Now that the weather is getting warmer and we are at the start of the season where more ‘outdoorsy’ recreational activities are kicking in for our family, it’s also that time of year where flies and all manner of bitey insects come out to play.
Come summer, as a family we can be found on the football field (yes, still, friendlies seem to go on forever apparently!), horse riding, out-and-about with cubs and brownies, camping, as well as walks through our nearby woods on an evening. We actually went camping this weekend, and on my ‘to take’ list were insect repellent wipes, and extra awesome ones that we’ve been trying out this past month. We are also lucky enough to travel a bit, and so always pack insect repellent wherever we go abroad.
Pyramid Travel Products have brought out a new product in their range, the Trek Sensitive Insect Repellent wipes, and they got in touch the other month and asked us to try some of their products, including the wipes. Whilst insect repellent is something that we’ve always used on all 3 children due to necessity (at best, insect bites can make kids miserable, and at worst, carry all kinds of diseases), I haven’t always felt comfortable using strong varieties on Freddie and Arlo as they have very sensitive, eczema-prone skin.
So I was keen to give something a go that promised excellent protection, yet was kinder.
Clinically proven to be as effective as products containing 50% DEET (the standard product in insect repellent), Trek Sensitive DEET free insect repellent is a sensitive skin friendly repellent, and provides all day protection from mosquitoes, midges, and other biting insects. Based on the latest Saltidin® technology, the gentle insect repellent is suitable for use by those with sensitive skin, children over two years and pregnant women.
Result!
DEET has been the ‘go to’ active ingredient for insect repellent for decades. However, being a strong chemical means it’s not great for anybody with sensitive skin (such as my boys), pregnant women or young children. It is also a plasticiser, which means that it has the potential to damage plastic products like sunglasses (eek!). Whilst the regulations regarding the maximum strength of the DEET have now changed, and the risk of damage is much lower than it was, a small risk does still exist.
In contrast, Trek Sensitive uses a milder chemical called Saltidin to repel mosquitoes and other insects. Despite the chemical being milder and the concentration lower, Pyramid conducted independent laboratory tests that prove that Trek Sensitive provides very similar levels of performance to repellents containing 50% DEET (the maximum strength currently allowed). Although it is described as a mosquito repellent, Trek Sensitive is highly effective too for repelling midges, sand flies, horse flies etc. It uses the same active ingredient (Saltidin) as the Pyramid Midge and Tick repellent, so the wipes could also be used to repel ticks (which definitely gives me peace of mind when camping). As you may well know, ticks are an increasingly serious problem throughout the U.K, with a percentage carrying the bacteria that cause Lyme disease, a serious health condition.
So what did we think of them as parents?
We used the wipes for a month, and finished the last ones we were sent on our camping trip to Sussex, where there were lots of midges by the river our tents were pitched near (and we also let some of our friends have a try!). We were also very close to fields with long grass that the children were allowed to play in (and played hide and seek for ages), so we also had the extra worry of ticks.
I actually breathed a sigh of relief once we’d applied the wipes and all 3 children’s skin were okay with them and didn’t react, and we came away from our trip without a single bite (hurrah!). They also actually smell fine too and aren’t overpowering which is a bonus.
The midges largely stayed away, which was no mean feat when come dusk there were actually quite a lot of them. In fact, I didn’t apply any of the insect repellent wipes on myself (too busy seeing how they were on the children), and actually came away with two bites myself. The children had none!
Lesson learned!
Thinking ahead for Freddie and Sasha’s activity day camps in the summer holidays, I can pack these in their rucksacks and know that they are old enough now to apply the wipes themselves should they need them- much less messy than a spray or lotion. They are also biodegradable, which is increasingly important to us as a family in terms of looking after the environment.
I’m so pleased we were sent these to try, as it’s so nice as a parent to discover a product that you know you’ll just keep on using now! As I mentioned previously, we have also been sent some other products in the range to try, so I’m looking forward to reporting back on these.
Definitely sold though on the Trek Sensitive Insect Repellent Wipes!
Why buy?
- Clinically proven to be as effective as 50% DEET.
- Will repel mosquitoes, midges, sand flies, ticks etc.
- Suitable for pregnant women, people with sensitive skin and children aged 2+. They are much easier to apply on very young children than a spray repellent (no more accidental spray in the face of a wriggly two year old!).
