Friday, February 08, 2008

Jeff's Dempster Highway Tale

I have been reading Jeff Kruys' crazyguyonabike journal - particularly the section on the Dempster Highway [starting page 62]. His casual references to hordes of mozzies has confirmed my worst fears. So I've ordered a bug shirt from MEC - I figured it may well be the best $14.50 I've ever spent on outdoors gear! I can't stand bug spray with DEET so I've found a natural bug repellent I'll be testing out and use this bug shirt as my main line of defense.

1 comment:

runawayscreaming said...

Re: Bugs

The good news about bugs is that they are not nearly as bad as humans. That's probably a good idea you have to steer away from the DEET (which can de-polymerize the polymers in your expensive synthetic cycling clothes). I've had some good luck with the natural bug repellers, even in the arctic.

If the wind is right you can usually outrun the bugs (the slow flyers anyway). They will draft behind you but won't catch you until you stop (then they will devour you).

If it's any consolation it is my opinion that the bugs in northern Ontario are worse. The Ontario bugs are team players that form inter-species cooperative organizations to attack a human in successive waves of bloodsucking bugginess until you become so deranged you beg them to kill you just to stop the bugging.