I’ve used Thermacell units since they were made available to the general public 22 years ago (the technology was first unveiled in 1994). Seeing that it’s been 20+ years, I just assumed everyone in America knew about them. I was wrong.
This past month, I had the pleasure of welcoming a new videographer to our Deer & Deer Hunting team — Mackenzie Pelo. Mack is an Indiana boy with some hunting experience, but he had never hunted the early archery seasons of locales like northeastern Wyoming. If you’ve followed our D&DH-TV programs on Pursuit Channel, you know that this area has become my all-time favorite place to kick-off each archery season. They start early — Sept. 1 — and it can be both hot and buggy. This year was no exception. Daytime temps were in the upper 90s, and outfitter Ralph Dampman (www.trophyridgeoutfitters.com) told me to be prepared for hungry mosquitoes.
No problem, I thought. We will just pack a few extra Thermacell units for our video crew. Me personally — I would be bringing the new Multi-Insect cartridges/repellent pads. These new offerings not only repel mosquitoes but also flies and no-seeums. Perfect for early season bowhunting.
I really didn’t give this much of a second thought … until I realized that Mack was one of those folks who had relied purely on self-will and spray-on repellent in his past outdoor experiences. His reaction was priceless.
“As soon as we sat down in our hunting blind we were greeted by the local mosquito population,” Pelo said. “I swatted and cursed, deciding to deal with them as I have done in the past. Without hesitation, Dan reached into his backpack, retrieving his MR300 unit. He fired it up and within minutes the constant buzzing around my ears had ceased. I was amazed at how fast it worked and also how it kept the mosquitoes away from us for the remainder of our hunt.”
Back at camp, Mack expressed wide-eyed enthusiasm with the rest of our campmates as we gathered for the evening meal.
“I didn’t waste any time,” he reported. I immediately went online and ordered my own MR300. Easily the best $30 I’ve ever invested in my EDC (everyday carry). I look forward to camping, hunting, fishing and working outside in peace!”
We ended the trip with a successful afternoon hunt and a full-velvet 8-pointer. Not bad, considering the bugs were bad the temps peaked out at 96 degrees.
New Mutli-Insect Repellent
New this year, Thermacell Multi-Insect Repellent creates a 15-foot zone of protection against mosquitoes and 10-foot zone against no-see-ums and black flies (buffalo gnats). The refills are compatible with Thermacell’s existing mat and fuel repeller line, so you can seamlessly swap Multi-Insect repellent mats in for use on your MR300, MR450, Backpacker, Patio Shield, or Lantern repellers. Available now from $32.97 at Home Depot, Amazon, and Sam’s Club.
