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I've just been midged alive at the weekend at Kielder, I think I've reached an all time high of over 50 midge bites! So we tried all the traditional methods to deal with the midges but they were very determined.
Does anyone have any suggestions (sensible or amuzing) which I could try next time?
Does anyone have any suggestions (sensible or amuzing) which I could try next time?
In reply to Elsier:
1. Light a fire
2. Put on full winter gear incl. mitts, balaclava, multiple layers
3. Put wet wood on fire
4. Stand in the smoke
5. Smoke a pipe too
They will still get you mind.
Alternatively and actually very usefully, invest in a midge jacket. Great things.
1. Light a fire
2. Put on full winter gear incl. mitts, balaclava, multiple layers
3. Put wet wood on fire
4. Stand in the smoke
5. Smoke a pipe too
They will still get you mind.
Alternatively and actually very usefully, invest in a midge jacket. Great things.
In reply to Elsier:
Vitamin B1 patches (Don't Bite Me I think they are called) might be worth a shot.
We tried them camping a few weekends back in Corpach. I escaped with about 5 bites and my partner had none! They still swarmed and annoyed us but seemed less than interested in actually biting.
The only downside is you end up smelling of vitamin B1/marmite for the next few days!
Failing that napalm or outrun the little beggars.
Vitamin B1 patches (Don't Bite Me I think they are called) might be worth a shot.
We tried them camping a few weekends back in Corpach. I escaped with about 5 bites and my partner had none! They still swarmed and annoyed us but seemed less than interested in actually biting.
The only downside is you end up smelling of vitamin B1/marmite for the next few days!
Failing that napalm or outrun the little beggars.
In reply to Elsier: DEET Bath.
In reply to Elsier:
Napalm a 5 square mile area and stand in the middle of it.
It wont help of course, but it might make you feel better.
Napalm a 5 square mile area and stand in the middle of it.
It wont help of course, but it might make you feel better.
In reply to Elsier: Layers tucked into layers with DEET round the joins. Garlic and B1 helps. Midge suit's are great if you can find them. When climbing I just use lots of DEET and put up with the fact that I'm still going to get bitten a lot.
In reply to davidbeynon:
As demonstrated by successive US administrations in the 60s/70s with regard to SE Asia. In spite of the napalm, midges eventually drove out a technologically superior opponent and established a communist state.
> (In reply to Elsier)
>
> Napalm a 5 square mile area and stand in the middle of it.
>
> It wont help of course, but it might make you feel better.
>
> Napalm a 5 square mile area and stand in the middle of it.
>
> It wont help of course, but it might make you feel better.
As demonstrated by successive US administrations in the 60s/70s with regard to SE Asia. In spite of the napalm, midges eventually drove out a technologically superior opponent and established a communist state.
In reply to Elsier:
You will not get bitten if you follow these precautions.
1. Shirt with sealable neck and cuffs.
2. Tuck trousers into socks.
3. Midge net on head.
4. DEET on hands.
You will not get bitten if you follow these precautions.
1. Shirt with sealable neck and cuffs.
2. Tuck trousers into socks.
3. Midge net on head.
4. DEET on hands.
In reply to Elsier:
Which were?
Some say eating lots of marmite (or other yeasty spread) gives your sweat a yeasty smell that midges don't like...
Deet was what I used back in 2004 in Scotland - it worked, probably. Hard to tell, as it could be that it didn't work, and I would normally only get a few bites.
Some people are midge magnets, some people get ignored. Could be pheromones.
Saw a documentary recently where some bloke covers himself in queen bee pheromones, then turns up at bee swarming sites, and turns himself into a walking bee swarm. He was a scientist studying pheromones, and so on, so knew exactly what he was doing, though.
> So we tried all the traditional methods to deal with the midges
Which were?
Some say eating lots of marmite (or other yeasty spread) gives your sweat a yeasty smell that midges don't like...
Deet was what I used back in 2004 in Scotland - it worked, probably. Hard to tell, as it could be that it didn't work, and I would normally only get a few bites.
Some people are midge magnets, some people get ignored. Could be pheromones.
