ThermacellMosquito Portable Repeller; Includes 12-Hour Refill; 15 Foot Zone of Protection; Highly Effective Mosquito Repellent; Bug Spray Alternative; Scent Free

The Thermacell really works! (it's not 100%, but it pretty damn good and a life saver if the mosquitoes are out!) And for the most part, you do get about a 15 foot zone of protection against mosquitos. For whatever reason, I don't think it's quite as effective against the noseeums. It takes a few minutes after turning it on before you get the advertised 15 foot zone of protection. Wind does affect the size and shape of that zone of protection.There are different models of Thermacell, but I liked this one because its small. They do have a backpacking model that's even smaller, but it requires a separate gaz cartride to use; which imposes some logistic problems when using it for backpacking (i.e. if you only have one gaz cartridge remaining on a backpacking trip, you can't cook and use the backpacking model at the same time)For this model you need to use Themacell's small cartridge. The thermacell itself does not require batteries to use. Thermacell does have a model that includes a lantern; that model does require batteries if you intent to use the lantern.The Thermacell works by using a very small micro flame that heats a chemically treated pad. When the Thermacell is turn on, you don't really notice any smells. Thermacell claims that whatever chemical they are releasing into the air is safe for humans. When new, the treated pad's are a blue color. As you burn them, they turn white. When the pad looses it blue color, you need to replace the pad. The one drawback to the Thermacell is that the cartridge and pads replacements are a little more expensive than you would like them to be (i.e Amazon sells 48 hours refill kits for ~$20-$25).The Thermacell has a small peek hole with a lens that allow you to see if the flame is actually ignited. When you look through the peek hole you only have a small viewing angle to observe if the flame is on or not. Once the flame is on, you can move the device around; I've never had the flame go out by moving the device around. You need to move the switch to the off position to turn the flame off. To start the Thermacell you turn the devices switch on and push the igniter button. It may take a couple to clicks to start. You'll need to look through the peek hole to know for sure if it's turned on or not. When using the device, the area above the treated pad gets a little warm; I don't think there's any really fire safety concern in using the device.

This little guy was really helpful this summer when I was in a woodsy area feeding community cats. I usually come home with lots of bug bites. Getting this started and putting it next to me while I was getting food dishes around saved me lots of itching!This gadget was easy to assemble & use, is light weight and can be hung or layed in an area your in. However the clasp you can purchase separately was not dependable. It kept coming off and I actually lost it on its first use. Nice that it is easy to get refills too!

i heard about thermacell from various YouTubers that spend a lot of time outdoors. Decided to get one myself and it works really well. it sure beats having to spray DEET all over your body when you deal in areas where the mosquitos can get real bad. Especially the small Zebra Strip Ones. (If you don't have those in your area...trust me, you don't want them. Their bites itch like nothing I've encountered before).I use this outdoors, when I'm doing yardwork. Anytime there is an occasion where bugs get on my nerves. Seems to keep everything away even Gnats.I picked up a belt clip separately that you can get for it, that way i can just clip it onto my belt or waist band. I'll still get an occasional fying bug near me from time to time but for the most part its kept almost everything away in the zone that they advertise (which is supposed to be 15 feet).The product is made of a pretty hard plastic and doesn't feel flimsy. Feels well built and i think you would probably be fine even if you accidentally dropped it on something hard here and there. Im sure it would hold up fine in your normal situations such as hitting the ground in the woods for example.its easy to ignite the butane. Just Fip the switch to ON, wait about 10 seconds and then hit the igniter button. You'll get a little orange glow light you can see from the top. All of this is explained in the included instructions. The Fuel is easy to install and so are the actual pads that heat up to keep the bugs away. Simple design and effective.I highly recommend you give one of these a try or maybe one of their other products if you are just trying to keep bugs away from your picnic spot or camping zone. They have several different things. I would love to try out one of their other products someday that are more geared towards that, such as when i want to BBQ outside etc.

I work in an area close to a swamp and summer can be crazy with skeeters.I picked this up after someone suggested it to me. I used it all day today at work on all three of my breaks.This thing is basically a big butane lighter. You insert a fuel cartridge in to the bottom. A chemical pad is inserted in to a slot covering a metal plate. You push a button to start it and the butane heats up the plate, vaporizing the chemicals in the pad.So far it has worked great. The pads themselves do not have an odor, but if you have problems starting it you may smell a little butane.Do not hold the start button in as it's the same as holding down the trigger of a lighter, it will leak gas.The cost of entry wasn't bad but I have major concerns about the cost of operation of this device over a year. The pads last about 4 hours according to the internet, so I assume I'll be able to use one pad for at least two days a week before having to change it out.There device operates silently other than the sound of the switch.Finally I personally feel like they could have included a belt holster for this thing. Instead they expect you to pay for it separately and the price is enough I'd rather just 3D print something. Scalping customers on the cost of accessories is a great way to start making them go 3rd party.