[BigV]

Originally Posted by wolf

Absolutely the DEET.

I recommend Deep Woods Off Sportsman. That's the little blue pump spray, not the green pump or the green spray can. In fact, avoid the can alltogether, as it has much less DEET than you really need.

When I went camping with my happy new-age hippy friends, they wore than natural crap and scratched their welts, while I wore the Off with extra DEET which is like one of those personal force-fields from the David Lynch Dune ... seriously, the bugs would be flying in and about two inches out suddenly become disinterested and fly off in another direction. Of course, it would have been cooler if they hit the DEET barrier and drop straight to the ground like Wile E. Coyote hitting a canyon wall, but you can't have everything. So what if the stuff causes birth defects down to the seventh generation of people who walk past you while you're wearing it. You won't get bit by any bugs.

That is *exactly* how it works:

How DEET works -- DEET works in part by masking the insect-attracting odor of carbon dioxide and lactic acid given off by the human body. At very close range, DEET appears to work primarily by interfering with an electrophysiological homing mechanism in a mosquito's antennae.

DEET is effective in relatively small amounts provided it is spread evenly and completely over all exposed areas. DEET, however, has little "spatial activity," meaning that nearby, untreated skin is still vulnerable. Factors playing a role in a repellent's effectiveness include its DEET concentration, the frequency and uniformity of application, and the number and species of mosquitoes attempting to bite. Evaporation and absorption from the skin surface, wash-off from rain or sweat, higher temperatures, or a windy environment all decrease effectiveness.

How does DEET work in preventing mosquito and other bug bites?
Although DEET containing products have been used as insect repellants for over 40 years, the exact mechanism that DEET works in preventing insect bites is not completely understood. The most likely hypothesis is that DEET affects the insect’s ability to locate the animals on which they feed. Mosquitoes have special receptor antennae that can sense chemicals produced by humans and animals allowing the mosquito to locate their target. Some scientists believe that DEET effectively disturbs the function of these receptor antennae. (4)

What concentration of DEET works best?
DEET containing products come in numerous different concentrations ranging
from 4 to 100%. The effectiveness of DEET is not concentration dependent. 10% DEET products are just as effective at preventing bug bites as 40% DEET products; the difference is that the higher percentage products have a longer duration of action. A product with 23.8% DEET offers protection for approximately 5 hours whereas a product with 6.65% DEET provides protection for an average of 2 hours. (2) Products containing over 50% DEET are more likely to cause adverse reactions including skin annoyance and eye irritation. (3) All things cons idered, adults should use a DEET containing product with a concentration of between 10% and 50% DEET, depending on the length of time that they will be outdoors.