insects
What do you do to avoid insects? I am thinking of trying a trap but worry i'll be eaten alive!
ben's insect repellant...100% deet
"I'd rather kill a man than a snake. Not because I love snakes or hate men. It is a question, rather, of proportion." Edward Abbey
Long Sleeves and Pants is all for the day. I have found that bug dope isn't worth the trouble. It stinks and is greasy - and when I hike, I sweat it off almost instantly.
When bugs are really bad you will want some netting at night. Obviously a tent would work - if you are tarping you can get mosquito netting for cheap to hang under the tarp - this is what I used and was happy with it.
Sobo?
I don't know what your schedule is, but another way to avoid bugs is to stay out of New England until July.
Also, the later you hike in the season, the fewer bugs you find. That's one of the benefits of hiking in September and October.
Other than that, when bugs are out, use bug dope. They really are not a major problem except in a few areas.
I'm considering wearing a head net if things get bad enough. They seem very effective. They are certainly low cost and don't weigh much (2 ounces).
I hate bug spray. I hate the slimy crap even more when I'm not able to shower for days on end.
Remember to keep the deet away from anything plastic such as your compass because it will melt them. A women posted on another board about getting some deet on her fingers and it removed her nail polish!! Im not sure how/if it effects synthetics like Gor-tex but id be carefull there too. Streamweaver
"Theres is no real hope of traveling perfectly light in the mountains.It is good to try,as long as you realize that,like proving a unified field theory,mastering Kanji,or routinely brewing the perfect cup of coffee,the game can never be won." Smoke Blanchard
What works the best is to get very very very tired in New England. Hike literally until you drop. When you wake up you will have been bitten thousands of times. They will have covered you and taken a few pints. After that you do not even notice them, problem over. Just make sure you pull off the hundred ticks. Sure it takes some time but it is clearly worth it. This is what woods man did before the poison that melts plastic and removes nail polish was voluntarily smeared on everyone every few hours for months. Do a ritual tick check every night and watch the others slap themselves silly.
Originally Posted by simon
An old way my granddad used chew pine pitch , it worked for me. Also more modern I take one B 1 vit a day . Or one clove of raw garlic a day, this keeps a lot of things away.(ahh--solitude)
Concur with BlueJay
We hiked SOBO and got mauled, despite DEET, in the several days after Katahdin. It was rainforest bad. Once we made it through that we never put bug spray on again. They just didn't seem to be that bad afterwards. There were a couple bad days with the Deer Flies in MA, but I don't think DEET works well on them either.
Grimace ME->GA '01
JMT '03
you ever tried "BEN"S" 100%
"I'd rather kill a man than a snake. Not because I love snakes or hate men. It is a question, rather, of proportion." Edward Abbey
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