Okay, let me say something here. When I used to go hiking I used to get destroyed by mosquitoes almost every time there were mosquitoes. My friends who would join me on rare occasions would even say I was like a bug magnet.. THIS YEAR however, I hiked more than I ever have in a year and I only got maybe 2 good bug bites the whole year. I figured out why! I used to wear Old Spice Pure Sport deodorant. This year I've been wearing Old Spice Swagger deodorant. One morning I got bored of the Swagger smell and put on the Pure Sport and went for a hike at my favorite local place, and I was instantly surrounded by bugs that I haven't seen all year... I walked a decent trail and was swarmed the whole time by bugs, so I walked back to the car and used a wet wipe on my pits and put on my Old Spice Swagger deodorant and went back out for a walk. I walked the whole trail and back and not once did I have bugs around me! After getting back to the car I realized the Swagger stick says, "Confidence and CEDARWOOD" on the front of the deodorant. I can tell you that it works for sure, and after about 2+ hours it kinda fades off, but can be reapplied. I'm going to test out next year with no deodorant and just some homemade sprays using cedarwood as the main active ingredient.. I also know for a fact that peppermint works well for many bugs too, like my ex-friend's bed bugs that bit me every night, all over, until the time I started putting peppermint oil around my ankles and wrists, and neck at night. ALSO, I've used all kinds of sprays and can say it really just depends on the day for those.. Sometimes they work great for gnats and not mosquitoes and other days it's the opposite. DEET it the one spray that almost always works for mosquitoes, but there are times that it just doesn't.. Like when it rains.. Citronella does nothing for me with bugs, but the smoke it makes while burning helps. I've also watch videos of a guy testing citronella and deet and those wrist bands in a glass box full of mosquitoes and permethrin and deet were the only real winners. I didn't have success when I used permethrin the first or second time so I either had a bad batch or it just doesn't work well. I almost forgot.. I have a ton of bug sprays but haven't used any of them at all this whole year, even with the amount of hiking I've done - in shorts!

The ultimate solution (but one that not everyone is willing to do) is to hike only in winter. Not many bugs around when it's snowing.

I was a detailer at an autobody repair shop for 3 years and I used to apply 34% DEET to hazy/old headlamps to renew them. So yes, I would imagine DEET would destroy your gear because if it can basically remove a layer off of a hard plastic, it will deteriorate soft plastics.

Personally, I buy Permethrin in its concentrated form. After I dilute it (6.5 oz per gallon of water), I soak all of my hiking clothes and then let them drip dry. Clothes treated this way will remain bug free for either 6 months or 6 washes, whichever comes first.

My favorite bug control is rain clothes. I have to say that I hike mostly in cold regions so sweat is not an issue.

That duct tape hack is genius!! Thank you for sharing!

Very informative, with lots of good tips, thanks.

That duct tape trick is brilliant! Thanks for the tip, Eric.

Love the tape trick! Thanks for that, Eric! FYI, if you're in bear country, citronella candles need to be put away just like all other smellables. We left a couple of them out one night by accident, and sure enough, a bear ate them.

I was not expecting that laundary comment. Amazing.

I'm not a great hiker, but I am certainly not a rookie. In Canada where I go hiking, is pure badlands, and extremely rugged to put it mildly. Thank you for the great videos Dude! I'm always trying to learn new techniques, and, or just learning the proper way to do things. Thank you again Dude. With love, and respect. Wes Sept

I’m with you re the potential harm of deet. I got some on my g-shock and it ate into the resin of the strap and case. Made me think of what it might be doing to my body, so I’m now looking for alternatives. Thinking that lemon one is my next try. Great vid.

Bugs as a source of nourishment. That's good to know in a survival situation. No need to search for food when the food searches for you.

Thank you, I always enjoy your videos! My bug head net doesn’t even register a weight on my scale and it has saved my sanity more than once, haha. I’m trying permethrin this year. Happy trails!

Fascinating info on deet percentage!

Thank you so much for sharing this information. Newbies at RV full time and the bugs are wild; literally lol

I’m in Florida. Extreme bugs. On the first Eve of every trip I get covered in camp fire smoke. Then apply Deet to the areas that are worst (ankles, neck, etc). From there, I’m pretty good for 2-3 days. I often worry about Deet getting on my clothes and sleeping bag. That Duck tape trip is amazing. Ty.

