Elen Sentier
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
I spect I'm too late but if there's any left I'll have a go, midges think I'm a walking Sainsbury's 
Volunteers Wanted
- Thread starter woodstock
- Start date
If you need another guinie pig with the most vicious midge in existence the dreaded Galloway midge give me a shout
I would be very interested if you do another batch. I'm off to our place in Greece in May for a month and would be happy to do a comparison against Skin so Soft if you're interested. Although it doesn't come out to well here
http://areyoua.mosquitomagnet.com/facts.html
It's the best repellant for me.
http://areyoua.mosquitomagnet.com/facts.html
It's the best repellant for me.
Thats all for now folks, we have gone over what we arranged, thank you to all that have agreed to the test it its much appreciated, look forward to reading your comments feel free to post them on the forum for everyone else to read.
All posted to those on the thread apart from jiffi who get his tomorrow many thanks to everyone who took part I look forward to your comments when the midge fest begins.
As a previous volunteer, I'll put this here for reference.
During the patchy summer last year, there was one week in August that was particularly damp and it happened to be the same week some hardy folks and myself decided to converge on Dartmoor for a little meet and compare wet weather gear.
Woodstock and Fiona (Xylaria) were in attendance and by prior arrangement, presented me with a jar of their home made midge repellent, as with me being a bit of a walker, it was felt I'd make a good guinea pig to test it on, both in camp and at the various parts of the moor my restless feet led me to.
My first impression of the home made rub, was the smell.
Or to be more precise. the lack of a smell.
Now I don't have the greatest sense of smell in the world (indeed, I need to splash on an eye watering / throat irritating amount of Blue Stratos, before I can appreciate it's fragrance, which in one of life's little ironies actually seems to repel all but the most persistent/drunken women, but I digress) yet every repellent I have tried in the past has possessed sufficient pong to make me gag and filled me with the desire to thoroughly wash my hands after application. Thankfully that was not the case with the test sample, barely any smell at all and on the few occasions my limited nasal receptors did detect an odour, I was reminded of Vicks Vapour Rub. And, after rubbing some on, I wasn't left with that creeping, itchy, MUST WASH HANDS feeling...
So far, one star *
Moving on to the packaging. The sample came in a little glass jar and the jar was in a little zip lock bag, which was very handy. The jar was robust enough to withstand being dropped or sat on and the zip lock bag stopped where ever I kept it, shirt, jacket or pack; from smelling faintly of Vicks.
**
Ingredients. It is a secret recipe and having meet Fiona, I might not want to know what those ingredients are, but I was assured all the ingredients were natural, there was no deet in amongst them and I had no adverse reaction to the mix, so...
***
Irritation on application. I have no idea if this is just me, but I find some repellents either sting a bit when you put them on or leave your skin a bit blotchy after using them. Again, thankfully not the case here, it was just like slapping on a bit of cammo (which admittedly I have only done once, when paintballing and still managed to get slaughtered, but I digress once more) and there was no stinging, blotching or as mentioned above, adverse after effects, so...
****
And so we come to the most important question, do I think it is any good?
Well in a word, YES.
The first couple of days when I was walking the moor at the meet last 'summer', without any repellent (as I kept forgetting to put any on), I attracted all sorts: midges, horseflies, a cow (long story) a persistent homeless guy after a pound for the bus (longer story); so it was a reasonably varied testing ground for the repellent. On day three when I finally remembered to put some of the test repellent on, other than encountering a friendly sheep that mistook me for a Welshman, I was not troubled by anything that wanted to bite me.
And, following the meet last summer, I still had a good three quarters of a jar of test repellent left over, so I used it up whenever I popped out for a wander (which was often three or four times a week) along streams, through woodland and over moors and I was bitten a total of ZERO times.
Now you might argue that I am one of those lucky people who just naturally repels insects (and sensible women) but there were a couple of occasions when I embarked on an impromptu ramble, straight after work, without my pack (where the repellent ended up living) and on my return home after such adventures, I usually found some insect bites on either my arms, my legs or and my neck. So in my humble opinion, I'm voting for it working.
*****
I can't really think of anything else to say other than, if Woodstock and Fi progress past further testing to production of their repellent, I would be happy to part with a bit of my bushcraft allowance to acquire a couple more jars of the stuff.
Proper Job.
DISCLAIMER: I have no vested interest in this potential product, commercial or otherwise, just a guinea pig happy to retell my experience testing it.
During the patchy summer last year, there was one week in August that was particularly damp and it happened to be the same week some hardy folks and myself decided to converge on Dartmoor for a little meet and compare wet weather gear.
Woodstock and Fiona (Xylaria) were in attendance and by prior arrangement, presented me with a jar of their home made midge repellent, as with me being a bit of a walker, it was felt I'd make a good guinea pig to test it on, both in camp and at the various parts of the moor my restless feet led me to.
