Well like so many things it is situation dependant and there isnt one answer that will work for everyone in every locale. Where I camp a few green cedar branches cut and laid out on the ground next to my sleeping pad keep the crawlers away and a little green cedar on the fire keeps the fliers away. I even sometimes make a little a-frame tarp roof from a space blanket to give the ticks something to land on other than me as they fall out of the trees. Of course I fall asleep eventually and that cedar doesnt burn all night and sometimes the ticks that fall off my tarp (if I'm even using one) fall between me and my cedar branch. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> Not sure what else to say other than luck plays a part. I camp without a tent in an area with all kinds of nasty critters like poisonous snakes, brown recluse spiders, ticks infected with lyme disease and predator mamals. I do what I can to protect myself and my dog and don't dwell on what I can't do.