No items found.

There’s a New Best Bug Spray in Town

Picaridin hit the US market in 2005 as an alternative to DEET, the long-time (since 1946) champion of keeping insects at bay. As I wrote back in 2012 (Picaridin vs. DEET: Which Is the Best Insect Repellent?), the evidence at the time indicated that picaridin is at least as good a repellent as DEET. What’s more, unlike DEET, picaridin is odorless, non-greasy, and does not dissolve plastics or other synthetics—all significant advantages compared to its stinky, greasy, gear-damaging competitor.

Since 2012 several studies have looked at or tested different insect repellents to determine which ones are indeed the most effective at repelling mosquitoes. The basic upshot of these most recent studies? Picaridin is indeed as good as DEET, though concentration matters. In particular, for maximum and longest-lasting coverage you’ll want to look for products with 20 percent picaridin, the highest concentration currently available for sale in the US.

Full article and recommendations from Matt Heid on Appalachian Mountain Club's website.

LAST UPDATED

October 21, 2023

Written by
Photo thumbnail Blog Author

Appalachian Mountain Club

Media Mentions from Appalachian Mountain Club

Founded in 1876, the Appalachian Mountain Club is the oldest conservation & recreation group in the U.S. The outdoors is calling, join us!

Explore More Content

Media Mentions

Much of his work centers around telling stories of underserved voices. He documents indigenous stories, especially up in the Arctic, and stories from the BIPOC community that revolve around their connection to the outdoors.

Pro Photo Supply Retail

Media Mentions

There are ticks on the GR11! I would highly recommend treating all of your gear and hiking clothes with a permethrin solution. I like Sawyer’s Permethrin Insect Repellent for clothes.

Brett Kretzer

Media Mentions

When we tested this lotion picaridin insect repellent from Sawyer, we were impressed with the simplicity of applying this formula and how effectively it worked while spending time outdoors. bility to detect or identify its target.

Erica Puisis