Re: Mosquitoes at Pennsic

["Philip S. Dean (Scott)" <NACSPSD@acs2.acs.ncsu.edu>]

> I want to add one, mildly off-beat but factual, thing to the 
> excellent Pennsic how-to. In certain parts of the Pennsic camp
> the mosquitoes are deadly enemies, rumored to team up and
> carry off small children. There is a spiff solution to that
> which will permit you to be nice and comfy and laugh at the
> wounded.
> 
> Vitamin B1 prevents mosquito bites. 
> 
> Okay, I know I sometimes post some silliness on this list; but
> this is for real. Vitamin B1 is a water-soluble vitamin. Like
> the entire bc complex of vitamins, you cannot get too much of this.
> Excess B1 is harmlessly eliminated through urine and sweat.
> 

I would like to add that I have used this method before with some but
not complete success.  I was on a 6-week hiking trip and started
taking the mega dose of B-1 (I think; it was a B vitamin in anycase).
In the relatively populated areas (read big campground/Base camp), it
worked pretty well but when we got into the back country/High
mountains, it did NOT.  The other thing about this method is it
depends on you smelling bad to mosquitoes and it took a couple of
days to get the B vitamin concentration in and on your skin high
enough to work.  You have to stink for this to work.  THIS MEAN THAT
IF YOU TAKE A SHOWER, YOU DEFEAT MUCH OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THIS
METHOD.  Think about it.  I was fine because I was in the great
outdoors with a bunch of folk who also stank.   We couldn't take a
shower even if we wanted to and didn't have any other clothes to
change into anyway (backpacking).  In fact I had a shirt that did
wonders at repelling biting insects; the fact that it would repel
just about any other living thing and that my uncle threatened to
burn it when I got back  is immaterial. <grin>

I would stick with the OOP method of Cutters, personally.

-- Manus MacDhai
   Kappellenberg/Windmasters' Hill

mka:

-- P. Scott Dean
   Administrative Computing Services
   Box 7902
   North Carolina State University
   Raleigh, NC  27695