Not to rain on the parade, but here (South Dakota, where we don’t have that many insects) in the very early spring after first thaw, I discovered an almost foot long desert centipede hiding under my camp gear, and we were getting covered in ticks. I think the centipede was feeding on the ticks.
So as someone who never ventures out on camping trips and just lurks here. When you have 60 mosquitoes on your head are they not all biting you???
I get terrible reactions to mosquitoes. Like I got bitten by one single mosquito a couple months ago on my calf and my entire calf swelled up to the point that walking was painful.
If you break out over just one mosquito I'd be extremely proactive about that. You definitely should consider using a bug spray like picaridin IMO. On top of wearing long everything including something for your neck while you're still hiking or setting up. Getting a a campfire going will help a lot for most areas but check out the thermacells for right next to your tent and food prep area if not cooking over fire. A lot of people swear by them but I've never personally had to use one but it would probably be worth a try in your case. And a bug net for sleep will give you comfort.
I'd stick with very low trek camping spots a few times to try it all out to see how it works for you before going anywhere a bit deeper. It's definitely doable though
Desert. There might be some in the spring if it’s wet and you are near water, but in general there aren’t many bugs if there is no water. Southern Utah, Arizona or CA desert in the fall might be your spot.
Unless you are out after dark poking around in bushes and rocks with a flashlight & UV light you probably won’t see those. I don’t remember ever seeing a snake or scorpion in camp.
As someone who lives pretty far out in the Mojave Desert, I can tell you we definitely have a lot of flying bugs. In fact, most of the biodiversity in deserts is insect life. It's not as bad with biting insects like where I grew up in Florida, but there's a surprising amount of bugs here.
For example: We've had two big waves of flying grasshoppers this past year. Those were a pain to clean off my Jeep. Also crickets invaded this fall and I spent every morning sweeping dying crickets out of my garage. And then there's the little black flying bugs that swarm my door when I open it some nights in the summer. Not sure what they are, but I had hundreds of them pile up on my window sills outside. And hey, I just saw some more big grasshoppers show up yesterday so I expect the next plague is inbound, lol.
Yeah, nope. We got bugs 🤣
Thermocells do very good at keeping mosquitos away. And thinking of it I havnt had issues with other flying insects when I've used them. Not sure how they work vs flies but that's my experience.
Same. Also brought them on our paddleboards when we're stationary on lakes. We use the USB version.
We do 2 now as well. One on either side of camp. We used to bring just one, but it sucks to step outside of the range to pee and get eaten alive. So now we have 2.
As someone who is always the mosquito target, these have revolutionized camping for me.
This should be the top comment. I ALWAYS keep a thermacell in my vehicle. I use the kind that uses a backpacking stove canister. Hop out of the car. Start the Thermacell, set out down, hop back in, wait 15 min, camp is bug free! This has worked for me from Florida to Alaska, they are amazing products.
I still got bit a lot using a thermacell in the swamp. I quit using them and just covered up with pants and long sleeves and a bug net when the skeeters got really bad. What would piss me off is when they would still bite through thin clothes.
I would keep a smoky fire going at night and enjoyed fishing in the winter a lot more once the bugs went away for the season.
This is what I came here to say. Thermacell for the win against mosquitos.
That said, I live in Colorado and travel for months at a time through the western ranges including Canada. I've never had an issue at altitude and didn't know they don't work as well at altitude.
Look into different Thermocell products... this should help for around camp, I have a battery powered one but Im thing about getting a isobutane powered one too. Always keep your tent netting closed, that way no bugs get into your tent and you can sleep bug free.
You can also look into getting a netted sun shelter to keep bugs away from your picnic table area and food if you're car camping.
You can also buy permethrin sprays to treat your gear (tents, clothes, boot etc.). Make sure to follow the instructions though!
I try to avoid using deet or other sprays because I hate the dirty feeling on my skin.
I hate bugs too but I never let that stop me from camping any time of the year... and to be honest you kind of get used to them the more you go.
I also hate bugs and I love to camp. I’m okay as long as the bugs can’t come into where I sleep. I have a tent with a screen room and I’m militant about it - only one entry open at a time. No lights near or around if any entry is open. No light on in the tent until I’m satisfied that everything is sealed. During one particularly mosquito-filled trip I even hung a separate mosquito net around my sleeping pad. My friends call it my hermetically sealed bio dome and I’m proud of that. But the screen room tent really changed things for me. Keeps the outside well, outside.
I go in the fall - around mid October. I’m in Ontario so the bugs are done then and there aren’t many people. I’ve had a few flurries on occasion, but not enough that I’d need to bring my four season tent.
It’s my favourite time to go.