Nice tips, also fun to watch!

I've found that Picaridin is actually more effective than Deet for me, especially in lotion form - bonus is that the lotion doesn't have that slimy feel at all, no smell, and is very durable, usually lasts at least 12 hours.

I’ve lived in the Philippines for a year and half and the bug’s here are on another level, the ants are absolutely everywhere and the mosquitoes are tiny but deliver the same effects, it’s hard to even see them and they are sneaky, I use coconut vinegar on mosquito bites and it works great removing itchy swelling in minutes, I’m sure plane white vinegar will have the same effect 👍😁

In Minnesota the mosquito is the State Bird. Great video 😊

I use Sawyers Permethrin on all my clothing and camping gera. It will not hurt material like the nylon eating DEET will. Sawyers Picaridin on the skin to complete the double trouble for the bugs. In my 77 years I have found that combination is the best the world has to offer and beats everything else by a mile. Wish it would of been available about 60 years ago.

Up in Ontario Canada I use a portable Thermacell MR300, bug spray and a head net if it gets real bad.

Great stuff mate. I am now routinely camping in the Scottish Highlands where it is a midge and mosquito holocaust. Here is what we have found out so far.... and Im talking about camping and hiking in locations where you will get black soot on your arms because there are THAT MANY midges...... You are right about red light We found this out by accident, but NEVER get into your tent with a white light on. My tent lamp is covered in red tape, and when I get into my tent I turn off all white lamps, turn on my red tent lamp, and get in. Dont know the science but red light does not attract them. Repellents are nonsense They DONT "repel" they only stop the insect from biting at that location. So if you are swarmed with bugs, and you put on repellent, they will only keep seeking that one spot you missed and bite you there. Insect repellent is like police cameras. They dont stop crime they just displace it. Trust me .... unless you are going to smother every inch of your body in DEET every four hours, the bugs are just going to bite you at any location that you missed Barrier methods are win. Bee keepers wear suits right? Theoretically they are experts at not getting bitten, and they know ALL the tricks with that insect species....... but they wear physical protection. Physically stop the insects from having easy access to your skin. Bicycle clips or gaiters ..... head nets, hats, long sleaves and gloves. Dont give the bugs skin. Seriously... all the pros who spend time in bug country like Finland or Iceland all end up just using barrier methods. A cautionary tale.... Many chemical solutions are not only ineffective but certain bug sprays defend against mosquito bites but attract other insects like deer fly. Similarly DEET is utterly toxic to your kidneys. I used one spray on my clothes and that made me phytotoxic and where i sweated into the cloth I got blisters. Chemical solutions are NOT the solution. Be VERY wary about trying to solve this problem with chemical sprays because they are almost exclusively hydrocarbon molecules derived from insecticide, which themselves are a few molecules away from nerve gas. Do a quick google search on insecticides and nerve gas and see what Im talking about. Permethrin is not "safe" and neither are the other chemical agents. If you are old like me then slathering this crap on your skin is no biggy, but if you are young and hiking you do NOT want to be using this crap regularly because it is toxic AF. Sorry to say but red light and physical barriers are the only way forward. And dont believe that crap about smoke from the fire... that does not work either.

I always use picaridin and permethrin. That combo keeps ticks and mosquitoes away really well for me(plus Picaridin doesn’t stink like deet). As far as gnats however, I haven’t found anything that keeps them from dive-bombing my eyes(I even tried swim goggles because I hate wearing a headnet, but the goggles fogged up too much). I’ve tried deet, Picaridin, NoNatz and Natrapel, but the gnats seem attracted to all of them. I’ve resorted to just smashing them against my forehead now

Thank you 😊

excellent info!

Really good video.

Thermacell is bulky and you need to buy the gas for it, which makes it expensive in use. Definitely a no-go for me. I am used to use DEET on my bicycle tours. Coming back from Northcape end June 2022, I was eaten up from the mosquitoes despite DEET and wearing a net in the evenings. In Finland, I was recommended a product with 20% icaridin, to which I had to add some pitch oil. That seemed to work very well for the next two weeks, until I was way down in Sweden where there were much less mosquitoes. Lesson learned: for my future bicycle tours I will always carry my icaridine/pitch oil mixture. Another note: the candles are useless. Maybe they keep the mosquitoes away from you in a closed space, but definitely are of no use when camping outside.

