best rope/climbing friendly bug repellant???
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so it's warm out and once again those disgusting little blood suckers are out in full force. for some reason I am particularly attractive to these stupid mosquitos and I am looking to the climbing community to see if anyone has come across anything that A. works well and B. doesn't leave your hands greasy and covered potentially rope harmful chemicals( not to mention less grip on the rope). I've run the gambit of products and found some things that work OK but always run into the issue of getting some on my hands. what is the best product in your opinions and has anyone come up with any tricks to keep their hands clean? |
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I think DEET is still the best option for mosquito repellent. Tried citronella once and found it useless. Some people say that Skin So Soft by Avon (I think) works, but I am skeptical. Yeah, DEET is a powerful chemical, but I've used it for years with no ill effects. I found the 100% concentration is better than the lesser concentrations. |
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i used to live, canoe, camp in south mississippi...now i live, climb, camp, and flyfish in the alpine...(both places full of mosquitoes) |
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Something with Picaridin - it doesn't harm artificial fibers like DEET can, and seems to work well. Get a small pump bottle and spray it on, and don't spray it on your hands. |
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bluewaterdealer.com/Technic…
Laboratory tests performed have shown no appreciable damage done to nylon fibers by contact with insect repellents containing DEET (Test #0559). ;) |
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DEET. If it worries you, spray 3 or 4 bandanas down before you go out. Keep them in seperate bags, and when one stops working, bust out another. |
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Got some of this from a local vet - made for fleas and ticks, all natural - found out it works for mosquitos, black flies and deer flies...safe for humans |
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garlic, onions and not showering. |
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^^^ |
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Some tests show that DEET is better than nothing. I can asure you hat it is not very much better than nothing. You can try smoking. It helps a little bit, but there are side effects. No other dug dopes are worth trying, except insofar as placebos are effective. |
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I'm a big fan of treating my clothes with permethrin. It works great and you don't have to apply anything to your skin. It lasts about 6 washings. |
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As a 47 year vet of NE bugs, the only thing that works at all is Ben's 100% |
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stay away from bad conditions, life is too short to die from self-applied chemical exposure |
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no I'm serious about the not showering. I shower about once every 2 weeks in the summer and eat tons of garlic. bugs avoid me like the plague, for real. |
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caesar.salad wrote:bugs avoid me like the plague, for real.Humans probably do too! |
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"grip on the rope" ?! |
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Mike McKinnon wrote: I bet you get laid alot:)Oddly enough. It helps to date hippies. |
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John Husky wrote:Some tests show that DEET is better than nothing.Ha, better than nothing? It is a night and day difference. High-DEET-concentration repellent does what it is designed to do quite well. The downside is that I suspect repellent is rather harmful to your health. Also, you really want to take a shower the night of wearing the repellent. You do not want to sleep in your bag with that crap on. |
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Ilike the lemon and eucalyptus stuff, seems safe and natural and does keep bugs away. |
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Em Cos wrote:Something with Picaridin - it doesn't harm artificial fibers like DEET can, and seems to work well. Get a small pump bottle and spray it on, and don't spray it on your hands.This stuff seems to work okay on Sierra skeeters. Labeled as 'gear safe' by some brands. |
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20 kN wrote:Ha, better than nothing? It is a night and day difference. High-DEET-concentration repellent does what it is designed to do quite well. The downside is that I suspect repellent is rather harmful to your health. Also, you really want to take a shower the night of wearing the repellent. You do not want to sleep in your bag with that crap on.Spray your long sleeve shirt and pants, remove before sleeping and try to keep your skin free of the DEET if you can. |