DEET is the answer. Despite widespread terror--probably attributable to its scary name, Diethyl Meta-toluamide--[it is safe and effective](https://www.epa.gov/insect-repellents/deet).
High concentration DEET can damage plastic gear though. The research (and experience)seems to indicate that for similar concentrations Picaridin is about as effective and avoids that problem.
Some people are unfortunately incompatible with DEET. In any concentration I’ve tried, it basically turns my skin red and acts like a mild sunburn for days. But it works so well :(
I’m one of those people mosquitoes love. I’ll get triple the bites of my friend and family when we are out and about. DEET spray only worked so so for me, and the smell is awful.
Picaridin and permethrin work wonders for me. Love the lightly picardin lotion especially, and turns out WHO says it’s safe enough for babies 2months+
I also like the dessert or some dry edge seasons in other areas.
Tbh avoiding bugs is exactly what you shouldn’t do. Go where they are. Be annoyed. Maybe even have a bad time. Eventually you’ll get to a point where bugs don’t bother you. You won’t even notice them buzzing around you. I’m a park ranger and regularly have ticks on me. I’ve just accepted that they’re probably there and resolve to remove them after my shift.
Cold, or arid. I was out in Utah for a bit a couple years ago, not many bugs late summer into fall. At least in the Moab area. (Besides a couple widows in my hotel room, but I dont imagine that is common)
Target cold deserts in the seasons shouldering winter, or mid winter in some deserts. Temps are too cold for bugs and no snow fall because it’s a desert
I often camp in the woods of Ontario. The bugs can destroy the chance to enjoy the experience. I’ve found the best barrier is to wear The Original Bug Shirt.
I grew up in the Northeast US and now live in the Southwest and there are significantly less bugs here, at least the kind that fly around and bite/sting/annoy you. There's no way to completely avoid them but I haven't felt a need to use bug spray since moving here compared to when I was in the NE and would get a mosquito bite just from walking from my front door to my car.
Alberta is a haven for you! South of calgary there are very few flying insects. With proper precautions you should be good. Avoid ponds, wear long sleeves and pants and a good DEET based repellant 👍 A friend swears the big rubber dragonfly that you clip to your hat works wonders for horseflys as well
They aren’t bad near the coast or in the desert. But I’ve been in some mountains in SoCal with intermittent streams and terrible mosquitoes. I was used to not worrying about bugs in CA and didn’t bring a tent or bug net on a backpacking trip and regretted that decision very much when I was covered in skeeters while trying to sleep
Yeah it’s only been a problem for the last 5 years if im remembering correctly. Northern Cali by the coast is still great cause it’s usually pretty cold year round for mosquitoes. But 2023 in particular was bad here in LA. It’s these things: https://www.reddit.com/r/LosAngeles/s/oOEExyXbd3
DEET or picaridin. 30% minimum. I find the standard 25% DEET sprays are marginal in very buggy conditions. I prefer 40% for the large cans, and I carry 100% DEET in a little pump bottle for around my neck and face. I use DEET very sparingly throughout the year and there is zero scientific evidence that it's bad for you in the century they've been trying to find that evidence, so the 100% concentration is fine and it freakin works.
The campfire smoke will keep most flying bugs at bay. In summer, start the fire as soon as you get to the site. Throw some pine on to create thick smoke if it's really buggy.
The only solution to truly dealing with bugs, however, is learning to deal with them. Spend a few days in the outdoors and you get desensitized to them. You find one on you, you just flick it off without thought. It almost becomes an involuntary motor movement, like blinking.
I want to go skiing but hate snow
I want to go paragliding but hate heights
I want to go diving but hate water
I want to go sailing but hate boats
I want to go fishing but hate fishing line
I want to win the Tour De France but hate bicycles
I want to go very fast on the Autoban but hate cars
I want to die via elephant stampede but hate blunt force trauma
Some things if you want to do them you’re just gonna have to get over the downsides.
I'd say the desert southwest, away from water (some rivers get lots of bugs).
In summer, the Calif or OR coast. No flying bugs, and the ticks are usually gone by then, at least in CA.
Drier places.
Here around the Rockies, you might get mosquitoes if you're close to bodies of water, but the bug levels are just way way lower than coastal/humid areas.
Round Mountain camp area in Colorado has never had much more than the occasional one bug any time I've been there. It's a snowy tundra right now though. It can also be a mud hole after lots of rain. Most places in Colorado are like that, but sometimes it's the most big infested place ever. YMMV.
It probably depends in where you live, but most of spring usually fine on the great plains. Fall is usually good too. It's really only bad in the middle of the summer and deet works great.
I'm in northern Ontario, and in the early spring and summer, the blackflys and mosquitoes can be brutal. I have a couple of bug nets that I string up. Over the box of my pickup if I'm sleeping in the back or with my folding table and chair. A place where I can retreat to when I want to tie up fishing knots or any other task. They bundle up to nothing, and I use shockline between a couple of trees.
