Be very careful to make sure the permethrin concentrate you purchase does not use PETROLEUM DISTILLATES as the solvent!!! The stuff they sell at Gander, Cabelas, etc. is water-based.

I had a few awful summer canoe camping trips in the BWCA ruined by mosquitoes (I'd gone in May and Sept otherwise, before and after bug season here). Two summers ago I was being bitten by mosquitoes despite 3m DEET lotion being applied to arms, legs, torso, 100% deet spray on my hands/wrists, a headnet, long-sleeve shirt with a fleece on over it, long pants, and wool socks. They were ravenous!! But when you're cooking dinner over a stove there's not much you can do besides yell and wave your arms around. That is, until I read about the joys of permethrin. This wonderful insecticide is supposed to kill any bugs on contact and make you a much more comfortable and happy camper. You can even get a big jug of concentrate for cheap at your local farm store... I'm sold!

So, I went to Fleet Farm and picked up a concentrated jug of permethrin for like $10. Filled a 5 gallon pail up with water, threw in a bit of the permethrin, and swirled my clothes around for a few hours. I treated fishing shirts, convertible pants, hat, socks, etc. (everything you need for the BWCA). I'd read all over the internet about self-treating clothes with permethrin, and only saw the smell disclaimer a few times. (I honestly think people see this idea and post it without trying it.)

My clothes were hung on a line outside for 3 days, still smelled, so I washed them in my house and they still smelled. (The washer and dryer exhaust stunk like gasoline). Washed them 3 times and then hung outside again. Then they smelled like a mix of laundry detergent and gasoline.

The smell eventually dissipated after exposure to rain, fire smoke, cooking smells, and BO... but the stink I had to deal up with them at first both in my house and then while wearing them was pretty intolerable. I would rather pay a bit more for a water-based permethrin solution.

I think you can find bulk solutions of the water-based permethrin (a "generic" version of the Sawyer brand stuff they sell at Gander, Cabelas, etc.), but it is a bit more expensive than the petroleum-based. It smells SOOO strongly of gasoline otherwise.