Thermacell Portable Mosquito Repeller

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.