Mosquitoes can be a huge bummer in your otherwise picture-perfect camping trip. Being bitten by a mosquito while sipping in that coffee and view can be the most frustrating of experiences, not to mention that these tiny insects are the deadliest animals to humans – causing 1,000,000 humans every year.
To ensure you stay safe and protected during your camping trip, we have gathered eight effective tips for you on how to repel mosquitoes while camping.
What You May Need to Repel Mosquitoes
Here is a list of the five most useful items you can carry on your camping trip to fight and protect against the little blood-sucking monsters.
- Bug repellant spray
- Mosquito repellent essential oils roll-on
- Mosquito repellant candles
- Mosquito repellant coils
- Mosquito repellant bracelets
8 Tips on How to Repel Mosquitoes While Camping
Tip 1: Set camp on a dry campsite.
The first thing you can take care of as soon as you reach your campsite is finding a dry location to set up your tents. Mosquitoes thrive and breed in any stagnant water bodies, be it puddles, swamps or pools. Never camp near these. However, if there is a flowing river or lake with currents flowing in and out of it, there is no harm in camping near them and taking in the view.
If you have already rented a campground space, you will have little to no choice in deciding where to camp as your area is already marked. But there’s nothing to worry about, as you can then use any of the tips mentioned below to keep the mosquitoes at bay.
Tip 2: Use the classic: bug repellant spray.
A good old bug repellant spray is an effective and reliable way to keep mosquitoes away. Among other tips to repel mosquitoes, this one is easily employable as you can find a bug repellant spray at any store. We recommend one that is DEET free and organic to ensure minimal chemical contact with your skin.
Always first test the spray on a small part of your skin to make sure your body doesn’t react to it adversely. However, if you are someone who’d rather stay away from chemicals, there are other solutions for how to repel mosquitoes while camping.
Tip 3: Light-up mosquito repellant candles.
Some tips to repel mosquitoes keep them from biting you; others keep the annoying insects away from your surroundings altogether. Lighting up a mosquito repellant spray is one of the latter. Citronella candles are considered extremely effective for this purpose. Their pungent smell, coupled with the smoke produced from the melting wax, is any mosquito’s worst nightmare! Tiny yellow candles lit around your tent will also make the mesmerizing view even more magical at night!
Tip 4: Place coils around tents.
Coils are an old and effective way of repelling mosquitoes outdoors. They have been around for a while; before any of these fancy candles and sprays were invented. Placing 3-4 coils around your tent will ensure a goodnight’s sleep free of any mosquito bites. Their smoke has the same effect on mosquitoes as that of a Citronella candle. They are best used coupled with any topical mosquito repellant.
Tip 5: Use nature’s gift: essential oils
Of all the tips to repel mosquitoes, this one is for those who want to stay away from chemicals while wanting complete protection. Essential oils derived from sage, thyme, eucalyptus, clove, mint, rosemary, and quite a few other herbs carry bug-repellant properties.
To use them as a topical mosquito repellant, mix 10-12 drops of your favorite essential oil in a cup of water and add a tablespoon of rubbing alcohol. Fill the mixture in a spray bottle and shake very well before use. If you want to bypass the effort, you can simply buy a mosquito-repellant essential oil roll-on.
Tip 6: Maximize protection against bugs with anti-bug bracelets.
There are few tips to repel mosquitoes when it comes to kid-safe options, but bug repellant bracelets are one of them. Using a chemical spray or essential oil-based product may not be safe for kids, especially since most have sensitive skin. A mosquito repellant bracelet makes for a great option in this case.
These bracelets also work by emitting certain chemicals but in a different way. However, since they are child-safe, wearing them alone may not be as effective. Pairing these with any other method, such as coils or candles, will ensure maximum protection against mosquitoes and bugs.
Tip 7: Remain fully covered.
This is one of the simplest tips to repel mosquitoes. Wearing clothes that fully cover your body minimize mosquito’s contact with your skin. Interestingly, lighter-colored clothes are best to keep these insects at bay because they get drawn to dark-colored clothes – especially black.
This tip is particularly useful when you are going for a walk or trek, away from your protected campsite. It may seem highly inconvenient to cover fully in summer, but even a thin layer of thermal clothing underneath your clothes can do the job without making you sweat profusely.
Tip 8: Light a campfire.
Mosquitoes hate smoke, and you know what creates a lot of it? A campfire. It is only logical to mention this tip for how to repel mosquitoes while camping. This tip is like hitting two birds with one stone because you will most probably be lighting a campfire to ignite that camping spirit. It ensures the safety of those sitting around it as the smoke from the fire makes it hard for the mosquitoes to breathe while also masking away any other scents.
Just make sure to extinguish it completely before going to bed. The fumes from the smoldering ash will be enough to keep you safe for most of the night.
Our Final Thoughts
Mosquitoes are those annoying creatures that can ruin almost any outdoor activity. Thankfully, there are now several ways in which you can protect yourself and your family from the pesky bugs. We hope you found our eight tips on how to repel mosquitoes while camping useful. You can always try a combo of 3-4 tips to ensure maximum protection from mosquito bites.
Happy itch-free camping!
