Most travellers are aware of DEET which is widely available , safe and has been used as a repellent for many years.Recently a new repellent , Picaridin , has emerged as a conventional insect repellent which highly effective and has some advantages over DEET.
Picaridin is less irritant than DEET, has minimal chemical pungent smell and does not damage gear which makes ideal for outdoors activities like hiking and fishing.
Although still not widely available in the Canadian market it can still be obtained from popular online retailers but for much higher price compared to the USA where it is widely available.
Permethrin is another insect repellent to use for gear and clothing (not for use on skin as DEET and Picaridin).It is highly effective against mosquitoes, ticks and flies.Permethrin is not toxic to humans but should still be used with caution according to the directions.For some reason its not widely available in Canada and can only be purchased online.