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Going camping - hate mosquitoes

BerserkisBerserkis Registered User regular
edited June 2009 in Help / Advice Forum
Anyone have a good way to avoid those pesky buggers? Going camping this weekend and I would love not to come back being bitten from head to toe.

I hate covering myself with mosquito repellents, though ill probably use some, and would love to know if theres actually another way to avoid them. Ive read that taking a teaspoon of Apple Cider Vinegar should help....but I dont know if thats just a bunch of bullshit.

Any tips to avoid getting bit like crazy?

Berserkis on

Posts

  • EskimoDaveEskimoDave Registered User regular
    edited June 2009
    Nothing will completely prevent bug bites.

    The best thing is to spray yourself with lots of DEET. Its the most effective and cost effective way. Pair that with an anti-histamine cream such as Hydrocortisone. Its best used right after the bite, but you're never going to know that you got bitten until the morning, but it will help with the annoyingness of the itch.

    EskimoDave on
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  • KosenjouKosenjou Registered User regular
    edited June 2009
    50/50 mix of Avon Skin-So-Soft and rubbing alcohol. Mosquitoes, ticks, sand fleas all go running the other direction.

    Kosenjou on
  • Mr BlondeMr Blonde Registered User regular
    edited June 2009
    Another recommendation for Deet. Also get a mosquito net.

    Mr Blonde on
  • stumbleshoestumbleshoe Registered User regular
    edited June 2009
    If you can, buy some dry ice and a cheap cooler to put it in. Put this cooler, with the top open, somewhere on the edge of your campsite. The theory is that the mosquitoes are attracted to the CO2 given off by the dry ice, go into the cooler, and suffocate.

    Note: Some Grocery stores sell dry ice, but you may have to ask for it.

    Tried it once and it seemed to work - there were lots of dead bugs in the cooler the next day.

    stumbleshoe on
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  • limester816limester816 Registered User regular
    edited June 2009
    wear long sleeves and pants

    limester816 on
  • RubberACRubberAC Sidney BC!Registered User regular
    edited June 2009
    Kosenjou wrote: »
    50/50 mix of Avon Skin-So-Soft and rubbing alcohol. Mosquitoes, ticks, sand fleas all go running the other direction.

    yesss this is the oldest most effective home made anti-mosquito solution ever
    it works so good and is way cheaper than cans of off or deet or whatever

    RubberAC on
  • EWomEWom Registered User regular
    edited June 2009
    Take some lemon scented dish soap and put some on a plate, mix with water, and set a bit a way from camp. Mosquitos will be attracted by the lemon scent, and die from sucking up the soap. Also, use OFF bug spray, get a decent DEET content too. Citronela candles/torches don't seem to do much in my opinion. If the mosquitos fly directly to the torch, yeah it makes them go away, but unless you can set up an tight ring of torches around you, they get by, and come for people sooner than later.

    However, in my experience, which IMO, is quite alot, DEET does nothing to repel ticks. I've sprayed a 99.9% DEET solution, which melts through some plastics; directly on a tick that was crawling up my leg, and it did not react at all, just kept on truckin' up my leg as if nothing had happened at all.

    EWom on
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  • WonderMinkWonderMink Adventure! Candy IslandRegistered User regular
    edited June 2009
    Long sleeves and pants, preferably something thinner and light for camping. A campfire with smoke. That clears them out pretty well.

    WonderMink on
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  • ShawnaseeShawnasee Registered User regular
    edited June 2009
    What kind of friends/family do you have that make you go camping?

    Jeez, to go camping you have to be outdoors for cryin out loud.

    Did you hear what I said? The OUTDOORS!

    Shawnasee on
  • BerserkisBerserkis Registered User regular
    edited June 2009
    Who said i was being forced? I like camping i just dont like coming back with +50 bug bites which is not an exaggeration of past experiences.

    Thanks for the suggestions

    Berserkis on
  • PeenPeen Registered User regular
    edited June 2009
    +1 to heavy duty DEET. If you do use it try to wash your hands before you eat, that shit tastes terrible.

    Peen on
  • ShawnaseeShawnasee Registered User regular
    edited June 2009
    Berserkis wrote: »
    Who said i was being forced? I like camping i just dont like coming back with +50 bug bites which is not an exaggeration of past experiences.

    Thanks for the suggestions

    You like it??

    What kind of man are you?

    Shawnasee on
  • SaammielSaammiel Registered User regular
    edited June 2009
    Suck it up and use DEET. Nothing else is going to be remotely as effective at the moment. Maybe when we get bug hunting nanite swarms, but not now. Deep Woods Off should have adequate DEET content. Bug spray with like 7% DEET is not sufficient if you are truly afraid of mosquitos.

    I've never found any of the other solutions to work in a serious manner. Being careful with your tent will keep most of them out during the night, but a few will still get in probably, and that doesn't help you at all when you are not actually in the tent.

    Most of the hippie bullshit is just that, bullshit. WSJ (I think it was them) recently did a (albeit pretty unscientific) study and the natural remedies were laughably worse than a 20% DEET solution.

    Trust me, I lived for 20 years in Minnesota and during that time was actively involved in Boy Scouts. I know all about these winged hellbeasts.

    Saammiel on
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