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Best Insect repellent?

Re: Best Insect repellent?

Postby EileanB » Thu Aug 10, 2017 9:54 am

Thank you, never thought of googling it for some reason. I used to get it in the TIC in Broadford, then it seemed to be all over the place, then it disappeared. I'll order some today.
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Re: Best Insect repellent?

Postby DJSmith » Mon Aug 21, 2017 9:54 am

I believe they have changed the Avon Skin So Soft formula so it isn't as effective these day. i've used everything from Jungle forumla to Smidge and feel some days they work and others they dont.

best to try out a few
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Re: Best Insect repellent?

Postby teaandpies » Sun Aug 27, 2017 1:41 am

Winter... :lol:
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Re: Best Insect repellent?

Postby bog hopper » Wed Sep 06, 2017 1:14 pm

DJSmith wrote:I believe they have changed the Avon Skin So Soft formula so it isn't as effective these day. i've used everything from Jungle forumla to Smidge and feel some days they work and others they dont.

best to try out a few

I heard that as well , my mate say's whisky is that best thing for midges , drink enough of it and you don't really feel them / care ! :D :D
Seriously though I tend to use smidge , which seems to work . Other then that as already mentioned cover up , wear a midge net , walk when there's a breeze , camp high if backpacking .
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Re: Best Insect repellent?

Postby Creakinees » Sun Oct 15, 2017 2:44 pm

I think I may have hit on something. As I puffed and panted my way to the top of Bauchaille Etive Mor a few weeks back the midges were annoying ... which luckily is about all they do to me. I accidentally inhaled one of the little pests. Immediately the small cloud disappeared. Perhaps the word went round quickly that I was midge-iverous ? Can't say I'd recommend this method, but .... coincidence or what?


Circa Soundtrack wrote:Heard a few thing's about Avon Skin So Soft being pretty good at getting rid of the little nasties around the country and something to do with Ray Mears endorsing what was described as thick black wax but i haven't been able to find that. I live in the north east and spend most of my time in the cairgorms where we're very lucky against bugs. I'm going to Fort Williams next week though for a good long stay where it's probably the worst so decided to prepare. Recommendations please, you guys have been very helpful before, so thank you so far and thank you in advance!
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Re: Best Insect repellent?

Postby McLEOD » Sat Jun 09, 2018 10:12 am

Thai massage oil :D
I came across this by accident if you like, I done my knee ligaments and bought some to aid recovery, strong smelling stuff, I've never had a tick since I started using it as a repellant and haven't really noticed the midges
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Re: Best Insect repellent?

Postby thatweebirdie » Mon Jun 11, 2018 12:13 am

I find Jungle Formula the best, but that is DEET based and the fact it melted my sunglasses did make me slightly concerned about what it was doing to my skin; but it's good for a good 8 hours after application.

Life Systems was OK, another DEET one and not quite as good - wears off much quicker than Jungle Formula. Smells quite nice.

Smidge is DEET free, which I loved; but again only lasted for a couple of hours before needing reapplying.

Of all of them, I would go with the Smidge. You need to apply it more often than Jungle Formula, but it's DEET free and that's a real comfort for me. When it has just been applied, it's fab; but you don't get anywhere near the longevity you get with Jungle Formula.
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Re: Best Insect repellent?

Postby ratatoskr » Tue Jun 19, 2018 6:29 pm

+1 for Smidge. we're just back from several days on Rassay and it worked a charm against the midges. i also think it helped keep the ticks to a bare minimum. two of us were unwise in opting for comfort and going in shorts: he was crawling with ticks without repellent while i was using Smidge and only had one tick over the days of trail and cross-country hiking we did. anecdotal obviously but i'm convinced enough to use it again next time we're out.

the thing about it only lasting a few hours or so is unfortunately true. in a way that wasn't a bad thing because it prompted us to stop every once in a while for a tick check -- well worth it since the other guy in shorts was attracting a scary amount of tick attention -- and a re-do of the repellent. worked for me.
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Re: Best Insect repellent?

Postby Jon and Jen » Sun Jun 24, 2018 8:04 pm

Got set upon by clouds of midge in the inveruglas car park 2 days ago. 30 seconds out of the car we got bitten badly. Got some smidge on and while surrounded on all sides by swarms of the little sods I remained unbitten. Great stuff.
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Re: Best Insect repellent?

Postby Caberfeidh » Tue Jun 26, 2018 7:36 am

I heard that Vicks Vaporub is very good, and seems to put the little vampires off biting in the first place, but I have not yet put this to the test. If nothing else at least it will clear your sinuses and help your breathing...
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Re: Best Insect repellent?

Postby Arthurs Eat » Tue Jun 26, 2018 9:18 am

I was camping at Ben Alder the past couple of days. Midges weren't too bad but the clegs were from hell! Some smidge seemed to do the job.
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Re: Best Insect repellent?

Postby mrssanta » Wed Jun 27, 2018 11:53 am

I've heard tell that wearing light coloured clothing makes it less likely that the clegs will bite right through your shirt into your skin. They ruined a lovely icebreaker top I had that way :( pity so much outdoor clothing is dark....
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Re: Best Insect repellent?

Postby Ben Nachie » Wed Jun 27, 2018 12:39 pm

mrssanta wrote:I've heard tell that wearing light coloured clothing makes it less likely that the clegs will bite right through your shirt into your skin. They ruined a lovely icebreaker top I had that way :( pity so much outdoor clothing is dark....

Didn't stop the biting me when I was on Jura. Nice white linen shirt, didn't put them off one bit.

I was sat on a jetty on a small loch at the door of the Paps. I would swat the clegs when I saw them land on me. They are easy to kill that way. Their corpses would then fall on to the surface of the loch, then the trout would surface and eat them.

If Caberfeidh had been there he'd have improvised some sort of fishing rod. Probably from one or more of my long bones.
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Re: Best Insect repellent?

Postby ratatoskr » Thu Jun 28, 2018 10:59 pm

i feel compelled to add a few words about Smidge. i've just discovered to my wife's great discomfort that some people, admittedly no doubt rare, react rather badly to it. i came home from a hike in the Pentlands the other day -- well slathered in my new-found tick and midge repellent -- and she ended up having a fairly severe reaction to it: nausea, splitting headache, vomiting, etc. and that was just the smell of it! i hate to imagine what might have happened if she'd tried some herself.

the Smidge and her reaction to it died off after 8 hours or so. i'm allowed back in the house now ;) but i won't be using Smidge again anytime soon unless i'll be away from home for a day or so afterwards.

to be fair she is the proverbial canary in the coal mine: anything strong smelling and even remotely chemically will send her fleeing from the room, on a good day.
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Re: Best Insect repellent?

Postby mrssanta » Sun Jul 01, 2018 10:16 pm

Ben Nachie wrote:
mrssanta wrote:I've heard tell that wearing light coloured clothing makes it less likely that the clegs will bite right through your shirt into your skin. They ruined a lovely icebreaker top I had that way :( pity so much outdoor clothing is dark....

Didn't stop the biting me when I was on Jura. Nice white linen shirt, didn't put them off one bit.

I was sat on a jetty on a small loch at the door of the Paps. I would swat the clegs when I saw them land on me. They are easy to kill that way. Their corpses would then fall on to the surface of the loch, then the trout would surface and eat them.

If Caberfeidh had been there he'd have improvised some sort of fishing rod. Probably from one or more of my long bones.

ah well so much for that theory. Mind you, the Jura clegs must be a particularly tough bunch. I must say also that swatting the clegs always gives me a frisson of glee! that's the only good thing about clegs, that one or two second gap after landing while they hone their fangs!
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