[pct-l] Re: [BackpackingLight] Consumer Reports Mosquitos/Ticks article

[Robert Logue <robertl@iname.com>]

--- David Spellman <david@indigoweb.photopro.com> wrote:
>  Hey, Waitagoshdarnminutethere! How about unlurking and giving us the
> Cliff Notes version?
>
>  david

I am uncomfortable republishing copyrighted material, plus I had read
the article on a brief visit to a relative's home and didn't want to
work too much from memory. I have now purchased the CR issue so I can
work first hand from it:

CR tested a dozen or so products, mostly containing DEET (7% to 100%
concentrations). The non-DEET products, with the exception of a
permethrin product, were very or totally ineffective. The two highest
rated DEET products repelled mosquitos for about 12 hours per dose and
ticks for about 9 hours per dose. As you might expect, these two
products were also, by far, the most expensive per use (about $2.00).
More interesting to me, on a cost basis, were a couple of other DEET
products that provided protection for only 6-9 hours, but were far less
expensive per use ($0.11-0.24).

Because of copyright restrictions, I am not willing to reproduct the CR
table of results. However, my next purchase of a DEET repellent will
probably be either "Muskol Ultra 6 Hours" or "Bugout".

I feel a little more comfortable talking about permethrin because I know
about it from non-CR sources. For those not familiar with permethrin, it
is an insecticide (not a repellent) that one sprays on their clothes
(NOT while wearing them). Once the permethrin dries, it retains its
effectiveness against mosquitos for about 24 hours and, more
importantly, against ticks for about 2 weeks. Clearly, permethrin is the
product of choice in tick country for long distance hikers.

Other items of interest in the CR article: some info on diseases spread
by mosquitos and ticks; instructions on the safe use of DEET; LYMErix, a
vaccine against Lyme disease; and a section on the CR testing methods.
If you are interested, please read the article for yourself. If you
cannot find the June 2000 issue of CR, it is available online at the CR
website at http://www.consumerreports.org. An online subscription costs
$3.95 per month, but you can always cancel after one month <g>. IMHO,
the article is worth more than $3.95.


> Robert Logue wrote:
> >
> > UNLURK >>>>>>>>
> >
> > Check out the June 2000 issue of Consumer Reports for an
> interesting
> > article on mosquito and tick repellents.
> >
> > RETURN TO LURK MODE >>>>>>>>
>


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