Which mosquito repellent do you guys recommend ?

[uvasag]

I've seen a lot of mixed reviews for all kinds of bug repellent. Some swear by Deet and some say it's full of chemicals and not good for you. I recently saw a product called Superband on Amazon but again with mixed reviews. What do you guys recommend ?

[Alaskanb]

Consumer Reports has just released a review of repellents. http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2015/05/what-really-works-against-bug-bites/index.htm

We use spray or towelettes with picaridin -- Avon makes ones as do other companies. Just do an Amazon search and you will find a variety of products.

[AKStafford]

I do Ben's 100% Deet. It may make me sterile, but at least it keeps the bugs off.

[OCruisers]

OFF Backwoods for sportsmen! It comes in convenient 1 oz. plastic containers (easy to carry around) and can be found mainly in places that sell hunting and fishing equipment. ;)

 

LuLu

[amymoore]

We used the clip on battery operated fans by Off. They worked well, we didn't stink and weren't sticky. We will definitely use again.

[ozark74]

Been to Alaska 4 times and have never taken bug repellent. If you are doing the inside passage you should not need it. Most of the time the ships leave port before the mosquitos get bad.

[brentp]

Funny you should ask. I have always used a 25% DEET product or better - it works. My wife, wanted to look into alternatives many because she didn't want to use DEET on our grandkids out in the yard. She bought a lemon eucalyptus spray at Target this spring, tried it out, and she felt it works just as good as the DEET stuff.

 

I was skeptical, but the consumer report tests were very timely. This and picaridin based products were rated very high. Is it safer than DEET, CR says it is, but I don't think anyone has a definitive answer to that yet. Anyway, this lemon eucalyptus oil product will be in our bag headed to Alaska in a few weeks.

[bottom-dragger]

Been to Alaska 4 times and have never taken bug repellent. If you are doing the inside passage you should not need it..

 

 

 

yes, you don't need it in SouthEast

Edited May 19, 2015 by bottom-dragger

[xlxo]

Another vote for skipping in the SouthEast. The only place I saw it used in my August trip was Liarsville with those flies.

[kennicott]

It will be most interesting to see how products from the Consumer Reports' list of top-performing products, which contain 20 percent picaridin and 30 percent oil of lemon eucalyptus, play out when used by many in the Alaska Bush. I have never had the opportunity to try any of these new items, but intend to try at the first opportunity.

 

I am a big fan of Consumer Reports, and have been for over 60 years, honest comprehensive testing and unbiased opinion, almost always. It appears to me they are onto something here, about time we had new innovation in the bug repellent area----which works. When I was a kid growing up in Alaska all we had was a product called 6-12. Mom would smear it on us when we went out with her berry picking, etc. It was like getting smeared with molasses. Then in 1958 a new product hit the market here in Alaska, "OFF". It was great, like rubbing after shave lotion on or something and it smelled good, wasn't sticky and most of all it really worked well. That was a very great day when I first tried it, on a sport fishing trip in the heart of Alaska mosquito country in late June. That was when civilians got their first taste of "Deet". Johnson Wax came out with it after developing it under a military contract for the armed forces, if I recall correctly.

 

I never have had adverse effects from Deet, neither have my kids or grandkids, that we know of anyway. But we always have been careful to use the lighter stuff, like 10% Deet or less, directly on our skin and on the kids. Must admit, it does get a little worrisome at times when you see what concentrated Deet will do to plastics.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2065339

Edited May 19, 2015 by kennicott

[cayennered]

Been to Alaska 4 times and have never taken bug repellent. If you are doing the inside passage you should not need it. Most of the time the ships leave port before the mosquitos get bad.

 

 

Ozark...looks like we are on the same cruise. So happy to hear that we may not have a big problem with mosquitos, because I have a real problem with them! I'll come with spray just in case. Thanks for the information.

[caribsun]

Coleman's 98 % DEET, can be found in camping supply stores.

[travelin_nat]

We purchased a cream from REI for a trip to Honduras. It worked great, will definitely use it again.