The Best Insect Repellent

Unfortunately, for many of us the great outdoors comes with an unpleasant and potentially unhealthy price tag. Flying and biting insects, such as mosquitoes, chiggers, ticks, and fleas, are always waiting for new targets in the deep woods, camping sites, and even backyards. Commercial insect repellents do a good job of keeping most pesky bugs at bay, but they are not all created alike. It's important to understand what the ingredient list actually means.

If your plans include venturing into the outdoors, especially at dusk or during humid weather, you'll definitely want to consider applying a generous amount of insect repellent to your skin or clothing. To learn more, keep reading our buying guide, which has all the details you need to make an informed choice. For deep woods situations, our top choice is Sawyer Products Premium Permethrin Clothing Insect Repellent. Though it's for clothing only, it contains a powerful insecticide as its active ingredient to keep pests at bay.

See the full article and recommendations by Michael Pollick on Chicago Tribune's website here.