Saw a documentary recently where some bloke covers himself in queen bee pheromones, then turns up at bee swarming sites, and turns himself into a walking bee swarm. He was a scientist studying pheromones, and so on, so knew exactly what he was doing, though.
In reply to Elsier: Avon 'Skin So Soft'. I dont know where the idea came from but its quite popular with the military who spend a lot of time in midge infested areas.
In reply to Lukas V-L:
I use skin-so-soft but it does not take long before the little buggers get through that.
Deet works but it scares the hell out of me. This was made all the more graphic when the stuff started to melt my sunnto watch casing.
Not a good visual demonstration of what could happen to my skin.
I use skin-so-soft but it does not take long before the little buggers get through that.
Deet works but it scares the hell out of me. This was made all the more graphic when the stuff started to melt my sunnto watch casing.
Not a good visual demonstration of what could happen to my skin.
In reply to Elsier:
I have found that not using any deodorant, scent, perfume, after-shave etc etc is helpful in repelling midges.
Very lonely though.
I have found that not using any deodorant, scent, perfume, after-shave etc etc is helpful in repelling midges.
Very lonely though.
In reply to The Lemming:
Your sunnto watch casing isn't self-repairing like your skin is, nor has it early warning systems (pain) like your skin has...
An possibly you washed the deet off your skin at the end of the day, but didn't do so off your watch...
Your sunnto watch casing isn't self-repairing like your skin is, nor has it early warning systems (pain) like your skin has...
An possibly you washed the deet off your skin at the end of the day, but didn't do so off your watch...
In reply to Elsier:
If you're being swarmed by midges it is sometimes possible to make midges go from yourself onto somebody else if you walk very close by them, I think you possibly have to change direction suddenly for it to work. I can't remember where I heard or saw it, but somebody who worked in Greenland a lot as a scientist (where midges are bad during the summer) was talking about making a swarm latch onto somebody else.
It's down to you to decide if it's fair or not I guess, but I thought i'd mention it for if everything else doesn't work. ()
Cheers
Tim
If you're being swarmed by midges it is sometimes possible to make midges go from yourself onto somebody else if you walk very close by them, I think you possibly have to change direction suddenly for it to work. I can't remember where I heard or saw it, but somebody who worked in Greenland a lot as a scientist (where midges are bad during the summer) was talking about making a swarm latch onto somebody else.
It's down to you to decide if it's fair or not I guess, but I thought i'd mention it for if everything else doesn't work. ()
Cheers
Tim
In reply to Dominion:
Surely that's exactly what you don't want, or are you suggesting we do that and the midges won't be able to get through the bee swarm?
> Saw a documentary recently where some bloke covers himself in queen bee pheromones, then turns up at bee swarming sites, and turns himself into a walking bee swarm. He was a scientist studying pheromones, and so on, so knew exactly what he was doing, though.
Surely that's exactly what you don't want, or are you suggesting we do that and the midges won't be able to get through the bee swarm?
In reply to Dominion:
Repellant- both DEET and Skin So Soft (neither worked)
Full body cover of clothing- but they still managed to find their way in
And yes I was with a friend who is apparently more attractive to midges than me, but I still got swarmed.
Repellant- both DEET and Skin So Soft (neither worked)
Full body cover of clothing- but they still managed to find their way in
And yes I was with a friend who is apparently more attractive to midges than me, but I still got swarmed.
In reply to Elsier: Kielder must boast the worlds biggest midge population!
In reply to Elsier:I've just noticed i've been bitten quite a lot today, i've found making sure I don't scratch any bites helps quite a lot with the itching, to avoid the circle of scratching and things feeling more itchy than before, I try and focus on something else instead.