- Up to 12 hours protection from one application.
- Wipes are biodegradable. Just dispose of in normal refuse and the wipes will degrade completely. SO much better for the environment.
- Ideal for air travel as the wipes are not affected by the rules regarding liquids in hand luggage.
- Perfect for day trips – pocket sized pack, no need to carry another bottle. Don’t apply repellent unless you actually need to.
Watch the video here for more on these fab wipes…
On the blog I also have the chance for 1 lucky blog reader to win a Pyramid Products travel bundle, worth £60! Perfect for going away this summer, or being out and about here in the UK. This include the following products:
- Trek Sensitive Wipes x 2
- Trek Sensitive 60ml spray bottle x 2
- Trek Midge and Tick 60ml spray bottle x 2
- Bug Bite Relief 60ml spray bottle x 1
- Bug Bite Relief Pen x 1
- Travel Soap 60ml x 1
- Hand Gel 60ml x 1
- Surface Spray x 1
All you have to do is fill in the Rafflecopter below, using as many options as you’d like – good luck!
I also have a special discount code, enabling you to have 20% off everything in the online store! The code is PUDDLEJUMPER20 and you can enter it on checkout.
Terms and Conditions: Competition closes at 11.59pm GMT on Sunday 28th July 2019. Entries received after this time and date will not be valid. Giveaway open to UK residents only. Entrants must be 18 and over. Winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter after the closing date and will be notified within 5 days of competition end. Only entrants received via the Rafflecopter widget will be considered valid. The prize is an Pyramid Products Travel bundle- no cash alternatives to the stated prize will be offered.
*Thank you to Pyramid Travel Products for working with The Spirited Puddle Jumper!
I loved visiting Egypt – years ago, before kids…
The best place I have ever been is Goa in India.
Rome for me brings back happy memories
prague
Has to be Malaysia!
we love to go off to Iceland most years.
I loved visiting Lake Garda in Italy
Goa in India has been mine – a lovely place
Morocco, the whole country seemed to have a special kind of light.
Austrralia
We went to Paris once, that was fun!
Mine has been Cornwall, thanks for the chance to win these.
Florida
I just love spain for the views but my all time fave has to be getting engaged at disney
bahamas
Austria
My favourite place so far has been Zanzibar
My favourite place has to be Jordan
Devon. Such a beautiful place and friendly people, we always have an amazing time xx
I loved everything about Australia!
For me it has to be Italy such an amazing beautiful place
I visited Scotland a few years ago and I honestly never wanted to leave, it was beautiful.
We love olu deniz in Turkey
so far, the best place we visited has been Marrakech and it’s amazing market!
disneyland paris as i had so much fun there
The Everglades – truly amazing.
New York
Oman was the best so far
has to be las vegas
I enjoyed exploring Cambodia
I loved Rome. So much History and Culture
Cairo, Egypt about 11 years ago!
I loved Australia, I had the most amazing time, apart from jetlag
Mexico. An extraordinary place with happy memories.
I love turkey
Disneyland Paris when i was younger – I cant wait for my children to be a bit older so i can take them!
The Lake District.
Switzerland
Mauritius is my favourite 🙂
I loved visiting Egypt with my 2 children – was the best holiday ever x happy memories
Iceland
I always enjoy the north devon coastline
I always enjoy the north devon coastline
Mine is Cornwall, I have been abroad a few times, but you cannot beat the beauty of Cornwall, and all the hidden treasures to see.
Benodet in Brittany. A lovely bay/beach, a river and marina as well as a salt marsh all within a ten minute walk from the campsite 🙂
Marseille for Euro 2016
Tenerife with the family
We went to Canada and absolutely loved it .
My favourite place was in the town of Rhodes on island called Rhodes.
Madeira was beautiful
Moraira in Spain. When I visited there years ago it was a small coastal town, surrounded by beautiful and unspoilt scenery. It was extremely quiet and relaxing.
New York
Northumberland
We’ve been very lucky and have travelled to some amazing places over the past few years. I’d have to say the Maldives was my favourite for the sheer beauty and total relaxation, delicious food and really lovely, freindly people.
I really loved our holiday to Berlin!
It would be Bristol UK.
St Lucia – where we got married
loved thailand
I went to Delphi in mainland Greece and it was probably the most gorgeous place I’ve ever been