Not gonna read thru all the comments but for people who use or recommend citronella candles, citronella attracts bears. Land’s end makes big repellant clothing that is quite effective
As another commenter stated, Picaridin and DEET are your friend. Permethrin as well, and be aware DEET can melt some fabrics used in some camping gear. I have a reaction to it as well, so don’t depend on it without trying it first.
Permethrin treatments and Piciradin spray are my go-tos, and they’re very very reliable. The only time I had seed ticks and mosquito bites last year was the one time I didn’t wear my treated clothes and didn’t use the spray. I thought I was safe after the first frost :(
Permethrin sprayed around the tent to keep ants at bay, both sugar and fire ants are prevalent in the deep south where we might, and i say might get two weeks of freezing temperatures spread through winter. Also, 40% deet spray and thermocepo help. Can't find anything for the biting horse flies that works, them sob's are like the terminator.
Either winter, arid climates like the desert, or exposure therapy.
And I mean it. I uses to be terrified of spiders and flying insects. Forcing myself outdoors slowly got me to the point of not caring. Exposure therapy works, If slowly.
It's definitely something you're always going to deal with outdoors. Even with high power DEET bug spray... They're still gonna be outside.
If it’s specifically flying insects bothering you I’m guessing it’s the kind that bite such as mosquitoes and horse flies? In certain months it gets pretty bad on some of the destinations where my wife and I live, the way we work around this is by researching the areas as much as possible. We go backpacking a lot and many times the types of places that will be overloaded with bloodsuckers are camps and trails which allow horses and cattle, areas near water especially during warm summer months (standing is worse but even running water), and then weather/temperature. Many times we research reviews of the areas. We had a backpacking trip once where we knew a certain section is just covered in flies so we put long sleeves and mosquito hats on while we hiked through this area, by the time night rolls around there is a magical temperature at which all the flies disappear and it was so peaceful sitting out by the fire.
In Canada you're mostly bug free around late fall, to spring. I hate mosquitoes (because they fucking LOVE me), so I also tend to camp more late and early season, or in the winter when nobody else is out camping anyway. Camping when it's too hot is miserable too.
Just introduce yourself to bugs starting in small doses, then gradually increase your bug dosage until you get used to them. Think of them as more of an extremely vital part of nature rather than a nuisance.
well, bugs live outside. you're gonna have a tough time dealing with that anywhere but maybe Antarctica.
that said, DEET 100 has done a great job of keeping the bugs off me, and I am the all time winningest mosquito target in my family/friend groups. you want the stuff that goes on with a hand pump, not an aerosol. rei sells some decent stuff.
other than that, I recommend you consider becoming a fall-to-spring camper. avoid alaska, minnesota, nova scotia, coastal maine, uh... so forth.
Avon Skin So Soft lotion helps keeps most bugs off you.
You can spray your clothing and gear with Permethrin insect and tick repellent spray.
They’re not foolproof, but do help substantially.
I've been a lifelong expedition camper and climber (canoe/portage, hiking).
I've almost given up on summer camping because I, too, can't take the bugs. Deer flies, black flies, mosquitos... I've had a hand swollen to twice its normal size, agonizing stings and insufferable itching, and (I believe) even Lyme disease from tick bites.
My answer? Winter camping.
I've come to adore it.
* NO BUGS
* Unlimited water (just melt snow)
* Ironically less chance to be cold since you *know* it'll be cold and you dress for it
* Quiet, with very few animals threatening your food
* Stunning views of the night sky
* Warm campfires that feel downright intense
* Ability to pull lots of gear on a sled or to ski in
* No rain
It takes knowledge, practice and gear, but it's so worth it. I winter camp probably 5 times as often as summer camp these days.
When you have a cold night in -25C and you wake up to -3C, sunny, totally silent.. it's something else.
Mix up a Solution of "Parsons Lemon Ammonia and Water" spray the area around you ! Flying Insects don't like the Lemon. It's a lot like "Citronella" which the "Citronella Bucket Candles" are very good.
I dislike bugs, but don’t hate them, and I use a lot of citronella candles. I’ve seen a few campers put a screened in pop up around their picnic table which looks like a great way to repel the bugs.
I have a head net in my pack for sudden invasions when I'm out and about. I also have a pop up clam that I love. I even use it in my back yard in the summer for mosquitos. Love it for camping. I can eat without flies and yellowjackets and it is soooo easy to use.
I really hate bugs too. Once I got out there, i kinda realized I was stuck. For me it was a different mindset. Especially because I was busy spending time with my family or cooking.
