i took a mosquito net with me, used it only once all the way up from chile to colombia - where i lost it (came off the bike as i didn't really care when attaching it)
i'd rather worry about mosquitos and stuff in canada. a net is nice in combination with a hammock, definitely recommend it if you try to do that (e.g. in the amazon).
for malaria i am taking doxy which is extremely cheap and easy to get in colombia (a packet of 10 tablets cost me 2000 COP which is less than USD 1). it made me more sensible to sun but this is nothing to worry about (i am very sensitive and easily sunburnt even without doxy). considering the low cost it was a no-brainer for me to take the treatment (less than USD 3 for a whole month of treatment).
can't agree with 100% DEET - you don't need it. i used no-bite with 50+% DEET and it didn't help me. currently using "nopikex" which you can get locally (is a basically a soap) and it works way better for me. i got eaten last time i was in colombia when i used no-bite. try to find something that works for you, go through different products.
as for the rest - avoid bites the best you can (i know this is easy to say but harder to achieve. those vampires eat me alive). there's other stuff than malaria and dengue to worry about. one of the worst you can get is the chikungunya virus (e.g. cali, colombia). this can get you off your bike for weeks and joint paints can last up to a full year. don't be to lazy to put on repellent or worst case longsleeves.
hope it helps a bit.
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hit the road jack! tr15a
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