Volunteer Fashions In Bug Country

[slowp]

I will be spending a day next month on trail maintenance. I don't know what I'll be doing. The trail is mostlyin the wilderness, so no Barbie Saw.

I also suspect the work will be in one of the buggiest, swampiest areas here. An area where the wilderness ranger's so hated to go to, they sent the newbie there, over and over. So, is it too nerdy to wear a bug net over the hardhat?

Fashionistas? What do you think?

 

[Gologit]

For bugs? Wear any darn thing that works. Screw fashion.

Oh, wait a minute. You said fashionistas. I don't quite qualify. But I'd still wear anything that kept the bugs off and if anybody laughed I'd ignore them.

 

[paccity]

i hear fuzzy animal stickers keep them away.

 

[Philbert]

I spent some summers in the great north woods, working at a canoe camp. Got tired of smelling like a chemical factory, so I went a few years using a bug net instead of DEET.

Fashion aside, the net keeps them away from you, so the buzzing bothered me less. Trade off is slightly reduced visibility, and the DEET also protects against ticks, at places like the ankles and wrists.

For your situation I might bring both and see what works. Under the right conditions, you might be able to sell your net to a less prepared volunteer for enough to buy a second Barbie saw.

Philbert

 

[hammerlogging]

For bugs? Wear any darn thing that works. Screw fashion.

Oh, wait a minute. You said fashionistas. I don't quite qualify. But I'd still wear anything that kept the bugs off and if anybody laughed I'd ignore them.

Absolutely. You can give it a few minutes to see if its necessary, then slip it on. Bring an extra or two, the fashionistas will be paying a super premium within a few short hours to match your style.

Reminds me of the crews on the tenders when I worked commercial salmon fishing one summer. Tobacco for us trapped out on the water for extended periods, who might have run short, could cost a real premium.

I have some bug spray back in my truck bed stashed in there with my saw gas and stuff, I've gotten funny looks from loggers but damn, when the gnats are driving you nuts just lacing on the calks for the day, getting ready, a couple squirts sure does help the attitude. Within a few days, whatever crew, there's always a good majority reaching in for a squirt.

 

[slowp]

i hear fuzzy animal stickers keep them away.

This net thing comes in a little box. It is a Coleman product, I think about $4.00. Of course it has to have some camo fabrid on it, right on the top so maybe the bugs won't see you?

When the Used Dog and I went into that area a couple weeks ago, I think the 100% DEET just attracted more of the buggers.

 

[Samlock]

The chemicals won't work especially if you keep sweating them out of your skin. If there is a lot of black flies too, using a net may be a safety issue. The black flies have a bad habit to stuck in your eyes and if you loose your vision in a critical moment... Imagine the rest of it.

 

[madhatte]

Summer to me smells of DEET, diesel, and smoke.

 

[dingeryote]

Hang a couple stock tags off of the Pink camo Boonie hat and boots, and wear two of those new Bug bracelets.

Skeeter netting is fine if you're sitting still, but is a PITA for walking anywhere it might get snagged, let alone working.

I tried a skeeter suit the cousin sent from Tanzania once. It got packed with mud and got wet, then started to snag on everything tripping me constantly. Made me empathize with fish in a gill net.
I'll take the chemical repellents any day!

Have fun!


Stay safe!
Dingeryote

 

[slowp]

Perhaps I will accessorize with the new blue wedge in a back pocket? I would imagine a crosscut saw requires just as much wedging, if not more, than a chainsaw?

 

[Philbert]

I would imagine a crosscut saw requires just as much wedging, if not more, than a chainsaw?

I've only used a crosscut saw in a USFS bucking class. The real PITA was 'up bucking', where we used an axe handle or another piece of wood to help support the weight of the saw. But a nice, new piece of smooth, blue plastic set in a saw kerf might be just the ticket!

Philbert

 

[Sport Faller]

The Beekeeper hat's only ok if you have a rediculously huge butterfly net too

 

[huskyhank]

I use this:

Sawyer® Products - The Leader in Outdoor Protection - Permethrin

Its not just a repellent, it kills the little buggers - which gives me a warm fuzzy feeling.

If I were you I'd put this on the netting too.

 

[Joe46]

Several years ago dryer sheets were suppose to work as a repellant. When my son and hunting buddy went camping for a week in E. Wa. we took a box. Being a goofy bunch we stuck them in our hats in our socks and pants. People that pulled into the meadow where we were at tended to leave shortly there after.

 

[slowp]

Avon Skin So Soft does not work but it changes the smell of a never washed cruising vest from bad to nicer.

 

[madhatte]

Avon Skin So Soft does not work but it changes the smell of a never washed cruising vest from bad to nicer.

Heh. Had a partner try that stuff once. I'd bug him the whole way back in from the field about how "fresh" he smelled, and how I was giving up on DEET forever. Once the bottle was empty, I never saw him use anything but straight DEET again.

 

[slowp]

I had some rigging crew guys borrow it and spray it on. I bet it made the ride home a bit more pleasant.