Insect shield ineffective against Alaskan mosquitoes

Yes, Chena Dome. Bugs bad just after the “shelter” and for about the next two miles or so. Still a lot of water up there this year, probably due to the heavy snow year.

I dislike DEET and will pull out my bug shirt when it gets bad. Everyone I know who spends large amounts of time paddling canoes in the Canadian arctic wears one. The guides I know in Alaska also use them.

http://www.bugshirt.com/products/elite/

I will wear nothing beneath it when it is hot.

While most experiences related here are similar to mine (posted above), some are very different.  So judging from this thread, the effects of repellents will vary, Including how long they last, how much is needed to be effective, etc.  But substantial % DEET seems to be the bottom line for many.

One illustration of the variances reported on this thread are experiences with coils.  Have used them in campsites for decades, and they have always been very effective.  But for some others, not at all.  I did mention that some brands are not effective.  I use PIC brand coils, and stashed a long term supply; and see they are still available, including from Amazon.  (Many products have become less effective with the advent of EPA restrictions, like silnylon for example.)  Did notice in the fine print on other brand labels that their composition was different from PIC’s, which also may account for different results.

As for totally different results from DEET, after re-reading this thread, I’ve no idea why experiences vary so much.  Only know that mine remain constant in the NE US and Rockies, including repellence of the tiny black flies in the NE US; but not quite so effective with the larger biting flies. Maybe it does involve different continents and regions, but don’t really know.  I’ve also noted that after a week or so of trekking, the bugs become less attracted, even tho I’ve bathed in streams once a day whenever possible.  Lots of puzzles here.

During the years when I did hike during peak bug seasons, I wore cotton mesh (finer than fishnet, but coarser than the mesh shirts of today).  They were very airy, but the weave was thick enough that skeeters could not perch and get their needles thru to the skin – ditto for the small black flies.  These were just polo shirts, but they kept the bugs from biting in areas that could not be reached and swatted.  The bare skin still required some repellent, but denim pants and the mesh polos really made hiking much more enjoyable.  Alas, the shirts wore out as cotton will do, and after looking for years, never found anything quite like them.

I’m done with the DEET. Don’t like the stink, how it melted my compass, the weight…

These days I just use a head net and put my jacket on and my hands in my pockets if things are really bad.