Cheers
Tim
Cheers
Tim
In reply to Dauphin:
interesting, compared to the universe, so are great white sharks!
i too was at kielder this weekend, and I hate to say it Elsier, the midges weren't that bad compared to some days I've had.
definitely a midge hat / hood and keep as much of your skin covered as humanly possible
stock up on essentials like food and water before you arrive (it's hard to eat with a hood on)
also some of my biking buddies were swearing by vit B tablets / yeasty things / garlic so there's likely something in that... and for what it's worth, fi reid and her partners advice is usually spot on (i've considered stopping asking questions on here, and just asking them directly lol)
i prefer not to use deet, and tests show skin so soft doesn't seem to work for me
interesting, compared to the universe, so are great white sharks!
i too was at kielder this weekend, and I hate to say it Elsier, the midges weren't that bad compared to some days I've had.
definitely a midge hat / hood and keep as much of your skin covered as humanly possible
stock up on essentials like food and water before you arrive (it's hard to eat with a hood on)
also some of my biking buddies were swearing by vit B tablets / yeasty things / garlic so there's likely something in that... and for what it's worth, fi reid and her partners advice is usually spot on (i've considered stopping asking questions on here, and just asking them directly lol)
i prefer not to use deet, and tests show skin so soft doesn't seem to work for me
In reply to Dominion:
The melting watch happened instantly when I applied 50% deet. Quite unnerving to watch the plastic bubble up and disolve.
> An possibly you washed the deet off your skin at the end of the day, but didn't do so off your watch...
The melting watch happened instantly when I applied 50% deet. Quite unnerving to watch the plastic bubble up and disolve.
In reply to Elsier:
went to stanage for an evenong climb and my buddy was bit very badly by the biters where as i was not bit at all , being a mechanic maybe they dont like the smell or taste of diesel or oil????
so have a bath in oil or diesel before you go again???
went to stanage for an evenong climb and my buddy was bit very badly by the biters where as i was not bit at all , being a mechanic maybe they dont like the smell or taste of diesel or oil????
so have a bath in oil or diesel before you go again???
In reply to Elsier:
Unlike all the other suggestions this is guaranteed to work or you get your money back
http://reheated.files.wordpress.com/2007/11/nuclear-bomb.jpg
Unlike all the other suggestions this is guaranteed to work or you get your money back
http://reheated.files.wordpress.com/2007/11/nuclear-bomb.jpg
In reply to Elsier: Take a sacrifice (also know as your second) with you and get them to expose as much skin as they can without getting arrested. The midges will feast on them leaving you to climb without being bitten.
You might not want to fall off though as they will probably be preoccupied fighting off the little blighters to belay.
You might not want to fall off though as they will probably be preoccupied fighting off the little blighters to belay.
In reply to Fredt:
I've always found that deodorant is *very effective* at dealing with midges.......but Only if applied in thier direction from about 6 inches behind a lit zippo.....
running very fast in circles, only pausing while underwater works well
> (In reply to Elsier)
>
> I have found that not using any deodorant, scent, perfume, after-shave etc etc is helpful in repelling midges.
>
>
> I have found that not using any deodorant, scent, perfume, after-shave etc etc is helpful in repelling midges.
>
I've always found that deodorant is *very effective* at dealing with midges.......but Only if applied in thier direction from about 6 inches behind a lit zippo.....
running very fast in circles, only pausing while underwater works well
In reply to Dauphin:
Yeah but I'm a girl! And they may only be tiny individually but if you add them all together they equal huge big monster
> (In reply to Elsier)
>
> Man the f*ck up, their only tiny.
>
> Regards
>
> D
>
> Man the f*ck up, their only tiny.
>
> Regards
>
> D
Yeah but I'm a girl! And they may only be tiny individually but if you add them all together they equal huge big monster
In reply to rallymania:
You are right of course- I've seen worse number of midges before. The problem was that this weekend we just weren't prepared.
We arrrived at the exact point in the evening when the midges were at their worst and then had to put the tent up and cook outside, we didn't have the food or water ready, couldn't find anything we needed, and I forgot my head net so this all lead to maximum midge exposure time
> (In reply to Dauphin)
> interesting, compared to the universe, so are great white sharks!
>
> i too was at kielder this weekend, and I hate to say it Elsier, the midges weren't that bad compared to some days I've had.
