I picked up a bottle of Bug Protector all-natural bug repellent at the Outdoor Retailer show in Salt Lake City last summer, but didn’t have a chance to really give it a thorough testing until a recent 2-day, 26-mile hike through the well-watered, mosquito-infested high country along central Idaho’s Mallard Larkin loop. With mosquitos, black flies, and horse flies in full force, and the heat making bite-proof layering out of the question, I kept my bottle of Bug Protector in my pocket at all times for easy re-application after my profuse sweating eventually would dilute the magical bug force field that this stuff somehow delivers without the potential ill-effects of DEET-based products. I certainly don’t mind smelling like a hippie, but I did appreciate the scaled-back scent that Bug Protector leaves behind; being consumed by bugs in the backcountry sucks, but smelling, breathing, and tasting overwhelming natural bug spray 24-7 is an annoying distraction. Bug Protector was a breath of fresh air in that regard compared to other natural products. Bugprotector.com. //
