Sawyer Products Premium Permethrin Insect Repellent for Clothing, Gear & Tents

The Sawyer Permethrin Clothing & Gear Insect Repellent is one of those products that actually does exactly what it claims. Once applied to clothing, tents, or gear, it repels and kills ticks, mosquitoes, chiggers, mites, and over 55 types of insects — which is why so many hikers, campers, and outdoor workers swear by it. With ratings consistently around 4.7 stars from over 30,000 reviews, it’s one of the most trusted treatments out there. It’s easy to apply, dries quickly, and stays effective for up to six weeks or six wash cycles, depending on the version you buy. Because it bonds to the fabric, it doesn’t leave a strong smell once dry, and it doesn’t damage clothing. For anyone spending time in tick‑heavy areas, this is a game‑changer — especially with rising concerns about Lyme disease. One of the biggest advantages is that it keeps your clothes bug‑free without spraying your skin, which makes it a great option for people who don’t like using heavy repellents directly on their body.

If you spend time outside around woods, fields, farms, camping areas, hunting setups, or tall grass, this stuff honestly starts feeling less like an optional purchase and more like survival equipment. 😄 We’ve mainly used it on clothing and outdoor gear, and overall it’s worked really well for helping keep ticks and insects from turning outdoor time into a blood donation event. One thing I especially like is that you apply it to clothing and gear instead of directly soaking yourself in bug spray constantly. Boots, pants, socks, jackets, backpacks, outdoor chairs, and similar gear all seem to work well with it once treated properly. The spray itself was easy enough to apply outdoors, and once dried it didn’t leave gear feeling greasy or weird during use. For people in heavy tick areas especially, this stuff gives a lot of peace of mind during hikes, farm work, property maintenance, camping, or outdoor projects. The bottle also lasts a decent while depending on how much gear you’re treating. Obviously you still want common-sense outdoor precautions, but this definitely feels like one of those products where once you start using it regularly, you really don’t want to go back to not having it. Overall, this has been an extremely useful outdoor staple for clothing and gear treatment, especially in areas where ticks and insects are aggressive little woodland terrorists. 😄

I’ve used Sawyer Permethrin on countless camping and hiking trips, and it has become one of my must-have outdoor products. It’s easy to apply, dries odorless, and gives excellent protection against ticks and mosquitoes. I spray it on my hiking clothes, socks, boots, and tent gear before trips, and the difference is noticeable — far fewer bugs bothering me on the trail or around camp. I also like that it lasts through multiple outings and washes without needing constant reapplication. If you spend any serious time outdoors, especially in tick-heavy areas, this product is absolutely worth having. Highly recommend.

