Outdoor Skills + Advice: Bug Bites Begone! – Which Bug Repellent to Use?

Posted by Mary Anne Potts on July 5, 2011
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Wind River Range Backpacking-500
By Aparna Rajagopal-Durbin, faculty member and Diversity and Inclusion Manager at the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS). Photograph by NOLS/Juan Queirolo

It’s finally spring in the Rockies, and I’m about to head out on a five-week expedition into the Wind River Range, where I'll find high alpine meadows carpeted with wildflowers and clear lakes teeming with trout. But record snowmelt this year and balmy weather will also bring a more unwelcome prospect—swarms of mosquitoes attempting to infiltrate my orifices.

My eyes are glazing over at the mere thought of standing in front of a store display of bug juice, trying to pick the best ones. So I chat with Tod Schimelpfenig, Curriculum Director of the Wilderness Medicine Institute of NOLS. At NOLS we’ve been observing the effects of a cornucopia of repellants on our backcountry travelers for 45 years, and Tod has been with us for 40 of them. Here’s what Tod has to say:

DEET - Used in moderation and in concentrations of 20 to 30 percent, DEET is the single most effective repellent. Despite the negative media blitz, DEET is actually deemed safe by the Environmental Protection Agency. The Academy of Pediatrics recommends choosing repellants with less than ten percent DEET on children. On adults, anything higher than 30 percent is not any more effective, so don’t buy in to the gimmick of “more is better.”

Picaridin – Picaridin’s manufacturer (Bayer) claims it works well and is odorless, nontoxic, and non-injurious to clothing and tents. I checked out the website (www.picaridin.com). Emblazoned across the top are the words, “an effective alternative to DEET.” But is it? Field testers have given me a resounding “No!”

Lemon Eucalyptus – Still skeptical about “chemical” repellants? I am. A recent study showed lemon eucalyptus-based repellants are the most effective of the natural repellents, protecting skin for 120 minutes (versus only 20 minutes for citronella-based repellants). A fellow NOLS faculty member says he swears by the stuff; he just has to reapply more often. I’m sold.

Body Armor - Besides bug juice, there is a single solution that can protect me from bites and burns alike—a thin long-sleeved shirt. OK, so it’s not like I was going to traipse around in a sports bra (I couldn’t get away with that!), but I was planning on just wearing a hiking t-shirt. Now, I’m thinking of buying something with long sleeves. I’m going to avoid cotton, because it doesn’t dry as easily. But maybe I can look stylish and keep from getting eaten with a cute Western-styled poly-pro long-sleeve hiking top.

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Comments

  1. jake lonny
    July 6, 2011, 3:21 am

    This is nice.

  2. Corporate Training
    July 6, 2011, 3:34 am

    DEET is popular, as they’ve been known to keep mosquitoes at bay, rivers and also mountains. Thank you for a little sharing of your experience in expedition.

  3. Equine Gastric Ulcer Treatment
    July 6, 2011, 3:41 am

    Yeah, it’s finally spring season. It’s the time to packing protective stuff that I bought few months ago for the exciting expedition in jointly with my friends.

  4. Andy Welch
    July 6, 2011, 8:41 am

    I think that the lemon one combined with overclothes is the best plan. Deet is really toxic and I had a bottle leak once inside a bag and it actually melted through the bag and created a sticky plastic mess.
    http://www.slowquest.co.uk/

  5. Cade Maestas
    July 6, 2011, 1:19 pm

    I went in to the Winds for the 4th a few years back. Took some Repel 30 (30% deet) and found it totally useless. My hiking partner had some REI 99% DEET and it was the ONLY thing that kept the bugs away. I think the concentration allowed better coverage on my body. Love the idea of natural, but when I go hiking this weekend you better believe I will have some 99% with me.

  6. Rod Botkins
    July 6, 2011, 2:03 pm

    You might give permethrin a try. It’s an insecticide pre-treatment for your clothing. (Hang your clothes up outside, spray them down, let them dry.) Some brands (Sawyer, 3M) last several weeks or several washings. I find it very effective against mosquitoes and ticks. Permethrin and 30% deet make a good combination. Having tried all the alternatives to deet, I’m sorry I haven’t found anything nearly as effective. But by combining the permethrin and the deet, I find I can get away with using less deet overall. If you use permethrin, read the label instructions first. Don’t spray your clothes while the clothes are on you!

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    July 7, 2011, 9:23 pm

    Only thing I found that works is a hight concretration of Deet, but wash it off that same day. Never had any isuues with it except the smell.

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  11. Clinton
    July 12, 2011, 6:53 pm

    I found that some antibug-stuff work better than others in sertain areas, but not in other areas. EG what is grate in Mozambique reacts like a bait in Angola.

  12. Veronica
    July 12, 2011, 8:07 pm

    This is the best Autan by Bayer of Mexico
    Mosquitoes – The Pacific Coast of MexicoMany repellants are not effective on these tropical mosquitoes. One that is effective is called Autan classic and is manufactured by Bayer de Mexico. …

  13. Kate
    July 13, 2011, 3:12 pm

    Quick word to the wise – long sleeves and pants do not guarantee a bite-free day! Some mosquitoes and other flying blood-suckers will actually effectively bite through clothing. It does deter some, though.

  14. ArgamotoEye
    July 17, 2011, 1:39 pm

    I’ve used Picaridin on the road for a couple of years now. While nothing is foolproof, it has helped reduce the mozzie bites and such. I spray it liberally on self and synthetic clothing/gear w/o care which is a great plus! Besides, it’s also a product endorsed by the WHO to boot.

  15. Brianna Olds
    July 18, 2011, 12:30 pm

    Is DEET really okay? If it’s all media hype that it’s bad where did all that originate from?
    Brianna Olds
    CoolProducts Social Media Marketing Manager

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    Only thing I found that works is a hight concretration of Deet, but wash it off that same day. Never had any isuues with it except the smell.

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    August 30, 2011, 8:15 am

    I have lemon eucalyptus in my bag pack. Actually, I’ve been using this almost a year from now when we have expeditions.

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    I’ve been using Body Armor in the camp. It is really protects me from insect bites.

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    Finally spring in the Rocky Mountains, and I am about to head on a five-week expedition in the Wind River range, where I will find a high mountain meadows carpeted with wildflowers.

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