Sawyer Products Premium Permethrin Insect Repellent for Clothing, Gear & Tents

We received the Sawyer Premium Permethrin Insect Repellent Spray to test and were impressed with how easy it is to use. I sprayed it on my hiking boots and outdoor gear—it goes on wet but dries clear and completely odorless. It didn’t stain or leave any residue. Looking forward to it repelling ticks, mosquitoes, and other insects, on my next hike.

I'm an avid outdoorsman and don't like using too much insect repellent. I frequent tall grasses and often get ticks and chiggers, along with mosquitoes if I go unprotected. Permethrin to the rescue. I've been using it for over two decades applied to my clothes to keep the little varmints at bay. Sawyers blend has very little odor once dried. I've tried the agricultural variety of 10% and it also works, but it has a distinct petroleum odor that Sawyers doesn't have.Sawyers recommends applying 4.5 ounces to each whole garment, including shoes and socks, and reapplying every 6 weeks or 6 washings whichever occurs first. Instead of applying it to the whole garment, I apply it around all the openings where ticks and chiggers (red bugs) can gain access just to make it go further. That includes the pants waist, zipper and cuffs, and the shirt neck, waist, and sleeves. I also apply it along the back shoulder areas to keep mosquitoes from biting. Overall, this stuff is great and I rarely get any bites from aforementioned bugs.

I just came back from a nine-day trip deep into the Peruvian jungle -- into the reserve part of Manu National Park. It was an incredible journey! Fantastic nature, and incredibly isolated and pristine (an area never disturbed, and still inhabited by non-contacted peoples). But ahead of time I was extremely nervous about mosquito bites, because twice in the last ten years or so I have been to the emergency clinic with dozens of bug bites and a very strong allergic reaction to them. I practically obsessed over what to do to prevent mosquito bites as much as possible, because I have had such a strong reaction to bug bites, and the jungle is certainly full of mosquitos and other biting insects!.I am very happy to say that everything that I did worked -- I got very few bites, and I didn't even notice them until I searched for them. Everyone else in our group got plenty of bites, and they were itching like crazy, but not me!!!Here is what I did and what I brought:1. I have a Peruvian friend who is a doctor. He told me to take Vitamin B complex every day for a week before the trip and every day in the jungle. I used these: Nature Made Super B Complex Tablets, Value Size, 360 Count2. I bought two bottles of this Permethrin spray and very carefully sprayed ALL of my clothing, carefully following the directions on the bottle. I sprayed all of my clothing at home in my garage, and then packed it all in these giant ziploc bags: Ziploc Big Bag Double Zipper, Large, 5-Count (by the way, those bags were great for packing everything and really helped to keep things from getting too damp in the 100% humidity jungle!). I sprayed the three pairs of hiking pants I brought, three long-sleeved shirts, all of my thick hiking socks, and my sunhat (both sides). I put extra spray at all openings - pant cuffs, shirt cuffs, and shirt button seams.While there I always tucked my pants legs into my socks. The tour company had suggested wearing a cotton t-short under long-sleeved shirts because the mosquitoes bite through clothing, but I never did that; I didn't need to as I just didn't get bites through the Permethrin-sprayed clothing. This stuff really worked, as I did not get bites through my Permethrin-treated clothing!3. I took the antihistamine Loratidine (generic for Claritin, this one: GoodSense Allergy Relief Loratadine Tablets, 10 mg, 30 Count Bottle) as a prophylactic every morning, to prevent my strong reaction to bites. This worked GREAT -- I did get a few bites, as I could see the tiny red dots, but I didn't feel anything at all from them! I took only enough for the days that I was in the jungle. In the two days in Cusco before returning to the US I started itching a little on a couple of bites. In hindsight I should have taken a few extra tablets to take in the next few days after the trip. (Another hint - some people get drowsy on this stuff; I tested it first at home before going on my trip. There are other OTC non-drowsy antihistamines you can try if this doesn't work, like the generic for Zyrtec.)4. I bought DEET. In my paranoia about insect bites and my prior reaction to them, I bought several different versions of DEET -- spray, wipes, and lotion, but I used only this spray, and only three times: Repel 94101 6-Ounce Sportsmen Max Insect Repellent 40-Percent DEET Pump Spray, Case Pack of 1. That bottle is plenty for lots of people; to minimize weight and volume in your pack you might even want to put it into a smaller travel-sized spray bottle. I sprayed the backs of my hands, and then wiped from the backs of my hands onto my neck, cheeks, and forehead.5. I had a mosquito head net that I purchased many years ago. Amazon has others but not the one that I have, so I can't give a link. I used this only two or three times when the mosquitos were especially thick. I had sprayed this also with Permethrin before leaving home.6. I also brought with me an over the counter anti-itch creme (hydrocortisone), and a prescription-strength anti-itch creme (Clobetisol). I never used either one!!!!! But my travelling partners sure were happy that I had it so they could use it! I also had Sting Eze (StingEze Max2 Insect Bite Itch Relief Dauber, 0.5-Ounce), but this too I never needed, and my travelling friends were very happy to use.I worried a LOT before the trip about getting mosquito bites and my reaction to them. Really worried. I questioned my sanity for going! But with this Permethrin spray and everything else I did to prep, I had NO problems with mosquitos and I was able to totally enjoy the trip!!!!

