By Conrad Trautmann (N2YCH)

QRPer.com is a great resource for all of us field activators. Thomas (K4SWL) posts about all kinds of nifty tools and things to help us while doing our field activations. He recently posted a story about Red Oxx bags (I think I need one), also a recent post about insect repellents, which made me wonder if he’d consider a guest post about “No Fly Zone” clothing. These are clothes made of insect repellent treated fabric. I asked, Thomas said yes, so here’s my story…

A few years ago, I decided to try and activate all of the parks in the State of Connecticut. During my quest, I was out in the parks a lot…often coming home complaining of bug bites, and covered with and smelling of Deep Woods Off bug spray. If there are 100 people in a room with me and one mosquito, it will find and bite me first. I simply attract any flying, biting insect. I’m a bug magnet. I just accepted the fact that getting bit up and dousing myself in bug spray was going to be part of my quest.

Then, my very supportive XYL, Dianne, decided to gift me two shirts from LLBean’s “No Fly Zone” collection. That was a game changer. These shirts work. Bugs hate them. The shirts are long sleeve to cover your arms with a collar that can be turned up and used to cover up your neck.

Conrad, N2YCH wearing an LLBean No Fly Zone shirt and Peter, K1PCN at POTA park US-1815, Little Beaver State Park in West Virginia

My first outing with one of these shirts was amazing. I called my wife from the park to tell her that the mosquitos were leaving me alone, except for my head. I said, “I wish these guys made a hat out of this material.”

Voilà, Dianne found me a hat, too!

Conrad, N2YCH, wearing an LLBean No Fly Zone hat and shirt at POTA US-1716, Silver Sands State Park in Connecticut

The web site for Burlington Fabrics, the company who manufactures the fabric, says this:

“No Fly Zone® Insect Repellent Technology is a permethrin-based technology that converts gear and garments into long- lasting, effective, and convenient insect protection.

The main ingredient, permethrin, is a man-made, contact insecticide, structurally similar to a naturally occurring chemical derived from the dried flowers of the Crysanthemum.”

The web site claims it will remain effective for 70 washes. So far, mine are still working just fine after a few years. Seeing how effective these clothes have been, Dianne has gotten me more shirts to add to my collection, including some short and long sleeve Tee’s and even a pair of socks.

Connecticut is home to the town Lyme disease was named for and we do have ticks here. I’ve been bitten once, thankfully not by one with Lyme disease. To combat this, I wear the LLBean insect repellent socks along with Merrill Moab 3 boots to discourage them from jumping up on me. Recently, I discovered that Columbia Sportswear makes “Insect Shield” clothing, including pants. I bought a pair of their Cargo pants and they worked great paired with my LLBean socks, shirts and hat.

Conrad, N2YCH wearing Columbia Insect Shield Cargo pants, Merrill hiking boots and a light gray LLBean No Fly Zone long sleeve T-shirt. With Peter, K1PCN at POTA US-0020, Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

One nice thing about the Columbia pants is that they have an adjustable elastic drawstring at the ankle cuff that you can pull tight to keep critters out. Insect Shield’s home page says that their fabric is also treated with permethrin. On a recent POTA outing on our way to the Dayton Hamvention, I was completely left alone by the hoards of flying insects at US-1815, Little Beaver State Park in West Virginia. No bug spray necessary.

Conrad, N2YCH wearing a gold LLBean No Fly Zone long sleeve T-shirt with the Connecticut POTA Activators Support Your Park Spring gathering at POTA US-1728, Wharton Brook State Park in Connecticut

Activated all Connecticut Parks

Thanks to my wonderful and supportive XYL who supports my hobby (and probably enjoys the peace and quiet when I’m off doing POTA), I did finally get to and activate all 150 parks here in Connecticut, most of them while wearing my No Fly Zone shirts and hat. They really work and I recommend them for a bug free activation.

If you’ve been following my field reports for any length of time, you’ll know I’m a huge fan of activating in wooded, remote, and sometimes… bug-infested places. But one thing I never take lightly is protecting myself—and my family (including Hazel!)—from ticks, mosquitoes, and other biting bugs that can really ruin an outing or worse.

Why It Matters

Ticks are more than just a nuisance. In many parts of the world—including right here in eastern North America—they carry diseases like Lyme and others that can have serious, long-term consequences. They’re not just a seasonal inconvenience; they can be a life-changing encounter if you’re not careful. And our four-legged trail companions? They’re just as vulnerable.

Mosquitoes are no joke either. While disease-carrying mosquitoes are more prevalent in other regions, we still have occasional cases of West Nile Virus, and for those who are allergic, mosquito bites can cause serious reactions. At the very least, they’re a major distraction during activations.

My Defense Strategy

Over the years, I’ve built up a toolkit of bug-defense tactics that vary depending on location, season, and bug density.

Please note: many of the links below link to Amazon and are affiliate links that support QRPer.com at no cost to you.