>
> definitely a midge hat / hood and keep as much of your skin covered as humanly possible
> stock up on essentials like food and water before you arrive (it's hard to eat with a hood on)
> also some of my biking buddies were swearing by vit B tablets / yeasty things / garlic so there's likely something in that... and for what it's worth, fi reid and her partners advice is usually spot on (i've considered stopping asking questions on here, and just asking them directly lol)
> i prefer not to use deet, and tests show skin so soft doesn't seem to work for me
> interesting, compared to the universe, so are great white sharks!
>
> i too was at kielder this weekend, and I hate to say it Elsier, the midges weren't that bad compared to some days I've had.
>
> definitely a midge hat / hood and keep as much of your skin covered as humanly possible
> stock up on essentials like food and water before you arrive (it's hard to eat with a hood on)
> also some of my biking buddies were swearing by vit B tablets / yeasty things / garlic so there's likely something in that... and for what it's worth, fi reid and her partners advice is usually spot on (i've considered stopping asking questions on here, and just asking them directly lol)
> i prefer not to use deet, and tests show skin so soft doesn't seem to work for me
You are right of course- I've seen worse number of midges before. The problem was that this weekend we just weren't prepared.
We arrrived at the exact point in the evening when the midges were at their worst and then had to put the tent up and cook outside, we didn't have the food or water ready, couldn't find anything we needed, and I forgot my head net so this all lead to maximum midge exposure time
In reply to Elsier:
I don't know if others have noticed, but I have *never* been midged, whilst in a pub...
I don't know if others have noticed, but I have *never* been midged, whilst in a pub...
In reply to Elsier: They don't like bright light, or wind, so attach a halogen lantern and a fan to a pole on your back, pointing down onto you, and connect to a car battery which you carry around with you.
Simple.
Or just carry one of these around with you.
http://themidgeatershop.shopkit.net/?gclid=CO-y_dGK2aICFUQB4wodzFFizA
Simple.
Or just carry one of these around with you.
http://themidgeatershop.shopkit.net/?gclid=CO-y_dGK2aICFUQB4wodzFFizA
In reply to Elsier:
Wear a dry suit, bet they can't get through that :P
Then fashion some kind of hat with a mosquito net to protect your face, and wear gloves.
Probably not the most practical solution though :/
Train some midge-eating frogs to guard you and gobble up the midges when they get close.
On the subject of DEET: An interesting experiment with a strong DEET spray is to spray it on a plastic bag and see what happens...
Wear a dry suit, bet they can't get through that :P
Then fashion some kind of hat with a mosquito net to protect your face, and wear gloves.
Probably not the most practical solution though :/
Train some midge-eating frogs to guard you and gobble up the midges when they get close.
On the subject of DEET: An interesting experiment with a strong DEET spray is to spray it on a plastic bag and see what happens...
In reply to Trangia: a touch of over kill me thinks ???
In reply to rallymania: Silly question - would you climb in a midge hat/net?
In reply to Elsier:
Lanacane. To relive the itching afterwards rather than stop the biting in the first place. It's very good.
Lanacane. To relive the itching afterwards rather than stop the biting in the first place. It's very good.
In reply to Trangia:
I rather doubt that a measly nuclear blast would worry the midges much.
I rather doubt that a measly nuclear blast would worry the midges much.
In reply to Elsier:
My tried and tested method for camping in the summer:
Arrange midge coils in a semi-circle around the opening of my tent where I'll be cooking. Make sure I can quickly lean out and light them. Then get back in quick. Let the smoke drive off the first swarms.
Next is to cover up completely. Gloves are a bit harsh in summer - but definitely long sleeves and trousers. Socks tucked into trousers and trainers on.
Do everything SLOWLY. They're attracted by your sweat. Don't scratch either.
Skin so soft stops them from biting - initially. It does dry after a while, so it needs to be close at hand to be liberally re-applied. The happy quality of Skin so soft is that it isn't as insiduous as chemical formulas like Deet, so you can feel happier about liberal applications.
Hat on, sit quietly and calmly doing the cooking. If it gets very bad - midge net on too. Then eat inside the tent.
Wake in the morning - and pray for wind.
