The New York Times - A secret weapon against ticks

Vile, horrible, insidious, and disgusting are just a few of the words senior staff writer Doug Mahoney, our resident expert on all things creepy-crawly, uses to describe ticks.

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His secret weapon against them? This permethrin spray. Permethrin is completely different from regular bug repellents. For one thing, you apply permethrin to your clothing and gear, not to your skin. And unlike other sprays, permethrin is an insecticide, so it can actually kill ticks instead of just shooing them away.

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Our experts consider it a must-have for outdoors season. Below, we’ll walk you through a few more Wirecutter recommendations for heading outside—including a few on-sale favorites.

“Permethrin is like the wall around the castle”→

• A breezy hat that won’t overheat your head: This running cap has a breathable mesh liner and a brim that delivers solid coverage from the sun. It’s been supervising editor and personal trainer Ingrid Skjong’s go-to for years.
• Our top-pick camping tent: Our testers all gravitated toward this easy-to-set-up tent, which kept them dry and well-ventilated through rainy nights, soggy mornings, and windy afternoons.
• A very tough headlamp: We’ve recommended this headlamp for more than a decade for good reason. It offers more than enough brightness for evenings at a campsite, and we like that it’s comfortable enough to forget you have a light on your head.
• The softest thermal underwear we tested: A good base layer can keep you warm and comfortable, especially if you’re adventuring somewhere with cool weather. We like this synthetic top, because it’s easy to wash and it comes in an impressively wide range of sizes. (Both the men’s and the women’s sizes are currently on sale.)
• A great sleeping pad for backpackers: With enough thickness to support your back and hips, this durable sleeping pad is the most comfortable option we tried that was still light enough to carry for long distances.

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Everything we recommend from REI’s sale, happening now→