West-coast midge and Highland ticks ruin more stalking days than weather does. There are two separate jobs here and most people only do one of them.
Treat the clothing, not just the skin
A skin repellent such as Smidge works on exposed face, neck and hands and needs reapplying through the day. A wash-in treatment like BushWear NO Tick goes into the fabric and stays there for several washes, which is what actually stops ticks walking up trouser legs and into socks. Hagopur Tick-Frey covers the same job as a spray.
Midge nets
When the midge is genuinely up, nothing on your skin will be enough. A head net over a cap brim — Lifesystems or Mil-Com — is the only thing that works, and it weighs nothing in a pocket.
Ticks
Check yourself at the end of every day out, particularly behind the knees, the waistband and the hairline. Ticks that are found and removed promptly are the ones that cause no trouble. Treated trousers and gaiters make the check a lot shorter.
Larder and kennels
Eazyzap LED glue-board fly killers and Hagopur wasp deterrent are for the larder and the yard rather than the hill — flies on a hanging carcass are a hygiene problem, not a nuisance.
Related
Hats & Caps, Larder and the BushWear own-brand range.
