Sawyer Premium Insect Repellent Review

★★★★★★★★★★

“This stuff is awesome. We purchased some waterfront land on the ocean in Va. and have an off-grid camp set up while we slowly build and upgrade the property into our eventual retirement home/farm. The tick, mosquito, fly and gnat populations in this area are insane. I despise ticks especially since one tried to kill me by infecting me with tick fever when I was 5 years old and another gave my son Lymes Disease and put him in intensive care when he was also 5. Both of us were sent to John's Hopkins as 5 year olds because of ticks.I also hate bugspray. It's expensive, the cans of spray don't last long enough and if you leave them sit they'll eventually become empty on their own so stocking up doesn't help much. I started looking for another solution and in 2021 I bought 1 quart of this Picaridin cream. I'm still using the same quart in 2024. Full disclosure, I was the only one in my family that had been using it because everyone else is lazy. You can't just spray yourself real quick and be done. You need to put it on like sunscreen but it doesn't take that much. I'm 6'-2" and 240lbs. I use maybe 2 1/2 squirts of the pump to cover my feet, legs, arms, neck and head. I even rub a little through my hair. I spray my shirt with some form of DEET before I put it on. That's it. It lasts pretty much all day, except the mosquitoes will get me through my shirt later in the day because the DEET will wear off. My family will go through several cans of bugspray to my 2 squirts of Picaridin. The last trip out they finally realized that bugspray actually kinda sucks. So I'm on here buying another quart because I don't want to run out.I bought some cheap rubber gloves from Harbor Freight that I've started wearing when I put on the cream so I'm not eating it off my fingers later in the day. It doesn't wash off really easy which is a good thing, especially if you are a sweater or get in the water. Getting in the water will deminish it's effectiveness but I think it sticks on to you better than spray without a doubt. This stuff also dries quickly, the feeling of it on your skin is much more comfortable than bugspray and it doesn't smell nearly as bad.Mosquitoes absolutely hate it. I've watched them turn complete 180's as soon as they make contact with me. Gnats will land on you but they will not bite. They can still be pretty annoying if you are fishing at night because they'll swarm and tickle you but they do the same with all the other repellants. It repels chiggers and ticks great but if you are spending time in the places I do, you still need to check your underwear band and the other nooks and crannies down in that area where you didn't apply anything.The value this stuff brings is undeniable. $50 for a quart that could last you years as opposed to an $8 can of OFF that will last 1 person a couple days at best and that is assuming you use it up before it dries up on its own, unused.That's it. It is good stuff. In my opinion, and I think I would know, it is more effective, last longer, feels cleaner and is way more affordable then the other altermatives. If you get into the outdoors a lot, buy a quart. You won't regret it.”

★★★★★★★★★★

“The best on the market, I have tried many others but none are as good as this lotion, went down the Bow River in Canada with a ton of mosquitos and not one bite and the fact that you don’t have to breath bug spray or smell like one is awesome, it’s like putting on body lotion, absorbs quickly, no oily feeling and doesn’t dry your skin.”

★★★★★★★★★★

“I just got back from 10 days in Kenya. I used this product every morning on my exposed skin and I had ZERO bug bites. There were particularly a lot of mosquitoes in Kisumu, Kenya and I thought for sure I would end up with a few bites, but no ZERO. It also is completely odorless (unlike deet) and it goes on like a regular moisturizing lotion not greasy at all. Absolutely will be purchasing this again. Just want everyone to know how well it worked for me!”

★★★★★★★★★★

“Worked pretty well, still got bit quite a few times by mosquitos during fieldwork in Alaska, but landings were still relatively rare. Not terribly greasy, easy to apply.”

★★★★★★★★★★

“Definitely the best bug cream. I use liberally before setting off for my early morning walk and never get bothered by mosquitos. And it does last, as if I pop outside to do some gardening after breakfast, I am still protected. Much prefer to smelly, irritating sprays. Here in South Florida you can get bitten just walking down to the mailbox, so great to have this.”