I first heard about Thermacell from a buddy who asked me if I had ever heard of a repellant that did not involve a spray can. At the time I had not and didn’t think much about it because I figured if I couldn’t feel it on my skin then it had to be a fluke. After going on a guided hunt in a South Carolina swamp and being offered a Thermacell appliance to help fight the skeeters in my stand, I can tell you this thing is a godsend and has earned a permanent spot in my pack.
The Thermacell appliance is a butane-powered heater and goes into action when you slide a mat saturated in an insecticide onto its metal grill. The grill heats up and the mat releases the insecticide (the company says it is Allethrin, an engineered version of a naturally occurring insecticide found in chrysanthemum flowers). You can smell the insecticide when you’re next to the unit but it quickly disperses and is undetectable by game. The effective area of the unit is 15′ x 15′ and in my experience, the mosquitos, no see’ums and black flies are gone within just a few minutes of turning it on.
The only downside I see to the Thermacell is the loud *click* of the starter. Like the starter on a propane grill, if the unit is cold it may take a couple presses of the starter button to light and those clicks are more than enough to get the attention of any nearby animals you may be after. I try to muffle the sound against my jacket and that covers the sound pretty well. I’ve never tried lighting it before walking to my stand because the coverage isn’t much good when you’re in motion, plus I want to preserve the mat.
Thermacell claims the mats last up to 4 hours and the butane cartridge up to 12 and this is about right. Neither has to be replaced with each use; simply turn the unit off and the grill cools down, ready to go for the next time you’re in the woods. Refill packs containing extra mats and butane cartridges are available.
I did pick up a holster for my unit which has straps for securing in the stand. A length of string or bungee would suffice but the holster’s buckle is quicker than dealing with tying a knot.
Appliances come in olive and camo and new for this year is an Earth Scent repellant. Thermacell has cut a deal with REALTREE and has that pattern available for the appliance and the holster as well.
When you’ve got a bead on that buck this season, don’t let the bugs get in the way. Get a Thermacell!
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