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How much mosquito repellent to pack for a month?

How much mosquito repellent to pack for a month?

Old Apr 25th, 2014, 12:45 PM
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rje
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How much mosquito repellent to pack for a month?

I've never bothered to bring mosquito repellent on trips, but since we're going to be in Bali, Laos and Vietnam for over a month, I know I'd better this time.

The thing is, I don't know how much per adult would be wise to pack. I just don't know how fast we'll go through the stuff!

We'll be arriving the beginning of October, spending 17 days in Bali (Ubud, Permuteran, Munduk, a week in Laos (driving Vientiane-Vang Vieng-Luang Prabang), and a week in Vietnam (Hanoi and the Ninh Binh area).

We'll also be spending almost a month in various parts of Australia, but aren't as concerned about that part of the trip, as malaria and dengue aren't an issue there. Plus it will be easier to pick up products there if we start to feel too bitten.

I'm thinking to bring pump-bottle spray with 25% Deet and also wipes to use on our faces, and when portability is needed. But how much?

I'm also wondering if anyone thinks it is a good idea to spray the mosquito nets over beds in hotel rooms with Permethrin?

Thanks for anyone who can give their opinion on this very specific question!
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Old Apr 25th, 2014, 01:16 PM
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It's not a tropical disease forum, and you could get all sorts of amateur (well intentioned) advice.

But you seem v.sensible. How about going to your local Travel Clinic (free in UK)? feed them with your intended itinerary and lifestyle, and see what they come up with?

In UK we deal with MASTA, and the free advice and personalised travel brief comes in v.handy in the event of putting in a claim against any medical travel insurance claims.
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Old Apr 25th, 2014, 01:44 PM
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To be on the safe side, I'd probably bring two of the spray bottles (one per adult) plus the wipes, but you may well not need that much. If you can find the time-release encapsulated deet spray, it is very effective and is effective for longer than other sprays. If I recall correctly, the brand name is Sawyers. Remember that covering bare skin can help a lot in keeping mosquitoes off of you and can help protect you from the sun.

Your question about bed nets - are you going to be staying in places that are not air-conditioned? You'll only find bed nets (other than decorative ones) in non-air-conditioned rooms.

I'm guessing you are from the US. You may find what the cdc has to say to be helpful: www.cdc.gov/travel You aren't going to be in any places with a high risk of malaria, but some have enough risk to warrant some precautions.
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Old Apr 25th, 2014, 01:58 PM
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Thanks, and your advice is very good. And we will definitely be seeing a travel doctor well before we leave for the needed shots, vaccines & prescriptions.

But really, I'm not asking for medical advice, but just asking people who've traveled through heavy mosquito zones if they remember how much spray they went through. I want to make sure I bring enough, so that I don't run out in a place where it is hard to buy more (like the mountains of Laos).

We've already made a decision (partly based on CDC analysis of malaria risk for each country we're visiting) not to take anti-malaria meds. So to compensate, we're going to be religious about using mosquito spray and nets on our beds!

Maybe this is too specific a question? I guess a lot of factors could determine how much a person might use. Things like whether one uses pump bottles or aerosol spray cans would be a differentiating factor. I was planning to use pump bottles. And wipes on faces, to keep Deet away from eyes and mouth.

But a rough idea of people's experiences would be helpful to hear.
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Old Apr 25th, 2014, 02:00 PM
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Thanks, Kathy! My last post was for LancasterLad. You got in just before I posted it! I'll read yours now.
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Old Apr 25th, 2014, 02:00 PM
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And in my hurry, I misspelled your name, Kathie!
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Old Apr 25th, 2014, 02:09 PM
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Thanks, the time-release is not something I'd heard of, I'll look into it.

Covering bare skin is going to be tough for me, as I get overheated easily. And I know that even during the heat of mid-day, dengue is a problem. So I'll try and compensate with spray, even though I hate the stuff!

Which leads me to answer that yes, we'll be in air conditioning, due to our difficulties with sleeping in heat. I wasn't aware that a lot of nets are only decorative. That's a shame. My experience in the Caribbean is that mosquitos still bite in an air conditioned room.

Yes, we're from the US, and I saw that even most of Laos is considered of low risk. But I still want to lower the risks even more.
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Old Apr 25th, 2014, 02:24 PM
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rje, since they are air-conditioned, most of the places you stay won't have bed nets. In Luang Prabang years ago we stayed at a lovely place that had decorative bed nets. It seemed a bit odd to me.

