Even the most seasoned hunter knows it's tough to remain motionless in the turkey woods when mosquitoes swarm your face or a tick inches its way up your pant leg. The itchy welts and tender bites left behind are bad enough, but the life-threatening viruses these pests can transmit are even more concerning.
After being diagnosed with Lyme disease as a toddler, I'm especially aware of the health risks and always take precautions to protect myself from ticks and mosquitoes in the field. While I won't let these worries keep me from running and gunning in nasty country, I rely on a few essentials to minimize my risk of picking up ticks along the way.
I put many products to the test on several spring turkey hunting missions, and these stand out as the best tick and mosquito protection for hunters.
Sawyer Permethrin Fabric Treatment
Emily Kantner
For outdoorsmen, the name Sawyer has become as synonymous with insect repellent as Kleenex is with tissues—and for good reason. Sawyer's Permethrin Fabric Treatment stands out, as it allows you to make your clothing inhospitable to ticks, mosquitoes, chiggers, and more than 50 other insects for many weeks or washings. It's also one of the top treatments recommended to WOS by tropical disease expert Michael Zimring, M.D., director of The Center for Wilderness and Travel Medicine at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, MD.
A 24-ounce bottle can coat up to five outfits according to the Environmental Protection Agency-recommended dosage, and it can keep ticks from latching on through six spin cycles. As effective as 100% DEET, the permethrin formula won't stain or damage fabrics, and it's completely odorless once dry.
I give all my turkey gear a once-over with this spray the night before spring gobbler opens, and my hat and boots get an extra heavy dousing. I've found that this one treatment lasts me the entire season and provides noticeable performance in the Northeast, where ticks and mosquitoes are all too common. It doesn't cause my asthma to flare up or irritate my sensitive skin when I apply it to my gear outside and allow it to fully dry overnight before wearing. And if you hunt with a four-legged partner, you should know this spray is dog-friendly, too.
The fabric treatment should only be applied to gear and not directly on skin, but it pairs well with Sawyer's Picaridin Insect Repellent or MAXI DEET on exposed skin for maximum protection.
Forloh Insect Shield SolAir Apparel
Emily Kantner
For those who prefer already-treated clothing, the Forloh Insect Shield SolAir shirts and pants use the power of permethrin to keep biting bugs at bay. The repellent is tightly bonded to fabric fibers to provide protection for the entire life of each garment.
But that's not all: The SolAir apparel also features cooling technology that keeps your skin a few degrees cooler on hot hunts, as well as odor control and sweat-wicking properties to prevent stink and dry quickly when you break a sweat chasing birds. And the lightweight pieces offer UPF 50+ protection for sunny spring mornings.
The Insect Shield SolAir Hooded Long Sleeve Shirt ($109) offers just the right amount of stretch and convenient thumb holes for full coverage. The SolAir Lightweight Pants ($179) have articulated knees and a gusseted crotch for full mobility, plus plenty of pockets for keeping small items within arm's reach.
On hot, humid mornings, these pieces wick away moisture and are incredibly breathable. And even on chillier spring days, the shirt works great as a protective base layer. The clothing is as comfy as a pair of pajamas and keeps pests from reaching your skin.
They come in both men's and women's styles in camo or solid colors. I found they run a little small, so size up for a comfortable fit with plenty of mobility. Like all Forloh gear, Insect Shield SolAir apparel is 100% made in the United States.
Thermacell MR300 Hunt Pack
Emily Kantner
When stubborn gobblers force you to set up in swampy, mosquito-infested areas, the wearable Thermacell MR300 Hunt Pack emits repellent to create a 15-foot zone of protection from these pests.
Much stealthier than sticky, stinky sprays or clunky, oversized devices, the MR300 is compact enough to slip into a turkey vest or clip onto a belt. The lightweight unit uses heat produced by a fuel cartridge to activate the 21.97% allethrin formula and keep mosquitoes at a safe distance. The repeller boasts silent operation and scent-free protection, so you can go undetected without swatting away bugs.
It's so lightweight and effective that I forget I'm carrying it until I realize I'm not getting bitten by the swarms of mosquitoes. The repeller is simple to use with minimal movement, thanks to its clear, oversized controls.
The MR300 Hunt Pack comes with a repeller, camo holster, clip, 12-hour fuel cartridge, and three four-hour repellent mats.
Sitka Equinox Guard Line
Emily Kantner
A great option for springtime hunting apparel, Sitka's Equinox Guard line combines its Insect Shield technology with ultra-tight-knit fabrics and full-coverage construction. The kit features a stretch hoody, versatile pants, and durable gloves for head-to-boot protection. We've tried it, and it really does work.
The Equinox Guard Hoody ($149) weighs just 6.5 ounces, is made of a polyester/elastane blend that boasts breathability and wicks away moisture, and is treated to prevent odors. It features a built-in mesh mask and snug-fitting hood plus UPF 50+ protection for bright, buggy days.
The Equinox Guard Pant ($249) has internal leg gaiters for an added layer of protection against ticks and chiggers, as well as zippered mesh leg vents and an internal grid pattern to facilitate airflow.
With an exposed thumb and index finger for trigger feel, the Equinox Guard Glove ($50) provides a solid grip and long-lasting abrasion resistance via a Cordura and suede construction.
The Equinox Guard line is comfortable, effective at blocking pests, and loaded with innovative features. Sitka's built-in face mask design has become a convenient staple for all of my hunting endeavors, and the quality is hard to beat. And with solid color options in addition to camo, these pieces can provide outdoor protection well past turkey season.
What to Look for When Buying Tick and Mosquito Protection
In addition to limited skin exposure and topical solutions, the best protection strategy includes a comprehensive combination of factory-treated fabrics, repellent spray for coating gear, and portable repeller units.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends 5% permethrin formulas for treating clothing and gear for ticks. And the EPA recognizes DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus, para-menthane-diol, and 2-undecanone as effective topical insect repellents in concentrations of 20 to 30%.
Other active ingredients, such as allethrin, have been EPA-reviewed for safety and can help repel mosquitoes from the air around you.
However, some chemicals are not approved for contact with skin or use indoors. So before using any repellent products, review manufacturer instructions to ensure they're safe for your situation and you know how to use them properly.
READ MORE: How to Treat Mosquito Bites When You're Itchy Head to Toe
