Philip Wylie wrote: > I always understood that 'Deet' dissolves plastic and therefore wondering > about your recommendation to pour 'Deet' into a plastic bag? > > Curious if anyone else has such understanding. > Larry Snow wrote: > > > If you don't like putting DEET directly on your skin, one option is to > > use a bug jacket such as a Shoo Bug. They are OUTRAGEOUSLY expensive, > > but they work. They are an open mesh jacket with a hood which you store > > in a plastic zip-lock bag when not in use. You empty a whole bottle of > > DEET into the bag (I use 75% DEET from the surplus store and save $3 > > over the cost of a bottle of 100% stuff) and let it thoroughly soak into > > the mesh. Then you just wear the jacket. My experience is that DEET attacks plastics such as nylon, phenolics, etc., which are not strictly carbon-hydrogen in composition, but has relatively little effect on polyethylene, polypropylene, etc. (It nails latex, however, which is supposedly strictly C and H only, so I could be off-base here.) In addition, it DOES "migrate" THROUGH thin polyethylene bags at a slow rate, so I would be careful where I stored the bagged jacket. Reminds me of a time my klutzy (but loveable) brother spilled Coleman fuel inside a backpack loaded with our polyethylene-bagged-food (for a week-long trip). Gawd! Could not eat a speck of it. Even a mouthful of contaminated granola gave us the most disgusting "vapors" on belching! Memorable experience. -- Dave Kruger Astoria, OR sea kayaker / chemist *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************Received on Wed Jun 03 1998 - 08:02:06 PDT
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