Mosquitoes repellents?

[WesternFlyer]

What to people do about mosquitoes while bike camping?  I really don't like using DEET based repellents.

Does anyone have any magic natural formulas for repellents, and how effective are they?

Once while camping on Molokai Island in Hawai'i a local Hawaiian man told me to drink a six-pack of beer to keep the mosquitoes away.  The two of us proceeded to put it to the test.  It seemed to work well enough, but I don't recommend it if you are planning to get on the road early the next morning.

If it is appropriate I find a small wood fire near the campsite does an excellent job of keeping the mosquitoes away.

Western Flyer

[DaveB]

Consumer Reports periodically tests a variety of insect repellents and always concludes that there is DEET which is effective and there are a bunch of alternatives that don't work.

[staehpj1]

No magic natural formulas here.  I use DEET based repellent but find that a relatively low percentage of DEET is adequate if used generously and is nicer feeling on the skin.

I like Skintastic Summer Splash (or one of the other scents from the same line) which has 7% DEET.  It doesn't have that nasty feeling on the skin that most higher DEET repellents have and as far as I can tell works just as well.  We used it on our TransAmerica until we ran out and then replaced it with something with similar DEET content.  We carried some higher DEET stuff but mostly didn't use it.

The lower DEET repellents let me down in the Big Hole Valley in Montana, but NOTHING worked very well in those conditions. Any skin not covered by THICK clothing was going to be bitten!  We were bitten through two layers of clothing with a higher percentage DEET repellent on them while riding over 15 MPH at 3 PM with no water in sight.

Everywhere else the lower DEET stuff was fine.

This message was edited by staehpj1 on 11-7-07 @ 9:42 AM

[crawdadslim]

I have had great luck with Repel lemon eucalyptis, in fact it works better for me than deet.  REI sells it online if you can't find it localy.  it has a strong smell, but it never affected my thermarest surface or any of my gear.  
I recently tried some sort of cactus based stuff on a canoe trip that the guy at the natural pharmacy said was wonderfull and it seemed to attract them, like a mosquito condiment on my skin.
I'm one of those guys everyone is happy to see cause it means they won't get bitten with me around, so Ive tried everything, even one of those bugaboo shirts for eighty bucks.  it worked best with the repel on it.  

[bogiesan]

> I really don't like using DEET based repellents.

Here in Iderho, we have the highest per capita West Nile
infection/death rates in the States. It ain't funny anymore. You use
what works. DEET works. The alternatives are all of questionable value
in this scenario.

Visit other resources online for a different point of view like fly fishing
shops.

You can also look for high-zoot clothing with "bug repel" qualities. The
jury is still out on that stuff and it's really expensive.

david boise ID

go, ristretto, FCP/AE
"Read the manual."

[stick]

I used to do alot of hunting and dicovered this thing called Thermacell. It actually forms a barrier around you and no mosquitoes come into it. I used it for my tour last summer and It woked great. I only carry a tarp for shelter and never got one bite in my sleep. It beats having that sticky stuff on your skin as well.

[Gregw]

+1 on Thermacell, they really work! No more sleeping with bug spray on you.