A few weeks ago, I ventured up to the Eastern Sierra for a quick backpacking trip. I’m no backpacking expert — I’ve only been on a couple trips in my life — but I am a gear nerd, so my packing list was comprehensive. I packed spare trash bags to keep things dry in case of rain and I had a few extra plastic sandwich bags for trash and toiletries. I had a tent, a sleeping bag, an ultralight sleeping pad, and a merino wool t-shirt I could wear each day, plus all of the other things you need for two nights in the backcountry.
The most important thing I packed, though, was actually an afterthought. Right before I locked my front door and drove north, I grabbed the Sawyer Picaridin Bug Repellent lotion that had been sitting unopened in my gear closet for the last few months. This last-minute addition to my pack turned out to be the savior of my trip when our group was met by a relentless wave of mosquitoes.
Sawyer Picaridin Insect Repellent Lotion ($11)
From the moment I got out of my car until I returned to it two days later, the mosquitos were rampant. Save for a few hours in the middle of the day, we were absolutely beat down by mosquitos for the entire trip. The only line of defense between me and a veritable galaxy of painful mosquito bites was the humble $11 bug repellent I almost left at home.
I lathered up in the mornings and the evenings, covering as much of my body in the stuff as possible — I even put the lotion on before I donned my long sleeve shirt to keep the bloody bugs from nipping me through the fabric. Once I was fully covered, the swarms of bugs that followed finally gave up on biting. Sadly, the lotion couldn’t prevent their constant buzzing and swarming and nagging; but at least I was blessedly protected from their attacks.
But that’s why I swear by the Sawyer picaridin repellent. It’s not so hardcore that you’re afraid to really cover yourself in it; you don’t have to worry about the harmful effects of DEET or permethrin, two toxic bug repellents that you can’t always put directly on your actual skin. The lotion acts as a barrier, allowing you to leave your skin uncovered on hot days rather than layer up in repellent-treated clothing and gear. I had the lotion with me, but Sawyer also makes a picaridin spray, which doesn’t last as long but is easier to apply in a pinch, since you can just spray it directly onto your clothes and your body at the same time. From now on, I will be taking both the Sawyer picaridin spray and lotion on any backpacking trip — and I can guarantee they’ll be the first things I pack.