All natural insect repellant

It is that time of year again when the mosquitoes, ticks, and other bugs become a nuisance and can ruin your outdoor adventure if you are not prepared. If you are looking for a potent insect repellant that is safe for children and adults, 45N 48W is an all natural insect repellant that really does the job. 45N 48W gets is clever name from the GPS Coordinates of the Northern Terminus of the Appalachian Trail, located on Mount Katahdin in Baxter State Park, Maine. This repellant was designed and tested by serious hikers who spend a lot of time in the backwoods. One of the key ingredients is Neem, a herb native to India, and has been referred to as the “village pharmacy” due to its incredible array of healing properties. It has been proven effective as an insect repellent and is being used in malaria prone tropical countries. Another key ingredient is Lemon Eucalyptus Oil that is highly recommended by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for effective protection against mosquitoes.

We all know that Florida is known for having relentless mosquitoes in swamps. During a hike last May in the midst of the Okahumpka Swamp, we applied this 45 N 68 W prior to venturing into the woods and we remained mosquito free for the whole 2 -½ hour hike.

Florida 2009-2010 Winter has gone on record as being one of the wettest winters in years which creates the perfect breeding environment for ticks. While hiking in the panhandle in early April, I came back from an all day hike with 11 ticks on me. Two weeks later, I was hiking in the Lower Suwannee Wildlife Management area and neglected to use my 45 N 68 W because there did not appear to be much mosquito activity. Well about 1 mile into the hike I had two ticks fall on me out of the trees and a few relentless deer flies harassing me. I pulled my bottle of 45 N 68 W and applied the insect repellent. The deer fly seemed to vanish and I was able to finish the hike without anymore evidence of ticks.

Not only is this insect repellent tough. It smells great! The sweet smell of Rosemary has a double function as it also has been known to have insect repellant properties. Other Key ingredients include Witch Hazel, Glycerin, Citronella, and Polysorbate.

These products are free of toxins such as DEET, petroleum, and paraben. 45 N 68 W also contains antiseptic properties and is biodegradable.

Waterproof Backpack

Overboard Accessories LTD is a company from the UK and came up with their own patented Waterproof Store Rating System (WSRS). Then they proceeded to rate this backpack a WSRS Class 3 which means:

Waterproof so tight that it can handle quick submersions. The product could be permeated by water in any of the following applications: Prolonged Submersions, submersions greater than 3 feet of depth, or high water pressure applications.

By Our American Standards this product would be considered Water Resistant at best. It would get you through a short rain shower and an accidental dunk from tipping a Canoe or Kayak at best.

I paddled the Waccasassa River for 7 hours today and had stowed the Overboard Waterproof backpack in the back of my sit-on-top kayak. After riding countless wakes left by weekend boaters and my own little splashes from routine paddling, the waterproof pack ended up sitting in about 2 inches of water for several hours. The outside of the pack, of course was wet with splashes of water from paddling. After I removed the pack from the kayak, I opened the roll top to find that the contents on top were dry. My hiking boots and socks, which I had put in an oversized zip-lock bag for testing purposes, were damp but the papertowels I had inserted at the bottom of the pack were soaked.  However, there were not puddles of water sitting at the bottom of the pack.  Bottom line the items at the bottom where the pack was sitting in water for a prolonged period of time will absorb some moisture/water.
This pack comes with a roll down top typical of waterproof bags and clips to the side. The pack also has padded shoulder straps to allow for this pack to be worn comfortably as a daypack for hiking. There are support straps that reach around the waist and chest for extra comfort and support for toting those heavier loads. A nice idea and I will be sure to make good use of this item during the rainy season here in Florida. There are plenty of small coastal islands I plan on paddling to explore. This pack will allow me to paddle and hike without carrying extra equipment. Just remember you may need to still give those perishable items a little extra protection (ie in a smaller dry bag or ziplock)

This pack is manufactured by Overboard Accessories LTD, from the UK. You can purchase this item online at the WaterproofCases.net in Jacksonville, Florida.

About the Author: Barbara is the owner of  an on-line store Riverbanks  Outdoor Store  for several years and has frequently engaged in outdoor sports for years including camping, mountain biking, whitewater rating, kayaking, snorkeling, and hiking. Barbara also hosts a blog Riverbanks Adventure Forum  that focuses on product reviews and adventure vacations.  You can also follow Riverbanks Outdoor Store on twitter, flickr, youtube, and facebook

Homade Ghillie Suit

My thirteen year old son and his friends have been playing the all popular outdoor Manhunt Game for a couple of years now. Manhunt is the teenage version of hide-n-seek or kick-the-can (for those of you who can remember) with teams of players.  One team protects the base and the other team attempts to get back to base without getting caught.  They have developed complex strategies.  They prefer to play in the evening and sometimes they use flashlights.  Well we have watched our weekly Man-Hunt game evolve from 6 to sometimes 30 players.  The yard plus the adjacent neighbors is no longer sufficient. They have moved to the local Recreation Center that offers a small woodsy area with Florida natural terrain in which to hide.  Oak and Saw Palmetto bushes abundant. 

Well now it is time to take this Man-Hunt to the next level. My son decided that he wanted a Ghillie Suit for the next match.  We drive down to the army-navy surplus store to pick up some netting that is used for camouflaging in the army.  We had two panels cut.  One is the under layer with a hole for his head.  This drape around his shoulder and covers his arms.  The other panel was the outer panel in which the art of camouflage was needed.  We picked up some Jute to add that all natural color and some brown and green string at a local craft store.  The string had the thickness and the consistency of a shoelace.  Because we are in Florida, we felt that Spanish moss was a must.  We also supplemented with some green and brown died mossed that we interspersed throughout the netting.  Lastly we needed some natural foliage.  I told my son to go find something out back.  He needs to think this through. He knows the terrain in which he is trying to hide and he should make the Ghillie suit mimic the natural surroundings in which he plans to hide.  He made me proud! He came back with two saw palmetto branches. One was dead and one was green.   Perfect..those are EVERYWHERE in Florida and the imperfect branches made it more natural. We randomly attached our moss and palmetto leaves with the natural looking Jute string until the net was sufficiently covered.   It is recommended that you roll around in the dirt and leaves to give it that natural rugged look.  It is also more effective if you wearbrown, green, or camouflage clothing underneath the suit

Hiding in Ghillie Suit..Try to find him...note he has on red shorts!

Now we are satisfied with the Ghillie suit and it is time to put it to the test.  “Momma, I am going to hide you need to come and find me.”  Off into the woods he went.  A few minutes later I went looking for him.  I may have over looked him the first two times..but the red shorts caught my eye eventually! ”I see you honey.  That looks really good!”

The whole project may have cost just under $40 and two hours to create it.  Money and time well spent to satisfy the imagination of a child!  If the Ghille suit lasts, you may even be able to use it as a Halloween Costume.  Wouldn’t you have FUN wearing that to the office!

Ghillie Suit supplies

History:  The Scottish game keepers were the first to create the Ghillie suit to allow them to hunt blind (hunting with a cover device so as not to be detected).  Their nickname was the Ghillies: hence the name Ghillie suit. They originally used strips of burlap tied to their clothing to hide them. Lovat Scouts, a Scottish Highland regiment formed by the British Army during the Second Boer War, is the first known military unit to use ghillie suits. In 1916, this allowed the beginnings of the first sniper unit.  Now Ghillie suits are a standard part of the army camouflage tactics.