DEET = nail polish remover

“On the Cumberland Island trip, I had put clear nail polish on my fingernails (and wish I woulda had some along for chiggers.... anyhoo... )

I put on "Sportsmen Formula" REPEL Insect Block with 20% DEET. It's a lotion. Was I ever surprised to later find it had half taken off my fingernail polish!! Not only half taken it off, but -- since I didn't know this was happening -- I wasn't supremely careful and got all kindsa crap in the soft polish on my nails. All week long they had gross junk on top of them, embedded in what had been soft polish.

So, all I can say is YUUUUUUUUUCKY!!! I always do toenail polish, but will never do fingernails again when I'll be using DEET!!!!!!

It's just friggin' unbelievable!”

“DEET melted part of my camera case last summer. Scarry stuff!”

“I had an insulated mug that had a picture painted on it. I was drinking coffee one morning while camping and I had DEET on my hands. Guess what. There is no longer a picture on my mug.”

“It takes the lettering off T-shirts too!”

“A few drops of that "Ben's 100" leaked out of the bottle and melted the dashboard on a friend's truck.

Watch Out for that 100%....”

“WOW! I had no clue!! And now all the DEET horror stories come out!!!!!”

“We've all been exposed; that's why we're the way we are!”

“I heard a climber accidentally sprayed some on his rope once, and it parted, and he fell to his death. Honest. Really.”

“As bad as the stuff is, it is still probably the best repellant of black flies and mosquitoes.

BTW try a few drops on your lips. Same effect as Novocain.”

“I usually spray the stuff on my hat. That was a great idea until it rained. The stuff washed into my eyes and got on my lips, and I experienced the numbness that lumberzac is talking about.”

“yupp, happened to me once...I got it on my fingers and somehow it ended up on my lips. talk about numb.

Also leaked onto my bedroom dresser. Messed up the wood stain.”

“...mind numbing..”

“Can you snort it?”

“What the heck are you worrying about nail polish? LOL”

“I just got the Silva catalog and in it there is a warning, Like to hear it? here it goes!

"insect repellents containing DEET will cloud the plastic of the compass and remove its markings"

Streamweaver”

“And it's Great for tooth-aches!”

“A certain son of mine (who shall remain nameless to protect the innocent) once accidentally sprayed some 100% DEET in my mouth. It also numbs the tongue and throat. That can make swallowing a bit tricky.”

“And it's a kick-ass breath-freshener!”

“So what sort of damage is it doing to the CNS when it does that, skully?”

“Good questions. Most organic solvents have been found to cause cancer in mice. Thankfully I'm not a mouse.”

“Woo hoo! SS called me a "girly girl!"

And I just thought -- like most others think -- that I was just a surly, bad-tempered, tell-it-like-it-is girl, who has... errrr... BALLS. (You shoulda seen my editorial last week. It got a snippy reponse from a city councilman. LOL)

WAIT!!! Does DEET remove balls??!”

“Only if they are plastic.”

“"And it's Great for tooth-aches!"
Tilt
03:43:37 PM
12/03/03
ignore this user


Does this mean it should be kept in your trail first-aid kit?”

“And it makes a great dessert.”

“No, it's a floor polish!”

“It's a floor polish, ... and a dessert, ... and nail polish remover, clears the sinuses, ... and bugs just hate it.”

“just keep it away from BOB and you will be fine”

“I could get you some stuff from work Lizs that would do a better job then DEET!


Just let me know.

8)”

“Left a bottle of 100% DEET in the pocket of my float tube in my garage. It leaked out in the heat and melted right through the bladder, massive hole. I just thought the damn thing was low when I got to the pond, so I blew it up and kicked my way out. Oops”

“How many guys even notice fingernail polish?”

“I've read not to use DEET on small kids, it's supposed to affect brain development. Also read not to use any concentrated form (more than 20 or 25%) for extended periods or directly on skin.

Sounds like rough stuff, but it sure as heck does work.”

“Maybe Ms CMB sprayed some deet on CMB's ahead to numb it and, thus, get a proposal. LOL.

lizs - I was reading up on toenail fungus and discovered that toenail polish can prevent the toenails from breathing freely and, consequently, add to the danger of toenail fungus starting. Since backpacking means wet feet from water and sweat, one could be asking for trouble by coating the toenails. They are not normally visible to others, so why bother? It's probably OK if you go barefooted.”

“I learn something new everyday.”

“DEET (98%) comes in a PLASTIC bottle!”

“which eventually leaks in the car trunk!”

“interesting”

“DEET:
N,N-diethyl-3-methyl-benzamide (N,N-dimethyl-m-toluamide)

DEET is absorbed through the skin, so it is important to use as low a concentration as is effective (10% or less for children) and as small an amount as is necessary. Up to a certain point, protection against insects increases with higher DEET concentration, but even low concentrations will protect against most bites. Some people experience irritation or an allergic reaction to DEET-containing products. DEET is toxic and potentially fatal if swallowed, so care should be taken to avoid applying repellent to hands or face or anything a child might put in the mouth. DEET should not be applied to areas with cuts or sores or around the eyes, since permanent eye damage can result from contact. High doses or long-term exposure to DEET have been associated with neurological damage. DEET can damage some plastics and synthetic fabrics, such as nylon and acetate, so be careful not to damage clothing or camping equipment.”

“Ahhhhhhhh, but we love our DEET!

Nowslimmer, hmmmmm... I *might* have toenail fungus!! >8-O

My toenails are kinda yucky yellow. So I wear colored polish to make them look nicer, especially in the summer with sandals.

I sometimes put clear polish on my fingernails to help protect them. They crack. (They, however, are NOT yellow, gotta get THAT straight!! lol)”

“But yes, you could have it, but I am not qualified to call it. Yellow was mentioned in one article. There are different types of it. You might want to have it checked, as it may be curable.

For a little education first, I suggest you do a goggle search. A very large number of people do have it.”

“Catskhiker, that plastic bottle is most likely coated (the inside) with teflon or something similar that's resistent to organic solvents. That's why plastics engineers get paid the big bucks.”

“Forgive my ignorance, but I find little sense in packaging a product in plastic (coated or not) that dissolves plastic. Perhaps a synthetic material that DEET has no effect on makes more sense to me.”

“I am so glad to catch this thread. After being munched on severly on a Hobb's cabin trip I bought some "sportsman" anti- bug stuff (w/deet) and tucked it away for the next adventure thinking I was finally bugproof. Now I am going to go fish that container out and store it elsewhere for the time being. And make sure I use a barrier to protect my freshly done manicure!!
As for the toenail nastiness, it can be very hard to irradicate, polish or no. I went on the 6 month treatment to help one bad toenail, and it did almost clear, however it came back and the best defence is clean and dry. I work in a nursing home now and it seems toenails "go funky" first in the majority of folks.
Well thanks again for the info and I hope I didn't gross anyone out.”

“welcome, rocksee.

Would accuse you of being a troll (as is par for the course around here) but you seem real enough. LOL!”

“hey lizs- I speak and walk with truth and beauty. (and I have lived many an adventure)”