I live in Arkansas. We have lots of ticks, mosquitos and chiggers.

I have been particularly blessed in that mosquitos don't seem to like me. But, when they're particularly bad, instead of taking a bath in the repellent, I simply spray a cloud of it in the air and walk through it. I don't cover all exposed skin.

If I was in a very bad situation with a mosquito-y swamp nearby, I'd probably spray more. But for just passing through, a little goes a long way. If I was walking through a tick-or chigger-infested area, I'd probably make sure my legs were well-coated. For a mountain bike trail in Vermont (I've ridden on Mt. Snow), I wouldn't worry about a full coating.

I agree with the DEET=no Lyme disease, too. When I was in the Army the insect repellent they gave us was DEET. Then a study came out saying how horrible it was and you could hardly find anything with DEET...then Lyme disease came along. I don't have Lyme, but I have had a tick-borne illness (not otherwise specified), and it was the worst illness of my life. I'll take the DEET.

Karen