Reviews > Health & Safety > Insect Repellents > Spectrum Brands Insect Repellents > Heather Oakes Palmer > Initial Report

Name: Heather Oakes Palmer
Age: 28
Gender: Female
Height: 5'5" (1.68 m)
Weight: 140 lbs (64 kg)
Email address: alekto-at-yahoo.com
City, State, Country: Atlanta, GA, United States

Backpacking Background: I consider myself an intermediate hiker and beginning backpacker for over five years; my longest backpacking trip being only three nights. Day hiking and weekend backpacking comprise most of my weekend warrior experience averaging one backpacking trip per month and two day hikes per month averaging between 10-15 miles (16.1- 24.2 km) per day. I tend to backpack in warm, humid climates, with a good amount of hiking in the southern Appalachian Mountains and I have rarely hiked in below freezing or snowy conditions yet. I am a lightweight backpacker and buy my gear accordingly.

Product Information:

Manufacturer: Spectrum Brands
Web Site: http://www.cutteradvanced.com
Weight as Listed: 6 oz and 1oz (170 and 28.3 g) pump sizes
Weight as Delivered: Large pump 7.5 oz (212.6 g)
Small Pump 1.7 oz (48 g)
Single Wipe 0.2 oz (5.6 g)
MSRP: none listed

Initial Impressions:

Arriving in a plain brown box via FedEx, the first thing I noticed was the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS, also available as a link on the website that I had not noticed until I read the physical sheet. After reading the sheet and getting assurance from my bio-chemist husband that an 87 F (30.5 C) flashpoint did not mean that I would burst into flames at 87 F (30.5 C), I calmed down and noticed that the 30% ethanol content would most likely be the reason for the flammability and the non-greasy feeling of the product on the skin. The larger pump bottles in blue and orange have the spray area covered by a flip open piece of small plastic that looks fairly easy to break off. The smaller travel pumps are in a clear bottle with a much more secure looking snap open lid. The wipes are small rectangles with the logo and product info as expected.

The website maintains that the repellant is odorless and colorless, feels ‘light on your skin’, and that it does not harm plastics or synthetic materials. Upon initial usage of a large bottle only I noticed that the repellant does smell strongly of alcohol initially, is colorless, and feels light on my skin as the spray quickly dries. The MSDS notes that the repellant may damage leather and rayon, an issue I will be checking up on in my testing. I feel that it is very important to note that this product is more flammable than I initially thought from first glance at the website, reading the MSDS (available on the web as well) will make me be very careful while lighting my stove or being near open flame as I test this product.

Test Plan:

I plan on testing the repellant on all day hikes, car camping, and backpacking trips until the bugs stop biting. Last year, I still donated blood into December. If the mountains are too cool for the bugs, I can go further south or stick to wet trails in the Atlanta area such as the Chattahoochee River area or Sweetwater Creek State Park. Since I have already noted a few first impressions, I will continue testing for these things listed below:

Ease of Use and Reactions:

- Ease of application: I have never used wipes and have little experience with pumps. Does this mean I can actually use repellant and then eat or wipe my face without worrying about poisoning or extra food flavoring?
- Will the pump get clogged up or break in my pack?
- How heavy will the product be while carrying? How much trash will the wipes generate?
- Will it cause dirt and debris to stick to my skin?
- Will it stain or damage my clothing or sleeping gear? Any gear?
- Can I use the product on my face?
- Will using the repellant affect the potency of sunscreen?

How well does it work?

- How well does it work on mosquitoes? No-see-ums? Ticks? Chiggers?
- How long does it keep the bugs off when I’m working up a sweat?
- How long does it work in camp, or at rest outdoors?
- Will rain or water contact via stream crossings wash it off?
- How often does it need to be reapplied?

Locations:

I plan on testing the repellent primarily in day hikes and overnight backpack trips in the North Georgia Mountains. The average elevations I will be hiking in will range from 2000 – 5500 ft (610-1676 m) and late summer/fall weather will fluctuate wildly with temperatures from the 50’s- high 90’s F (10- 32 C) during the day, and maybe as low as 40 F (4 C) at night up in the higher elevations. The storms will both raise and lower the humidity, and the whole area will slowly cool off starting in October but bugs will stick around much longer depending on how much rain the area will get. Further south in Georgia and in hikes around the metro Atlanta area, the heat (and bugs) will stick around much longer due to lower elevations of around 1400 ft (427 m) and heat retained by the cities. In October, I plan on taking a week long trip to Arizona where I will both car-camp and backpack in various areas.

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Reviews > Health & Safety > Insect Repellents > Spectrum Brands Insect Repellents > Heather Oakes Palmer > Initial Report