UKC

Can it only be ordered from an Avon rep or bought in shops???

I've heard it works great in stopping the midges biting but being a bloke i aint got a clue where it can be bought or if its only available from an Avon rep.

Please help cos I am off to Scotland this Saturday.

If its not that great the stuff, what do all your midge fighters put on????

In reply to ADJC:

You can order it from Avon online. Most decent camping shops sell it up here as well.

It's called skin-so-soft.

In reply to niallk:

haven't got time for online

so would i be able to get it in fort william?

In reply to ADJC: Aye probably. West Coast midges are immune to Skin so Soft though. Take some DEET too. And a head net!

In reply to drunken monkey:

can DEET be bought in supermarkets????

In reply to ADJC:

Get some proper stuff - one of the climbing mags did a review of this Skin So Soft stuff, and found it was only effective for about 30 minutes.

Any outdoor clothing store will sell some proper DEET stuff, that will be effective for much longer.

In reply to Dominion:

cheers,

thats good to know. So is DEET the best stuff for the "West Coast" Midges????

In reply to ADJC: Most midge repellents like Jungle Formula etc have DEET in it. Its a chemical which is supposed to repel the buggers, but I personally reckon it just kills them on contact. Its pretty potent stuff, and does all sorts of horrible stuff to plastics. Cant be very good for you tbh.

In reply to ADJC:

Hi - Highland Industrial Supplies (HIS) in Inverness certainly have skin-so-soft (about £6 a bottle and it works fine) and I think TISO's do too. Having said that - it has been such fantastic weather here recently and we haven't had any midges in Lochinver so far this year. (They dont like sun). Have a good trip.

In reply to drunken monkey:

but is it what you use??????

In reply to ADJC:

When I was on Skye in 2004, I used Lifesystems Expedition 50 Insect Repellent - which is 50% Diethyl Toluamide (DEET) - and it worked pretty well for me.

It does need to kept away from plastics, though

In reply to ADJC:


Tried "Skin so soft" in NW highlands recently and it doesnt work.

but this stuff worked very well:

http://www.lifesystems.co.uk/psec/insect_repellents/natural_plus_insect_rep...

and doesnt contain DEET

In reply to The Pylon King:

what are they like if you spray them on the skin and then a short while after put on your goretex or soft shell?

does it bugger them up??

In reply to ADJC: If they are BAD, then I'll use stuff with DEET in it. If they are not so bad but still biting, i'll use something without DEET, like skin so soft, or something herbal with Bog Myrtle extract in it.

In reply to drunken monkey:

cheers,

sounds a good idea. thats sorted for the DEET stuff.

can you get skin so soft in places like boots?

In reply to ADJC:


not those

only stuff with DEET in will bugger up clothes

In reply to The Pylon King:

even after applied to skin and its soaked in a bit?

so goretex is a complete no-no with DEET?

In reply to ADJC:
I've used SSS for a long time with great success, including Skye midges, and for much longer than 30 minutes. It was very popular recently up in the Lakes at an evening do when the buggers flew in and seemed to work for those who borrowed it.

1. Its cheap (£2 - £3 a bottle for 150ml so you can afford to bladder it on)
2. It doesn't destroy nylon like DEET
3. DEET doesn't smell as nice as SSS (!)

In reply to Victoria Holder:

I'm so convinced that this stuff works for me I bought a lifetime's supply (I hope) - 20 bottles off an Avon lady at my work, came out to £2 a bottle. Go figure!

In reply to Scranner: In my opinion, all the above,(differing) answers go to prove that there isnt one answer for all of us. Whilst it may prove costly, try and find out what works for you, and stick with it.
SSS is the best stuff for me but it still isnt 100% !!!!!!!

In reply to martin s: Forgot to say . . .I used SSS last week in Scotland. Overnight, whilst camping, it turned very cold (frost on the tent). The SSS stuff turned to what looked like thick wood glue overnight. I thought perhaps it had "gone off" until the sun warmed the place up, and hey presto, SSS turned back to normal !!!!!!!!
Wierd shit !

In reply to martin s:
Agreed. I'm just glad it works as I get eaten alive and it's the first stuff I found that worked.

In reply to ADJC: SSS has citronella oil in it I think. Works for me.

In reply to ADJC:
you can but it in the shop at Glenmore Lodge. It smells nice too

In reply to ADJC:

Yes...I've heard this from an ex army man whose son is in the army. Don't Avon make a range of stuff though ....Which Avon product is it ?

In reply to ADJC: There are a few types in the SSS range- and only one that works- the oil in the green bottle. Depends how much you use and were- it acts by disguising your scent, so if you're stinky, or have sweaty feet, you need DEET.

In reply to ADJC: Avon Skin So Soft is generally easily available in campsites local shops etc. Otherwise I think it is mail order or through a rep. It seems to work well although I find they still crawl all over you even if they decide not to taste. If all else fails, at least you smell lovely!

In reply to ADJC:
have a look at this site for soe interesting info about the west coast midges:
http://www.ihatemidges.co.uk/
have to say i went for 50% deet and a headnet at the weekend (lamm) and considering the sheer numbers of the little blighters i didn't get to badly devoured

In reply to Jonno: skin so soft oil spray, the green one.

In reply to marsbar: The wee shop at in the campsite at as you enter glen nevis sells it as, i think, do most of the outdoor shops in Fort William.

In reply to ADJC:
SSS seems to work reasonably well for me, but I’d add you really need to get a midge hood too. Even if they don't bite the buzzing around your face / ears etc will drive you mad in a few minutes, the hood keeps them away a bit and relives the mental trauma. Also before you enter your tent or wherever, you need to brush down your clothes and then run a few meters to get ahead of them and buy yourself some unzipping time. Doesn’t matter how good you / your repellent are though, you will get bitten

on the plus side, BBC news this morning were suggesting there might be a ground frost tonight


.... die m***********s