Or maybe I've just been not noticing for a while. Has anyone worked it picaridin before? I saw it for the first time last night in Wallyworld. I'm testing it before I get too attached; has anyone tried it? Good? Bad? Indifferent?

It's safe for synthetics- I sprayed some on scraps of nylon and poly webbing, SpiderWire, fleece, and bits of milk jug and soda bottle-type plastics, and put them in a ziplock bag which I left sitting on window sill in the sun all day. They didn't seem to degrade at all.

I put some on tonight and sat outside at twilight, begging the black flies to bite me, but I was downwind of the spot they camp out in, so I don't know if it was a fair evaluation. What I do know is that if I sit outside at that time, not moving about, I'm going to get bit a half dozen times or so in half an hour. I'm going to be trying it some more this weekend.

Before anyone mentions DEET, I've always disliked DEET for two major reasons. One, it attacks nylon and other synthetics, like what my pack, bivy sack, hammock and equipement vest are made out of. I'd rather not dissolve it, I want to be able to count on it and I can't afford to just replace it every year. Two, it makes me MORE attractive to black flies- I don't get it, but I get bit about three times as much by the little *beep*s when I put on DEET. My brother is the same way, so I'm guessing it a biochemistry thing.

I've been using Green Ban for a long time. It works, but it has to be reapplied every few hours, and I'd rather not have to worry about it that much. It is also an oil, which kinda counter acts sunscreen.