Tried the (relatively) new picaridin bug spray (gel, actually, in my case, but there’s spray and lotion as well) this season, and I am never ever going back to DEET.
No smell, no grease, no damage to synthetic fabrics, and works just as well as 90%+ DEET formulations if not better. Tested in deep woods crawling with ticks and inundated with mosquitoes. Major success.
Just thought I’d share as a bonus for my fellow federated campers who haven’t heard of this stuff yet. 5/5 stars, A+++++ would slather again!
When doing field work, we use DEET over our clothes because we get right into mosquito country, but when I just need to spray myself or the kids in more informal situations, I definitely would recommend picaridin for just how easier is on skin. Just anyone looking for advice here, make sure it’s concentrated enough.
Note: Gel is way better as spray tends to evaporate sooner from skin, and you can pair it with a pyrethroid smoke coil, just be aware that, like most kinds of smoke, it is not good for your health.
Finally, mosquitoes are lame flyers as they exchanged strength for stealth, so a windy area might help.