Camping in the summer ALWAYS makes me nostalgic for the Spring and even winter camping. There is no perfect method for evading the midges. And in spite of all the above stipulations, EVERY summer camping trip will find me doing the Indian war dance, running around shouting and swearing routine, at least once.
My tried and tested method for camping in the summer:
Arrange midge coils in a semi-circle around the opening of my tent where I'll be cooking. Make sure I can quickly lean out and light them. Then get back in quick. Let the smoke drive off the first swarms.
Next is to cover up completely. Gloves are a bit harsh in summer - but definitely long sleeves and trousers. Socks tucked into trousers and trainers on.
Do everything SLOWLY. They're attracted by your sweat. Don't scratch either.
Skin so soft stops them from biting - initially. It does dry after a while, so it needs to be close at hand to be liberally re-applied. The happy quality of Skin so soft is that it isn't as insiduous as chemical formulas like Deet, so you can feel happier about liberal applications.
Hat on, sit quietly and calmly doing the cooking. If it gets very bad - midge net on too. Then eat inside the tent.
Wake in the morning - and pray for wind.
Camping in the summer ALWAYS makes me nostalgic for the Spring and even winter camping. There is no perfect method for evading the midges. And in spite of all the above stipulations, EVERY summer camping trip will find me doing the Indian war dance, running around shouting and swearing routine, at least once.
In reply to Elsier: Take antihisthamines(sp?)a couple of days before hitting midgeland. That stops the bites being so annoying. Combine that with DEET, marmite, garic, skin so soft and a burkha to ensure a comfortable day out.
In reply to pizza:
A man in a pub once told me that loggers in New Zealand take a teaspoon of turpentine once a week to deter biting insects.
Or maybe it was paraffin.
Anyone else heard of this tactic?
> went to stanage for an evenong climb and my buddy was bit very badly by the biters where as i was not bit at all , being a mechanic maybe they dont like the smell or taste of diesel or oil????
>
>
A man in a pub once told me that loggers in New Zealand take a teaspoon of turpentine once a week to deter biting insects.
Or maybe it was paraffin.
Anyone else heard of this tactic?
In reply to the real dr gav: Sounds as likely as selling you a hat to protect you from drop bears.
In reply to Elsier: People talking about DEET scares me, it melts plastic and I guess it melts rope/slings also. I won't have people spray it anywhere near my climbing gear and would encourage you to do the same.
In reply to ablackett:
> it melts plastic
Yes it does> and I guess it melts rope/slings also
No it doesn't In reply to Elsier:
Only a matter of time before this baby makes it to the high street
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKm8FolQ7jw&feature=fvw
Here's the full length talk from TED for anyone interested...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcwBH_Uevxo&playnext_from=TL&videos=...
Only a matter of time before this baby makes it to the high street
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKm8FolQ7jw&feature=fvw
Here's the full length talk from TED for anyone interested...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcwBH_Uevxo&playnext_from=TL&videos=...
In reply to crack:
who me? never... think how bl00dy stupid you'd look
http://www.ukclimbing.com/images/dbpage.php?id=149226
erm
> (In reply to rallymania) Silly question - would you climb in a midge hat/net?
who me? never... think how bl00dy stupid you'd look
http://www.ukclimbing.com/images/dbpage.php?id=149226
erm
In reply to Elsier:
They can't bite if they don't get to your skin...
http://www.morphsuits.co.uk/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=MORPH
They can't bite if they don't get to your skin...
http://www.morphsuits.co.uk/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=MORPH
In reply to deepsoup:
How do you know DEET does't melt ropes, have you seen any test results that you can post here?
> (In reply to ablackett)
it does>
> I guess DEET melts ropes also.
> I guess DEET melts ropes also.
> No it doesn't
How do you know DEET does't melt ropes, have you seen any test results that you can post here?
In reply to rallymania:
Absotlute quality phot, cheers!
Just been out picked up my head net, 1000mg garlic capsules, Vit B Complex with Brewers Yeast and antihistamines!
Absotlute quality phot, cheers!
Just been out picked up my head net, 1000mg garlic capsules, Vit B Complex with Brewers Yeast and antihistamines!
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