[at-l] DEET, RE: Datto's Thru-hiking Tip Compilation for 2003

[ellen at clinic.net (Bob C.)]

1993 was a dry year and I thought bugs a relatively minor problem -- but that
may be because I live on a salt marsh on the Coast of Maine and '93 was only
"minor" in contrast to my usual summers.

But, like DATTO, I did carry the liquid Ben's 100 percent DEET. I'm not sure
what part of that 100 percent DEET that qualifies as "lotion." As near as I can
tell, lotion and liquid are the same stuff.

But I would rub a couple of drops of DEET in the palms of my hands, rub my hands
over all exposed body surfaces and then wipe my hands on the back of my tee
shirt to discourage mosquitoes from biting through. One container lasted me all
the way to Katahdin and there was still some left at the end.

I didn't use sprays or pumps, both because of leakage and because I didn't like
breathing the droplets. At home, though, I keep a can of spray for the back of
my tee shirts, while using the liquid/lotion on the rest of me.

Just be careful of DEET around plastics. The stuff was originally developed as
an industrial solvent and it dissolved the plastic lenses of my eye glasses.

Weary