backpacking tips

“If this is in the wrong category...oops!

So since this is a backpacking site then maybe some of you far more experienced trekkers can offer me some sage advice.

Some years ago while doing a day hike on the AT I met up with a couple of thru hikers. on their shoulder straps they had attached fabric softener sheets. When asked why they said it was something someone had told them would repel the noseeum's, gnats, and other such pest. Has anyone else heard of this? Are there certain types of fabric softeners that work better than others.”

“New one on me, but using my entomology skills, I would think the fragrance would attract them.

However, if it somehow blocks the CO2 footprint, it might repel.”

“whats the stuff in skin-so-soft that is supposed to deter bugs? maybe its similiar”

“I believe that skin so soft is supposed to mask the CO2, which is a primary attactant to gnats, etc.

However, I think it takes a ton to overcome that. I think DEET works much the same way, but it takes lesser concentrations.”

“I was told once by a trout fisherman out on the river that he puts a dryer sheet under his hat while fishing to keep them out of his face.He swore it worked!”

“http://www.snopes.com/oldwives/skeeters.asp

Snopes call bullschidt.


DEET apparently blocks the receptors.

I would say the others simply mask the underlying attractants.

As a side note, Rosemary Oil kills the little #&%!$ers deader than dammit.”

“I'm not familiar with Rosemary Oil Where would I get it and is it applied directly to the skin ?”

“I wouldn't apply it directly to the skin in great quantities.

Applied directly against insect larva or adults, it is lethal.”

“I have heard of people using fabric sheets to repel bugs, but I never thought it would work. I have also heard it is dangerous to use them in bear country because the scent attracts bears.”

“

youre right, he will be attracted, but the worse that will happen is that he'll steal all of your dryer sheets
last edited: 3/26/08 8:21:18 PM”

“LOL!

See? He is groping the material. That could be you.”

“he cant hurt me. he doesnt even have claws!”

“That story about the dryer sheets went around years ago but then about five or seven years ago I began hearing it was a trail myth.”

“Bounce was the recommended brand of fabric softener sheets iirc

the best approach I have heard for gnats however was to have something white like a fabric softener sheet suspended above the hiker's head - the gnats would go toward the sheet and leave the head below it alone - as to how to suspend it - some sort of a wire contraption around head with a tail sticking up”

““Applied directly against insect larva or adults, it is lethal.”
chili
11:08:32 PM
3/26/08

So is just slapping them ;)”

“i've heard of it too...fabric softener sheets smell sweet which could attract bears...i'll take the gnats”

“I've never used them for repellent. I like to keep one in my clothes bag though. Helps to keep the change of clothes smelling better even when they're dirty.;)”

“I've used them for repellent, so -- I always keep 4 in my clothes bag, which pretty much keeps them smelling even better than yours, they're pretty much the best smelling clothes ever. -- I invented fabric softener sheets, and insects -- so if you need any tips I'm pretty much the expert on that, so --”

“I think I read somewhere that wearing lighter colored clothing attracted less insects than dark colors. The tests showed that mosquitoes were attracted to blue shades.”

“do we have another new troll?”

“I read that too -- I actually wrote that article, so --”

“in my experience DEET works the best. i have tried Picaridin and it works well but needs to be reapplied often. Picaridin smells better and is not oily. everything else is crap. for ticks the only thing that works for me is permethrin.”

“Nice. One says "dude" the other ends all posts with "so--" LMAO!

Is this what trolling has become? How sad.”

“Just don't try to use the drier sheets as toilet paper.”

“Why not? Your cheeks wouldn't stick together.”

“and your crack will be bug free”

“I think the dryer sheet thing was concocted by someone so they could easily identify gullible hikers on the trail.

Dude! Check this guy out!
He's even got a wire contraption thingy to suspend it above his head!”

“LOL, i accuse walkntom of working in the fabric softener industry”

“You all must be within the 5th cousin range of GWB, aren't you?”

“Oh brother. The Mossy debate again.

Only DEET works where there are serious mossys. If you don't need DEET, there really aren't enough mossies to be concerned.”

“f the mozzies - the question is about the gnats”

“Oh to hell with the gnats. Eat them. It's just bonus protein that you didn't have to carry.”

“I got yer bonus protein right ova'here.”

“same deal with noseeums. headnet. nylon layer. done.”

“chiggers ?”

“are you saying nigal's bonus protein comes from a noseeum?”