> Dry, treated, clothing has only a slight unobjectionable odor -- even though the (liquid) spray smells like kerosene. Based on 10 days of use, I noticed NO difference between my treated and untreated clothing -- no smell, no stiffness (or other difference in texture), no discoloration> It is hard to find meaningful directions among the caveats and warnings. Do NOT overlook the warning that you MUST pretreat the clothes and let them COMPLETELY dry before use. Completely dry means different things in different climates. I strongly suggest leaving the clothes to dry in your garage or patio, maybe for at least 4 full days in the summer in Arizona, or for at least two weeks in the winter in Chicago. Do NOT spray on human skin, nor to clothing while wearing the clothing.> The sprayer head is not installed on the 24oz bottle. The sprayer tube is coiled , and hard to straighten. But it is important to straighten it in order for it to reach the bottom of the bottle.> According to the instructions (if you can find them), you should use at least 3oz garment or 6oz/outfit; to spray until lightly soaked enough that there is the small color change when the fabric has been wetted. In my experience, thin fabrics wetted very easily; while heavy fabrics (such as pants) required much more spray to become wetted. So, in reality, thin fabrics should be "soaked", while heavier fabrics require only enough to "dampened". It is impossible to tell if dark socks have been treated, so you just need to use your best judgment for those. Be sensible -- you don't need to treat the interior surfaces of your tent or sleeping bag; you don't need to treat the portion of your socks which will be in your shoes; you don't need to treat in inside crown of your hat, etc.> According to the instructions a 24oz bottle can theoretically treat 4 outfits. However, spraying fairly lightly (in my opinion, just enough to cover all of the surface), it took me about 9–10 oz per outfit (shirt, pants, socks, and hat). Since I had only 4 or 5 ounces left, I finished the bottle off on thinner spots (mostly underarm and crotch). So, it took me the full 24oz spray bottle to treat 2 outfits.> The yellow plastic bottle is opaque, so the instructions to use at least “3oz/garment”, is rather useless anyway. Plan on using a 24oz bottle to treat no more than 2--3 adult outfits.> The instructions imply that the sprayed fabric functions largely as an “emitter” surface for evaporating or sublimating molecules of the mosquito repellant. That is, that the total area of fabric surface is important. In that case, you should also treat the rims and tops of hats, backpacks, etc. That also implies that it makes sense to store clean, fully dry, treated outfits in ziplock bags – especially for travel, so that you don’t contaminate your other clothing.> Take the “safe for humans" claim with a large grain of salt. Note that the liquid spray is TOXIC to cats. The liquid spray is not healthy for humans either. I suggest wearing a long-sleeve shirt, long pants, a hat, eye protection, gloves, and a face mask when applying the spray. Spray OUTSIDE, from the upwind side, best in a very light breeze. Even using these precautions, my eyes were lightly stinging and my throat felt constricted a half-hour after treating 2 outfits. Note that although a paper mask will not stop gaseous chemicals, it will stop most particulates, including liquid droplets -- so a simple paper mask should greatly reduce inhaling the spray. If you have a more advanced respirator -- use it instead of a simple paper mask.> The liquid chemical is nasty and incredibly persistent. I made the mistake of rinsing out the used bottle in my kitchen sink -- after which it took days and 3 or 4 very vigorous and thorough scrubbings with harsh detergents to clear it out of my sink. So, keep the liquid (including any treated clothing which is not absolutely COMPLETELY dry) out of your living space. Discard the bottle immediately when you are finished (even if you've got a little leftover).> HOW WELL IT WORKS - I prepared a set of clothing for a trip to the Amazon (Brazil) in December-January, and wore the treated outfit for about 10 days (including one washing). To the best of my knowledge, I suffered no mosquito bites -- but there were actually few mosquitos. Subsequently, at home, after just two washings, mosquitos seem to be biting through treated clothing. So, while this may be the best option for treating clothing -- I wouldn't rely on it. You also need to choose appropriate clothing (loose, covering as much skin area as possible), and use a Deet-containing repellant on all exposed skin.

If you have ticks, and if you cut your own grass, get this stuff. Spray it on your shoes, outside of socks and pant legs. It keeps tick, chiggers, etc from using your clothing as a ladder. On clothing only. Get a repellent with DEET for exposed skin.