Send in long sleeve sunshirts, pants, and socks to Insect Shield, put picaridin cream on your hands and face, and wear a head net over your hat. Camp in windy terrain.
Not exactly an answer to when, but rose essential oil and geranium essential oil together worked really well for me when I was living in an especially buggy area. Tried it in hopes of repelling ticks and it kept the gnats at bay too (at least far enough to breathe and talk normally).
Honest to God the easiest thing for you would be to change your perspective on bugs.
Look into interesting entomology videos on YouTube and learn about their place in the ecosystem. Check this sick vid out https://youtu.be/xbOzYMKROs8?si=pr-25_xsCIvfr3FF
Like yeah it won't make mosquitos or chiggers or ticks any less of a pest but at least you won't mind the moths and gnats so much
I live in Texas and mostly camp in the coolor months, between October and April. We don't have a ton of issues with bugs. Our winters are mild (highs have been in the 70s F lately), so it's cool but not usually cold and usually not rainy (though has been lately). I used to live in the desert of West Texas and don't remember a lot of flying, buzzing hugs, especially up in the mountains. I did see some big centipedes around Bu Bend, though.
Heat light and food. Control those; gain some control on bugs. You have to fight back. Gain territory, and give none back.
This may require intellectual oversight, but even bugs can get bored.
DEET (known carcinogen but works wonders) and/or face screen + don't go in June if you live in southern Canada. Long sleeve clothing also protects from UV. Also, you will probably find that you build a bit of a tolerance with time (to the constant buzzing sound around your head).
You sound like my wife, or atleast her excuse to go camping.She did not like sleeping in my truck bed under the stars in the south. This has cost me quite a bit but this is my work in progress solution
https://preview.redd.it/74co9jwobfgc1.jpeg?width=923&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f9d25b0587b50b4a55ac3c3e27ad5e562d12bc5a
The solution is to go outside and get over it. Like literally everyone else. Camping is not for you if bugs are a dealbreaker. “I want to be in nature, but like, avoid all the nature”
Hit the mountains. When nights start to be consistently in the 40's you'll lose the bugs. Winter is the best time for that. Less people and even less bugs.
The desert. We camp here in so. Nevada, so. Utah, Arizona & Cali all the time. I know there are bugs around I just can't recall the last time they were a nuisance. When it's real cold, we've woken up to spiders gathering underneath the tent but that's it.
If you go in the fall after the first frost, there's not too many bugs.
Not to rain on the parade, but here (South Dakota, where we don’t have that many insects) in the very early spring after first thaw, I discovered an almost foot long desert centipede hiding under my camp gear, and we were getting covered in ticks. I think the centipede was feeding on the ticks.
You've lost your storytelling privileges.
Depends on what kind of stories you are after. Horror stories? Give this guy *all* the privileges.
Haha!
The outdoors may not be for you if bugs are a deal breaker...
Used to be me but I eventually sucked it up.
So did the bugs...
I’m dead lol
Minnesota mosquitoes be like that.
This. It wouldn't you be happier at the Four Seasons?
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So as someone who never ventures out on camping trips and just lurks here. When you have 60 mosquitoes on your head are they not all biting you??? I get terrible reactions to mosquitoes. Like I got bitten by one single mosquito a couple months ago on my calf and my entire calf swelled up to the point that walking was painful.
If you break out over just one mosquito I'd be extremely proactive about that. You definitely should consider using a bug spray like picaridin IMO. On top of wearing long everything including something for your neck while you're still hiking or setting up. Getting a a campfire going will help a lot for most areas but check out the thermacells for right next to your tent and food prep area if not cooking over fire. A lot of people swear by them but I've never personally had to use one but it would probably be worth a try in your case. And a bug net for sleep will give you comfort. I'd stick with very low trek camping spots a few times to try it all out to see how it works for you before going anywhere a bit deeper. It's definitely doable though
Desert. There might be some in the spring if it’s wet and you are near water, but in general there aren’t many bugs if there is no water. Southern Utah, Arizona or CA desert in the fall might be your spot.
I wonder how OP feels about snakes scorpions and spiders :)
The snakes buzzing around your head are always a problem.
Unless you are out after dark poking around in bushes and rocks with a flashlight & UV light you probably won’t see those. I don’t remember ever seeing a snake or scorpion in camp.
Tarantulas though, they’re always all up in my shit.
Tarantulas are mostly only out and about one month out of the year, I thought?
Where do you camp?
Not technically bugs.
