OT - Thermacell

[86er]

I'll get right to the point - these things work great! Yesterday I was getting covered up with no-see-ums and mosquitoes while in my tree stand. I turned it on and within 5 minutes the bugs were gone and I was not bothered again. Basically it uses a gas cartridge to heat a small tray. A pad with repellent goes on the tray. The repellent turns to gas/vapor and a sort of smoke emits from the machine. It keeps about a 10 foot circle clear of bugs. The ignition is a push button that sparks inside, no batteries needed. The whole thing is handheld and silent. I've had deer within 20 yards with the Thermacell on and they were not concerned. In our Canadian bear camps we keep one on each time we refresh the bait - just in case the bears do smell it they get used to it - and it may actually attract them. You can also put a drop of buck lure or doe-in-heat on the pad and have a bug free, deer luring machine. When I was in CO elk hunting my unit wouldn't light. I took it apart but couldnt figure out what was wrong. I purchased another at WalMart for $22 with an extra cartridge and 4 extra pads. When I sent in the warranty I put "replaced a Thermacell product that was defective or broken" for my reason of purchase. Today, Thermacell called me at home and said they are sending out a new unit to me. I told them the one that stopped igniting was over a year old and now I have a new one. No problem - they are still sending me another one. They now make a "Fresh Earth Scent" repellent pad (which smells the same as the regular one to me) that the deer and hogs have not been concerned with either. I encourage you to try one if you are dealing with mosquitoes, knats, no-see-ums, black flies and other bugs! http://www.thermacell.com

[Hobie]

It is a great product. I have the little lantern for the back porch but it does work! Recommend it all the time. While in Canada Tom Trace had the Off product (blue thing you hang on your belt) and it was, ummm, marginal.

[Hobie]

Oh, the butane cylinders are also used in some hair care product and can be purchased for less from other than the Thermacell people.

[Rimfire McNutjob]

I had one of their original lanterns from Home Depot from about 10 years ago ... before they got into the repellent game. It uses their original black/yellow metal butane cans. It will works, but the mantles are delicate and they ship them to you pre-burnt so they can easily fall apart. Still, the lantern works great.

I've always wanted to try the repellent versions ... both the lantern and the repellent unit alone. It also looks like the butane cylinders are made of clear plastic now instead of the metal.

I think his whole deal is the butane cartridges and how to use them. Though he seems to have hit it big with the repellent pads.

[RIHMFIRE]

great product....just dont use it in an enclosed blind....

[dr walker]

I have only used one a couple of times, but it sure does work. I am glad to hear they as a company are going above and beyond what is expected of them.

[RKrodle]

I keep one with my hunting gear at all times.

[gamekeeper]

Thanks 86er,
I received a catalog in the post today, they cost £29.99 over here in the UK and I was wondering if they worked, now I know they do.
Thanks for posting

[Ysabel Kid]

Thanks Joe! I'm going to have Y2K try this while camping with the scouts.

[TedH]

I always wondered if the scent was a game spooker.

[Tycer]

They work great.

[Dave]

They are like magic no doubt. The first time I saw one I was being eaten alive in a river bottom. I had mosquitoes in my ears, under my glasses, in my nose. They were biting me through my clothes. You could see the outline of my hunting vest on my hide the next day. Back at the truck my buddy came out carrying a Thermacell. I had never seen one. There were thousands of mosquitoes all around us. My buddy set the Thermacell on the tailgate and within 5 minutes they were gone. I would not have believed it had I not seen it with my own eyes. I bought one the next day.

[fordwannabe]

I have used thermacells from Maine to Ga. I first used one in a swampy area around Savannaha(SP) and the skeeters were real bad, I lit that thing up and in a couple minutes...gone(and not long after that, the dehydration from blood loss wasn't too bad). I love these things. Now about those mosquitos I'm not saying they were big or anything but I came around a corner and saw one standing flat footed having "relations" with a turkey. Tom

[Phideaux]

My other job is a wildlife photographer, the first time I saw a Therma Cell we were in a blind in Lousiana. I had a "bug-shirt" on sweating like a pig and still getting bit on my hands and any other exposed parts. My buddy's son had told him about them and he lit his up. The rest of our time there was spent in T-shirts with no bug problems. They are first rate.

[buckeyeshooter]

I own a couple and they work well for me. Just be aware that if you fly to a guided hunt, you will have to buy the liquid fuel when you land. You will not be able to take it on a plane even in checked luggage.

[piller]

Do they stop ticks?

[Hobie]

I don't know about ticks, I use a combination of physical barriers and DEET for ticks. However we've been using the Thermacell since 2006!