I called the ranger station to check on conditions for the Pasayten Wilderness area we are hiking in this weekend. Among other things I asked if the bugs were a nuisance this time of year. She chuckled and said "Reports are coming in that Mosquitos are being assigned to individual hikers by the cloud full."
That doesn't sound pleasant. So what defenses am I taking?
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First line of defense will be clothing repellant. It's going to be hot and my thin t-shirts are no defense for mozzies. I'm going to treat my shorts and T-shirts with Sawyer Spray on Repellant.
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My second line of defense is for my exposed skin. I'd rather stay away from DEET unless I really need it. I'm going to need to wear sunscreen on my exposed skin anyway – so why not combine it with a light repellant. Avon Bug Guard is SPF 30 and claims to keep the bugs away. It has rave reviews on epinions, so we shall see how true they are… I'll take a repackaged 2 oz container.
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My third line of defense is for when the clouds swarm and the other defenses fail. Out comes the Ultrathon 34% DEET. Again, 2 oz should be plenty.
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And finally… when when I'm in camp and wanting to cook without being bugged… an ultralight mosquito net at 0.3 oz.
Old wives tales have it that some people are more attractive to Mosquitoes than others. Bill claims to be one of those people, which makes the rest of us happy 🙂
Go Bill – taking one for the team.