Important topic…thanks 🙂🙏

I don’t bring many comfort items on a long backpack so I can keep a low weight. But I have figured out what I will bring to have a good experience. But this, I bring everywhere. Stansport 2 in 1 Lantern Bug Zapper, Green If the bugs won’t fly to it it’s fun to bring it to them

I'm from Saskatchewan yup we got 2 season s up here cold or bugs !

Hands down best bug repellent ever is Avon Skin So Soft - it's the most effective, most long lasting, and no need to smother yourself as a small amount works, plus it smells great. Not originally meant to be a repellent but widely used as one, including by the Royal Marines when in the jungle. Neem is also a great natural alternative to deet - just as effective but doesn't last as long.

I use Badger’s Anti-Bug balm/ointment or spray or picardine lotion.

That was great .

Thanks for sharing your "duck tape' trick ... I'm going to give it a try next time I go backpacking ...

Picardin lotion around toght spots like the waistband and ankles under socks for chiggers, deet spray everywhere else works best for me, deet helps keep the tocks and mosquitoes away but doesnt seem to phase the chiggers. Troed picardin and they stay away

Hey Punk! Not you Eric, you're to young to remember Punk sticks. They still make them. They're like a giant incense stick. I would light a couple and stick them in the ground around where we were fishing. 👍

My GF brought some huge (about two foot long) incense sticks with bug repellent built-in. They burned for a long time and worked great. We set up two or 3 around camp every night. I can’t remember the brand name, sorry.

I am a chigger magnet and living in National Forest for 28 years here’s my take on bug protection. Orange can of Off for spraying on body and rubbing in. Green can for clothes now both only fool the bug into thinking your something not to eat I want the bug to die if it gets on me I want it to shrivel up it’s head to fall off and die. Now I take Real Kill, Raid, Ant and roach killer and spray on my boots and pant legs and this has helped the most.

If there're a lot of bugs outside my tent, or if it's raining, my little trick is to just zip my tent closed with my feet still outside, then take my shoes off and finish closing it. I need a clean sleeping area, so no shoes in the tent Citronella candles haven't worked for me at all. You know it's probably not effective at repelling mosquitos when you find a couple actually drowned in the wax! Maybe it's the brand I used (Off Citronella Bucket)?

Mosquitoes are a universal pest. They seem to be becoming immune to products that previously kept them at bay.

Three of us went camping in a tick area where we had to cross portages. Two of us got ticks because we were fully clothed. One of us didn’t get a single one because he was wearing no clothing but marine shorts. This experience Goes against the myths of clothing.😢

Burn dried sage around ur campsite.....start in the center and walk in circles outward....works great....U can fire up a stoogie too!

if theres lots of bugs enter your tent by opening the bottom half of the doot and sliding in on oyour stomach, sliding through doesnt let many bugs in.

Had to pause this video to spray my area with lemon, eucalyptus oil spray. I use the Cutter brand.

I personally find picaridin more effective than DEET. The permethrin/picaridin combination keeps me pretty well unmolested. I do carry a (permethrin treated) bug net and lightweight glove liners for the few times it gets truly brutal out there…

The therma cell is good. I use the backpacker one

Coconut oil repels mosquitos so does wood ash. sulfur repels ticks Diatomaceous earth mixed with salt will repels bugs on ground.

Please make mention with regards to permethren treatment: Toxic to cats

Where we live its best to avoid sprays with scent that may attract bears.

..Step ONE : Treat your hiking clothing with Permethrin before you trip .. each treatment good for 4-6 washes .. TWO : Use a topical spray ,, ie,; Picaridin ,, commercial sprays with deet ,, Skin-so-soft lotion ,, or the preferred bug dope..

Therma Cel. Can't beat em. Use them all the time. Especially turkey hunting, in camo..sitting there...not moving. Therma Cels are life saver.

Sawyer Permethrin spray it on your gaiters pants long sleeved shirts and hat Picardin on your neck hands and ears Headnet and thin gloves And that is that Good for ticks, midges and mosquitoes

What?! No mention of the other “big” ones even though one is even in the title?! Ticks are a huge thing for both hiker and your dog. And I’d suggest also leeches in a lot of areas too.

