100% Deet – How to Apply

I rub it in with the backs of my hands. Edit: Just a little, couple of drops.

Do you just use a few drops on each arm and neck? Or do you use more?

Maybe 2 drops on the back of each hand, then 2 drops on the neck and 3 drops per arm if wearing short sleeves. For the arms I put the drops directly on my arms and then rub that around.

This is good advice. I should have figured this out years ago, but I suppose I'm not too bright. My hiking watch is half melted from all of the deet I've sprayed on it. I don't even want to know how much of that stuff I've gotten in my mouth.

I recall the instruction of my REI "Jungle Juice 100% DEET" stated 4 to 6 drops. When I used that stuff, 6 drops was all that's needed — one application in the morning and another in mid to late afternoon:

Face/ears – 1 drop
Neck and top of shoulders – 1 drop
Arms – 1 drop on each
Legs – 1 drop on each

More is not better. The drops are pretty oily, so one drop can spread pretty far and wide. Also, there's absolutely no need to cover all skin surface.

This may be a derail, but this past weekend I used some 20% picaridin solution and it worked pretty great. The effects didn't seem to last as long as 100% Deet, but I much preferred the feel and smell of the picaridin. It's really a personal preference, but I thought I would throw it out there since it seems that lots of people don't know about it.

I think it's silly that the main brand is called Natrapel because that puts off a lot of people who have had poor performance from natural bug dope. Still, the picaridin worked well and I went out without permethrin treated clothing. I think if I treated my clothing the picaridin would be just about perfect.

Apply Deet very sparingly. A bit goes a long way and you don't have to worry about damaging your gear. Recently I saw someone using heavy application, but the results were no better than using a few drops.

I like to put 2 drops on one of my arms and then rub it on the other arm with out it ever touching my palms or back of my hands. I do the same with my legs and neck.

DEET *will* be absorbed in to your blood stream and it will get to other parts of your body. So even if you apply to your left arm it will eventually get to your right arm …and to your central nervous system.

The mechanism of action not only blocks mosquitto senses "blinding" them, recent studies suggest mosquitoes intensely dislike the smell. So yes dabbing it all over the place works better but keep in mind it will be absobed in to your bloodstream so little dabs are good lathering yourself up probably not so good.

I use Jungle Juice and LOVE it. Having said that, using a lot of it and often is probabbly bad news.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DEET

http://www.naturalnews.com/001586.html

Word of caution from personal experience… Be extremely sure you keep it away from your eyes. I once used a sprayer and accidentally had it pointing the wrong direction. I've never felt anything sting so much. Luckily, I had a bandanna in a known location in my pack and repeatedly flushing my eyes with water meant that I could see again…