The Best Insect Repellent and Must-Have Accessories For the Trail

Having the proper insect repellent and accessories to keep bugs at bay will make summer hiking more enjoyable. If you dare venture outside between June and August, going prepared with an arsenal to fight off those pesky mosquitoes is essential! Summer is mosquito-hatching season and if you venture into the mountains you’ll be swarmed by them. Even with the best insect repellent, they’ll get less than an inch from you. So you want to make sure you take a good quality spray with you for summer mountain exploring.

Another bug you should be cautious of are ticks. They like to tag along for a ride off the trail on your boots, clothes an especially pets. Properly treating your clothes and gear can help reduce getting bit by bugs and hopefully keep them away from you.

Things to Know About Ticks

• Ticks are technically not insects, they are arachnids, which is par of the spider family.
• Ticks, like mosquitoes need blood to survive.
• They use their teeth to bury into the skin of their host to feed off of them for days.
• Ticks can transmit diseases like lime disease, which can turn deadly and need to be treated within 72 hours.
• You need to remove a tick by using tweezers or a tick remover, listed below.
• If you are bit by a tick, save the body to be taken to a lab for testing. They can tell you if it has any diseases.

Things to Know About Mosquitos

• Only female Mosquitoes bite
• Mosquitoes are attracted to CO2 and lactic acid. So if you’re exercising or breathing heavily outside, they will be more attracted to you.
• Mosquitoes live less than two months
• Mosquitoes are as old as the Dinosaurs!
• Most species’ flight range is upwards of 1-3 miles.
• Mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water, so avoid areas with a lot of standing water to avoid getting bit.
• Mosquitoes are the most deadly animal because they spread the most disease.

Now that we know a little more about them, it’s important to try not to get bit by one. It’s important to know the difference between an insect repellent made with DEET and those that are DEET-free. DEET is a man-made chemical found in a lot of insect repellents. It is an effective chemical for keeping the mosquitos away, but it isn’t a great product to have on your skin. I know that a strong insect repellent is important, so I’ve spent years testing out different brands and am happy to share my top three insect repellents that are also DEET-free!

Sawyer Insect Repellent

The Sawyer brand is my go-to heavy duty insect repellent. I much prefer to use a natural product, but sometimes you really need to go in with the heavy guns and this product is it for me. This insect repellant is always with me if I’m backpacking and hiking in June or venturing out to an alpine lake.

I’ll spray it on the outside of my clothes in the morning before we begin hiking and often I’ll do a second coat if the mosquitos are bad in the evening. This brand honestly works so well I rarely need a second coat. The only downsides for me is that I still feel sticky after. If the mosquitos are really bad, this is my go-to insect repellent of choice.

Repel Insect Repellent

Repel is another natural, DEET-free brand that I’ve used and had good results with. It works well for the normal outdoor experience and hiking. If I use Repel in a heavily mosquito-infested area, I sometimes still get a bite or two, but overall it prevents the mosquitos from getting to me. This one also leaves me feeling sticky after, but it’s just part of the game with insect repellent. One thing I love about this one is the smell of it over the sawyer product because the essential oils give it a refreshing scent.

Sawyer Gear Spray

The Sawyer Gear Spray is a large spray bottle that’s meant to go on your clothing or gear. I personally don’t use it on my clothing, but at the beginning of camping and backpacking season, I’ll give a good coat to my tents, canopy and chairs. This product is mostly to keep ticks away from my gear when I’m out camping.

I’ve never had a tick problems, but I love their mosquito spray so much I wanted to use this product on my gear as an extra barrier as well. It’s extremely easy to use, dries quickly and one bottle always lasts for all my gear. You can spray this on your clothing to keep ticks and mosquitos at bay, but since I’m always spraying my clothes as I wear them with bug spray, I don’t spray my clothes with this as well.

Citronella Candle Insect Repellent

I use this citronella candle by Repel around the campsite as another insect repellent. It usually only helps if the mosquitoes aren’t super aggressive, otherwise they still come close. I have two of them for my campsite, one for the table and one I keep near the fire. The smoke from the fire usually keeps them at bay, but I like to place one behind me on the ground and light it if I don’t have a fire going.

I love these candles because I’ve had the same ones for two summers now and they’ve barely burned. These candles also don’t let off an obvious scent which is nice. The last thing you want out in nature is the smell of a candle burning.

Bug Bite Thing

The Bug Bite Thing is a recent purchase from Amazon. I’ve only used it a few times, but it has great reviews on Amazon. The idea is that you use it as soon as possible after getting bit by a mosquito. I used it recently within an hour after the bite appeared and it looked like it I never even had a bite. The area wasn’t itchy and it was mostly flat after.

The next evening I started to notice the area was raised and a little red again, so I used the Bug Bite Thing again in combination with anti-itch cream. I have one of these in my first-aid kit so we can use it when we’re out camping and hiking quickly, as well as one at home.

Tick Remover

If you get bit by a tick on trial you will want to be able to remove it as soon as possible. Carrying tweezer is always an option, but they weight a little more and this tool is very compact and easy to use. You can just throw it in your first aid kit and always have it on trail.

Bug Net

When the mosquitos are really bad another option is to wear a head net as an easy insect repellant. NO matter your clothes or spray, they will still buzz around your head, which is very obnoxious! Wearing a head net will keep the bug away from you face. Wearing a net is great around alpine lakes or melting snow. Plus it doesn’t take up a lot of weight or room in your pack.

Whether you’re wanting more natural options or in need of a stronger spray, these products above will do the trick! I’ve spent years learning what sprays work for me. I would suggest trying these brands out and if they don’t work for you, then don’t fret, keep searching and you’ll find the right brands. These brands and tools works so well for me I’m confident you will like many if not all for yourself too.

Reminders

• Be sure to check the ingredients of the insect repellent to know what you are getting. Not all insect repellents work the same!

• Know when mosquitoes are the most active by reading recent trail reviews and understanding their breeding habits every spring and summer. Know where they are most common and be prepared for an encounter.

Always carry the 10 essentials with you on your hikes so you are prepared for any emergency. You can learn more about my hiking gear, here.

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