Archives for December 2018

 When I first saw the advertisement for the Thermacell Backpacker Mosquito Repeller in Backpacker magazine I thought it was a great idea, and could be the best thing since sliced bread. It showed a picture of a happy couple tucked within the safety of their Thermacell dome while swarms of disease-carrying mosquitos buzzed furiously around them. It created a force field for cryin’ out loud! Now I’ve never been a big fan of the Fantastic Four, and among them, Sue Richards came in at a solid fourth place for me. But I must admit having your own force field would be pretty cool. Just screw the Thermacell appliance into a propane canister…instant super hero. I purchased one immediately.

There are, of course, other alternatives to dealing with mosquitos and biting flies in the wild. You can slather yourself with insect repellent, you can wear long clothing and a head net, or you can be miserable. I also recently watched a video on You Tube (that I cannot unwatch) of a man powdering himself, all over, with wood ash.

He swore by it for keeping away bugs and various itches and rashes. I have not tried it, nor had I tried a head net. A head net had always seemed like it would be a nuisance. But I was heading to the Sierra Nevadas where I had experienced black flies on a prior trip. When I saw the minimal footprint, and felt the near weightlessness of the Sea to Summit Insect Shield Mosquito Head Net, I picked one up for the trip, not sure if I would ever use it.

I put them both to the test in Sequoia National Park in June.

I arrived late at the Cold Springs Campground, a backpackers’ camp in Mineral King, after a seven hour drive up from Long Beach. There were no bugs as I set up a minimal camp and went to sleep to the sounds of Soda Creek running nearby. I was hiking the Mineral King Loop and stopped at the ranger station in the morning to pick up my permit. She pointed out some areas on her map where the snow covered the trail and some areas where mosquitos were bad. I got a little excited knowing I would put my new gear to use.

I hiked over Timber Gap and at about 5 miles from my rental car I crossed Cliff Creek. I turned east and the mosquitos began covering my head, right where the ranger had said they would be. After swatting them away for about ten minutes I decided to take a pack-off break and get out my head net. The net itself only weighs an ounce. I put it on and let my glasses keep it off my face. It has a draw string to close it around your neck. I put my hat back on and began hiking again. The net is also roomy enough to fit over a full-brim hat with and still cover your neck. The bugs were kept away from my face and after about a minute my vision adjusted to the net. Airflow was good through the net and I quickly forgot it was there. It fits easily into a teeny-tiny stuff sack that is about 1 ½ “ in diameter and 2” long, which slips into your pocket. Be aware that the net is coated with an insect repellent called Permethrin. It is not noticeable but I don’t know how long it lasts or if it becomes less effective, or if it is harmful to humans or the environment. Visibility was good through the netting, perhaps because it is black.

The following morning I hiked over Black Rock Pass at 11,600’, realizing early on that my pack was way too heavy for these big mountains. I navigated my way down through snow fields and lunched at the first of the beautiful Little Five Lakes, then moved on to my pristine campsite at Lower Big Five Lake. It is hard to beat the beauty of alpine lakes.

This lake sat at just below 10,000′ so a fire was permissible but I opted to spend my remaining daylight fishing and cooking a nice dinner. The mosquitos around the lakes were bad, especially when you stopped moving, and I had become accustomed to wearing my head net. I decided first to create a “15-foot zone of protection” around my campsite using my new Thermacell BackpackerMosquito Repeller. The instructions seemed simple enough: 1) Insert mat 2) Attach canister 3) Turn on 4) Get ready for some superhero force field action (Okay, I added this last step).

Now, it is understood that I am dumber than a bag of hammers so I might have done something wrong. Either I didn’t light it correctly or it just didn’t work, because I sat next to it surrounded by hundreds of swarming mosquitos. Could I have trapped them inside the force field? Would they find my pale, withered bag of bones weeks from now, completely drained of its last drop of blood? That would be a rookie super hero mistake.  I reread the instructions and use restrictions, then tried relighting since it is not easy to tell if it is burning. But it is easy to tell if it’s not working. No luck.

After dinner I sat in my chair for a bit watching the sun set over the mountains across the lake to the southwest as the mosquitos swarmed me, but I didn’t care. At this point the Sea to Summit head net, chair, and camp shoes were all seeming like good pieces of gear worth their weight. The Thermacell backpacker, not so much.

While writing up this review I went online to the Thermacell site, watched a video, and confirmed that I had followed the lighting instructions correctly. But I also found this important piece of information: “Dependable performance up to an elevation of 7,000 feet”. This may have been stated on the original package, but I think I would have noticed. It was NOT stated anywhere on the device or instructions that I took with me on the trail.

In summary, my first impressions were way off. The head net that I thought would be a nuisance became an invaluable piece of gear, whether hiking or in camp. And the Thermacell Repeller that I thought would be very cool didn’t work at all, though I will try it again below 7000’.  I hope this restriction is now clearly stated on their packaging. Regardless, it was no Sue Richards, it wasn’t even Violet Parr.

Specs

Sea to Summit Insect Shield Mosquito Head Net

Cost: $9.95 – $14.95

Weight: 1.3 ounces

Dimensions: about 1 ½” x 2” in stuff sack

Would I Recommend: Definitely

Thermacell Backpacker Mosquito Repeller

Cost: $27.99 – $39.95

Weight: 4 ounces

Dimensions: 2.7” x 2” x 3.9”

Would I Recommend: Not at this time, but I will test it again at a lower elevation.