Topic: The Best Mosquito Repellents for Camping in 2023 (Read 31 times)
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Why It Made the Cut:
Key Features
Pros
Cons
If you’re hiking into tick and mosquito country, you want to break out the heavy protection and reapply as needed. That’s when I’d reco*mend bringing Repel 100. It’s a small bottle that uses a pump applicator to spray a 98 percent DEET formula. Just a few squirts onto your exposed skin will keep biting insects away for hours.
There are two main drawbacks with Repel 100. First, the pump applicator shoots out a small amount of repellent, so it’s not great for covering your full body. Second, some campers simply don’t want to use DEET because it’s not a natural product, and it has an extremely strong odor. But, if you don’t mind a little DEET then this is one of the best mosquito repellents to store in your pack for keeping the little nasties away.
We typically think of mosquito repellent as something that co*es in a bottle, usually aerosol, and is fogged onto our clothes and skin. But, repellent lotions are an effective alternative, which I found ideal for applying to my ears and neck. You apply the Sawyer Picaridin Lotion like sunscreen, and it doesn’t leave a film on your skin. It’s also fairly odorless and lasts a long time. So long, in fact, that my eight hour test day wasn’t long enough to hit its max protection window. However, it’s not easy to apply to your whole body. And while this repellent lotion isn’t a co*plete solution, it does fill a niche in your mosquito protection arsenal. The Sawyer Mosquito Repellent Lotion lasts much longer than sprays and won’t leave a greasy residue on your skin.
If you camp and hike in an area with ticks or chiggers, there’s no better solution for keeping them off your skin than treating your clothing with Permethrin. But, it’s also an effective mosquito repellent. The caveats are that Permethrin only goes onto clothing, so you must be wearing long pants and sleeves treated with this repellent for it to work. And you’ll still need to hit spots not covered by clothing like your hands, neck, and ears with a skin safe repellent.
Permethrin isn’t like a standard insect repellent because you don’t apply right before you head outdoors. You have to apply it to clothing in advance and allow it to dry. Sawyer claims that once treated, it lasts for six weeks or six washes. If you treat your best hiking shoes, hiking shirt, hiking pants, and even your tent before you leave for the trip, you’ll be covered for tick and mosquito protection all week.
I’ve spent hours in some of the buggiest swamps in the country, and the ThermaCell MR450 made those visits enjoyable rather than horrific. ThermaCells require zero spraying or application of repellent to your skin or clothing. It’s a device with a heating element and a repellent mat warms over the element. The concept is similar to a citronella candle, but the ThermaCell is far more effective. They are so effective that I won’t hunt or camp in the presence of mosquitoes without one of these devices.
You do have to refill the fuel and repellent mats, which adds up over time. And It also doesn’t work when there’s a strong breeze because the fumes it creates are pushed away from you. But, for sitting at camp or while enjoying a meal in the backcountry this is an excellent option.
The same protection as the classic ThermaCell in a rechargeable device with an extended protection zone. One of the drawbacks to the ThermaCell MR450 is that it needs butane fuel cartridges and repellent mats. The EX90 addresses those by using a rechargeable battery and just one consumptive refill. While the EX90 isn’t ideal for taking on a backpacking trip or a hike due to its size, it is a great option for RVing, car camping, and the backyard.
Key Features
Pros
Cons
During the first round of testing for this review, the natural repellents did not make the cut due to inefficacy. I believe that this repellent from Murphy’s Naturals is different. I’ve taken this into extremely buggy mountains and while it did not co*pletely repel the biting insects, it did slow down the barrage and deterred at least some. In short, it was better than nothing, but as soon as we got to camp we found the 100 percent DEET buried at the bottom of a backpack and coated ourselves in it.
Where this natural repellent shines is in relaxed bug conditions. If you reapply generously, Murphy’s Naturals can allow you to skip the hardcore chemicals while sitting on your porch. The smell is mild and almost pleasant and there’s no sticky or oily skin feel. Though I wouldn’t throw out your other repellents just yet. I enjoy using this at home, by a campfire, or in conjunction with one of the best mosquito traps. But if there are serious mosquito swarms, opt for something stronger. —Ashley Thess
Thermacell created this lightweight mosquito-repelling device for backpackers. Sometimes you set up camp and join your group only to find the mosquitoes are unbearable. But instead of crawling into your tent early, you can screw this device into the isobutane canister you already brought to make your dinner. It will repel bugs for up to 90 hours on a 4-ounce canister. However the repellent mats that contain the active ingredient only last four hours, not that you’ll want to use your entire fuel canister anyway. Four 4-hour repellent mats are included and one water-resistant travel bag.
Mosquitoes find humans by first detecting the carbon dioxide we exhale, then they cue on our odor. Body heat is their final signal before landing when they use their feet to taste our skin to find a bite location. Most mosquito repellents work by disrupting the mosquito’s ability to smell. The repellent evaporates off our skin and the vapor doesn’t allow them to pinpoint our location.
When you’re choosing a mosquito repellent for camping, the first consideration is the product’s effectiveness. The best way to determine that, beyond reading this review, is looking at the ingredients.
Products with at least 20 percent DEET effectively deter mosquito bites. Most co*monly, you’ll see 70 or more percent DEET in mosquito repellents. While DEET is highly effective, it can have side effects such as rash, irritation, as well as vomiting, nausea, and upset stomach if swallowed. DEET isn’t the only option though, and there are other natural and chemical ingredients that repel mosquitoes with fewer side effects. A 2015 study found products with Picaridin, IR3535, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus, or Permethrin effective at repelling mosquitoes.
Once you’ve decided on the active ingredient you would like to use, you’ll next want to consider how you’ll apply the repellent. If you’re wearing shorts and a shirt, then you’ll want a spray that can cover a wide surface area. But, if you’re wearing long pants and a long shirt, especially if they’ve been treated with Permethrin, you only need to cover a small area. In that instance a lotion or small pump bottle is ideal.
I tested two natural mosquito repellents and a repellent wrist band that didn’t make the cut. They were cut from my best mosquito repellent for camping list because they did not effectively repel mosquitoes. The wristband only protected the area around the band and did not offer full protection without using a lot of the product. And the natural repellents simply didn’t prevent bites. However, I am continuing my test on natural products and will update this review once I find alternatives that work.
100 percent DEET is still the most effective mosquito repellent over long periods of time, but Picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus, and Permethrin are also effective at repelling mosquitoes.
The best way to keep mosquitoes away from a campsite is to use a mosquito repelling device like a ThermaCell.
Mosquito repellents for camping range in price from about $10 to $50. The price typically depends on the technology used and the amount of repellent in the bottle.
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Camping is more fun without mosquitoes and while there are many products that work well, the key to finding the best mosquito repellent for camping is choosing the one that best fits your needs and camping style.