We want to go bike-packing for 5 days in Argyll in a couple of weeks (once I've recovered from the plague). What's the anti-midge flavour of the month right now?
TIA
Bump me daddy
Smidge, thread closed.
Argyll, end of July. Oooft.
Take a container load, and your own pack of midge eating bats.
In Argyll just now and they are pretty intense. Smidge or high concentrate DEET work to minimise bites but the wee shites still swarm by the trillion around you. Make sure you put plenty of repellant on your legs and socks to deter ticks. Nymph ticks and dead midges look similar on a sweaty leg. Argyll is a red zone on the Lyme disease map. Not to forget the third species in this triptych of joy; clegs. They have been particularly bad during this week’s warm weather. Bites are sore and can become infected. Bite cream is worthwhile, as are antihistamine tablets.
I carry a midge hood at all times in case I stop for a mechanical. Also sensible to wear long sleeves and trousers if bearable in hot weather.
Enjoy your trip!
It's smidge, it's always smidge, just buy bloody smidge!.
Avon Skin So Soft, no seriously...
+1 for Skinsosoft
SSS is shite in my experience.
Worked v well for me. Cheap enough to take both I suppose. Given your intentions I’d be taking a midge hat, and plenty of lightweight long sleeve and long leg clothing…
Smidge will stop them biting you but won't "repel" them as such. You'll still need a headnet to stop them swarming into your nose, ears, eyes.
I'm just back from Knoydart and with Smidge on my arms and legs plus a headnet it was fine.
The clegs however will bite through clothing, can fly in 20mph winds, will chase you down and are currently swarming in clouds.
Give me nice cute midges any day. 😄
The ingredient in Skin So Soft which deters the midges is no longer in it, so it’s not much good anymore. As others have said, Smidge.
The ingredient in Skin So Soft which deters the midges is no longer in it
I always thought the point of SSS was to drown them, not repel them?
I live in Lochaber and use Smidge when necessary, although I think you do build up a tolerance of them. I don’t know anyone who bothers with SSS since Smidge got invented.
The ingredient in Skin So Soft which deters the midges is no longer in it, so it’s not much good anymore. As others have said, Smidge.
I thought there were two versions now, with an original version that still had the right ingredients
There's a load of different skin so soft products, which definitely confuses things. Also some apparently work well for mosquitoes but not for midges. IMO none of them are great for riding, too much of a skin coating, but the original body oil/dry oil spray is the one most people mean when they recommend it. Check for citronella in the ingredients. It's not so much a repellant, they'll still land on you almost as much, they just don't bite anything like as much- so it's not much good for the general horribleness of having bugs all over you. But, you can double-bag it with deet or smidge and ime that's the best overall protection short of a net.
If you're using a deet repellant and you can still feel your face you're not using enough.
Also, though, get a head net. Also a suit.
Treat your clothing (socks/trousers) with Permethrin for the ticks. DO NOT EXPOSE ANY SKIN and bath in Smidge. You will be fine.
Consider niqab or full on burka if you want to sit out in the evening.
I do recall I got a lot fitter cycling in the highlands. Could never stop so just had to pedal - all day.
Trying out Biteback Insect Repellent Same active ingredient as Smidge but about a tenth of the price. Can't say how effective this stuff is as I've only just started using it.
I hated using skin so soft, I ended up a greasy sweaty mess.
Best I found I'm sure was called IV Horse or similar. Some equine type gave my wife some. Seemed to work wonders for me. She can stand unacathed in the worst of swarms
Smidge is the answer. Its been a total game changer for me. As good has hi strength DEET without being nearly so unpleasant.
forget anything else. Smidge is formulated for the highland midge
Clegs were mental today, couldn't pedal fast enough up the hills to get away fae the bastards.
They are terrible this summer so far.
Side-stepping the issue of which repellent, I'd strongly recommend taking hayfever tablets.
They totally stop the itching for me.
What I’m gods name are clegs?
Horseflies
I’ve never tried it with midges, but insects reeeally hate anything with tea-tree oil.
You can get tea-tree shower gel, etc.
I found the essential oil in the bargain dept, in a big Tesco’s. 10ml for £1.
I’d dilute it one part tea-tree essential oil to ten parts vegetable oil.