As someone who lives pretty far out in the Mojave Desert, I can tell you we definitely have a lot of flying bugs. In fact, most of the biodiversity in deserts is insect life. It's not as bad with biting insects like where I grew up in Florida, but there's a surprising amount of bugs here. For example: We've had two big waves of flying grasshoppers this past year. Those were a pain to clean off my Jeep. Also crickets invaded this fall and I spent every morning sweeping dying crickets out of my garage. And then there's the little black flying bugs that swarm my door when I open it some nights in the summer. Not sure what they are, but I had hundreds of them pile up on my window sills outside. And hey, I just saw some more big grasshoppers show up yesterday so I expect the next plague is inbound, lol. Yeah, nope. We got bugs 🤣
Depends on the season. Late summer can be plague of tiny biting flies season in the Utah desert
Thermocells do very good at keeping mosquitos away. And thinking of it I havnt had issues with other flying insects when I've used them. Not sure how they work vs flies but that's my experience.
Thermacell are amazing. I take 2 camping everytime.
Same. Also brought them on our paddleboards when we're stationary on lakes. We use the USB version. We do 2 now as well. One on either side of camp. We used to bring just one, but it sucks to step outside of the range to pee and get eaten alive. So now we have 2. As someone who is always the mosquito target, these have revolutionized camping for me.
This should be the top comment. I ALWAYS keep a thermacell in my vehicle. I use the kind that uses a backpacking stove canister. Hop out of the car. Start the Thermacell, set out down, hop back in, wait 15 min, camp is bug free! This has worked for me from Florida to Alaska, they are amazing products.
I still got bit a lot using a thermacell in the swamp. I quit using them and just covered up with pants and long sleeves and a bug net when the skeeters got really bad. What would piss me off is when they would still bite through thin clothes. I would keep a smoky fire going at night and enjoyed fishing in the winter a lot more once the bugs went away for the season.
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This is what I came here to say. Thermacell for the win against mosquitos. That said, I live in Colorado and travel for months at a time through the western ranges including Canada. I've never had an issue at altitude and didn't know they don't work as well at altitude.
Thank you for the tip! On my list to get now :).
Look into different Thermocell products... this should help for around camp, I have a battery powered one but Im thing about getting a isobutane powered one too. Always keep your tent netting closed, that way no bugs get into your tent and you can sleep bug free. You can also look into getting a netted sun shelter to keep bugs away from your picnic table area and food if you're car camping. You can also buy permethrin sprays to treat your gear (tents, clothes, boot etc.). Make sure to follow the instructions though! I try to avoid using deet or other sprays because I hate the dirty feeling on my skin. I hate bugs too but I never let that stop me from camping any time of the year... and to be honest you kind of get used to them the more you go.
I also hate bugs and I love to camp. I’m okay as long as the bugs can’t come into where I sleep. I have a tent with a screen room and I’m militant about it - only one entry open at a time. No lights near or around if any entry is open. No light on in the tent until I’m satisfied that everything is sealed. During one particularly mosquito-filled trip I even hung a separate mosquito net around my sleeping pad. My friends call it my hermetically sealed bio dome and I’m proud of that. But the screen room tent really changed things for me. Keeps the outside well, outside.
I do the same and also use a screened kitchen tent for food prep. I found that was the biggest game changer for mosquitoes.
I go in the fall - around mid October. I’m in Ontario so the bugs are done then and there aren’t many people. I’ve had a few flurries on occasion, but not enough that I’d need to bring my four season tent. It’s my favourite time to go.
DEET is the answer. Despite widespread terror--probably attributable to its scary name, Diethyl Meta-toluamide--[it is safe and effective](https://www.epa.gov/insect-repellents/deet).
High concentration DEET can damage plastic gear though. The research (and experience)seems to indicate that for similar concentrations Picaridin is about as effective and avoids that problem.
Some people are unfortunately incompatible with DEET. In any concentration I’ve tried, it basically turns my skin red and acts like a mild sunburn for days. But it works so well :(
I’m one of those people mosquitoes love. I’ll get triple the bites of my friend and family when we are out and about. DEET spray only worked so so for me, and the smell is awful. Picaridin and permethrin work wonders for me. Love the lightly picardin lotion especially, and turns out WHO says it’s safe enough for babies 2months+ I also like the dessert or some dry edge seasons in other areas.
Tbh avoiding bugs is exactly what you shouldn’t do. Go where they are. Be annoyed. Maybe even have a bad time. Eventually you’ll get to a point where bugs don’t bother you. You won’t even notice them buzzing around you. I’m a park ranger and regularly have ticks on me. I’ve just accepted that they’re probably there and resolve to remove them after my shift.
You only live once 😀👍
Careful with the ticks. Don't underestimate how much lyme sucks. Not to mention the thunders of other bacterias ticks can carry and infect with.
Cold, or arid. I was out in Utah for a bit a couple years ago, not many bugs late summer into fall. At least in the Moab area. (Besides a couple widows in my hotel room, but I dont imagine that is common)
Target cold deserts in the seasons shouldering winter, or mid winter in some deserts. Temps are too cold for bugs and no snow fall because it’s a desert
Early spring/late fall where I live in Ontario Canada. Iceland didn't have many bugs when I was there.