My first impression of the home made rub, was the smell.
Or to be more precise. the lack of a smell.
Now I don't have the greatest sense of smell in the world (indeed, I need to splash on an eye watering / throat irritating amount of Blue Stratos, before I can appreciate it's fragrance, which in one of life's little ironies actually seems to repel all but the most persistent/drunken women, but I digress) yet every repellent I have tried in the past has possessed sufficient pong to make me gag and filled me with the desire to thoroughly wash my hands after application. Thankfully that was not the case with the test sample, barely any smell at all and on the few occasions my limited nasal receptors did detect an odour, I was reminded of Vicks Vapour Rub. And, after rubbing some on, I wasn't left with that creeping, itchy, MUST WASH HANDS feeling...
So far, one star *
Moving on to the packaging. The sample came in a little glass jar and the jar was in a little zip lock bag, which was very handy. The jar was robust enough to withstand being dropped or sat on and the zip lock bag stopped where ever I kept it, shirt, jacket or pack; from smelling faintly of Vicks.
**
Ingredients. It is a secret recipe and having meet Fiona, I might not want to know what those ingredients are, but I was assured all the ingredients were natural, there was no deet in amongst them and I had no adverse reaction to the mix, so...
***
Irritation on application. I have no idea if this is just me, but I find some repellents either sting a bit when you put them on or leave your skin a bit blotchy after using them. Again, thankfully not the case here, it was just like slapping on a bit of cammo (which admittedly I have only done once, when paintballing and still managed to get slaughtered, but I digress once more) and there was no stinging, blotching or as mentioned above, adverse after effects, so...
****
And so we come to the most important question, do I think it is any good?
Well in a word, YES.
The first couple of days when I was walking the moor at the meet last 'summer', without any repellent (as I kept forgetting to put any on), I attracted all sorts: midges, horseflies, a cow (long story) a persistent homeless guy after a pound for the bus (longer story); so it was a reasonably varied testing ground for the repellent. On day three when I finally remembered to put some of the test repellent on, other than encountering a friendly sheep that mistook me for a Welshman, I was not troubled by anything that wanted to bite me.
And, following the meet last summer, I still had a good three quarters of a jar of test repellent left over, so I used it up whenever I popped out for a wander (which was often three or four times a week) along streams, through woodland and over moors and I was bitten a total of ZERO times.
Now you might argue that I am one of those lucky people who just naturally repels insects (and sensible women) but there were a couple of occasions when I embarked on an impromptu ramble, straight after work, without my pack (where the repellent ended up living) and on my return home after such adventures, I usually found some insect bites on either my arms, my legs or and my neck. So in my humble opinion, I'm voting for it working.
*****
I can't really think of anything else to say other than, if Woodstock and Fi progress past further testing to production of their repellent, I would be happy to part with a bit of my bushcraft allowance to acquire a couple more jars of the stuff.
Proper Job.
DISCLAIMER: I have no vested interest in this potential product, commercial or otherwise, just a guinea pig happy to retell my experience testing it.
Thanks KS!
Great review... if only for the made.me.smile-factor!
@shewie; if it indeed smells like wilmas nordic summer, than we have scientific proof something ideed is wrong with KS' sence of smell!
Love the smell of WNS, but I seem to be a minority in this house.
Great review... if only for the made.me.smile-factor!
@shewie; if it indeed smells like wilmas nordic summer, than we have scientific proof something ideed is wrong with KS' sence of smell!
Love the smell of WNS, but I seem to be a minority in this house.
I think KS must have had a bop on the nose at some point
It does smell just like Wilmas to me I like the smell of Wilmas too, I don't know anyone who doesn't, apart from my wife. She says it smells like smokey bacon which in my book is a good thing
Arrived today. Many thanks. Will try out and report back. Thanks
Oh, it's flammable
Steve
touched by nature
Oh, it's flammable
Steve
touched by nature
Never thought of that smear it all over light blue touch paper instant midge repellent
Wilmas, Vicks, same smell, I don't know what you folks are on about?
Then again most soap, hair wax and even the fancy cream my girlfriend applies to her face with a trowel every morning, all smell like Vicks to me too.
I think I must have the nasal equivalent of colour blindness and I guess that means my dreams of running my own perfume counter are somewhat unrealistic, best stick to gas leak investigations...
Then again most soap, hair wax and even the fancy cream my girlfriend applies to her face with a trowel every morning, all smell like Vicks to me too.
I think I must have the nasal equivalent of colour blindness and I guess that means my dreams of running my own perfume counter are somewhat unrealistic, best stick to gas leak investigations...
xylaria
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
the old man has just striped naked smeared himself completly with it and danced in the fire and not turned in to fire ball.
Well smearing it on paper doesn't do the vasaline thing, it just melts and drips as expected.
[edit] dont melt it above a pale carpet.
Last edited:
Shambling Shaman
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
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