This might be an opportunity to use your hip flask and funnel gift set.
It turns out that tea-tree oil is also very bad news for pets and you’re not supposed to use the essential oil directly on your skin (topically), and never ever ingest it😭
But, you can drop a diluted solution onto your bike helmet and clothes.
Id also carry another hip flask, (correctly labelled), with an alcohol based mouthwash. Not only can you sanitise your hands, but you can apply it to any insect bites to reduce the swelling.
Or a hand-gel may work too.
Good luck!
Midges.
Clegs.
Ticks.
I'll add that there seemed to be a swarm of jellyfish visible today as well.
+1 for smidge. Works for midges & ticks.
I have no idea what works for Clegs other than staying at home or calling in an airstrike.
I read a piece by a Special Forces vet who said 'yeah we used Skin So Soft... Mixed with DEET' I guess these things become legend.
Anything DEET but if your skin reacts to it Smidge or Autan are OK. Autan much easier to come by as Boots sell it.
Smidge is more than just autan. Its a complex mix of things developed by a university for the scottish midge.
Deet needs to be 50% at least to be properly effective.
From someone who the midges love (I’m like sacraficial protection for those around me). Smidge
Brut 33.
Repels most living things to be honest.
I wear it even outside midgie season.
Another Scottish person voting smidge.
Skin so soft is crap and its proper minging stuff too.
Or go bear grills. A big myrtly plant has save a bivvy on arran before.
doesn't surprise me Brad 🙂 East lothian and all that
Seems pretty clear what the favourite is, but anyway - another +1 for Smidge
Thanks all. I'm heading to the Isle of Mull and Argyle in a couple of weeks. Local Go Outdoors was stocking Smidge...
Best stuff (in real life) I’ve ever used was deet that I was given by an American on a rig.
Pretty sure it was not legal over here but you could see midges dropping out the air when they got in range.
Avon Skin So Soft.
Amazing stuff. I've used it in many countries and it really does the job.
The other day it completely fended off some very aggressive horseflies in my garden that were trying to devour me before I put it in.
Horseflies!
Aaarghhh. I was riding in Tuscany in 2018 and the ****ers were biting through my jersey.
Smidge....
Incognito Is a close 2nd.
Skin so soft not a repellant its just oily and stops them getting a grip.
Smidge or a bit of bogmertle. For the love of god stay away from anything with Deet in it - it melts plastics (seen ruined mobile phones, baths, lino) and isn't that good at repelling midges.
Breeze over 4mph and midges can't fly, clegs are just utter b#@t#rds.
Make sure you have tick hooks with you keep an eye on any bites for bullseye rash.
Smidge is readily available in most shops here on Mull so presumably on the mainland too.
The other day it completely fended off some very aggressive horseflies in my garden that were trying to devour me before I put it in.
in? maybe I've been applying it incorrectly? 😉
Horseflies!
Aaarghhh. I was riding in Tuscany in 2018 and the **** were biting through my jersey.
Aye. they'll bite through denim, no probs.
A Kleg got me on the kneecap the other day had a little ttrickle of blood and everything. Smashed on some hand gel (thanks covid) and its came to nothing more than a wee itchy bite. Dunno if I was just lucky or if dousing in alcohol helps but, I got off very lightly.
Just got back from Skye, breeze kept em down all week until final night when the sods were out by the billion! Couldn't leave the van door open to admire the view that night. Smidge works for me but OH got a nasty cleg bite.
All these midge threads are really putting me off going to Scotland next week in the van like we'd planned. Is it really as bad as suggested?!
Just don't visit after mid-June and you _should_ be OK... oh..
It'll not spoil a holiday if your active and moving but it can very quickly end an evening sitting out looking at the sunset. Been there: sky starts to turn orange, sun sinking.. breeze drops, clouds of the wee fkrs and 30s later, you're hiding in the tent. (Gairloch in this instance).
I’ve used Deet and the green bottle that smells like a Thai curry(lemongrass)
But best ever stuff I’ve used was Deet I was given from a mate who works in naval base
It was proper crazy stuff
Midges hadn’t even touched the skin and they were dead instant
But when doing Ben Lomond at midnight for the summer solstice it was a godsend
Rally struggling to find anything that comes close to this stuff