When you’re camping or hiking in a tropical environment where disease-carrying mosquitoes are a risk, then you can amp up your protection by treating your gear with the Permethrin Debugger Kit from Equip.
Permethrin is an insecticide that once impregnated onto a material, can kill insects and mosquitos on contact. This kit can be used on tents, sleeping bags, mosquito nets, headwear and even clothing.
This kit comes with 20ml of permethrin, a 5ml syringe, and 2 disposable gloves to treat your gear – so you can get maximum protection from mosquitos when you’re at risk.
Does it need to be diluted with water? If yes, what is the ratio?
G'day Laura,
Yes, this concentrate will need to be diluted with water, I will pop a chart below with some amounts. Please note the amount of Permethrin absorbed depends upon the material to be treated. The quantities below are accurate only for the material stated.
Item to be treated | - Quantity of Permethrin - | Quantity of Water |
Nylon Mosquito net (up to 20m²) |
20mL | 500 mL |
Cotton Sheet (up to 10m² in size) |
20mL | 1.25 L |
Cotton T-shirt (up to 4 at a time) |
10mL | 4 L |
Permethrin = 1gm per 2mL in solvent
How can it be effectively used for tents and backpacks considering you cannot soak them into the liquid?
G'day Laura,
You could spray this onto your tent and backpack, you would just want to make sure you get a good covering with the solution and let it dry. It just may not be as effective as submerging but will still work. This treatment can also affect the DWR or Gore-Tex as it may damage the fabric or the waterproof membrane.
Would it work to repel bed bugs?
G'day Dimity,
This will work to repel bed bugs if you have treated the fabric such as sheets and clothes. It is also good to use a personal insect repellent in combination.
Hi could I dilute then put in spray bottle to treat my backpack effectively?
I've never done this but I can't see why it wouldn't work, Julie.
Wondering if anyone has used this to treat horse rugs?
G'day Lyn,
We're not aware of anyone who used this to treat horse rugs, but if they are a porous/absorbant material and not a waterproofed or canvas-style material, we can see any reason why it wouldn't work.
When washing treated clothes what best to wash with? Is washing detergent ok?
G'day Sarah,
This treatment lasts up to 6 months, assuming you treat your clothes as you normally would, including normal washing processes.
Hope that helps!
For applying this to tarps and ground sheets, how much coverage (approximately) do you get?
G'day Andrew,
I don't believe this will work for tarp or groundsheets, as they're generally plastic woven or plastic mesh.
This can only really be used with fabric or material that is porous/permeable.
If you have non-waterproof cotton canvas groundsheets/tarps, you may need a few bottles. Apparently, 20ml of concentrate will treat 2 single bed sheets, if that gives you an idea of rate.
Does this have a smell?
G'day Dianne,
I've checked in with the team & no-one here has personal experience with this product. Apparently, Permethrin can smell alittle during the application process, but ultimately the smell goes away. A quick google also suggests that Permethrin is odourless, so I think if you're worried about smell, you wont have any issues with this product.
Is it good for Merino socks?
G'day Karla,
There's no clear info on this from the product specifications, but I've done some research on google and it seems people regularly treat merino clothing and socks with Permethrin with no issues at all.
I'd recommend having a google and reading more about people's experiences before you proceed, just to make sure you are happy with that info!
Is this effective on tent screens against midges?
G'day Eric,
I've done some quick research on this one, and it seems as though Permethrin is effective in deterring midges to a certain extent.
Seems like it could be a good option, but isn't foolproof.
Can a Swag be treated with Permethrin
G'day Brian,
Yep, that application for swags would be the same instructions as provided for tents.
I.e. does it wash off eventually?
G'day Dave,
Great question! I've had a chat with the supplier and they've said the Permethrin Treatment will last about 12 months and for 30 washes.
Does treating with Debugger affect the other properties of the fabric eg DWR, breathability, etc? Can it be used with Gore-Tex?
G'day Syed,
We wouldn't recommend using the Debugger on garments with DWR or Gore-Tex as it may damage the fabric or the waterproof membrane.
hi once this solution is made up can u place into a spray bottle to apply to sleeping bag etc..
G'day
The instructions supplied with the Debugger Permethrin Treatment indicate that items must be submerged in the solution and left to dry. You may be about to make up a solution and put it in a spray bottle, but it would be hard to determine the effectiveness.
Please advise how many garments can be treated with the made up 20L solutions
G'day Jodie,
I've just been and checked the instruction manual in the box, and they suggest that you can use 10mL of the Permethrin Treatment with 4L of water to treat up to 4 shirts at a time.