Just thought I'd drop you a quick line regarding my first use of the All Natural Skin Protection Patches. ( To give a quick reaction they are blinking marvellous.) I know Toddy was interested.
Decided not to head too far on my two days off, just headed up to Loch Earn as I fancied a camp near water. The weather was incredibly hot and sticky, and thunder was forecast. So the midge count would be high.
Popped the patch on dry, hairless skin as advised and though there is a distinct smell of thiamine it wasn't too strong and soon died down, packed the car and headed off with mutt in tow. You need to give two hours for the body to absorb the stuff.
On arrival it was very quiet at the loch side it being mid-week. Had to do the usual tidy up after some of the fishermen and between that and setting up camp in the heat and humidity worked up a bit of a sweat. This is usually the death knell for normal repellents as they are flushed away. The beauty of this system is that the more perspiration one has the more efficacious it becomes as the body transudes excess thiamine out through the pores, so increasing the scent that keeps biting insects away. Usually at this point I'd either have either my bug jacket on, some form of anti midge juice slathered about or a smudge fire lit. None were necessary however as nothing was coming near me.
Once set up, fire lit and coffee in hand I sat down with my book to give them a sitting target. Still no insects. I could see them floating about but they were keeping their distance, well from me, they were how-ever trying to get Snoop ( my mutt) but he just stayed in the water, playing with stones.
That evening I decided to see if I was maybe just in a freak spot of none biting midges, and went for a walk over to some fishermen who were along the shore. When I arrived they were using a large arsenal of repellents, though not to great use. All were being bitten and I could see midges all around, but it was like having a personal force field.
Next morning the usual midge onslaught as the tent is exited didn't happen and breakfast was prepared in peace. Then off up the braes that shoulder the Earn. Cleggs ( horseflies) were out, and these silent assassins are a particularly hated beast for me. These also kept their distance.
I did get one bite on my leg from a midge, but considering I'd spent two days in shorts and t-shirt at a loch side in perfect midge weather I'm nothing short of astounded. Looking forward to a longer trip with them, and as a scientific approach I'm not going to tell my camping mate what I'm using or let him have any! Evil I know but we need controls in experiments if they're to work.
There are various prices on the net, roughly about 90 pence a patch, but with five patches giving you pretty much a complete week of biting freedom I'm sure they'll sell, each patch lasts 36 hours. I don't know how effective they are against ticks, as I do my best to avoid badly prone areas and keep such a constant watch that these days I rarely ever get one that gets to the sinking it's fangs in stage.
Pretty much the Holy Grail of bite protection from what I've seen so far; easy to use, low reapplication rate, no oily slicks on the skin, no bad odour, shouldn't cause cancer, and it won't destroy your sunglasses. Oh! and it so far seems to work unlike some other treatments.
Will let you know how I get on with the longer trips.
Goatboy.
Decided not to head too far on my two days off, just headed up to Loch Earn as I fancied a camp near water. The weather was incredibly hot and sticky, and thunder was forecast. So the midge count would be high.
Popped the patch on dry, hairless skin as advised and though there is a distinct smell of thiamine it wasn't too strong and soon died down, packed the car and headed off with mutt in tow. You need to give two hours for the body to absorb the stuff.
On arrival it was very quiet at the loch side it being mid-week. Had to do the usual tidy up after some of the fishermen and between that and setting up camp in the heat and humidity worked up a bit of a sweat. This is usually the death knell for normal repellents as they are flushed away. The beauty of this system is that the more perspiration one has the more efficacious it becomes as the body transudes excess thiamine out through the pores, so increasing the scent that keeps biting insects away. Usually at this point I'd either have either my bug jacket on, some form of anti midge juice slathered about or a smudge fire lit. None were necessary however as nothing was coming near me.
Once set up, fire lit and coffee in hand I sat down with my book to give them a sitting target. Still no insects. I could see them floating about but they were keeping their distance, well from me, they were how-ever trying to get Snoop ( my mutt) but he just stayed in the water, playing with stones.
That evening I decided to see if I was maybe just in a freak spot of none biting midges, and went for a walk over to some fishermen who were along the shore. When I arrived they were using a large arsenal of repellents, though not to great use. All were being bitten and I could see midges all around, but it was like having a personal force field.
Next morning the usual midge onslaught as the tent is exited didn't happen and breakfast was prepared in peace. Then off up the braes that shoulder the Earn. Cleggs ( horseflies) were out, and these silent assassins are a particularly hated beast for me. These also kept their distance.
I did get one bite on my leg from a midge, but considering I'd spent two days in shorts and t-shirt at a loch side in perfect midge weather I'm nothing short of astounded. Looking forward to a longer trip with them, and as a scientific approach I'm not going to tell my camping mate what I'm using or let him have any! Evil I know but we need controls in experiments if they're to work.
There are various prices on the net, roughly about 90 pence a patch, but with five patches giving you pretty much a complete week of biting freedom I'm sure they'll sell, each patch lasts 36 hours. I don't know how effective they are against ticks, as I do my best to avoid badly prone areas and keep such a constant watch that these days I rarely ever get one that gets to the sinking it's fangs in stage.
Pretty much the Holy Grail of bite protection from what I've seen so far; easy to use, low reapplication rate, no oily slicks on the skin, no bad odour, shouldn't cause cancer, and it won't destroy your sunglasses. Oh! and it so far seems to work unlike some other treatments.
Will let you know how I get on with the longer trips.
Goatboy.
