I was wondering if anyone has any experience with the Thermacell mosquito repellent, especially in the northwoods. How long do they last? effective range, need more than one in a campsite? Any info anyone may have would be great!

Thanks

We have two kinds of Thermocells. The butane and electric powered ones.

The butane ones fuel lasts 12 hours and the chemical pad lasts 4 hours. They have a 10 foot radius of protection.

The electric ones are charged with a USB cable and have a chemical liquid that last 12 hours. They have a radius of 20 feet.

I think the electric ones are better. They only work on a day where there is little wind, so be advised.

I have had the basic - original - butane unit and for two of us, it works great. Sitting around a fire ring or under a tarp kept it nearly big free. I like it clipped to my belt while portaging. On of my best camping gear purchases.

thank you!

Some will disagree but I think they are the bees knees. Combined with permethrin treated clothing and gear…game changer for this guy.

thanks

iCallitMaize: "Some will disagree but I think they are the bees knees. Combined with permethrin treated clothing and gear…game changer for this guy. "

Have to agree, Permethrin for ticks and Therma cell for skeeters. Why be miserable when you don't have to be. They don't cost much and are worth every penny.

Agree with everyone’s experiences above.
Important usage tips:
No breeze. The air needs to be still.
Give it ten minutes to make the zone. It’s not instant, but once it gets vaporizing, it will work.
It is not 100%. I find people who have zero tolerance of mosquitos feel that “it doesn’t work”. It helps with a swarm, not every last insect.
The key is multi-modal: bug jackets, head nets, fly shelter, cover exposed skin with light-colored clothing, permethrin/deet/picaridin if that’s your thing, and above all - a mindset about the importance of these insects for bats, birds, amphibians and the entire ecosystem.
For the bites: try not to scratch. If inflamed, pruritic (itchy) and painful, use any of the following: calamine with antihistamine, baking soda paste, toothpaste, hydrocortisone cream, apple cider vinegar, witch hazel, and probably some others that folks use and find relief.
There is truth to the idea that some people’s chemistry is more attractive to insects. Anecdotally, I think my Finn heritage and high-volume garlic diet help a lot. :)

I brought the backpacker Thermacel on my trip last week. This unit works with ISOPRO fuel. From what I’ve read one small container will last a long time.It was very windy most of the time so not a lot of opportunities to use it. It doesn’t work very well unless conditions are calm. Friday and Saturday mornings were both very calm and used it in camp with very good results. The effective range is about a 15’ circle around unit. I also moved it to the latrine 15 min before doing my business. I can’t tell you how much better the experience was than the previous mornings!

If there is a slight breeze, I set it 10 feet or so upwind of the seating area and still get decent results.

I live in the south gulf coast in Florida on the water and I can tell you the bugs are horrendous down here and every bit as bad as they are in the boundary waters. Recently I got turned on to an insect repellent that’s the best I’ve ever seen, I did a test recently where I went out and stood on my seawall fishing for snook after a heavy rain in the evening, and the bugs were literally eating me up. I went in and put on an insect repellent called PROVEN man I swear the bugs never touched me after I put it on I swear by this stuff !!! Non-greasy, and it doesn’t smell and it works!!’

That sounds really good! Thanks for responding. Where do I get a bottle of this?

Thank you

bulldogtwo: "That sounds really good! Thanks for responding. Where do I get a bottle of this?


Thank you"

The picture shows it is 20% picaridin. There are several brands that sell a 20% picaridin repellent.

We've used the basic model Thermacell for a few years now. Amazed by how well it works. We use two and create a "zone" around us. As others have said...it won't stop every insect, but most of them.

Mike

Used 2 on a recent 10 day trip in BWCA. Worked very well, would recommend. Typically used 1 at the firepit during the day and 1 near the tent area while setting up the tent. They provide protection for about a 15 foot radius. Definitely could have gotten by with just 1 of them. Each pad is effective for 4 hours per Thermacell's recommendation, although I have not tested using a pad for a longer duration than that.

I’m interested in trying their new formula. Claims to repel flies.

Wouldn't trip without thermacells.

Just got back from trip. Skeets were pretty bad when breeze died in camp, tolerable with breeze. But, back down the trail by the thunder box they were nasty. When I got up in the morning, I'd start coffee then light the thermacell and set it next to latrine. By the time everyone ate breakfast and headed back for morning duty, the skeets were gone. Everyone was very pleased with how it worked.