“chiggers - the only good option IMO is Permanone or equivalent treated clothing”

“No no nooo, my friends.
The best defense against anything that flies is the SuperSwat 2000

"From no see'ems to gamecocks - your best protection in the 21st century"

email me for more info.”

“Wear light-colored, protective clothing. Loose-fitting, long-sleeve shirts and pants made of tightly woven fabrics are best. Zippers beat buttons. Tuck in wherever possible and seal with duct tape if necessary. Finally, wear a head net.
Avoid floral-scented soaps, hair sprays, and deodorants. Biters home in on such smells, as well as sweat, body heat, and carbon dioxide. Pace yourself to avoid breathing too hard, and wear venting clothing to keep perspiration to a minimum.
Be choosy about your campsites. "Mosquitoes tend to concentrate in very isolated areas, especially around marshes and in the deep woods where depressions collect melted snow," says Bruce Eldridge, director of the University of California Mosquito Research Project. Blackfly populations, too, are greater in the vicinity of water-especially near pristine, fast-moving streams. Solution? Whenever possible, stay out of the shadows and steer toward windy areas like ridges and mountaintops. And when you pitch your tent, pick your perch carefully. "Try to camp where it's dry," says entomologist Terry Whitworth. "If you're right next to their breeding grounds, it's gonna be bad."”

“Calm the itch if the biting buggers still manage to get to you. Two multipurpose remedies for use in the field: Make a paste of baking soda and water, then dab it on the bite; or, rub on a bit of Preparation H ointment. works for TJ”

“Stuffed inside wool socks and cramped boots, your feet have every right to perspire. And they will�through more than 125,000 sweat glands on the sole of each foot. That's not a problem if your body has a typical cooling system; just hike all day, air-dry boots and socks at night, and continue the next morning in comfort. But hikers who sweat more than usual or suffer from overactive sweat glands�a condition called plantar hyperhidrosis�can find themselves in trouble on the trail. Excessively sweaty feet can increase the odds of getting blisters and infections, produce terrible foot odor, ruin socks and footwear, and create conditions for cold injuries like frostbite and trench foot.

Wear polyester or wool socks that wick away moisture. Exchange wet socks for a dry pair as often as possible. Tie the soaked socks to the outside of your pack, where they'll dry out as you hike�even in cold weather. Dry boots overnight by propping the tongues open with twigs.

Use extra-strength antiperspirant creams, roll-ons, or powders to reduce sweating and odor. Bromi-Lotion Antiperspirant cream ($12.50; americarx.com) contains aluminum hydroxychloride, an ingredient to block skin pores that's stronger than what's found in regular deodorants. Equally effective is Certain Dri Antiperspirant ($5; americarx.com), a fragrant-free roll-on with aluminum chloride that won't wash off in water, and can be applied to feet several times a week at bedtime. Fight fungus and chafing skin with Gold Bond Medicated Foot Powder or Zeasorb, a talc-based absorbent powder; both are available at drug stores.

Buy aftermarket insoles specifically designed to absorb sweat, like DryZ foam cushions ($16-$21; shoeline.com), which wick foot moisture and store it in the insole's gel-like core (to evaporate later when you remove your boots).”

“Other than well fitting hiking boots or trail shoes the best thing you can do is keep your feet clean. After hiking wash them and dry thoroughly. Apply a very thin coat of Lamisil. That's about the best athlete's foot cream on the market. Any brand of talc powder works good in the morning before you put on clean socks.
last edited: 3/27/08 4:42:59 PM”

“Hey guys, any tips for when I have that not-so-fresh feeling?”

“get a mini pad........”

“Like a Thermarest?”

“Here's my tip: Don't wear any type of clothing under a hipbelt that has large belt loops, buttons, thick seams, or anything that will bite into your skin and chafe under the pressure. Lots of people don't wear the right clothing under a hipbelt and feel discomfort and think it's the belt, but it isn't.”

“try some anti-monkey butt powder.....”

“My tip--don't experiment with plants you aren't familiar with. I passed a patch of something in the Saddlebag area outside of Yosemite, and as the mosquitos were just hatched and very hungry even my DEET wasn't working. Anyway, these plants smelled like something I thought a mosquito wouldn't like so I rubbed it on one arm to experiment. DUMB!! They loved it and called for an all day mobfest on my arm. It must have mixed with my CO2 and been some bug pherome or something!”

“All I can say is that it's a royal bltch trying to out-run a cloud of gnats wearing a full pack.

And why is it always uphill?”