Throughout life it seems that certain lessons are best learned through some degree of pain and suffering. It’s also been my personal experience that even some of those unpleasant life lessons are occasionally, temporarily overlooked, usually leading to another round of tutoring via discomfort.

For outdoorsmen, two such subjects that seem to need constant reinforcement are burns and bites. Persistent exposure to searing sun or insistent insects without proper protection can ruin not only a one-day outing but an entire trip.

Over the years during a variety of adventures, some as simple as a local fishing trip, others a weeklong exotic shooting event, I’ve seen men lose not just hours but entire days out and about as a result of sun and insects. Improper handling of hot, bright weather conditions can lead to minor discomfort or all-out misery from a severe burn or sunstroke. Overlooking the dangers of biting and stinging insects can go far beyond the swelling and irritation of bug bites – all the way to West Nile Virus, Lyme Disease, or anaphylactic shock.

Battling bugs

Since we all know remaining inside and away from biting bugs just isn’t an option, it’s now become a matter of defense during turkey, bear, and fishing seasons, camping and canoeing outings, and even when just out target practicing. Since hunting big game and wild turkey requires the sportsman to remain motionless, batting away bugs and scratching are out of the question, and for dealing with keen-nosed black bear, odiferous repellents are a no-no, too.

Although wasps, hornets, and horse flies can occasionally be pesky, black flies, mosquitoes, and no-see-ums are the truly relentless pests. Regardless of how hot the weather is, cover up as much skin as possible for protection; stick with long-sleeve shirts and, of course, long pants and not shorts. In fact, tucking pants cuffs into socks offers added protection, and when camo gloves are required, like during turkey and bear seasons, tucking long sleeves under glove wrist bands really helps keep bugs at bay. Haven’t you noticed how wrists and ankles seem to take extra abuse?

Calf-high hunting boots with securely laced tops and long socks keep crawling, as well as flying, insects at bay, and hip boots and chest waders offer anglers added protection. Neoprene and rubber fishing boots do tend to be extremely warm on hot summer days, but the new lightweight breathable waders are comfortable and bugproof. While we are on the subject of dressing for fishing, or any outdoor activity for that matter, avoid dark-colored clothing, especially blues, since some bugs hone in on these colors. Also, don’t forget your hat – caps are OK, brimmed hats are better – and spray them liberally with repellent. In some severe cases of infestations, I’ve turned to a head net or bug mask for total protection and relief. Scientific researchers have proven that mosquitoes are attracted to dark colors, so lean toward tans, khakis, and neutral tones when dressing for cast or blast events.

By the way, mosquitoes are definitely attracted more to men than women. Avoid being more of a target to all bugs and bees by abstaining from perfume, after-shave, scented deodorants and soaps, and even aromatic shampoos and skin lotions. Hunters setting up seasonal stands or selecting a morning shooting site should avoid any standing pools of water where insects often breed and congregate. Remember that black flies are most prevalent in the morning and at twilight, mosquitoes are dawn and dusk predators, and no-see-ums will dig in and burn mostly at dusk and after dark.

Repellent options

It used to be that the worse bug dope smelled, the better it worked, but thankfully times have changed. Insect repellents with DEET have been proven most effective against all attacks, and if sportsmen are in an area where Lyme Disease, encephalitis, or West Nile are a concern, products of choice should have 15-25 percent DEET. Anglers need to remember that these high concentration products may cause damage to plastic, so wash fingers and palms of hands before handling fly lines, leaders, synthetic calls, or gun stocks.

Those outdoorsmen concerned about regularly using chemical repellents might consider a spray or lotion with citronella as the active ingredient; this is also a good idea with children. DEET-free Natrapel offers one of the highest concentrations of citronella of any available product, which actually confuses a bug’s sense of direction and stifles their appetite and desire to attack.

A couple of other alternative protections have really jumped to the forefront in the last couple of years. Some ingenious scientist came up with the idea of actually impregnating a full line of outdoor clothing with insect repellent. BUZZ OFF insect shield is an odorless repellent extracted from a natural product found in chrysanthemums and bonded into the fabric of shirts, pants, stockings, bandanas, and hats. Good for a minimum of 25 washings, the BUZZ OFF clothing repels mosquitoes, black flies, ticks, chiggers, and no-see-ums.

Aside from liquids, sprays, foams, and solid bug repellents and protective clothing, there are even mechanical products to keep biting pests away. Akin to mini-foggers and slow-burning repellent rings, the new rage is the ThermaCell mosquito repellent unit. A butane cartridge heats a chemically treated mat to keep a 225 square foot area clear of mosquitos for up to 12 hours. Portable and compact, ThermaCell sells for around 20 bucks and refill kits are readily available. The downside is its questionable efficacy on other biting bugs besides skeeters. Check for BUZZ OFF and ThermaCell at your local sporting goods stores or area fly shops, and if not available, turn to L.L. Bean, Cabelas, Orvis, or Bass Pro mail-order catalogs.

