what bug juice?

[dylan]

planning a thru next spring, ive had alot of sucess with natrapel, however, i have never used it in such diverse terrain. any thru-hikers with suggestions would be appreciated.

[walkin' wally]

Not a thru-hiker.. but I used Natrapel on a buggy section hike from Nahmakanta Lake to Whitecap mountain during June in Maine a few years ago. I found Natrapel pretty useless for me. The bugs would land on it right after it was applied. I have better luck with DEET on a bandanna or other clothing than applying anything on my skin. I have found some areas of the woods to be much worse than other parts during the day. I have never had much success with any citronella products.

[smokymtnsteve]

Ben's 100% deet.

[Jaybird]

Ben's 100% deet.

Dylan:


i go w/o any bugspray...i let the pure "funk" of hiker stank ward them off........but, if you have to carry something...make sure it has DEET in it...seems like the only thing that works up & down the trail.


good luck with your hike.

[MOWGLI]

planning a thru next spring, ive had alot of sucess with natrapel, however, i have never used it in such diverse terrain. any thru-hikers with suggestions would be appreciated.

FWIW I rarely used any bug juice on my hike. I probably used nothing for over 2000 miles. On my NOBO thru-hike, the only place I recall using any bug stuff was in a few parts of Connecticut, all around the Great Barrington, MA area, and a few places in Maine. I used something with a 25-30% concentration of DEET. Of course, if you are planning a SOBO hike, or plan to be in Maine during June, you'll have a very different experience than me.

Little Bear

[dylan]

thanks folks, deet it is.

[weary]

thanks folks, deet it is.

There's always something new, that someone claims works. But all the scientific tests show that DEET works, and is harmless to 99.9999+ percent of people.

At home I sometimes have my wife spray DEET on a thin tee shirt to keep coastal Maine salt marsh mosquitoes (the worst kind) from biting through. But I always hold my breath while she is spraying to avoid breathing the stuff.

On the trail I only use 100 % liquid DEET, for weight and health(?) reasons. I find it impossible to avoid breathing while spraying myself. The liquid is also by far the cheapest DEET. A drop or two spread on my hands and then rubbed on exposed skin keep the bugs at bay for several hours.

I used about an ounce on my 2000 mile walk in 1993. At home a 2 ounce $3.95 plastic vial lasts all season and then some.

MY kids and their friends can use up a $5 spray container in a weekend.

Weary