Some yes, but mostly no. If flies are going to be an issue we recommend using the Sawyer 20% Picaridin topical insect repellent. Picaridin is much more effective against flies than DEET, especially at 20% which is higher than other Picaridin formulas available on the market.

Quite possibly. DEET should not damage cotton, wool, or nylon. Do not apply to or near acetate, rayon, spandex or other synthetics, furniture, plastic, watch crystals, leather and painted or varnished surfaces including automobiles.Be sure to read the labels, and if in doubt try a sample on an obscure surface area and check it after 24 hours of exposure to DEET.

Yes.  We would recommend applying the sunscreen first. The trick to a comfortable and effective application of sunscreen it to put it on first thing in the morning or at least 10 minutes before sun exposure to help it fully absorb into your skin.Our SPF 30 sunscreen is a bonding base formula which makes it very breathable while still very effective. You can learn more about this formula at sawyer.com/sunscreen/

Because of the way they slow down the evaporation of the DEET, lotions always last considerably longer than sprays of comparable DEET concentrations. Sprays have the advantage of being able to be applied to clothing. Sprays remain effective much longer on clothing than on skin. Since repellents work as a 3″ barrier, clothing applications can often protect 6″ of exposed skin and significantly reduce your usage on skin. Our top recommendation: topical on skin and Permethrin spray on clothing.

The reason you were told to “get something with at least 30% DEET” is because under older guidelines this was true. Simply put, the higher the percentage of DEET in a given formula, the longer and more effective the protection from insects. Until the introduction of Sawyer Controlled Release Insect Repellent, we would have recommended Sawyer Maxi-DEET® 100% DEET Insect Repellent for the skin. People often confuse concentration with dosage. Lower “dosages” of 100% DEET or DEET mixed in a Controlled Release lotion or even a standard lotion work better than alcohol-based sprays.As an added measure, you may still consider 100% DEET for times of extreme bug density. However, the real question is not how much DEET you start out with, but how much of the active ingredient, DEET, is available at any given time (even hours later) to repel those nasty mosquitoes.Skin repellent with Slow Release Technology–Sawyer Controlled Release 20% DEET Insect Repellent uses sub-micron encapsulation to entrap the DEET. An effective and long lasting insect repellent for use on the skin is a slow release technology that keeps the repellent on the surface of the skin much longer than other formulas. This provides for slower absorption and extended effectiveness against biting insects. The Sawyer Controlled Release Insect Repellent formula provides this type of technology in a formula that is both effective and very comfortable to use.