Bad rays

Let’s not even concentrate on the worst-case scenario of too much long-term exposure to the sun without proper protection, which is various types of skin cancer. Just the short-term effects of severe sunburn, heat stroke, temporary eye damage, and migraine headaches, all of which can shorten or end an outdoor venture, are enough to consider. Sportsmen’s bodies need protection on every single outing from the sun’s rays just as badly as they do from irritating insects. Think you don’t need to worry on cloudy days? Think again; even on overcast days up to 80 percent of the ultraviolet rays get through the clouds.

UVA and UVB are the two harmful sun wavelengths that require a sunscreen or even a sun block product to offer protection. As little as 10 minutes of unprotected exposure between peak hours of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. will commence to do damage. The answer is simple: carry a sunscreen product in your fishing vest, tackle box, hunting jacket, or backpack during every venture afloat and afield.

A basic rule of thumb for proper application is to apply sunscreen to dry skin 15 to 30 minutes before going into the sun and repeat an application every 2-3 hours that you spend outside. SPF refers to sun protection factor, a number which is the defense barrier to UVB rays, the harmful variety. Doctors recommend at least an SPF of 15, while most outdoorsmen who experience long and regular exposure should consider a 30 SPF. SPF numbers are a bit deceiving, for example, and an SPF of 15 may block around 90 percent of the UVB rays, but if you jump up to an SPF of 50, protection only rises to about 95 percent.

Just because a product claims to be waterproof, reapply regularly anyway just to be safe. Don’t forget the lips. I prefer a tube of lip balm with sunscreen to prevent chapping and burning. Sun protection products come in sticks, creams, oils, ointments, lotions, and gels, and while they all work, I’ve found an SPF 36 clear gel called Bull Frog that’s waterproof, sweatproof, and dries almost instantly upon application and works for all my angling and gunning outings. There’s no slippery or sticky skin nor surface chemicals to damage rod lines or firearms.

One of the most common errors in using a sunscreen is to select a high SPF and then apply too thin a layer and too infrequently, which turns an SPF 30 into an SPF 10. Apply roughly two tablespoons of sunscreen, that’s about a shot glass full, depending of course on body size and skin exposed. Wear long sleeves, long pants, a hat, and even fingerless sun gloves for long hours of fishing or sitting on stand.

Proven products with chemical ingredients such as oxybenzone, zinc oxide, octocrylene, benzophenones, and titanium diozide are good bets to purchase. Also, just like the fishing and hunting clothing with an infused insecticide, there’s a line of warm-weather fishing clothes that blocks UV rays even when wet. I hear that there’s some tropic-wear fishing togs in the works that combine both bite and burn protection – what a wonderful benefit that would be. Remember, if you can’t reduce your exposure time in the sun, reduce the penetration of rays with top-rate sunscreen and clothing.

While we are on the subject of combination products, many sportsmen use both sunscreen and insect repellent. Rule of thumb is to apply sunscreen first, then wait 30 minutes to an hour to put on the repellent. Now, however, at least one company combines the two essential outdoor protectants in one product. Chattem, producer of Bull Frog sunscreen, has a liquid bite and burn defense called Mosquito Coast. The DEET-free product has an SPF of 30, repels up to 8 hours, dries instantly upon application, and is waterproof. It’s a two-for-one winner.

Second sight

While we are on the subject of sun and insect defense in liquid and solid forms, let’s not overlook a good set of sunglasses. Snow and water reflect and intensify glare, creating eyestrain, headaches, and worse, and frequently a bug finds its way into a sportsman’s eye. I’ve seen bug bites just on the perimeter of the eye swell so badly that sportsman had to stop fishing or hunting due to lack of vision.

A second consideration, and a prime one for wearing sunglasses, is the protection they offer from a miscast fly or just walking through brush to a fishing hole or hunting blind. Many anglers, especially saltwater sight casters, depend on a premier set of polarized shades to see the fish under water regardless of surface glare. Shooters should always wear some eye protection, even on the practice range and obviously for more than just protection from the sun.

For the next few months, outdoorsmen will be having a heyday enjoying a multitude of sporting pastimes, and the insects will be enjoying the exposure as well. Take some time to stock up on bite and burn protection so each and every outing is an enjoyable one, and memorable for the right reasons. Learn from past mistakes and avoid dangerous rays and biting bugs.

Outdoor feature writer Bill Graves can be reached via e-mail at bgravesoutdoors@ainop.com