Re: [pct-l] mosquitoes - help!

[Dave Encisco <dencisco@rotorwiz.arc.nasa.gov>]

>From: Birgitte Jensen <bjensen4@juno.com>
>5) Personally, I cope with mosquitoes by going dry/climbing high

BJ, you can't get high now and escape the mosquitoes. I was up on the
Tablelands last week and the mosquitoes are worse than at 8000 ft.
Fortunately there's a constant breeze above timberline. Unfortunately
I was stuck in my bivy one night at Tamarack Lake where there was
fewer mosquitoes (lower elevation), but sweltering heat. Those few
mosquitoes made my life far more miserable than the ones above 10,000
ft.

As for mosquito prevention, there are two companies I detest: Cutters
and Dr. Shoals <sp?>. So has anyone had Cutters last longer than 15
minutes (15 is max. for me). And what's with the change in
adhesiveness of Dr. Shoals moleskin? Anyone notice the difference?

I agree with the person that said DEET is your only defense. I never
use it because it does weird things to my nylon clothes and I always
seem to poison myself with it (you learn quickly not to pick your nose
after applying DEET). Instead, when mosquitoes are bad, I wear a long
sleeve loose fitting quick dry shirt (white of course), mosquito
netting over my head and always camp in a windy/breezy location if
possible. I conservatively use Cutters on my legs when hiking.

When I was a kid my dad would always equip us with mosquito
netting. Doing a lot of my youth backpacking in the Ochocos in Oregon,
those in the family who couldn't take the mosquitoes were weeded out
quickly. It's part of the experience and every experience has two
sides to it; it's just unfortunate that one side is so relentless.

Dave

===========================================
        Dave Encisco
        dencisco@rotorwiz.arc.nasa.gov
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