with Citrolnilla?

[sk]

no, if you do find something that works that does not remove the first several layers of skin I would be interested in hearing about it

[Matt]

Lemon Eucalyptus works well, although I found myself appyling it hourly when the mosquitoes were really bad. It actually smells good, does not burn your skin or melt your goretex!

[lizard_brain]

You might be able to glean something from this...

 

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/news/lifestyles/links/repellants10.html

 

http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/display?slug=mosquitobites14&date=20020714&query=mosquito

 

[allison]

If you are in an area where you can have a fire, burn one just to keep the bugs away. Seems to me that any kind of smoke helps, even, believe it or not, a little incense.

 

DEET does seem to work, sorta, but I've got to use the really nasty full-strenght stuff, more of an oily substance than the kind of lotiony stuff, which is diluted more. Covering your skin obviously helps, and you can slather that white long-sleeved lightweight long underwear top with repellent to keep them from biting you through your clothes. Also that way you don't have to apply the poison directly to your skin.

 

I have to apply about once an hour to make the stuff work.

 

Bugs suck!

[Noway]

90% to 100% DEET works best. Also, try jumping into a cold alpine lake.

[sk]

allison, On that we agree

 

[ 07-23-2002, 01:38 PM: Message edited by: sk ]

[Necronomicon]

Mosquitos follow a gradient of carbon dioxide from their location to it's source. You're stove is a great source of CO2. I use dry ice. Place a large chunk away from your camp, kick back, and enjoy the evening.

-J

[mwills]

schoeller dynamic - although more expensive than deet it works.

 

i sat at the belays on dragontail this weekend and watched dozens of mosquitoes tip-toeing around on my legs with no luck. that along with a microfiber windshirt and i was pretty well covered.

[jordop]

Far more heinous are blackflies and horseflies; both have bitten me THROUGH Goretex , I'm crapping you negative. 90% Deet is only thing that works "broad spectrum". Last weekend in the Valhallas there were these horseflies that were more like small birds

[Lambone]

I agree with mwills, though I use a more brathable option then scholler. bein hot I can handle, getting bit drives me insane...

 

i have allso heard that its good to wash your clothes without soap, because the bugs are atracted to detergent residue. Anybody else heard that, or is it a myth?

 

[ 07-23-2002, 03:10 PM: Message edited by: Lambone ]

[sk]

horseflies suck. I have found that if you have long hair and can "flip" it effetivly you have a wepon againt annoying bugs....I hate bug reppellent almost as much as I hate bugs

[Dr._Ben_Krazy]

I agree about the horseflys, I've experienced the same. Vicous little bastards!

 

Smoking a cigar is effective, possibly it masks the CO2 coming out of your pie hole. In my research for 'skeeters, a nice big honduran works especially well, maybe a Don Tomas.

 

otherwise - take your medicine you whiners!

[Dr._Ben_Krazy]

Also climbing with this Mr. Kainscaid would be good mosquito repellent considering his foul language would kill any airborne bug within 64.3 feet. If he used the F word more, it could extend the range considerably, but his viciousness more than compensates for that defect.

 

Climbing with someone who guzzled a half rack of Schmit Ice the day before is also effective, but in a more limited area. The odor from their exit chute is generally sufficient repellent for around camp, but not on the move.

[Smoker]

A buddy of mine picked up repellant in Mexico when he was there.... much better than what he can get up here in the states. I dont know what is in it though...probably causes birth defects

[Dennis_Harmon]

Have to agree with Dr. Ben. Smoking does seen to work as a repellant...but then so do I. Maybe you ought to come climbing with me, or else just jump off of the mountain. Either approach seems to work rapidly. Dennis Harmon

[To_The_Top]

Was in the tundra above the Swedish arctic circle a few weeks ago, and the only thing that worked was the toxic Jungle Juice. The only thing that would wash it from our system was the Whiskey, which was just as toxic.

TTT

[Noway]

quote:

---

Originally posted by jordop:

Far more heinous are blackflies and horseflies; both have bitten me THROUGH Goretex

, I'm crapping you negative. 90% Deet is only thing that works "broad spectrum". Last weekend in the Valhallas there were these horseflies that were more like small birds

---

Valhallas, oh yea, some day I'll get there.

[carolyn]

quote:

---

Originally posted by michael_layton:

I took a deet shower and formed a perimeter of deet around my bivy and it barely worked.

---

You sure you didnt put a hole in your bivy sack from all that deet and give free reign to the bugs?

 

Last year the mosquitos were so bad out here that even the reppellant they use in the army (Jungle juice?) didnt work for me. they are never great out here, but a bit more tolerable this year.

 

What Lambone heard is right...those pesky things like clean, sweet smellin' folks. SO, dont shower before you head out (why would you anyway?).

 

Smoke helps tremendously, as a few had mentioned.

 

Any stuff without deet works well for very short periods of time...you have to keep reapplying.

 

As silly as this might sound, you might want to invest in a net to cover your head. They actually have netting in the form of pants and shirts, too....I havent gone that far. They really do work in keeping both the flies and the squitos away,though.

 

We sell some pretty potent stuff at the store. Usually people heading out to Africa purchase it...you have to spray your clothes and do a bunch of other stuff in preparation. I can look into it more if you like.

 

And Lizard Brain...we have mosquitos that size, LITERALLY!

[monkeyboy]

I have found that Natrapel works pretty good for mosquitos. Also a cheap headnet works good for mosquitos and flies.

[MysticNacho]

I've heard lots of crying over how harmful deet is, but really, it ain't that bad! Maybe if you applied the stuff twice every day for a few years, you might lose an eye or get ebola. Compare it to breathing those gas fumes at the gas station. Sucking those down isn't something I want to do all day, but I'll still fill up. So all you deet whiners go buy a bottle of 100% deet and watch it last you a year!

 

Remember, its all fun and games until someone loses an eye.

[gapertimmy]

i used a deet cocktail this past week, and got away pretty unscathed. I find that "repel 100" which i guess means 100% deet works the best, but I use cheap cutter shite on my pack and clothes and don't get touched.

 

the other technique i use is hiking hella fast through river valleys in hopes that the slower ones in the party get chubbed on, this seems to work well.

 

if all else fails, pray for wind, or go in your tent. also, don't be an idiot like i was today and go explore little cool lookin lava tubes on a hot day, thats where all the bastards hang out during the warm high desert days.

 

TIMM@Y

[slothrop]

I used lemon eucalyptus and a headnet this past weekend in the Enchantments to good effect. While wearing pants, windshirt, and headnet, I was unscathed. My poly t-shirt was *worthless* against mosquitoes, though. I have about 25 bites on each shoulder to prove it.

 

One of the guys I was hiking with put on some DEET, then took a drink from his blue nalgene. When he took his hand off of the bottle, it had turned blue. That's fucking scary.

[sketchfest]

Potasium attracts skeeters, so stay away from bananas a few days before and during and outing. Niacin keeps skeeters at bay. Try some type of Niacin supplement, but make sure that the pill is manufactured with a food base so that your body can break down the pill and give you the full supplement, otherwise the pill will go straight thru you and down the sewer.

[Geek_the_Greek]

I had a cool experience with deet when I was tree planting.

I started the day just loading it on - in my hair, on my face, hands, arms, legs - pretty much on every exposed surface except eyes and mouth. I had a walkman on to drown out the buzzing of the skeeters. The stuff must have dripped into my ears, 'cause after a couple of hours my earphones were melted into my ears. I had to pull seriously hard to get them out. Ears felt kind of wierd afterwards. I think I cut down on the habit after that.

 

"hot damn - 2 posts already?"