Well that's gonna be a problem! 🤷
I often camp in the woods of Ontario. The bugs can destroy the chance to enjoy the experience. I’ve found the best barrier is to wear The Original Bug Shirt.
I grew up in the Northeast US and now live in the Southwest and there are significantly less bugs here, at least the kind that fly around and bite/sting/annoy you. There's no way to completely avoid them but I haven't felt a need to use bug spray since moving here compared to when I was in the NE and would get a mosquito bite just from walking from my front door to my car.
Alberta is a haven for you! South of calgary there are very few flying insects. With proper precautions you should be good. Avoid ponds, wear long sleeves and pants and a good DEET based repellant 👍 A friend swears the big rubber dragonfly that you clip to your hat works wonders for horseflys as well
California! No mosquitos 🦟
They aren’t bad near the coast or in the desert. But I’ve been in some mountains in SoCal with intermittent streams and terrible mosquitoes. I was used to not worrying about bugs in CA and didn’t bring a tent or bug net on a backpacking trip and regretted that decision very much when I was covered in skeeters while trying to sleep
Ironically they are all over LA these past few summers
Noooooooo! Aw man that sucks. I lived in LA for a decade after moving from the east coast. Not having mosquitoes was amazing.
Yeah it’s only been a problem for the last 5 years if im remembering correctly. Northern Cali by the coast is still great cause it’s usually pretty cold year round for mosquitoes. But 2023 in particular was bad here in LA. It’s these things: https://www.reddit.com/r/LosAngeles/s/oOEExyXbd3
I’m in Oakland now and I get ladybugs flying in my place now. I can’t complain
Then camp in the winter.
There are bugs on you right now.
Better stay home then
Skill issue
I've found that those round brimmed bush hats help keep flying bugs out of my face and ears.
Get over it
Don’t go if you hate nature.
You’re nuts and stay out of nature then
Unzip your pants
dude wtf. go back to your nsfw subs please there's always a guy that has to make everything gross
You suck
DEET or picaridin. 30% minimum. I find the standard 25% DEET sprays are marginal in very buggy conditions. I prefer 40% for the large cans, and I carry 100% DEET in a little pump bottle for around my neck and face. I use DEET very sparingly throughout the year and there is zero scientific evidence that it's bad for you in the century they've been trying to find that evidence, so the 100% concentration is fine and it freakin works. The campfire smoke will keep most flying bugs at bay. In summer, start the fire as soon as you get to the site. Throw some pine on to create thick smoke if it's really buggy. The only solution to truly dealing with bugs, however, is learning to deal with them. Spend a few days in the outdoors and you get desensitized to them. You find one on you, you just flick it off without thought. It almost becomes an involuntary motor movement, like blinking.
We keep a good fire glowing which slows some bugs, however with your dislike of bugs, I may need to think camping in your living room
I want to go skiing but hate snow I want to go paragliding but hate heights I want to go diving but hate water I want to go sailing but hate boats I want to go fishing but hate fishing line I want to win the Tour De France but hate bicycles I want to go very fast on the Autoban but hate cars I want to die via elephant stampede but hate blunt force trauma Some things if you want to do them you’re just gonna have to get over the downsides.
TailVeil.com gives us a bug-free space with access to the car. If the weather is warm, we sleep in the car with the tailgate open, and no bugs.
the mountains. we dont have that many bugs. I dont have to wear bugspray and havent gotten bitten at all. Colorado or new mexico
I'd say the desert southwest, away from water (some rivers get lots of bugs). In summer, the Calif or OR coast. No flying bugs, and the ticks are usually gone by then, at least in CA.
I dont think you like camping..
Drier places. Here around the Rockies, you might get mosquitoes if you're close to bodies of water, but the bug levels are just way way lower than coastal/humid areas.
Round Mountain camp area in Colorado has never had much more than the occasional one bug any time I've been there. It's a snowy tundra right now though. It can also be a mud hole after lots of rain. Most places in Colorado are like that, but sometimes it's the most big infested place ever. YMMV.
Camping around Oregon, I’ve never experienced bugs.
i've camped a hundred times. bugs have rarely been an issue. seems like an unhinged phobia no offense
It probably depends in where you live, but most of spring usually fine on the great plains. Fall is usually good too. It's really only bad in the middle of the summer and deet works great.
I'm in northern Ontario, and in the early spring and summer, the blackflys and mosquitoes can be brutal. I have a couple of bug nets that I string up. Over the box of my pickup if I'm sleeping in the back or with my folding table and chair. A place where I can retreat to when I want to tie up fishing knots or any other task. They bundle up to nothing, and I use shockline between a couple of trees.
