[at-l] bug repellent

["Blaine Boxwell" <blaine@snet.net>]

I spent the last week out in the woods with my Boy Scout Troop, and having
picked up Lyme at the end of June on a section hike, I was naturally
interested in a better bug repellent.
I had used Skin So Soft on the section hike- all it did was make me smell
(and taste, I suppose) like citronella.
The instructions I got from the ER said to use a repellent containing at
least 30% deet, I wound up getting a 20% "Controlled Time Release Formula"
by Sawyer.  Basically, it's a cream, with deet suspended in a "skin friendly
protein".  According to their propaganda, the protein particles slowly
breakdown at varying rates, allowing the deet to evaporate, which results in
the bug repelling action.  It's water soluble, so you can wash it off
easily, (and sweat it off as well, I would imagine).  They point out that
they avoid using alcohol in their formula, because that aids in skin
absorption of the deet.
A 2 oz tube lasted me a week (I only applied it in the evening), washed off
easily, and I suffered a total of 5 mosquito bites.  Oddly enough, the bites
I got were mostly either through my socks, indicating that the evaporation
action doesn't work well through clothes, or on the backs of my hands, after
I had washed them.

Blaine


* From the Appalachian Trail Mailing List |  http://www.backcountry.net  *

==============================================================================