> Dry, treated, clothing has only a slight unobjectionable odor -- even though the (liquid) spray smells like kerosene. Based on 10 days of use, I noticed NO difference between my treated and untreated clothing -- no smell, no stiffness (or other difference in texture), no discoloration > It is hard to find meaningful directions among the caveats and warnings. Do NOT overlook the warning that you MUST pretreat the clothes and let them COMPLETELY dry before use. Completely dry means different things in different climates. I strongly suggest leaving the clothes to dry in your garage or patio, maybe for at least 4 full days in the summer in Arizona, or for at least two weeks in the winter in Chicago. Do NOT spray on human skin, nor to clothing while wearing the clothing. > The sprayer head is not installed on the 24oz bottle. The sprayer tube is coiled , and hard to straighten. But it is important to straighten it in order for it to reach the bottom of the bottle. > According to the instructions (if you can find them), you should use at least 3oz garment or 6oz/outfit; to spray until lightly soaked enough that there is the small color change when the fabric has been wetted. In my experience, thin fabrics wetted very easily; while heavy fabrics (such as pants) required much more spray to become wetted. So, in reality, thin fabrics should be "soaked", while heavier fabrics require only enough to "dampened". It is impossible to tell if dark socks have been treated, so you just need to use your best judgment for those. Be sensible -- you don't need to treat the interior surfaces of your tent or sleeping bag; you don't need to treat the portion of your socks which will be in your shoes; you don't need to treat in inside crown of your hat, etc. > According to the instructions a 24oz bottle can theoretically treat 4 outfits. However, spraying fairly lightly (in my opinion, just enough to cover all of the surface), it took me about 9–10 oz per outfit (shirt, pants, socks, and hat). Since I had only 4 or 5 ounces left, I finished the bottle off on thinner spots (mostly underarm and crotch). So, it took me the full 24oz spray bottle to treat 2 outfits. > The yellow plastic bottle is opaque, so the instructions to use at least “3oz/garment”, is rather useless anyway. Plan on using a 24oz bottle to treat no more than 2--3 adult outfits. > The instructions imply that the sprayed fabric functions largely as an “emitter” surface for evaporating or sublimating molecules of the mosquito repellant. That is, that the total area of fabric surface is important. In that case, you should also treat the rims and tops of hats, backpacks, etc. That also implies that it makes sense to store clean, fully dry, treated outfits in ziplock bags – especially for travel, so that you don’t contaminate your other clothing. > Take the “safe for humans" claim with a large grain of salt. Note that the liquid spray is TOXIC to cats. The liquid spray is not healthy for humans either. I suggest wearing a long-sleeve shirt, long pants, a hat, eye protection, gloves, and a face mask when applying the spray. Spray OUTSIDE, from the upwind side, best in a very light breeze. Even using these precautions, my eyes were lightly stinging and my throat felt constricted a half-hour after treating 2 outfits. Note that although a paper mask will not stop gaseous chemicals, it will stop most particulates, including liquid droplets -- so a simple paper mask should greatly reduce inhaling the spray. If you have a more advanced respirator -- use it instead of a simple paper mask. > The liquid chemical is nasty and incredibly persistent. I made the mistake of rinsing out the used bottle in my kitchen sink -- after which it took days and 3 or 4 very vigorous and thorough scrubbings with harsh detergents to clear it out of my sink. So, keep the liquid (including any treated clothing which is not absolutely COMPLETELY dry) out of your living space. Discard the bottle immediately when you are finished (even if you've got a little leftover). > HOW WELL IT WORKS - I prepared a set of clothing for a trip to the Amazon (Brazil) in December-January, and wore the treated outfit for about 10 days (including one washing). To the best of my knowledge, I suffered no mosquito bites -- but there were actually few mosquitos. Subsequently, at home, after just two washings, mosquitos seem to be biting through treated clothing. So, while this may be the best option for treating clothing -- I wouldn't rely on it. You also need to choose appropriate clothing (loose, covering as much skin area as possible), and use a Deet-containing repellant on all exposed skin.

I can't recommend this product enough for helping with ticks while outdoors! Use this product on your clothes (not your skin). Spray it so it soaks the garment, let it dry outside for a few hours, and you are good to go. Don't spray indoors or let your pets be exposed to the wet permethrin (it's safe for pets once it dries!) For your skin I recommend picaridin for both ticks and mosquitoes! I think it works better than deet and won't leave your skin oily and gross like deet does. I just finished treating my clothes just now and one bottle treated 2pairs of leggings, one pair of biker shorts, two work out tops, two pairs of socks and a large hoodie (there's still a little left too!) so you can treat quite a bit with just one bottle, and this comes with two. I usually treat my clothes once in the spring and once like mid July, so usually two bottles lasts the summer.

