Mosquitoes

[Aldaron]

Nick's post mentioning mosquitoes in the Winds got me to thinking about those terrible pests.

Does anyone else carry a Thermacell?

I know it's additional weight, but, man, I swear by that thing. It really repels the skeeters immediately around you, which makes for pleasant dinners, stargazing, reading time, or just sitting around.

The only problem I've had is with it staying lit over 11,000 feet. I've only had that problem once, though, in the Flat Tops.

Also, Nick, you said you don't mess with the small 100% Deet bottles when the mosquitoes are bad. Is that just because of the small bottle, or do you not like the 100% Deet? My experience has been that the higher the Deet, the less spray I need. I usually get eaten alive when I use anything less than 100% Deet, but maybe I'm doing something wrong.

Anyway, just wanted to see if anyone else has other good mosquito solutions.

 

[Nick]

Duuuuude!! That thing looks awesome! I would never believe it really worked if it weren't someone legit telling me so. Even at .7 lbs, it sounds like a worthy piece of gear for my next Winds trip, especially if I'm trying to keep the Mrs. happy.

As for the 100% deet, I use it on a lot of trips. But if I'm expecting serious bugs, I prefer to use an aerosol can. 40% if I can find it small enough or 25% usually does ok. I just find it so much easier to apply to all the nooks and crannies that I can't seem to get with the little pump sprayer on the 100% bottle. It seems to work okay but maybe I just need to get better at applying the 100%? I really hate getting it on my fingers...

As for other solutions, I finally invested in head nets on this last trip. I'm not a fan although for some of the last miles of trail it did come in handy when I wasn't concerned with being able to look around. Audra used hers quite a bit more than I did. I also picked up a new long-sleeve synthetic shirt with a zip up, almost turtle-neck style collar from REI. And surprisingly, it was quite comfortable to hike in even though I've never been a fan of long sleeves or collars.

 

[Aldaron]

I do swear by the Thermacell. It doesn't give a huge sphere of protection, but if you're sitting in one place, I've had great success with it keeping the bugs at bay. In fact, it does such a good job that I usually forget about the bugs altogether.

As for 100% Deet, I've ruined more than one watch by accidentally overspraying, and I busted a bottle of it in my backpack once, and that pretty much ate through everything it touched. That was unpleasant.

But nowadays I just spray it sparingly and then rub it around like lotion...that seems to work well.

I used a headnet in Alaska...I was still afraid the mosquitoes were going to carry me off!

These are the things you have to worry about when you're short!

 

[JD]

I have thought about the upper body shirt and head net for my wife she loves the outdoors but these pest are the trip killer for her she has no desire to go if getting bit. Nick did you use the super fine head nets or just a standard mesh one?

 

[Nick]

I have thought about the upper body shirt and head net for my wife she loves the outdoors but these pest are the trip killer for her she has no desire to go if getting bit. Nick did you use the super fine head nets or just a standard mesh one?

I think they were the super fine ones. We got the Sea to Summit Head Net with Insect Shield. Audra certainly liked having it although I generally preferred to just put on more deet. But then again, the bugs don't bother me as much as they do her.

 

[Deadeye008]

I was up in the winds this last weekend and the mosquitos were pretty bad where we were at also. I had 100% deet but I ended up using something else called TerraShield that my dad brought. It's a doTERRA product made from natural oils. I was surprised at how effective it was. It was nice because I didn't have to worry about getting deet on my hands or clothes or anything. You use 3-4 drops at a time and wipe it wherever you want. It seemed like I had to put it on every 3-4hrs. It comes in a small 15ml bottle.

Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using Tapatalk 2

 

[gnwatts]

Just bought a Thermacell Backpacker

Thermacell Backpacker Mosquito Repeller | REI Co-op

Using heat generated by your backpacking stove fuel canister, the compact and lightweight Thermacell Backpacker Mosquito Repeller effectively repels mosquitoes by creating a 15 ft. protection zone.

www.rei.com

for our Meander Canyon canoe trip. The water is pretty high still, I guess the bugs are cataclysmic. It sounds too good to be true. @Aldaron swears by it though, I can blame him if we get eaten alive.

 

[Aldaron]

It's been seven years since I posted that, but I still swear by them

I even lugged it into the Bob last month even though my pack was crazy heavy with packrafting gear and 10 days of food. We only needed it a couple of times, but it still did the job.

Have a great trip!

 

[Nick]

Just bought a Thermacell Backpacker

Thermacell Backpacker Mosquito Repeller | REI Co-op

Using heat generated by your backpacking stove fuel canister, the compact and lightweight Thermacell Backpacker Mosquito Repeller effectively repels mosquitoes by creating a 15 ft. protection zone.

www.rei.com

for our Meander Canyon canoe trip. The water is pretty high still, I guess the bugs are cataclysmic. It sounds too good to be true. @Aldaron swears by it though, I can blame him if we get eaten alive.

Yeah, they definitely work.

 

[WasatchWill]

A friend and I each took one up onto Boulder Mountain a few weeks ago. Packaging says its recommended use is up to 7K feet, but we got ours to light at 10K. My friend got his to light with one or two clicks, but mine took 10+ clicks before it would go.

 

[gnwatts]

How long do the pads really last?