adminTreating your Clothes with Permethrin
If there is one thing I believe we can all get behind it’s that pesky bugs like mosquitos are really annoying. Especially for hikers and backpackers who would love to enjoy their scenic travels without having to swat away bugs every two seconds. Alas, there is a solution! Well maybe not the end all be all to eliminating bugs from your hike, but it should certainly help. The answer may be treating your clothes and gear with Permethrin.
Permethrin is a pesticide that you spray on clothing to kill black flies, ticks, and mosquitoes but has no harmful side effects on humans if used properly. It is the active ingredient used in Insect Shield and Buzz Off clothing and kills bugs when they land on your clothing. You can buy Permethrin Spray in liquid form and spray it on your own clothes to the same effect. This self-applied form lasts for 4-6 washings. You can also purchase and mix the solution yourself to soak clothes in, if you have a lot of clothing you are treating at once.
Before my upcoming backpacking trip, I wanted to give this bug deterrent a try. I hate pesky mosquitos but even more so, I hate ticks. I’m always super paranoid when it comes to preventing tick bites, as the results have the potential be way more detrimental, spreading illnesses such as Lyme disease. I recently even read about the Lone Star Tick, whose bite has been known to give its victim a permanent allergy to meat. An allergy to meat?! No thanks! While I don’t expect to encounter this evil doer in Colorado, but why take the risk at all. After all, Permethrin was developed by the U.S. military to protect soldiers from insects in the jungle. It should protect me just fine.
You can buy Permethrin Spray on Amazon. A big bottle comes with a spray adapter and will cover 4 complete sets of clothing, including shirts, pants, and socks. You’ll want to read the directions carefully before applying it, but it’s not difficult to do. You need to spray it on the clothes you plan to wear hiking or for any outdoor activity in a windless but well ventilated place like a garage. When you spray the Permethrin on, you want to position the sprayer 6 to 8 inches away from the clothing you plan to treat. Pay particular attention to the cuffs of long pants and shirt sleeves where ticks will try to attack you. It’s also a good idea to spray it on your hat or to buy one that’s already been treated with Permethrin like the Outdoor Research Sentinel Brim Hat. Make sure you wear some kind of latex gloves, and avoid making contact with your skin. Permethrin is safe for skin contact when dry, but can cause irritation when directly applied to skin. Let the gear dry for a few hours and you’re all set.
This past weekend, I treated my long sleeve layer, t-shirts, pants and socks. In addition to my clothing, I also treated the exterior layer of my tent shelter, as well as the outside of my pack. After spraying everything down in my backyard, I let everything dry for a couple of hours. And just like that, I’m all set with an additional layer of protection for my upcoming adventure. This is my first time experimenting with Permethrin so I will have to wait to boast about the results. However, from what I’ve heard from experienced hikers, I will not be disappointed.
The brand I used was Sawyer’s Permethrin Spray (24 oz), which is pre-mixed to the correct concentration so you can apply it to clothing without any preparation. Other brands such as JT Eaton also sell a gallon-size of pre-mixed Permethrin, which is much more economical if you have a large amount of clothing to treat.
More about Permethrin
As a treatment for clothing, Permethrin clothing insect repellent does not harm fabrics and is odorless after it dries. Use Permethrin on clothing by itself or with skin-applied repellents to create the ultimate protective, armor-like insect barrier. Permethrin-treatments on clothing are non-toxic to humans and are registered for use by the U.S. EPA.
The active ingredient, Permethrin, is a synthetic molecule similar to those found in natural pyrethrum, which is taken from the chrysanthemum flower. Not only does this product repel insects, but will actually kill ticks, mosquitoes, chiggers, mites and more than 55 other kinds of insects.
Permethrin insect repellents are for use with clothing, tents, and other gear. During the drying process, it tightly bonds with the fibers of the treated garment. It will not stain or damage clothing, fabrics, plastics, finished surfaces, or any of your outdoor gear.
Permethrin is a contact insecticide, meaning that kills ticks or other insects when it comes in contact with them. It uses the same active ingredient used in hair shampoos for head lice. When applied to clothing, the Permethrin binds to the fabric eliminating the risk of over-exposure to the skin. As a clothing, tent, chairs, or sleeping bag application, Permethrin is very effective at keeping ticks from attaching to you and at reducing the mosquito population in your camping area. While ticks usually find you at the ankle level (be sure to treat the socks and pants) they can also climb bushes and find you at a higher level so be sure to treat your shirt as well if you are around bushes and concerned about ticks.
Sweating and exposure to water do not significantly deteriorate the application. It is primarily the agitation of a washing machine, which deteriorates the Permethrin application as it knocks the molecules loose from the fabric. For best results, Sawyer recommends hand washing and air-drying. When using a conventional washer and drier, use the gentle wash and dry cycles. Loss due to the drier is limited compared to the detergent and washer agitation. Dry cleaning removes the Permethrin from the fabric.
Permethrin Spray can last up to six weeks including through six weekly washings. All treatments are non-staining and not greasy. Always follow the directions for use on the package label. Factory pre-treated Permethrin clothing however lasts for 70 washings, and is far more convenient if you don’t want to spray your own clothing.
Source:
https://sectionhiker.com/treating-your-clothes-with-permethrin/
