Insect repellent?

[Dr. Fish]

My wife sells Avon and over the past couple of years now I have been using their Expedition spray. It has NO smell and has proven very effective up here in NY for mosquitoes, Black Flies, Deer Flies and the like. I have also had great luck with it down in the Everglades which is of course the epicenter of evil biting insects and in the swamps of Louisiana (ground zero for all sorts of nasties). Several of my guide buddies are now using it and have been very pleased with it. Comes in aerosol and pump spray and can also get it with sunblock in it.

[fritz]

'Ol Wodsman Fly Dope". Apply it to a kerchief or hat. It's an old repellant developed in Maine.

http://www.predatorpee.com/old_woodsman.html

[Scooter]

I still use some deet based products, but not if I'm fishing, and I won't put it on my kids. What we have been using the past few years and it works great is the Avon Skin So Soft Bug Guard, and the Bug Guard Plus (Has sunscreen mixed in with it.) It's advertised as being safer than deet products, it doesn't destroy plastics and I don't feel the need to shower after having it on me. I also have been wearing a "Buzz Off" ball cap. I have a shirt and jeans made with "buzz off" I can't say for sure that I notice a huge difference with it as I've never tried just the clothes and no repellant. ('cause I'm chicken and a realist. The skeeters around our area can be horrendous) I think that maybe this spring I will experment and try some outside time with just the buzz off clothes. (and a can of spray in my pocket if it's a failure).
Tom.

[modocdan]

For the record..................The little gizmos sold by Cabela's and others, that you hang around yer neck, don't do nothin' in my studied opinion........I purchased one apiece for my whole gang of 10 at a campout a year or two back. They're a good place to use up some batteries, but no one, not any.....thought they did anything to repel 'skeeters or any other thing. We have great luck with DEET, and the Avon stuff. Some sunscreen lotions, however, attract yellajackets and bald-faced hornets right to ya, usually stinger first..........Dan

[Whitefish]

I have owned a couple of bug jackets but have always found that the screening over the head disrupts my vision too much to be acceptable, especially in low-light situations. I'm wondering what others' experiences have been? Have I just been buying the cheap stuff? Are there brands out there that people have had success with? I'm interested in trying something that has worked for others, cause we have the ideal testing grounds up here.....TIM

[J Castwell]

I am convinced that the 3M product 'Ultrathon' is the best. I have used it in many places and have never had it fail. Especially, on the very tiny black insects in the Bahama's.