You are wise to do everything you can to mitigate the risk. A patient of mine who is a physician and very conscientious about bite prevention came back from her vacation with dengue... Not a fun thing to have.
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Old Apr 25th, 2014, 02:54 PM
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If you are following the 'beaten track' then really it's a simple case of fitting in with the flow, and/or using whatever sprays the locals use, which are generally a lot cheaper and just as effective as Jungle Formula (etc). We mix Jungle Formula (50% deet) with Avon So-soft. The latter isn't a mozzie spray, but it provides a barrier that puts the little sods off. Avon so-soft also keeps the skin moist.

Mozzies are at their worst at dawn and dusk, so they're the main times to cover up to the max. Whether you like it or not covering up is the best prevention, as it limits the size of the target.

If you are eating out, then burn a coil under your table. Use a plug-in in your room. Keep the windows closed. And also take a couple of universal plugs for your bathroom sink and shower.
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Old Apr 25th, 2014, 10:47 PM
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I was in Cambodia for 21 days. My daughter was with me for 10 of them (so 31 days of protection). Both of us are very sensitive to mosquito bites, so we are pretty vigilant about being covered.

We had an (approx) 3 oz bottle of a Deet spray, 12 x Ben's 30% Deet wipes, and 24 x Natrapel 8 hour, non-Deet (Picaridin) wipes.

We would use the spray on exposed parts of our bodies (feet, legs wrists, neck, etc) every morning, and after afternoon showers or swimming.

Depending on how long we were out during the day, we would "touch up" sharing a wipe ripped in half.

When I left, I had approx 1/8th of the spray bottle and about 10 wipes left. I highly recommend the individual wipes, as they don't leak and can be stashed in all your bags and pockets so you're never without.
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Old Apr 25th, 2014, 10:55 PM
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I prefer the Picaridin repellent. It doesn't damage rubber and IMO has a much less toxic smell than Deet. I buy them on Amazon.com.

When you're comparing Deet & Picaridin, always look at the hours of coverage, rather than the % of the active ingredient. Deet tends to last longer, though the Picaridin ones are now made in stronger versions.
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Old Apr 25th, 2014, 11:25 PM
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You can buy repellent in Bali for that portion of your trip. Mosquitos can be bothersome, but not hugely so unless you're trekking in the forest. For better or for worse, most resorts spray their properties once or twice a week.

I am susceptible to bites and I use Off! Family spray, which is 14% DEET, twice a day and that does the trick. It's found all over Bali as are other brands, like Autan and Soffell, plus many organic concoctions. Coils and citronella candles are also available everywhere.

A lot of resorts do have both aircon and mosquito nets, the latter more for "atmosphere" I think.
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Old Apr 26th, 2014, 08:51 AM
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Thanks so much, a lot of very useful information.

I have to say, though, I'm still a bit thrown by the idea of hotels installing mosquito nets that serve as atmospheric props only.

What next, non-functional smoke detectors on hotel walls, for decorative purposes only?
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Old Apr 28th, 2014, 07:12 PM
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I think marmot means they are installed to look exotic and make the guests feel better protected.

It's not that the nets are props; they're the real thing, but mostly unnecessary in AC hotels.
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Old May 1st, 2014, 11:15 PM
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None. Mosquito repellent is available in Lao and Thailand. Why caryy it with you?
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Old May 2nd, 2014, 05:21 PM
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We took some permithryn-treated, wicking sleeping bag liners with us on our trip to Borneo a couple of months ago. They're made by Sea-to-Summit. Essentially, they're sleep sacks, which can be inserted into a sleeping bag or used on their own. They were quite cool and comfortable to sleep in, were roomy and had a kind of extension at the top so you could incorporate your pillow into them and pull them down on your forehead if necessary. As it turned out, there weren't a lot of mosquitoes when we were there, but we were glad to have the sleep sacks anyway.

For our 3-week trip, I packed two, 1-oz containers of mosquito repellent spray (for two people) and twenty mosquito repellent wipes. But we also mostly wore clothing that built-in mosquito repellent and high SPF, so we were really only spraying hands, neck, ankles, etc. That's why the spray and wipes lasted as long as they did. (I was marginally hotter in a long-sleeved shirt and long-pants than I would have been in short sleeves and shorts, but I was much less sticky because I wasn't coated in mosquito repellent, which I would have sweated off and had to reapply repeatedly. The same is true for sunscreen.)

I don't know about Vietnam, but one reason we brought repellent with us is because we were told that they didn't sell any DEET-based products in Malaysian Borneo or Singapore. (We didn't look hard, but we didn't see any DEET products.)
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