“Natural” On-Skin Treatments

If I’m in a place like the mountains of North Carolina—especially outside of the heavy tick season (typically spring)—I’ll often reach for more natural repellents. Here are a couple I use:

Repel Plant-Based Lemon Eucalyptus Insect Repellent
This one’s a favorite. It’s DEET-free and surprisingly effective. I’ve even used it successfully in the Maritimes of Canada, where mosquitoes can be relentless. Every time I catch its scent, it brings back memories of hiking through PEI, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick.
No Natz
A kind reader sent me a bottle last year, and it’s worked well so far in low-density insect areas. It has a milder scent than Repel, but I haven’t tested it in high-tick or mozzie zones yet.

DEET

I have a real love/hate relationship with DEET. It works, no doubt.

When I’m in an area with heavy mosquito and tick populations, I’ll reluctantly use it—but only as a last resort. I dislike the feel of it on my skin when I’m sweating. It also has this odd side effect: if it gets near my lips, it makes them go numb.

That said, it’s very effective and widely available.

Be aware: DEET can damage certain plastics and synthetic fabrics—your radio gear, GPS screens, and eyeglass frames included—so use it cautiously. Still, it’s more effective (from my point of view) than many of the natural options.

If I’m plotting activations in the backwoods of Alaska where mosquitoes are the size of birds? Yeah, I’m going to use DEET.

The brands I tend to use (although, honestly, I’m not sure there’s much of a difference because the percentage of DEET is a more important indicator) are:

Deep Woods Off – You can find these bottles in any local retailer as well. I find that their 25% DEET concentration works in most situations.
Coleman 100% Max – These bottles are small and easily fit in my backpack. It’s a very high concentration of DEET (98.11%) so I use it when in areas with a high concentrations of mozzies or ticks.
Repel 100 – These are like the Coleman bottles above (98.11% DEET) and you’ve likely seen me use them in videos in the past. I do like these pump spray bottles for backpacking.

Clothing Choice

Bug season usually overlaps with hot, sunny weather, so I wear lightweight, breathable long-sleeve shirts and trousers—typically light in color so ticks are easier to spot. I also wear a wide-brimmed Tilley sunhat, which pulls double duty as sun and bug protection.

I also pack a mosquito head net that fits over my wide-brimmed hat. Frankly, I rarely operate where I need to use this, but I appreciate knowing it’s tucked away in my backpack just in case. This net also works well if I’m hiking through an area heavy with gnats–keeps them out of my eyes!

Treating Your Clothing with Permethrin

Of all the bug-fighting strategies, treating clothing with permethrin has been the most effective for me.

I started using permethrin when traveling to rural parts of Belize where malaria-carrying mosquitoes are a real threat. I treated my hat, shirt, trousers, and shoes, and while my colleagues were constantly swatting bugs, I barely noticed them. Not one single bite.

My go-to product:

Sawyer Products SP649 Premium Permethrin Clothing Insect Repellent Trigger Spray (12 oz).

Important notes:

One treatment lasts for six weeks or six washings. When applying on your clothes, the product needs to penetrate the fibers, so apply it quite liberally almost making each article wet to the touch.
Do not apply directly to your skin. Ever.
Let treated clothing dry completely (12+ hours) before wearing

This approach is so effective, I now treat my summer hiking clothes at the start of each bug season and often re-apply half way through. I don’t live or activate in an area known for heavy tick and mosquito populations, so I can usually get away with only two treatments per year. The most important one is when ticks are most active in the spring.

There are other brands of Permethrin sprays out there as well. I typically buy my bottles via Amazon or at REI (where it’s often in stock). If you live outside the US, any camping gear or hunting store will have Permethrin.

If I’m Stationary

You might’ve noticed in some of my evening or camping activation videos that I’m running a little device nearby. It’s a Thermacell Mosquito Backpacker Repeller—and I love it.

It screws onto a standard fuel canister and creates a small mosquito-free zone. I’ve used it with great success in some of Canada’s buggiest backwoods and on the coast of North and South Carolina in the evenings when mosquitoes come out in full force. One fuel canister lasts a very long time, and I often use it with the family when camping or picnicking. Highly recommended.

Note that you’ll want to keep a stash of Thermacell refills.

Since Thermacell refills aren’t cheap, I tend to stick with other repellents if I’m only performing a short activation or, especially, in an area where the mosquito population isn’t heavy. I do use the Thermacell when I plan to do a POTA rove (thus I can use the same Thermacell pad at multiple sites) or if I plan to stay at a site for one hour or longer.

Note: If You Get a Tick

Ticks happen, even with precautions. I keep a tick puller (or Tick Key) in my wallet during tick season. They’re inexpensive, lightweight, and super effective.

If you’re bitten by a deer tick in an area where Lyme disease is prevalent, consult your doctor as soon as you can.

Often, a short course of cheap antibiotics—often just two doses—can prevent infection if started early.

Final Thoughts

I feel that staying safe from ticks and mosquitoes is part of being a responsible and prepared field operator. Protecting yourself helps ensure your activations are fun, not frustrating.

Do you operate in bug-prone regions? I’d love to hear what’s worked for you—whether it’s a product, method, or even an old-school trick passed down from a camping buddy. Let’s keep the bites to a minimum and the contacts coming in!

—Thomas (K4SWL)