3M Ultrathon Bug Repellent seems to be heading off market

[peakbagger]

My favorite DEET based bug repellent 3M Ultrathon lotion seems to be hard to get of late. It has got 34% DEET and some sort of polymer mix that limits skin absorption so it lasts longer. I have been using it for 20 years including the years I was sectioning on the AT. I found it longer lasting than Bens 100 and seems to have less of a solvent effect than the 100% Deet mixes.

I did try a picaridin based product a couple of years ago but I managed to sweat a bit of it from secondary contact in my eyes. Definitely not an experience I would ever want to repeat, it took 24 hours before my eyes returned to normal.

I picked some up on Ebay but it just seems to be harder to get.

 

[TEO]

My favorite DEET based bug repellent 3M Ultrathon lotion seems to be hard to get of late. It has got 34% DEET and some sort of polymer mix that limits skin absorption so it lasts longer. I have been using it for 20 years including the years I was sectioning on the AT. I found it longer lasting than Bens 100 and seems to have less of a solvent effect than the 100% Deet mixes.

I did try a picaridin based product a couple of years ago but I managed to sweat a bit of it from secondary contact in my eyes. Definitely not an experience I would ever want to repeat, it took 24 hours before my eyes returned to normal.

I picked some up on Ebay but it just seems to be harder to get.

Sawyer has a 20% DEET lotion that they call "controlled-release." My family has used the old 30% version, which worked well, but I'm not sure how the newer formula works.

 

[viewnathan]

Sawyer has a 20% DEET lotion that they call "controlled-release." My family has used the old 30% version, which worked well, but I'm not sure how the newer formula works.

I've heard good things about Sawyer products, but I haven't tried their DEET lotion yet. I'm a bit hesitant about switching to a lower concentration, as I've found higher DEET percentages more effective for longer periods. Plus I’ve heard somewhere that applying lotion with DEET should only be done once a day. So if lower concentration means shorter protection period but cannot reapply.

 

[Remix]

I have seen it at NH LL beans.

I like it too. I tried a liquid spray deet and the black flies started to land after 17 minutes.

BTW, Without any repellent, the record deer fly harassment was 1.4 miles over in the Pharaoh State Wilderness in NY.

 

[KRooney]

I found 3M Ultrathon lotion listed on Amazon/

 

[TEO]

I've heard good things about Sawyer products, but I haven't tried their DEET lotion yet. I'm a bit hesitant about switching to a lower concentration, as I've found higher DEET percentages more effective for longer periods. Plus I’ve heard somewhere that applying lotion with DEET should only be done once a day. So if lower concentration means shorter protection period but cannot reapply.

In the case of the lotions, the concentration does not reduce the time of efficacy. They are designed to last somewhere between 11-14 hours (I don't have a bottle currently with me.)

There's a good primer on bug dop here: https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/insect-repellents.html

The fact that Picardin repells flies better than DEET, as well as having comparable efficacy for mosquitos and ticks, and that it does not damage plastics, are reason enough for me to switch to Picardin. (I still carry a small bottle of Ben's 100 in my 10 Essentials Bag, but I rarely use it.)