They work great in my experience. Worth the weight.

Keep in mind though the "zone" measurement is not a radius but more of a diameter (e.g. a 20ft "zone" extends only 10ft from the device). I was wondering this the other day as the original units only really work if you're fairly close to them so I had to look it up.

Does it work for gnats as well? Those buggers (no pun intended) chewed me up bad this year!

Calling on Shug. He uses them on his trips that I see on youtube.

CoachWalleye74: "Wouldn't trip without thermacells. "

+1. I also sometimes take one with me to the thunder box.

Personally, I find permethrin soaked clothing to be more effective, with a splash of Ben's Deet 100 on the back of the neck occasionally but very little, as it's highly toxic to dogs and it has some pretty nasty damaging effects on gear. I do bring a Thermacell on every trip though, but haven't used it the last 2. I have a small baggie that I carry 2 butane cartridges and two of the 12-hour pads and that pretty much lasts a whole week, since it doesn't get used during the day. For the horseflies, I bring a couple of those small sticky patches that go on your hat.

I think they do nothing. Purely marketing.

It's a running joke with our group. We always have a couple with us. We pull them out in the evening so they can get warmed up and create the much ballyhooed "zone of protection." Often under a rainfly where the vapors would be more contained. Then we sit nearby and ride out the hellish 1hr long mosquito storm that always happens at, and just after, dusk. Then the mosquitoes go away because that's their pattern, Thermocell or no Thermocell. Then we inevitably joke that the Thermocell did its job perfectly!! What an amazing invention to ward off that horde!!

I think we'll keep bringing them just for that joke, which never ceases to slay us, but I think they do nothing to abate mosquitoes when you're outdoors.

We used one for the first time last week. I'm also not convinced it did anything. Definitely didn't do anything with a light breeze. When it was still it may have helped but there was campfire smoke too. It didn't negate the need to use bug spray.

We also used the "Proven" brand 20% Picaridin "IBFISHNFL" posted above and it worked just as well as DEET IMO without the stink or grease. Was able to find it at my local Ace Hardware. Between that and Permethrin we were in pretty good shape.

I used a thermacell for the first time on my solo trip to Frost Lake in mid-June. I thought it worked so great I would turn it off as a test, and within five minutes the mosquitos were swarming. Turn it back on, within a few minutes the swarms were gone. Did it eliminate all mosquitos from the kitchen area? No. Did it dramatically reduce the number? Yes, noticeably.

We bring a couple every trip. After my first cup of coffee, one gets fired up and placed back by the brown volcano.

They work.

jillpine: "above all - a mindset about the importance of these insects for bats, birds, amphibians and the entire ecosystem.
"

So very true. I think of this often as a consolation prize when being drain of my nectar. I think of this also in urban areas where there are basically none & those spray trucks drive around spewing God knows what into the air. One thing I’ve noticed over the past few decades has been the decrease in lightning bugs. Outside of BWCA, I hardly see them anymore. Imho, ag pesticides are killing them off.

cowdoc: "set it next to latrine."

I may get one just for this… I’d probably rank using the loo without mosquitos as the number one creature comfort I appreciate upon returning to civilization, followed by running water & grocery selection.

They absolutely work. I have the patio type with the hot dog sized butane cylinders. The butane is expensive.
I like the Backpacker model. Small unit. $40. Uses any camping ISO butane cylinders so you are using the same fuel for cooking and ThermaCELL. They are VERY efficient with gas use. I would say, with the tiniest gas cylinder, it would run 24/7 for more than a weekend The pads are not cheap but they do work. One pad lasts about 8 hours... Maybe a bit more.

I take two. Lifesaver. I no longer have to climb into sleeping bag covered with insect repellants.

Please, someone, correct me if I'm wrong. From everything I can find across various sources, the Thermacell zone of protection is a heat-vaporized cloud of an active ingredient, the insecticide Allethrin. Allethrin is not a "repellent," per se, it's an insecticide that kills within the effective "zone of protection." When you are sitting in the zone of protection, you are sitting in a cloud of insecticide vapor. The warnings for Allethrin-based products include not using near food, beverages or dishes. In my opinion Thermacell is marketed very effectively as "repelling" mosquitos, but not not as an insecticide fogger.