… unfortunately midges see me as some kind of eat as much as you like buffet, and travel from miles around to dine on my blood.

This time however i’ll be visiting them on their home turf in Fort William (for the World Cup) and i’m anticipating severe blood loss and mass irritation.

I’ve already got a head netting thing coming, but assuming the weather is worthy i’d like to get some skin out. Any suggestions for repelant?

Don’t know if this is going to make things worse, but i’ve just had a sizable tattoo done on my calf/shin, so anything that’ll work on that too would be good!

Avon’s Skin so Soft.
It works, even the SAS use it !

It’s the reason I have an online Avon account and my wife doesn’t !

A lot of people swear by Avon Skin So Soft spray (the blue one). It does stop them biting but will also make you feel like a chip and get called Stavros by your friends. They just sort of die in the grease.

I had some nice lemony stuff once called Shoo that as I remeber worked pretty well, and it doesn’t have DEET in it.

Someone told me eating marmite helps but that might be bollocks.

Now I just put up with getting bitten and take Piriton tablets to reduce the irritation.

Skin so soft is not bad but it makes you look like you have just done a shift in the local chip shop. Get your hands on some of the stuff made from bog myrtle, smells a bit funny though.

They never really bother me, but then again I’m from even further north than Fort William, immunity is in the blood I guess.

I just let them bite me, never seems a problem. We’ve all got to eat, after all.

+1 for skinsosoft, also tried sprays with NEEM Oil in them and it seemed to work well.

Stay away from DEET, it works but kills your braincells at the same time.

+1 on the antihistamines too. I take Zirtek for my hayfever and it greatly reduces the reaction to the bites when you do get bitten.

http://avonshop.co.uk/shop/product.asp?src_page=topten.asp&level1_id=&level2_id=&pdept_id=&dept_id=&pf_id=4982

At last years event I used anti-histamine tablets, very effective. I’m sure they still bite but the bites do not swell up or get irritable.

Take all the organic, tofu-based, dolphin friendly, aroma-herbal, because-I’m-worth-it creams and lotions recommended above.

But carry a big eff-off tub of DEET for when the going gets tough 🙂

Just keep it off your helmet.

Can also try StopBite – seemed to work OK last year
http://www.stopbite.com/

Tempted to try Autan (not DEET which rots clothes, but the other stuff that’s spose to stop ticks and mozzies too).

Both Marmite and Gin (taken orally, not topically) is rumoured to have an positive effect too.

Ah, the first sign of summer on STW – the first midge thread. Somebody will be along soon to ask for advice on tyres for dry hardpack.

Definitely Avon SSS as used by the military, Scottish Hydro and others. Doesn’t smell too bad, is cheap compared to stuff like Autan, and leaves your skin lovely and soft

If DEET rots clothes what does it do to your skin?

I also find eating Sh*t loads of garlic also seems to work. You might be a bit stinky when you start to sweat it out tho! 😆

Another vote for SSS here too – recommended

What you want is a big tub of MTFU! 😀

DEET is what I’d recommend and it doesn’t “rot clothes” but it does tend to melt plastics so if you wear natural fibres (cotton, wool etc) then you’ve nothing to worry about. It’s fine on your skin although you wouldn’t want any in your eyes or mouth.

The increase in the strength beyond about 50% DEET doesn’t provide and more protection but it does provide longer protection so you don’t have to top up.

As for that link that organic355 posted well I’m not taking any sort of advice from that source for a number of reasons, not least of which is that it sells

Nutritional supplements, self help CDs, homeopathic and flower remedies

, as well as the fact that even a quick skim through the article shows cherry picked statistics and questionable sources.

I use citronella oil, a few drop on my clothes or bag etc.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citronella_oil

What you want is the Avon SSS Bug guard. Basically Skin so soft plus SPF and a replent. They seem to have picked up on how the normal stuff was being used and made this. Also looks a bit more manly than the normal stuff. used it last year and works a treat, even May in Scotland.

johnkigriff – where did you find the bug guard stuff? It used to be only available in the US.

I got mine last year off of ebay from the US (as you say couldnt get it over here), but a quick look on google and I found it on Amazon in the uk

SSS bug guard

Smear Jam (any flavour) on exposed skin….doesn’t stop them biting but it rots the little buggers teeth!

I hear wearing pink lycra works…give it a go and let us know the results

Another vote for Skin so soft – used it for 10 under the ben and was fine!
Lovely soft skin bonus – sorry best MTFU!

+1 for DEET based products. I know its not the nicest but it does keep the little feckers off.

“Someone told me eating marmite helps but that might be bollocks”
Apparently if you build up the levels of vitamin B complex in your system this is supposed to make your blood taste like sh!t and the midge’s can tell and leave you alone. You need to do this for approx 2 weeks before you go to the west coast of Scotland. Personally Its like Dirty Harry saying “did I eat 5 jars or 6.” “Go on mountain biker make my day!”

Brewers yeast tablets are more effective than marmite, so I’m told.

Yeah – but what are they like on toast?