insect shield your own clothes

[old geezer]

I'm nervous about tick and mosquitos and their associated diseases
I've bought all the insect shield treated clothes I can
I ran into this web site www.tickencounter.org that will treat any of your treatable clothing for less than $10/ garment
Sooo if you have a favorite you don't need to buy something new
Says it's good for 70 washings just as the new garments treated claim
Hope this is helpful
Johnnie Walker

[RJ Lewis]

Hey thanks for the great idea!! I may be new to whiteblaze, but I'm definitely not new to hiking, although it's been curtailed a bit the past 2-3 years due to illness and a car accident. I'm rehabbing and will be a bit slow to start, but have my pack weight down well under 10lb base, so I think (hope) I'm good to go. Again, thank you kindly for your tip- its definitely a good one!

[moldy]

Voodoo blessisng will work as well

[Trail Bug]

Easier and cheaper to buy a bottle of Permethrin and do it yourself.

[Rocket Jones]

Nothing wrong with paying a little extra for the convenience of having someone do it for you, especially when chemicals like that are involved.

Great link. Thanks.

[louisb]

Easier and cheaper to buy a bottle of Permethrin and do it yourself.

+1. You can buy it at REI.

--louis

[SloHiker]

You can treat a lot of stuff with $20 worth of Permethrin from Tractor Supply:

http://www.tractorsupply.com/permeth...32-oz--2212611

[old geezer]

If you treat it yourself, how long lasting is it?
Don't you have to do it over and over?

[SloHiker]

If you treat it yourself, how long lasting is it?
Don't you have to do it over and over?

I've never really heard that quantified. Like most things, it will wear-off, wash-off and degrade over time after being exposed to air and sunlight.

I have heard some hard use woodsman (folks that work in the woods daily for a living) say it easily last a month between applications. Unlike a factory application where the fabric is exposed to an absorption method, a "spray-on" application won't last nearly as long.

[Rocket Jones]

I buy the bulk permethrin (not PRE-methrin, you want PER-methrin which is more effective) from a vet supply house online. Cut it with water in a 5 gallon bucket and then dip your clothes until saturated (wear gloves). Wring out and then let air dry. I dry mine flat so the good stuff doesn't run down to the edges via gravity.

So far, I've had great success doing my pants, shorts, shirts and hat once a year at the start of Spring. I still use a bit of DEET around my socks or on exposed skin when wearing shorts/short sleeves.

Warning!!! This stuff is deadly to cats!

[jeffmeh]

I have also dip treated with good success, using this product, diluted with water 11.5 to 1 to get a 0.8% permethrin solution. It really does not have much of a smell, and seems quite long-lasting relative to surface spraying.

http://www.controlsolutionsinc.com/product.asp?id=19

[Snowleopard]

The Sawyer permethrin pump spray is good for six washings or six weeks, then it needs to be redone. For a thru hiker the Insect Shield clothing or this Insect Shield treatment is a lot more convenient. For my local hiking I like the convenience of the Insect Shield clothing, but the spray stuff works just as well.