Underside Mosquito protection

[yardman228]

I currently have a JRB UQ and a 25 degree bag. I'm curious at what temperature others move from their cool weather set up to a summer set up. I'm also curious what you use to avoid mosquito bites from underneath.

I'm considering the following:
1) 55 degree sleeping bag such as the REI Nitrogen Travel Sack
2) Sleeping bag liner
3) DIY fleece bag with sewn foot bag and no zipper
4) DIY twin sheet folded with sewn foot box

Even when it is warm, I like to have something over me when I sleep and want it to serve double duty with protecting me from those dang mosquitoes at night. I plan to treat the underside of my HH with Sawyer 20% Picaridin but don't want to rely solely on this for protection.

[OutandBack]

I us my HH Super Shelter bottom (no pad) in summer to keep bug from attacking from behind.

[Jsaults]

nothing beats a permethrin treatment for the hammock body. And the netting.

Jim

[Cannibal]

nothing beats a permethrin treatment for the hammock body. And the netting.

...and your clothing, and your pack! Spiders freak me out; really freak me out. The thought of grabbing my pack in the morning and digging in it only to find a spider, or having a spider crawling across it just gives me the willies. Having my pack treated gives me piece of mind against those 8-legged servants of satan.

[Deadphans]

Speaking of permethrin. I went to my local outdoors shop and could not find any. Perhaps I need to look at Home Depot or somewhere?

[Bradley]

Speaking of permethrin. . . . could not find any. ?

Here it is . . .
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[txdiamond17]

I would add that permethrin is an excellent way to ward off pests. I would not however give the $16 for a 24oz. .5% mixture of it from rei. They are a great company, but that is outrageous. You can go to home depot or any local farm supply and buy it. Look for termite and ant control or the like. ALL pesticides must have the concentration listed on the label. Get one that only has permethrin and inert ingredients. A quick search led me here:

http://www.elawngarden.com/hiyield-h...=google-simple

The Hi Yield brand is often carried at your local feed store. This is a pint (16oz) bottle of a 10% solution. That is 20 times the strength of the rei stuff for much less. The only downside is you have to do the math to make it a safe level (I would use the 0.5% that the Sawyer has). Simple mix it in water in your own spray bottle and off you go. It is alot more hassle, but you and everyone you know can have a bottle for next to nothing!

[yardman228]

Thanks for the tip on local sourcing. I source all of my yard chemicals at the local farmers coop and don't mind doing the math to figure out the dilution (I'm an engineer). It has certainly proven to be very cost effective for the yard and should do the same for my hammock.

[TinaLouise]

while in my Clark hammock, in the summer without an UQ, the skeeters can't bite through. BUT.... in my HH they can. My local Feed store carries the Hi-Yield brand of permethrin and if someone here can tell me how much water to how much of it I need to mix, I'd surely be gratefull. And one more question... How often will I need to treat my hammock and backpack?? And for my backpack, I could care less if skeeters are biting it but it was mentioned that permethrin keeps spiders at bay.... I have serious "issues" with spiders!!!

Thanks,
TinaLouise

[yardman228]

Assuming that the feed store version is 10%, based on txdiamond17's link, and you want to match the 0.5% concentration of the ready made product from REI, you need to add 13 tablespoons per gallon.

1 gallon = 256 tablespoons
0.5% = 0.005

0.005 x 256 = 1.28 tablespoons of 100% permethrin

at 10% concentration, you need 10 x 1.28 = 13 tablespoons

To compare the cost of the home mixed brew versus REI purchased, the $9.39 pint of 10% permethrin will generate 2.46 gallons or 328 ounces of product.

328 ounces / 24 ounces = 13.7 bottles @ $16 each or $219. I'm all for saving over $200 to put towards other gear.