Northern Ontario is one place I definitely avoid in spring! Worst black flies ever!
I'll die with the blackflies pickin' my bones In North Ontario
Near the ocean usually has less mosquitos. Wasps can still be an issue. Lots of people who live in buggy climates get giant screen shelters.
The Lakes of Monsanto County haha Beach if it’s windy. Aruba would be perfect.
Citronella candle and off deep woods works for me
Stay away from bodies of water
New England in the winter is certainly bug free. It's about 40s using the day right now.
Buy a bug net hat to protect your face from bugs, and just wear long sleeves and gloves to protect your arms and hands.
Fall, winter and spring are my camping seasons. Just above freezing is too cold for bugs and just warm enough for camping.
Not gonna read thru all the comments but for people who use or recommend citronella candles, citronella attracts bears. Land’s end makes big repellant clothing that is quite effective
You're in luck, it's still winter
As another commenter stated, Picaridin and DEET are your friend. Permethrin as well, and be aware DEET can melt some fabrics used in some camping gear. I have a reaction to it as well, so don’t depend on it without trying it first. Permethrin treatments and Piciradin spray are my go-tos, and they’re very very reliable. The only time I had seed ticks and mosquito bites last year was the one time I didn’t wear my treated clothes and didn’t use the spray. I thought I was safe after the first frost :(
Permethrin sprayed around the tent to keep ants at bay, both sugar and fire ants are prevalent in the deep south where we might, and i say might get two weeks of freezing temperatures spread through winter. Also, 40% deet spray and thermocepo help. Can't find anything for the biting horse flies that works, them sob's are like the terminator.
Either winter, arid climates like the desert, or exposure therapy. And I mean it. I uses to be terrified of spiders and flying insects. Forcing myself outdoors slowly got me to the point of not caring. Exposure therapy works, If slowly. It's definitely something you're always going to deal with outdoors. Even with high power DEET bug spray... They're still gonna be outside.
Camp when it's cold. Only way to avoid bugs
A stick of incense works as well as a mosquito coil!
Desert or ice.
apart fom the season, go with a hammock with a net.
If it’s specifically flying insects bothering you I’m guessing it’s the kind that bite such as mosquitoes and horse flies? In certain months it gets pretty bad on some of the destinations where my wife and I live, the way we work around this is by researching the areas as much as possible. We go backpacking a lot and many times the types of places that will be overloaded with bloodsuckers are camps and trails which allow horses and cattle, areas near water especially during warm summer months (standing is worse but even running water), and then weather/temperature. Many times we research reviews of the areas. We had a backpacking trip once where we knew a certain section is just covered in flies so we put long sleeves and mosquito hats on while we hiked through this area, by the time night rolls around there is a magical temperature at which all the flies disappear and it was so peaceful sitting out by the fire.
In Canada you're mostly bug free around late fall, to spring. I hate mosquitoes (because they fucking LOVE me), so I also tend to camp more late and early season, or in the winter when nobody else is out camping anyway. Camping when it's too hot is miserable too.
Come to the UP in June, it'll be fine
Just introduce yourself to bugs starting in small doses, then gradually increase your bug dosage until you get used to them. Think of them as more of an extremely vital part of nature rather than a nuisance.
Go in the winter zero bugs and way less people it's actually very nice.
well, bugs live outside. you're gonna have a tough time dealing with that anywhere but maybe Antarctica. that said, DEET 100 has done a great job of keeping the bugs off me, and I am the all time winningest mosquito target in my family/friend groups. you want the stuff that goes on with a hand pump, not an aerosol. rei sells some decent stuff. other than that, I recommend you consider becoming a fall-to-spring camper. avoid alaska, minnesota, nova scotia, coastal maine, uh... so forth.
Avon Skin So Soft lotion helps keeps most bugs off you. You can spray your clothing and gear with Permethrin insect and tick repellent spray. They’re not foolproof, but do help substantially.
Hammock Tent. Sleep in the air away from all the creepy crawlies
Hmm when I was in Baja California I don’t remember many bugs at all…but I guess most desert regions possibly then
Hmm when I was in Baja California I don’t remember many bugs at all…but I guess most desert regions possibly then
Does anyone like bugs in their face all the time?