I just came back from a nine-day trip deep into the Peruvian jungle -- into the reserve part of Manu National Park. It was an incredible journey! Fantastic nature, and incredibly isolated and pristine (an area never disturbed, and still inhabited by non-contacted peoples). But ahead of time I was extremely nervous about mosquito bites, because twice in the last ten years or so I have been to the emergency clinic with dozens of bug bites and a very strong allergic reaction to them. I practically obsessed over what to do to prevent mosquito bites as much as possible, because I have had such a strong reaction to bug bites, and the jungle is certainly full of mosquitos and other biting insects!. I am very happy to say that everything that I did worked -- I got very few bites, and I didn't even notice them until I searched for them. Everyone else in our group got plenty of bites, and they were itching like crazy, but not me!!! Here is what I did and what I brought: 1. I have a Peruvian friend who is a doctor. He told me to take Vitamin B complex every day for a week before the trip and every day in the jungle. I used these: Nature Made Super B Complex Tablets, Value Size, 360 Count 2. I bought two bottles of this Permethrin spray and very carefully sprayed ALL of my clothing, carefully following the directions on the bottle. I sprayed all of my clothing at home in my garage, and then packed it all in these giant ziploc bags: Ziploc Big Bag Double Zipper, Large, 5-Count (by the way, those bags were great for packing everything and really helped to keep things from getting too damp in the 100% humidity jungle!). I sprayed the three pairs of hiking pants I brought, three long-sleeved shirts, all of my thick hiking socks, and my sunhat (both sides). I put extra spray at all openings - pant cuffs, shirt cuffs, and shirt button seams.While there I always tucked my pants legs into my socks. The tour company had suggested wearing a cotton t-short under long-sleeved shirts because the mosquitoes bite through clothing, but I never did that; I didn't need to as I just didn't get bites through the Permethrin-sprayed clothing. This stuff really worked, as I did not get bites through my Permethrin-treated clothing! 3. I took the antihistamine Loratidine (generic for Claritin, this one: GoodSense Allergy Relief Loratadine Tablets, 10 mg, 30 Count Bottle ) as a prophylactic every morning, to prevent my strong reaction to bites. This worked GREAT -- I did get a few bites, as I could see the tiny red dots, but I didn't feel anything at all from them! I took only enough for the days that I was in the jungle. In the two days in Cusco before returning to the US I started itching a little on a couple of bites. In hindsight I should have taken a few extra tablets to take in the next few days after the trip. (Another hint - some people get drowsy on this stuff; I tested it first at home before going on my trip. There are other OTC non-drowsy antihistamines you can try if this doesn't work, like the generic for Zyrtec.) 4. I bought DEET. In my paranoia about insect bites and my prior reaction to them, I bought several different versions of DEET -- spray, wipes, and lotion, but I used only this spray, and only three times: Repel 94101 6-Ounce Sportsmen Max Insect Repellent 40-Percent DEET Pump Spray, Case Pack of 1 . That bottle is plenty for lots of people; to minimize weight and volume in your pack you might even want to put it into a smaller travel-sized spray bottle. I sprayed the backs of my hands, and then wiped from the backs of my hands onto my neck, cheeks, and forehead. 5. I had a mosquito head net that I purchased many years ago. Amazon has others but not the one that I have, so I can't give a link. I used this only two or three times when the mosquitos were especially thick. I had sprayed this also with Permethrin before leaving home. 6. I also brought with me an over the counter anti-itch creme (hydrocortisone), and a prescription-strength anti-itch creme (Clobetisol). I never used either one!!!!! But my travelling partners sure were happy that I had it so they could use it! I also had Sting Eze ( StingEze Max2 Insect Bite Itch Relief Dauber, 0.5-Ounce ), but this too I never needed, and my travelling friends were very happy to use. I worried a LOT before the trip about getting mosquito bites and my reaction to them. Really worried. I questioned my sanity for going! But with this Permethrin spray and everything else I did to prep, I had NO problems with mosquitos and I was able to totally enjoy the trip!!!!

I used the full 24oz bottle on a tent, tent fly, backpack, two outfits, shoes, socks, and a small backpacking chair. Not one single bug came into the tent, or crawled up it. First time I hiked or backpacked w/out ticks or chigger bites! No smell and can't feel it on your clothes or gear once dry. the tent application took a while, it takes longer to dry on that type surface. this is a must have.

Mosquitoes love me. Recently, it has been raining a lot, and my vegetable garden needs daily care. I need extra protection from mosquito bites. I already bought mosquito-proof clothing, and when I saw this insect repellent for clothing, I decided to buy it right away. So far, it works well and helps keep mosquitoes away. The only downside is that the smell is very strong when you first spray it. Other than that, I am happy with it.

Very good product but not used it yet. Good for soaking your children's night clothes. It can withstand 6 hand washes. Soak your children's night clothes and dry them. This will keep them safe in the night, especially during power outages in areas with heavy mosquitoes. You can spray on mosquito nets, hiking gear and evening clothes too. I highly recommend this product.

complete waste of money.. mosquitoes were just hanging around the surfaces i sprayed as if there was nothing

Shipping was stupid money, feels like I got ripped off quite nicely. Didn’t realize until the product arrived. Totally my mistake, but almost US$40,00 Shipping for a plastic bottle is crap.

去年購入してからシーズンオフで使う機会が無かったんですが、今季は早くも蚊がアチコチで飛び交ってる状況。 普段お仕事用の防水ジャケット洗濯後、濡れたままの状態で全体に吹き付けた後乾燥機でGO。 今日現場で使いましたが、蚊が周囲を10匹以上飛び交う環境にも関わらずまったく近寄ってすらきませんでした。 一緒に洗濯して乾燥機に入れた作業着にも効果が映ったのかもしれません。 ケミカルな匂いの類は液体状のうちは多少あるものの、乾燥してしまえばほぼ気にはなりません。 お値段はそこそこ高いのですが、アウトドアや屋外での仕事などに関わる方にはかなりおすすめできます。 無論キャンプなどでもウェアやテント、蚊帳などにあらかじめ処理しておけば害虫忌避にはかなり役立つと思います。

Worked great with Bull ants and ticks.