We took free standing mossie nets to india.
They come in a bag about 300mm dia a nd have their own pop up frame work built in.A little bit bulky but they fold flat so there's no thickness to them.
Worked well.
Got them from the local outdoor shop.

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"Crashing's just proof that you're trying"

DEET in high concentrations i.e. over 80% (and maybe at less strength too) rots fabric. That's why you can't use it on clothes.

Q

DEET not only rots cloths, it melts plastic! Keep well away from your high-tech fibres, tents, glasses.....

You can treat cotton with DEET as it takes a long time to rot....

In most Malarious Countries you can pick up mozzie nets in loads of shops, supermarkets, on street-corners...both in Cities and up-country. For best results, make sure that the net is tucked under the matras and treated with bug killer (sold in the same places...one treatment lasts for about a month)

In terms of avoidance, wear long cotton clothes (treated), and socks! Make sure there is no standing water (birdbaths, puddles, swamps...) were you camp/stay! This reduces the need for insect repellent dramatically!

Jens

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You can never have too many bikes......

BMW R100GS
Triumph Tiger 885
Yamaha XT600e

Jens is gone, but not forgotten.

DEET is a repellent, and can be used with no problem against the skin. But what DEET really does is make the mosquitoes "dizzy" so that they forget to bite you. Well if you're lucky. I got mosquito bites wearing 100% DEET Jungle formula AND fully covered by thick fabric. Some mosquitoes really get hungry!

Permethrin is not an insect repellent. "It works as a contact insecticide, stunning or killing insects that come in contact with it". I would not fancy that on my skin, and would not repel.
Check this website out on DEET and Permethrin for more info:

http://www.travmed.com/trip_prep/ins...rmethrin.htm#3

cheers,

Also would like to add this bit (from website mentioned above):

"Can I use DEET and permethrin together, or is the combination unnecessary?
When maximum protection against insect bites is needed or desired, the ideal solution is to use a combination of DEET on exposed skin, and wear permethrin-treated clothing. An extended-duration DEET insect repellent (Ultrathon®) and permethrin-treated clothing is the standard personal protection system used by the U.S. military deployed in areas of the world where insect-borne disease is a real threat. One field study showed that the use of both of these products provided 99.9% protection against mosquito bites, in an environment where unprotected persons received an average of 1,188 bites per hour! "

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Maria

www.franglais-riders.com

this is a post that i sent a little while back to another thread also discussing malaria and meds....

My husband and I have both experienced malaria....whilst taking anit-malaria meds..........remember - no medication guarantees 100% effectiveness!
Malaria is a serous and is sometimes a fatal disease....and, at present, there is no vaccination against malaria.
it is true that sometimes the locals of a country may have 'some' in-built protection but there are more indigenous deaths due to malaria in Africa then of AIDS.

When travelling through Africa my husband and I took doxycycline as we required a medication for prolonged use. It was effective as we did not suffer from malaria whilst in Africa....but we were always using other precautions as well...ie spray, covering up etc.

However, whilst in South America we suffered two very bad attacks of malaria - whilst also taking doxy...(Strain- plasmodium vivax..the most common) This was however, not due to the lack of effectivenss due to the drug but to illness and vomiting which reduced the drugs ability to be effective! I was unable to reach other meds or a hospital for almost 2 weeks....during this time the situation just worsens. Once admitted I suffered temps of 42 degs....and things excreting from every orifice for 6 days...there is always a risk of coma in this scenario.

Self medication may work in very mild cases but this can be a killer and correct treatment should be sought. The parasites can remain in your liver for many months or even years before once again becoming active.....so you think your self-medication has worked.....it has usually just succeded in laying the parisites dormant for a while.

One option is to carry with you the tablets Cloroquine and Primaquine...both available abroad easily....but only via prescription in the UK. But you should always discuss proper usage of these meds with a doctor before-hand so you know how to adminster them correctly.
as mentioned above - there are side effects with taking doxycycline - but these are usually mild and in the form of sensitivity to sunlight on the skin...and often this is short term only.

We have now used doxycycline in all areas - high risk etc - for a period of 4 and half years on and off....

for more information on MALARIA PRECAUTIONS visite the site
fitfortravel home page
and for information on medications try the link for the same site.....
http://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/Gener...prophylax.html

I hope this helps.....
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Lisa
www.2ridetheworld.com