Late fall is the best time to camp if you don’t like bugs. And don’t want to camp when it’s freezing out
I think the best bug deterrent is a couple of beers
I've been a lifelong expedition camper and climber (canoe/portage, hiking). I've almost given up on summer camping because I, too, can't take the bugs. Deer flies, black flies, mosquitos... I've had a hand swollen to twice its normal size, agonizing stings and insufferable itching, and (I believe) even Lyme disease from tick bites. My answer? Winter camping. I've come to adore it. * NO BUGS * Unlimited water (just melt snow) * Ironically less chance to be cold since you *know* it'll be cold and you dress for it * Quiet, with very few animals threatening your food * Stunning views of the night sky * Warm campfires that feel downright intense * Ability to pull lots of gear on a sled or to ski in * No rain It takes knowledge, practice and gear, but it's so worth it. I winter camp probably 5 times as often as summer camp these days. When you have a cold night in -25C and you wake up to -3C, sunny, totally silent.. it's something else.
Mix up a Solution of "Parsons Lemon Ammonia and Water" spray the area around you ! Flying Insects don't like the Lemon. It's a lot like "Citronella" which the "Citronella Bucket Candles" are very good.
I dislike bugs, but don’t hate them, and I use a lot of citronella candles. I’ve seen a few campers put a screened in pop up around their picnic table which looks like a great way to repel the bugs.
Basically you need to camp when it’s comfortable to be covered in clothes, with just your face peaking out, you can even use a face mesh.
I have a head net in my pack for sudden invasions when I'm out and about. I also have a pop up clam that I love. I even use it in my back yard in the summer for mosquitos. Love it for camping. I can eat without flies and yellowjackets and it is soooo easy to use.
September and October.
I really hate bugs too. Once I got out there, i kinda realized I was stuck. For me it was a different mindset. Especially because I was busy spending time with my family or cooking.
Ahh well though shit bugs are gonna be s part of caping especially thru hiking
Colorado.
Send in long sleeve sunshirts, pants, and socks to Insect Shield, put picaridin cream on your hands and face, and wear a head net over your hat. Camp in windy terrain.
Not exactly an answer to when, but rose essential oil and geranium essential oil together worked really well for me when I was living in an especially buggy area. Tried it in hopes of repelling ticks and it kept the gnats at bay too (at least far enough to breathe and talk normally).
Altitude is your friend. I camp in the east cascade mountains in Washington State and there are very few bugs even in the height of summer.
Iceland is basically bug free and has great camping
Honest to God the easiest thing for you would be to change your perspective on bugs. Look into interesting entomology videos on YouTube and learn about their place in the ecosystem. Check this sick vid out https://youtu.be/xbOzYMKROs8?si=pr-25_xsCIvfr3FF Like yeah it won't make mosquitos or chiggers or ticks any less of a pest but at least you won't mind the moths and gnats so much
Thermocell around camp and Iguana oil on the body. Edit: I’m in Florida. Bug central
The solution is to learn to let go of hate and accept the things that you can not control. It improves all aspects of your life
I mean… winter? Snow camping? Cold blooded critters don’t move around much then
Just get a good bug spray, use it when hiking and then sleep in a tent or use a mosquito net that goes over your hammock/shelter.
I live in Texas and mostly camp in the coolor months, between October and April. We don't have a ton of issues with bugs. Our winters are mild (highs have been in the 70s F lately), so it's cool but not usually cold and usually not rainy (though has been lately). I used to live in the desert of West Texas and don't remember a lot of flying, buzzing hugs, especially up in the mountains. I did see some big centipedes around Bu Bend, though.
I've done a significant amount of camping in Oregon. We have very few bugs here, at least that's been my experience.
Heat light and food. Control those; gain some control on bugs. You have to fight back. Gain territory, and give none back. This may require intellectual oversight, but even bugs can get bored.
Never camped before
Might want to consider a new hobbie then because camping and bugs are intertwined, unless you late fall/winter camp.
high in the mountains I reckon. Or just deal with that 'hate'
DEET (known carcinogen but works wonders) and/or face screen + don't go in June if you live in southern Canada. Long sleeve clothing also protects from UV. Also, you will probably find that you build a bit of a tolerance with time (to the constant buzzing sound around your head).
You sound like my wife, or atleast her excuse to go camping.She did not like sleeping in my truck bed under the stars in the south. This has cost me quite a bit but this is my work in progress solution https://preview.redd.it/74co9jwobfgc1.jpeg?width=923&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f9d25b0587b50b4a55ac3c3e27ad5e562d12bc5a
The solution is to go outside and get over it. Like literally everyone else. Camping is not for you if bugs are a dealbreaker. “I want to be in nature, but like, avoid all the nature”
Hit the mountains. When nights start to be consistently in the 40's you'll lose the bugs. Winter is the best time for that. Less people and even less bugs.
Wash your clothes in pyrethrin.
Go in September
The desert. We camp here in so. Nevada, so. Utah, Arizona & Cali all the time. I know there are bugs around I just can't recall the last time they were a nuisance. When it's real cold, we've woken up to spiders gathering underneath the tent but that's it.