Irish Springs soap

I have never considered a head net until a recent trip in Michigan where the gnats were crazy. How do you properly wear a bug head net? Is there anything to it? Sea to Summit has a few different types... which are best?

On my most recent camp, I was subjected to a slug attack. Both tent porches had them and several were climbing up the tent inner. There must have been at least 20 of them. I’ve never had anything like that before. Do you have any idea what may have caused this?.

What about mosquito coils? Do they work>

Very important thing with Permethrin is that's toxic for water life and cats, and it's deadly for insects. It's not repelent, it is pesticide. Safe for humans and dogs etc. but cats had mutation in metabolic pathway so permethrin is toxic for them, but other Pyrethroids can be safe like Pyrethrum.

can anyone help me with some top tips to deter spiders from me and my tent . thankyou

What is the tent(brand & model) in this video? Looks nice

Why not just use your red light function to quickly enter/exit the tent.

What time zone are you in? Is it Christmas time there?

Picaridin is not off a pepper plant. It has the chemical structure of a pepper plant. The chemical is synthetic so its not naturally grown.

Many good points thanks. I would not recommend an Amazon jungle expedition for you. Like some of the old sayings " embrace the suck " in the jungle "Embrace the bugs"

Probably one of the issues I am most concerned about.

I would steer away from prallethrin not only because of the reasons you mentioned, but especially because it is very effective in killing insects, reptiles and fish. Thermacell or whatever dissipating it all over will affect things that don't care about you at all. Not sure about you, but I want to be as invasive as possible, so there is still something to enjoy for the future generations too.

If you spray your clothes with Permethrin, be careful around the cats.

I'm 1 of the lucky 1's. If there is ANYONE else near by, the bugs attack them... So I just need to find another person to be protected... Or DEET if I'm alone!

Best tip: extra protein on the trip 👌🏻

Have you noticed specific colors that attract mosquitos and flying insects? I went camping with a girlfriend who was wearing a white sweater, and I swear mosquitos flocked to her. She had to change to a different top.

Hey Eric, where’d you get your hat?

Take vitamin B-12 and put dryer sheets around your camp

I just use baby lotion. Work on the JMT

To Deet, or Not to Deet. That is the Question.

some years in northern ontario are very noticeably worse than others for bugs. I remember one summer when I was a kid I went to my friends cottage and the mosquitoes were so bad when you shined a light outside at night they'd almost block the light out. You could probably kill about 100 of them with one swing of a frying pan. Bug spray was useless. We'd cover head to toe and duct tape our sleeves and pant legs shut, wear gloves and bug nets and they'd still manage to get you all over. Only thing that ever kept them (temporarily) at bay was to build a BIG fire and start tossing on big pine tree boughs and huge green ferns and leaves, basically just fumigating the entire area. Oh and that's not even mentioning the flesh craving horse flies. Those little fuckers are their own special brand of evil.

I absolutely hate TICKS. I read that permethrin is not a repellent. It actually kills ticks that crawl onto permethrin treated fabric. It’s going on my shoes, socks, pants, shirts, tent. Not sure, maybe even my sleeping bag.

Do not apply bug spray on your forehead. It will drip into your eyes when you start to sweat. The same thing for sunscreen.

I watch these videos while eating lunch or something and find the content pretty humorous most the time. I have come to the conclusion that most people have no common sense or problem solving ability. Don't leave the tent door unzipped?

A smokey camp fire helps.

Wear a net over your head and wear long pants even if they get into the tent theyll judt be flying around thry won't bite you

Michigan mosquitos eat citronella for breakfast.

You could always use the Dan Becker bug repellent way. Pull out your tiny air pump and blow them away! Jk

Shouldn't you drop a video like this in the spring?

Some of this might not be good for someone but drinking from 40 to 60 grams of sugar in a soft drink is??? lol.

Will citronella attract black bears and raccoons?

Wait, why would you be swatting the bugs if you're wearing a whole face mask and suit? lol you could just sit there 😂 i know, it was for the shot, but that was funny

smoke...tons of smoke. bugs dont like it...make a smoky fire.

(P)Icaridin

First

I greatly dislike intros.

Definitely not A+ dude and the amount mosquitos piss me off that pisses me off u say thats A+. I am a wild garlic picker and I think the only possible way is to wear a bee keepers suit.

There’s a deet free product called PiActive it’s sold at bass pro in Canada