Bug Repellents
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Battle the Buzz
Three days, four bug repellents, one very large swamp.
Text by Christopher Percy Collier
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It's the little things that eat away at your resolve in the bush: the dive-bombing mosquitoes, the pesky no-see-ums, the blood-slurping ticks. To crack the bug-battling code, we tested an arsenal of insect repellents deep in the heart of the Florida Everglades.
BEN'S 100: Many swear by acrid-smelling DEET as the tough stuff that best repels bugs. But in the swamp, it gave only a half-hour break from bites, and warnings against "over application" kept respites to a minimum ($5; www.tendercorp.com).
CUTTER ADVANCED: The smell? Heavenly. Plus, Cutter Advanced, which uses nonirritating Picaridin, delivered the same 30-minute breather as Ben's. The drawback: Directions limit usage to three times a day ($8; www.cutterinsectrepellent.com).
BURT'S BEES THE DEFENDER: You'll smell like a walking citronella candle, but you'll get the same 30-minute shield. And unlike Cutter or Ben's, there's no limit to how much of it you can use ($8; www.burtsbees.com).
L.L. BEAN BUZZ OFF KENNEBAGO: Like all Buzz Off clothing, the Kennebago is treated with odorless permethrin. It didn't keep us bite free, but we liked it enough to swap our socks and pants for treated versions ($49; www.llbean.com).
Pick up the May 2006 issue for 38 amazing family escapes, wild beaches, and cool festivals, Sebastian Junger's lessons from the road, and the best bikes for summer.
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